Banks Effectively Deputized in Trump's Immigration Fight
President Trump’s Treasury Department has launched an aggressive AML campaign targeting Minnesota and U.S.–Mexico border regions, using new Geographic Targeting Orders and high‑performance data analytics to flag cartel, fraud and immigration‑related transactions. FinCEN now requires banks and money‑service businesses to report transfers as low as $200 in certain ZIP codes and $3,000 for outbound payments from the Twin Cities, while scanning over a million past reports for suspicious links. Institutions must choose between investing in costly enhanced due diligence or withdrawing from these high‑risk markets to avoid enforcement actions. Legal analysts warn the moves blend anti‑money‑laundering policy with the administration’s broader anti‑immigration strategy, raising compliance and political risk.
Figures on Automotive Securitization Tapes: Definitions Report - February 2026
The Fixed‑Asset Securitization Tracker (FAST) released its February 2026 Definitions report, detailing the data fields used in automotive securitization tapes. The document supplies precise definitions, code tables, and cross‑references to related transaction disclosures. By standardizing terminology, the report aims to simplify...
Auto Parts Suppliers Rise Thanks To Easing Tariff Headwinds
Magna International and Atmus Filtration posted strong earnings, propelling their stocks higher as tariff pressures ease. Magna beat EPS estimates ($2.18 vs $1.80) and lifted its adjusted EBIT margin to 7.5%, while forecasting 2026 sales up to $43.5 billion and announcing...
Operations, Tech and Talent Leadership Moves Across the Market
A wave of senior appointments swept the aerospace, defense and technology services sector this week, with AAR Corp. naming former Boeing and Deutsche Bank veteran Dylan Wolin as CFO and BAE Systems hiring ex‑Collins Aerospace chief digital officer Mona Bates...
New Senate Bill Aims at STEM Designation
Senators Susan Collins and Jacky Rosen introduced the Accounting STEM Pursuit Act, seeking to classify accounting programs as STEM under the Every Student Succeeds Act. The bill would make accounting eligible for federal K‑12 and higher‑education grant funding after a...
Goodwill Accounting Might Not Be the Problem After All
The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) reopened the goodwill accounting debate, revisiting a project shelved four years ago. Goodwill—valued at roughly $5.6 trillion across U.S. public companies—continues to generate costly annual impairment testing, with 8,134 firms writing down $96 billion in 2024....
CFOs On the Move: Week Ending Feb. 13
A wave of CFO appointments and departures unfolded this week, spanning automakers, retail, crypto, and fintech. General Motors hired Lucid veteran Claudia Gast to steer strategy and technology partnerships, while Warby Parker tapped former Macy’s CFO Adrian Mitchell. Kraken dismissed...
How Match Group’s CFO Runs the Finance Function Behind Modern Dating
Match Group CFO Steve Bailey, marking his first year in the role, has tightened capital discipline across a portfolio that includes Tinder, Hinge and dozens of international brands. He introduced the PRISM framework to standardize ROI measurement for a $600 million marketing...
New Cyber Insurance CFO Enters a ‘Soft’ Market
Cyber‑insurance veteran John Botros has been hired as CFO of insurtech Cowbell to steer the company through a soft market marked by falling premiums. Global cyber rates dropped 7% and U.S. rates 3% in Q4 2025, tightening pricing pressure. Cowbell plans...
CPE Webinar: Building Economic Resilience: How Accounting Firms Can Stay Profitable when Markets Shift
On February 26, 8am CPA Charge will host a free, one‑hour CPE webinar titled “Building Economic Resilience: How Accounting Firms Can Stay Profitable When Markets Shift.” The session, presented by CPA Kelley Brubaker of Profit Scale Thrive and 8am specialist Brittany Hoffmann, focuses on...
SAIC Plans Partial Pivot Away From Enterprise IT
Science Applications International Corp (SAIC) is scaling back its pursuit of certain enterprise IT contracts, opting for a more selective approach that emphasizes higher‑margin, fixed‑price work on the civilian side. The CFO highlighted that defense agencies still prefer cost‑plus contracts,...
