Good Morning, CFO
August 7, 2025 The only newsletter a CFO needs to start the day right. (Made for CFOs who don’t have time to read five newsletters)
☕ Here's what smart CFOs read before their first Zoom of the day...
HEADLINES & DEADLINES
--
The IRS: Now Hiring the People They Told to Leave
After bragging about a smooth tax season and waving goodbye to 9,000 employees, the IRS has realized (shocker) that firing your entire customer service crew isn’t a sustainable strategy.
Now they’re scrambling to rehire 4,500 reps because, apparently, answering the phones does matter. 📞 Translation: If you’re into government gigs with a side of irony, the IRS is open for business.
--
Private Equity Just Bagged Another Accounting Giant
Wipfli...yep, the accounting firm, not a Pokémon, just landed a minority investment from New Mountain Capital.
The move lets them split into two: one side handles CPA stuff, the other handles “business advisory” (aka the sexy part).
PE loves accounting firms lately… maybe because they read spreadsheets like love letters.
--
Cybersecurity Budgets: Now With Fewer Zeros
Turns out even security can’t secure a bigger budget in 2025. Only 46% of CISOs got a raise this year. The rest? Flatlined or worse.
Translation: Hackers are evolving and CFOs are praying their “budget-friendly” firewall holds.
--
📦 Cargo Theft Is the New Growth Market
Stealing trucks full of stuff is apparently the hottest new side hustle.
Theft is up 13% YoY this quarter alone.
🚛 Pro tip: Maybe it’s time to start budgeting for GPS trackers instead of those inspirational posters in the warehouse.
--
Trump Fired the Jobs Lady. Businesses Just Lost Faith in Data.
In a move straight out of a banana republic playbook, Trump axed the Bureau of Labor Statistics boss over one bad report.
Now CEOs aren’t sure whether to believe job numbers or their Magic 8 Ball.
Forecasting in 2025: shake, ask again later.
--
AI Spending Is Sky High, Literally
Microsoft and Google are dropping truckloads of cash on data centers, and it's finally paying off.
Cloud revenue is booming, and CFOs everywhere are wondering how they can sneak “AI infrastructure” into their next budget proposal.
TL;DR: AI is expensive, but apparently the stock market loves it.
--
🎯 FAST FACTS YOU SHOULD KNOW
-
$203,586: average value of goods stolen per cargo heist. Because inflation, baby.
34%: Azure’s YoY growth. Bill Gates is somewhere smiling.
26%: IRS staff reduction. That explains the hold times.
--
🎬 CFO-Approved Watchlist
-
Watch: Shark Tank’s Mr. Wonderful on TikTok, energy investing, and why AI will replace interns.
Read: Why CRM sucks in 2025 and what ServiceNow wants to sell you instead.
Listen: Any podcast that doesn’t mention “burn rate” every 5 minutes.
📣 Final Word
Cyber budgets are shrinking, PE is getting flirty with firms, and your morning forecast includes cloudy data and stolen trucks. But hey, at least you still have a job. (For now.)
Written by the caffeine-fueled finance nerds behind Good Morning, CFO. ✉️ Forward this to a fellow CFO who still reads the newspaper.
Sponsored by Omar El Farouk
From Boardroom to Bedroom Office: The CFO’s Escape Plan
CFOs who've been in corporate for decades are reinventing themselves, and so should you.
“CFO to Fractional CFO: The Only Guide You’ll Need To Launch Your Business & Leave Corporate” is the step-by-step manual for experienced CFOs who want to fire their boss and build a profitable fractional gig without breaking a sweat (or hiring a marketing team).
Inside:
How to exit corporate without ghosting your pension
Build your LinkedIn presence without sounding like a guru
Win clients, price like a pro, and stay booked without burning out
Don’t waste another year stuck in middle management hell. This $20 guide is all killer, no filler.
DM the author here Omar Abed