2021 Outlook: Why, and how, the CFO should lead ESG efforts

This year, CFOs should prepare their companies for increased scrutiny on environmental, social and governance performance, if they haven't already. 

By Jane Thier • Jan. 12, 2021

North American M&A deal volume hits record Q4, survey finds

Although deal-makers shook off the pandemic during the fourth quarter, total global transactions fell last year to the lowest level since the mortgage finance crisis.

By Jim Tyson • Jan. 12, 2021

As fraud rises, CFOs must approach numbers skeptically, report finds

Executives might be committed to accuracy, but middle managers and others throughout the organization must be on board, too.

By Robert Freedman • Jan. 12, 2021

5 CFO trends to watch in 2021

Greater attention to ESG metrics, real-time data and the wind-down of LIBOR are among the trends you'll see this year.

By Jim Tyson • Jan. 11, 2021

Careful pruning, not blanket cuts, aids post-pandemic growth

Start with below-the-line costs, be strategic on headcount and cloud spend, and look for ways to get customers to newer products, finance executives say.

By Ted Knutson • Dec. 22, 2020

CFOs must consider tax, legal issues before closing offices

Work with your HR chief to factor in your organization’s talent strategy before deciding how much real estate you want to let go; having permanent remote workers has far-reaching implications.

By Steve Black • Dec. 20, 2020

SEC's cooperation credit an olive branch that can come with thorns

Clarity would help companies weigh the cost of cooperation against the benefit they might, or might not, receive in return, enforcement specialists say.

By Ted Knutson • Dec. 15, 2020

Feds OK 18-month LIBOR reprieve

Existing instruments are expected to be main beneficiaries; new issues still on track to use different rates.

By Robert Freedman • Dec. 14, 2020

It takes a visionary CFO to build a modern finance function

CFOs need continuous planning and a modern vision to create the finance department their business needs.

By Shane Hansen, Planful CFO • Dec. 14, 2020

How to ensure virtual roadshows, negotiations are safe amid COVID-19

Even after the pandemic recedes, virtual meetings will likely remain popular. Here’s how to host them in a way that minimizes liability.

By Ted Knutson • Dec. 13, 2020

4 in 5 companies to change ESG measures in exec pay plans, survey finds

Despite larger cost-cutting objectives, boards are putting a stronger emphasis on environmental, inclusion and diversity priorities, according to a Willis Towers Watson survey.

By Jane Thier • Dec. 10, 2020

Sustainability reporting nearly universal among large companies, survey finds

Although some reporting standards are widely used, there isn’t a single framework for companies to ensure accurate measurement and communication of their environmental impact, a KPMG survey found. 

By Robert Freedman • Dec. 2, 2020

Credit action helped payments company FLEETCOR withstand COVID-19

The company reined in the amount companies could float, limiting its exposure amid the uncertainty.

By Robert Freedman • Nov. 15, 2020

Using data analytics to improve audit functions

Data analytics let finance leaders employ a risk-based approach to conducting internal and compliance audits and prioritize improvements when problems are found.  

By Greg Buchanan, Michael Costa and Ed Levy • Nov. 8, 2020

Violators pay SEC a record $4.7B in judgments

The agency brought hundreds of enforcement actions against companies and individuals in the fiscal year just closed, despite the pandemic. 

By Robert Freedman • Nov. 4, 2020

Extraction, retail companies comprise majority of 2020 mega bankruptcies

Filings by companies with $100 million or more in assets have jumped 84% over last year. More than a third involve companies with $1 billion or more in assets.

By Robert Freedman • Oct. 29, 2020

SEC eases auditor independence rules

Audit firms are less likely to get in trouble for working with affiliated companies.

By Robert Freedman • Oct. 19, 2020

ESG to transform CFO role

Now that the Big Four have agreed on a set of metrics, the path forward is becoming clearer for standardized corporate ESG reporting.

By Ted Jackson • Oct. 18, 2020

Emergency government procurement opens opportunities — and risks

Agencies are bypassing procedures to get COVID-19-related goods and services faster. Ensure the solidity of your own processes before doing business with them, specialists advise.

By Robert Freedman • Oct. 18, 2020

COVID-19 intensifying audit committee work

Helping CFOs and their teams make forward-looking assessments against pandemic uncertainty has become a focus, a survey shows. 

By Robert Freedman • Oct. 11, 2020

As regulators step up data analytics, companies must do the same

Complying with government document requests is becoming too difficult and risky without predictive analytics tools, an e-discovery specialist says.

By Robert Freedman • Oct. 6, 2020

M&A politicization presents new CFO challenges

The Trump Administration's call for an American company to oversee U.S. operations of TikTok adds a level of uncertainty to future cross-border deals involving consumer technology.

By Ted Knutson • Oct. 1, 2020

Companies lagging on LIBOR transition; lawsuits expected

There's little chance regulators will delay the December 2021 transition because of the pandemic, specialists say. 

By Robert Freedman • Sept. 29, 2020

Ex-Amazon tax manager hit with insider trading

The employee had access to calculations used to finalize numbers in the company's quarterly and annual earnings filings. 

By Robert Freedman • Sept. 29, 2020

Executives risk wealth loss as bankruptcies increase

CFOs and other corporate leaders face big personal losses if their company goes bankrupt and their deferred compensation is tied to nonqualified accounts.    

By Robert Freedman • Sept. 28, 2020