Opinion

The latest opinion pieces by industry thought leaders

If you are interested in having your voice heard on CFO.com's Opinion page, please read our editorial guidelines and fill out the submission form here.

  • Businessman stuck in the gap between the stairs and the money bag
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Closing the post-merger integration investment gap

    This gap is one of the most consequential and most fixable capital allocation errors in corporate finance, writes EY-Parthenon’s Devesh Kumar.

    Devesh Kumar • May 12, 2026
  • Why CFOs must lead the response to AI-fueled disinformation
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Why CFOs must lead the response to AI-fueled disinformation

    Gartner’s Dymah Paige identifies three categories of disinformation security tools and shares how CFOs should evaluate spending by measuring its impact on enterprise risk.

    Dymah Paige • May 8, 2026
  • Why some CFOs stay far away from the R&D credit
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Why some CFOs stay far away from the R&D credit

    Former IRS R&D tax engineer Richard Bernstein says some finance leaders often leave money on the table — especially around R&D tax incentives — due to information gaps and risk perceptions.

    Richard Bernstein • May 5, 2026
  • Trump Administration To Start Refunding Companies $166 Million In Tariffs
    Image attribution tooltip
    Joe Raedle/Getty Images via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Tax considerations CFOs need to factor into tariff refund planning

    With $166 billion in IEEPA tariffs at stake, the Supreme Court's landmark ruling has triggered a wave of refund claims. 

    Mark Luscombe • April 30, 2026
  • Coin and two right left arrows on hand.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Why enterprise AI still isn’t delivering financial returns

    Companies are pouring billions into artificial intelligence, yet sustained financial impact remains elusive. 

    Daniel Schmeltz • April 28, 2026
  • Warning, attention symbol with exclamation mark in the triangle on the abstract human hand made with atom array and plexus effect
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    The best AI model still fails 1 in 5 accounting tasks

    DualEntry’s CFO unveils insights from testing 19 AI models on 101 accounting tasks to evaluate their accuracy and efficiency. The results, he writes, “should concern CFOs buying into the hype.”

    Woosung Chun • April 22, 2026
  • Woman Looking Down Winding Path
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Your CFO is already your chief risk officer

    In the world of family offices, finance chiefs are uniquely positioned to integrate financial and operational signals into a practical risk management framework.

    Sarah Oliver • April 21, 2026
  • A row of bright Orange construction barriers separate construction from the busy traffic.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Building an intelligence system from public data: A CFO’s account

    Many organizations hold structured, recurring external data but fail to use it systematically. This firsthand account details how a team used publicly available data to build a competitive system.

    Niyi Oladepo • April 14, 2026
  • corporate team working together
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    The One Big Beautiful Bill’s hidden complexity: How corporate tax teams can stay ahead

    OBBBA's new tax breaks create opportunities for profitability, but also challenge tax teams with tighter deadlines and complex policies. Here’s how to navigate these hurdles to maximize benefits.

    Ian Boccaccio • April 10, 2026
  • The silent EBITDA leak in the middle market
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    The silent EBITDA leak in the middle market

    Here’s how CFOs can unlock hidden value by tackling cumulative capitalization drift in scaling companies.

    Peter Madara • April 7, 2026
  • A businessman stands at the top of a mountain of money as he holds a large orange flag attached to a pole.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    The only covenant that counts

    Underneath private credit’s complexity and opacity, the only reality that matters is the cold mechanics of cash.

    Andres Pinter • April 3, 2026
  • Digital AI brain on a circuit board. Your AI business case is built on the wrong math
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Your AI business case is built on the wrong math

    Throughput accounting explains why most firms see zero productivity gains — and what CFOs should measure instead.

    Alexander D. Hilton, MBA • March 31, 2026
  • Falling red arrow and then lifting
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Why CFOs are essential for business turnarounds

    Loss-making businesses don’t fail because of finance chiefs, but they can survive because of them.

    Diya Sagar • March 24, 2026
  • The Northwest Stadium is seen from the press cabin aboard Air Force One prior to a game between the Detroit Lions and the Washington Commanders on November 09, 2025 in Landover, Maryland.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Tasos Katopodis via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    What CFOs should know about the ‘jock tax’

    The jock tax is more than just viral headlines — it’s about understanding multi-state wage sourcing and building systems to effectively manage it.

    Jason Hershman • March 20, 2026
  • Water tap dripping dollar bills
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Is your company ready if liquidity returns?

    Firms that benefit most from renewed capital won’t be the ones who raise first. They’ll be the ones prepared to use it effectively.

    Dean Quiambao • March 17, 2026
  • banknotes flowing out of a black plumbing pipe with a valve having a red handle wheel
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    The cash flow lever that most CFOs are missing in the tariff environment

    While IC-DISC has long been a powerful export incentive, recent tariff actions have amplified its importance as a tool for stabilizing cash flow and offsetting rising costs.

    Mari Nakajima • March 10, 2026
  • Stethoscope and pen in doctor robe pocket
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Running a self-insured health plan: What finance actually owns

    Switching to self-insurance turns managing health benefits into a hands-on responsibility, requiring careful planning, oversight and adaptability.

    Michael Paull • March 3, 2026
  • SEC Chair Paul Atkins Testifies To Senate Banking Committee
    Image attribution tooltip
    Win McNamee via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Is the SEC regulating for a pre-AI world?

    The Securities and Exchange Commission’s outdated views on disclosures ignore technology and misattribute the decline in public companies to disclosure overload, writes CFA Institute’s Sandy Peters.

    Sandy Peters • Feb. 24, 2026
  • Data Scientist Reviewing Reports Of Risk Management Department
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    What CFOs can do to close the cyber-ERM integration gap

    Firms that connect cybersecurity with enterprise risk management gain a more complete view of risk. Here’s how finance leaders can foster a more unified approach.

    Kelley Pruetz and Kristen Senz • Feb. 10, 2026
  • Aerial Shot of Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, CA
    Image attribution tooltip
    halbergman via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    $8M for 30 seconds: A CFO’s guide to Super Bowl ad spend

    Advertising around the Super Bowl can be worth it if you run it like a CFO. Not if you let the marketing team treat it like a trophy.

    Jason Hershman • Feb. 6, 2026
  • Close up image of Wall Street sign in Lower Manhattan, New York City
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    What CFOs must get right to succeed after an IPO

    Being public is harder than going public. Here is a guide to help finance leaders avoid common pitfalls and thrive post-IPO.

    Jeff Majtyka and Ronald Clark • Feb. 3, 2026
  • Business meeting between executive and software developer
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    The CFO automation imperative: Balancing tech and human judgment

    Finance leaders must embrace automation while safeguarding human judgment in financial decisions.

    Diana Mugambi • Jan. 27, 2026
  • YES Decision Checkbox
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Why 2026 will reward CFOs who say ‘yes’

    The CFOs who will thrive over the next few years won’t be the most cautious ones, but rather those willing to say yes.

    Dean Quiambao • Jan. 20, 2026
  • Hard Rock Stadium
    Image attribution tooltip
    Joe Raedle via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    College football has a new position to fill: CFO

    The national title game isn’t amateur anymore, and neither is the business behind it. Here are five reasons why CFOs will play a major part in the change.

    Jason Hershman • Jan. 16, 2026
  • conference table with group of microphones before conference.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Antitrust enforcers sharpen their focus on earnings calls

    A new regime of closer scrutiny by the European Commission may influence U.S. regulators and courts.

    Parker Miller, Jens-Olrik Murach and Robert Poole • Jan. 13, 2026