Good Morning, CFO
Friday, August 8, 2025: The only newsletter a CFO needs to start the day right. (Made for CFOs who don’t have time to read five newsletters)
☕ So, here’s what smart CFOs read before their first Zoom of the day...
HEADLINES & DEADLINES
Fraudsters: Still Crushing Their KPIs
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Fraud is officially the most consistent growth sector in the economy. Public companies lost just over 1% of revenue to fraud last year, according to the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, though employees peg it closer to 3%, which means either workers are paranoid or executives are in denial.
Biggest debate?
Governance folks blame bad external audits, employees blame… well, everything else.
Either way, the forecast for 2026 is clear: fraud’s not slowing down, so maybe budget for better locks and fewer “honor system” policies.
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IRS Filing Date Drama: Commissioner Can’t Read a Calendar
IRS Commissioner Billy Long told a crowd that filing season might start “around Presidents Day” in 2026... turns out, he forgot to clear that with, you know, the IRS.
Why the delay?
Staffing will be at its lowest since 2019, the budget’s been sliced nearly 40%, and the new boss’s résumé reads more “auctioneer” than “tax policy expert.”
Presidents Day 2026 is February 16, which is later than recent years.
Translation: start hoarding patience now.
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Job Market Catches a Cold
The July jobs report came in weaker than expected, plus earlier months got big downward revisions.
Cue President Trump firing the Bureau of Labor Statistics chief for “manipulating” data.
Economists say employers are skittish thanks to tariffs, immigration crackdowns, and high interest rates. Or, as Manpower’s SVP put it, they’re just “watching how this will play out.” Which is corporate-speak for “we’re not hiring, but we’ll call it strategy.”
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FAST FACTS
2.5%: What employees think fraud costs a company.
50%: Tariff rate on most Indian goods after Trump’s latest trade move.
25 tons: Hypothetical Canadian steel stash we’re holding until this tariff mess blows over.
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CFO-APPROVED WATCHLIST
Read: AI is reshaping the consulting game, and it’s not here to make your job safer. The Big Four are scrambling, automation is rewriting fee models, and client expectations just got a serious upgrade.
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Watch: Disney CFO Hugh Johnston says the consumer is “doing very, very well.” Just don’t ask retail CFOs.
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Listen: The Fed and the “Soft Landing” — Policy or Luck? Honest, this is already more exciting than most boardroom PowerPoints.
Final Word: Fraud’s thriving, the IRS calendar is a mystery, and the job market is wearing a sweater in August. Buckle up... Q4’s gonna be fun.
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