AI-curated news for your industry

R&D tax credits are intended to incentivize corporate innovation, yet many CFOs choose to forgo them due to high consulting fees from Big Four accounting firms, IRS compliance burdens, and concerns over audit risks. Through the lens of a former IRS engineer, the article dissects three major barriers—structural design, IRS friction, and organizational perception—and contrasts them with the positive experience of startup BadVR, pointing out that cognitive bias may limit the policy's effectiveness more than the facts themselves.

The disconnect between cybersecurity and the finance function is not just an operational issue but a balance sheet issue. This article explores how CFOs and CISOs manage the same enterprise risk in different languages and suggests that the key to bridging the gap lies in translating technical risk into business impact.

Financial software company LiveFlow released research on Tuesday showing that nearly 80% of corporate finance professionals attribute month-end closing delays to waiting for data from other systems or departments. Cross-platform information reconciliation is another major obstacle, mentioned by over half of respondents. Despite widespread investment in financial automation tools, key accounting processes remain constrained by challenges such as fragmented data environments. LiveFlow financial data analyst Aaryn Ross pointed out that AI applications are mostly concentrated on high-value analytical work, while repetitive operations remain predominantly manual.

Research released by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) shows that over the past two decades, the average age of CEOs at appointment in the United States has risen significantly, from about 47 in 2000 to 55 in 2023. This trend stems from companies' increased demand for generalist leaders to cope with an increasingly complex and uncertain economic environment. The study also found that although age discrimination remains prevalent in the workplace, age is no longer a barrier to promotion at the highest management level.

A survey conducted by the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) in April of 500 corporate travel managers, suppliers, and intermediaries shows that the conflict in Iran and the Middle East has caused significant disruption to global business travel. 76% of buyers of travel services such as airfare and hotels report moderate or significant impact on their decisions, and 83% of suppliers say their clients have been substantively affected. Half of the companies have adjusted routes or suspended travel to conflict zones, and industry optimism has plummeted from 59% in January to 41%.

Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A) is undergoing rapid transformation, driven primarily by data, automation, and AI-enabled analytics. Its competitive advantage no longer lies in the models themselves, but in the ability to provide timely, decision-ready scenario analysis that enables leaders to take action. In this model, FP&A shifts from answering "what happened" to "what to do next," stress-testing product launches, investments, and M&A through market, risk, and macroeconomic scenarios. As enterprise data becomes increasingly real-time, predictive, and actionable, FP&A helps CFOs and executive teams make faster trade-offs with a clearer view of value. This transformation relies on a data foundation that is both governed and accessible, including common definitions, controls, and security measures, while providing self-service access to avoid multiple "versions of the truth." FP&A is progressively building three strategic roles: integrated insight leader, organic growth driver, and strategic catalyst, thereby enhancing efficiency, optimizing capital allocation, and driving sustainable growth.

In an interview with CFO Dive, Checkr's new CFO Tim Yarbrough said that AI investment is a 'non-negotiable' area, and the company is targeting a $40 billion market opportunity, planning to expand from employment verification to tenant and mortgage verification. He emphasized the double-edged sword effect of AI and revealed plans to prioritize strengthening financial foundations, optimizing capital allocation, and advancing the development of continuous verification products.

When introducing the first AI employee, finance teams should prioritize operations over analysis. AI agents can handle repetitive tasks such as reconciliation and invoicing, and improvements in model accuracy and auditability over the past six months have made finance-grade execution possible. It is recommended to start with a single high-volume process and evaluate external partners to reduce maintenance burden.

Global payroll management has long been viewed as an operational burden, but AI-driven zero-touch infrastructure is changing this landscape. Through automated processing, continuous compliance updates, and financial accountability, enterprises can reduce costs by 30% and turn payroll management into a strategic advantage.

As the U.S. Customs and Border Protection initiates the tariff rebate application process, companies including Ford, General Motors, Procter & Gamble, and Apple have successively disclosed related expectations in earnings calls. Ford CFO Sherry House confirmed that a potential $1.3 billion rebate was recorded in the first quarter, General Motors expects to receive a $500 million rebate, Procter & Gamble estimates an after-tax rebate of approximately $150 million, while Apple has not disclosed a specific amount.