IRS Gives Guidance on Energy Tax Credits, Prohibited Foreign Entities
The IRS and Treasury issued Notice 2026‑15 to clarify how the One Big Beautiful Bill Act’s new foreign‑entity restrictions apply to clean‑energy tax credits. The notice defines “prohibited foreign entity,” outlines a material‑assistance cost‑ratio calculation, and provides interim safe‑harbor tables for Sections 45Y, 48E and 45X. Taxpayers can...
2026 Lease Management Trends: Strategic Evolution in the Office of the CFO
In 2026 lease management is shifting from compliance‑only tools to strategic platforms that combine AI, automation, and deep integration across the CFO office. Vendors are delivering AI‑enhanced onboarding, multi‑standard reporting for IFRS 16, ASC 842 and FRS 102, and unified data flows linking...
ICON Shares Plunge After Launching Accounting Probe
ICON Plc announced that a preliminary accounting probe suggests its 2023 and 2024 revenues may have been overstated by less than 2%, prompting the company to withdraw its annual guidance and delay its fourth‑quarter earnings release. The disclosure triggered a...
How Todd Patriacca’s 30-Year Finance Career Led to BVI Medical
After a three‑decade finance career that included auditing at Arthur Andersen and senior roles at Altra Industrial Motion, Todd Patriacca joined ophthalmic‑equipment maker BVI Medical as CFO in early 2023. He helped grow Altra from $300 million to roughly $2 billion in...
New Nacha Rules, New Risks: Key Takeaways for Controllers Focused on Supplier Bank Verification
Recent Nacha rule updates now require repeatable, provable verification of supplier bank accounts, shifting the focus from intent to defensibility. Controllers relying on email confirmations, phone callbacks, and ad‑hoc checks face heightened exposure as fraudsters employ AI‑generated communications. The webinar...
AI Native Accounting Foundation Launches to Cut AI Hype
The AI Native Accounting Foundation, a new nonprofit, was launched to help accounting and finance professionals cut through AI hype and adopt practical, responsible solutions. Founded by Kacee Johnson and Bebe Kim, the group will operate vendor‑neutrally while offering education,...
What CFOs Can Do to Close the Cyber-ERM Integration Gap
A new APQC study shows only 41% of firms integrate cybersecurity into enterprise risk management (ERM), leaving a critical visibility gap. The report highlights that merely 23% apply unified risk structures to suppliers, despite third‑party breaches rising. CFOs can close...
Blue Owl’s Lipschultz Seeks to Quell Fears of ‘Red Flags’ in Software Portfolio
Blue Owl’s chief investment officer, Lipschultz, addressed investor concerns on the firm’s earnings call, emphasizing that software‑focused lending represents only 8% of the firm’s assets under management. He highlighted that the loans carry robust loan‑to‑value (LTV) ratios, underscoring a conservative...
IBM Spin-Off CFO Departs Amid Cash Management Review: Trial Balance
Kyndryl, the IBM IT‑infrastructure spin‑off, announced the immediate departure of CFO David Wyshner as it launches a review of its cash‑management practices. The review follows voluntary document requests from the SEC's Division of Enforcement and includes scrutiny of internal controls...
Digital Employees, AI Bootcamps: America's Oldest Bank Is Spending Billions on Tech
BNY Mellon disclosed a $3.8 billion technology spend in 2025, representing about 19 % of its revenue – the highest share among large U.S. banks. The bank introduced 134 "digital employees" that automate repetitive tasks around the clock, while its human workforce...
Hey, Senior PMs: Shipping Faster Won’t Get You Promoted
Senior product managers often equate speed with success, but the article shows that unchecked velocity can erode margins and stall career growth. By examining a $25 M ARR SaaS firm, the author reveals how a focus on feature output ignored the...