GOOD MORNING, CFO
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HEADLINES & STRATEGIC TAKEAWAYS
1. CFO Paycheck Reality Check
The 2026 Robert Half Salary Guide just dropped.
Context: Mid-range CFO pay sits at $269,750, with top earners clearing $320K+. New York salaries beat the national average by 36%.
CFO Play: Re-benchmark compensation now before 2026 budgets lock. Expect hiring battles for candidates with AI and analytics chops.
Metric Watch: 84% of hiring managers say they’ll pay a premium for data-literate talent.
2. Services Sector Hits a Speed Bump
The ISM Services PMI shows the economy’s “strong but tired.”
Context: New orders slowed and hiring stayed in contraction territory, especially in mining, construction, and retail. Prices paid rose for the 100th straight month.
CFO Play: Expect longer hiring cycles and higher input costs. Build flexibility into Q4 forecasts; slow service growth often bleeds into corporate capex plans.
3. Cyber Insurance: The CFO-CISO Blind Spot
Filling out that annual cyber questionnaire again? You’re not alone.
Context: CISOs report insurers are asking tougher questions, from laptop encryption to multi-factor policies. CFOs are increasingly on the hook for premiums and disclosures.
CFO Play: Audit your security controls before renewal season. A 5% coverage gap can cost millions in re-pricing next year.
4. California Eases CPA Licensing Rules
New bill signed last week drops the 150-hour requirement.
Context: California joins 21 states experimenting with 120-hour CPA tracks to attract more accountants amid the shortage.
CFO Play: Recruit from these states now — early graduates will flood the job market by spring, and competition will spike fast.
5. Fifth Third Buys Comerica for $10.9B
Mid-tier banks are consolidating again.
Context: Fifth Third’s acquisition of Comerica is the latest move to survive against JPMorgan and Citi.
CFO Play: If you rely on regional credit lines, review exposure and liquidity clauses. Mergers often freeze credit or renegotiate terms overnight.
Metric Watch: $10.9B = the largest regional bank deal since 2021.
6. Silvergate’s Ex-CFO Loses SEC Dismissal Bid
The FTX fallout is still haunting finance chiefs.
Context: The SEC claims Silvergate’s former CFO misled investors about the bank’s health post-FTX collapse.
CFO Play: If your disclosures touch crypto or high-risk assets, double-check your audit trail. The SEC’s patience for “contextual optimism” is running thin.
CFO DEEP DIVE: AI PAYOFFS, NOT PITFALLS
Everyone’s chasing “AI transformation.” Few CFOs can show ROI.
3 CFO-ready insights:
Start small. Target one high-effort, low-risk process (reconciliations, journal entries).
Measure human time saved, not cost avoided. That’s how you prove ROI to the board.
Bake AI into audit and fraud monitoring first — not forecasting. It’s less risky and faster to show returns.
Framework: The 3-Stage AI Ladder: Automate → Integrate → Govern.
CFO Play: Join FloQast’s Oct. 21 webinar for a CPE-eligible session on practical AI in accounting.
CFO METRIC OF THE WEEK
Labor Costs: Up 3.7% YoY across service sectors
Why it matters: Salary inflation is cooling slower than expected; margins stay tight.
CFO Play: Shift performance bonuses toward profit drivers, not headcount retention.
TOOL OF THE WEEK: FloQast AI Roadmap
A practical webinar showing how to:
Identify AI-ready accounting tasks
Roll out automations without breaking audit trails
Free up F&A hours for strategy
📅 Oct. 21 | Eligible for 1 CPE credit | [Register Here]
PARTNER SPOTLIGHT: Capchase Cashflow Advantage
Case: A Midwest distributor unlocked $2.5M in cash flow using non-dilutive funding.
Lesson: Alternative financing beats bridge loans when revenue’s there but liquidity isn’t.
TURBO HEADLINES
Silvergate CFO’s legal nightmare just got worse, SEC fraud suit moves forward.
Mid-tier banks merge again: Fifth Third drops $10.9B to buy Comerica.
CFO pay climbs to $320K+, but AI skills = +36% premium in NY.
California ends 150-hour CPA rule. Talent flood coming.
Service sector stalls as hiring cools. Prices up 100 straight months.
Cyber insurers turn CFOs into compliance officers.
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