New finance means continuously updating truth and choice

Core finance establishes what is true, growth finance uses that truth to shape choices and new finance continuously updates both as conditions change, writes Cognizant CFO Jatin Dalal.

By Jatin Dalal • Nov. 3, 2026

AI is changing the business model, not just the tech stack

As firms prepare their 2027 budgets, CFOs need to move beyond AI experimentation and rethink how work gets done, capital is allocated and business value is created.

By Dean Quiambao • Nov. 2, 2026

Explore the Trendline➔

Tax policy shifts: What CFOs need to know to stay ahead

Discover how evolving tax policies are creating new opportunities and challenges for CFOs.

By CFO.com staff

For successful M&A, define the new operating model before the deal closes

Delivering on a deal’s thesis requires knowing what the combined company must change, a new report advises.

By David McCann • Nov. 2, 2026

Inmar’s longtime CFO on merits of lateral career moves

Rich Schmidt, finance chief of the North Carolina-based coupon reimbursement firm for over a decade, says a “penchant for wanting to solve problems” is a trait shared by his top employees.

By Dan Niepow • Oct. 29, 2026

84% of PE-backed CFOs build budgets in Excel despite automation push

When it comes to handing finance activities to AI, private equity-backed finance leaders show the most resistance around forecasting and budgeting, according to a new Accordion survey.

By Lauren Muskett • Oct. 23, 2026

The future CFO needs to think like a CTO

Finance leaders are starting to trust AI over their own instincts, but they also need to understand how it can fail.

By Mohamed Chaudry • Oct. 22, 2026

A saved hour from AI is not yet a cash saving

Here’s how CFOs should evaluate claimed AI productivity gains before those gains are translated into budget reductions or return on investment figures.

By Yunita Anwar • Oct. 20, 2026

3 tips to manage soaring health costs

Speaking at the CFO Leadership Council’s fall conference in Colorado, Marsh McLennan Senior VP Marybeth Gray shared ideas to keep employees healthy and costs down.

By Dan Niepow • Oct. 16, 2026

U.S. Bank doubles down on small-biz growth

Following the recent launch of business credit cards, the Minneapolis-based lender seeks to win small-business customers by bundling services, CFO John Stern said.

By Caitlin Mullen • Oct. 15, 2026

Reforecast cash every month, or your annual budget isn’t useful

Material changes can happen quickly, and CFOs need to embrace a forecasting model that can adapt and provide feedback to the business.

By Duncan Young • Oct. 15, 2026

76% of finance leaders under high pressure to fully implement AI

Most CFOs are deepening their AI management role, but nearly all still spend a large chunk of their day monitoring AI outputs, a new Datarails survey finds.

By David McCann • Oct. 14, 2026

Turning AI benefits into a payback calculation: Metric of the Month

APQC research puts the median payback period for finance AI at eight months — use this framework to calculate the payback timeline of your own AI investment.

By Perry D. Wiggins • Oct. 14, 2026

Why CFOs should plan early for five-day debt tender offers

The SEC’s June expansion of abbreviated debt tender offer relief gives finance leaders another reason to act before a covenant default or restructuring limits their options. 

By Kenneth A. Rosen • Oct. 13, 2026

Most AI initiatives produce unclear returns, finance execs say

While some successful large projects might tip the scale to positive ROI overall, CFOs should be more disciplined when it comes to AI investments, Gartner advises.

By David McCann • Oct. 12, 2026

Enterprise value is built before it is measured

Management builds value forward, capital evaluates it backward and the CFO makes the connection visible.

By Kumar Rupesh • Oct. 8, 2026

Why CFOs should prioritize cash flow over growth in inflationary times

When financing costs are high and payment and collection risks increase, inefficient working capital can quickly consume the benefits created by revenue and margin growth.

By Dilara Demirci • Oct. 6, 2026

Labor is becoming digital

There is still a lot to learn about what happens when digital employees become part of our workforce.

By Jeremy Almond • Oct. 5, 2026

Beyond tariffs, a storm of pressures is hampering SMB supply chains

With several variables shifting at once, this has turned out to be a year of “chaos” for inventory planning.

By David McCann • Oct. 1, 2026

Your AP metrics were built for the wrong suppliers

Accounts payable metrics measure invoice volume, but the real cost driver is supplier count, and most finance teams have no idea how many small vendors are hiding in their system. 

By Boris Dzhingarov • Sept. 30, 2026

Diesel’s supply crunch may hit CFOs through freight contracts

Chevron CFO Eimear Bonner expects energy prices to stay elevated, while a major trucking CEO says contracts signed before diesel prices rose are hurting the bottom line.

By Adam Zaki • Sept. 30, 2026

5 ways CFOs can own the financial side of AI strategy

Making artificial intelligence investments was the easy part. Now finance leaders must defend them. 

By Eric Czervionke • Sept. 29, 2026

Many U.S. CFOs maintain a rosy three-year outlook

In the face of several crises around the globe, American finance chiefs are still largely optimistic, according to surveys by U.S. Bank, Deloitte and others.

By Dan Niepow • Sept. 29, 2026

Firms’ AI leaders lack confidence in governance frameworks

They’re concerned about insufficient internal expertise, out-of-date risk protocols and the potential to run afoul of new regulations, finds a new EY report.

By David McCann • Sept. 28, 2026

If AI takes on junior-level work, how will CFOs develop talent?

Teikametrics CFO Brian Beaupre is changing how he evaluates young candidates. Meanwhile, a discussion on The Accounting Podcast asks where they’ll gain the judgment senior roles require.

By Adam Zaki • Sept. 25, 2026

Why smart executives still get return-to-office wrong

They own the playbook to fix their office attendance policies. They just haven’t opened it yet.

By Gabe Burke • Sept. 24, 2026