GOOD MORNING, CFO
The only newsletter a CFO needs to start the day right.
☕ Here’s what smart CFOs are reading before their first call today...
HEADLINES & DEADLINES
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Senate report on SVB shreds KPMG, spotlights CFO oversight
After a 28-month investigation into Silicon Valley Bank’s collapse, the Senate dropped a scathing report blaming weak audits and exposing CFO-level failures. CFOs reading this: governance and audit gaps don’t stay hidden forever.
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Better.com’s CFO plays “hard mode” with high rates
Kevin Ryan, finance chief of Better, is running a mortgage shop in a market half the size it was in 2021. He’s cutting fat, chasing EBITDA breakeven by next year, and carving market share while everyone else is shrinking.
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CFOs as risk officers: controls = growth
At NYC’s Risky Business event, panelists hammered home that internal controls aren’t shackles, they’re guardrails for growth. “Constraints” are just what keep CFOs from running off a cliff.
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CEO confidence ticking up
Business Roundtable survey: 71% of CEOs expect revenue growth in the next six months. Capital spending plans are also rising, signaling cautious optimism at the top.
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Trump shocks employers with $100K H-1B visa fee
The new order blindsided global talent teams. Tech giants scrambled to warn staff not to leave the U.S. while they figure out what the policy means in practice.
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Fed Governor Miran pushes sharper cuts
Stephen Miran wants to slash rates faster to save jobs, but critics say he’s blurring the line between the Fed and the White House. Independence questions aren’t going away.
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Revenue forecasting gets uglier
315 execs surveyed: tariffs, inflation, and AI adoption pains are the top barriers to hitting targets. Nearly 70% say forecasting revenue is now “much harder” than before.
FAST FACTS YOU SHOULD KNOW
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71% – CEOs who see revenue growth in next 6 months (Business Roundtable)
2x – mortgage market shrank by half since 2021 (Better.com CFO)
$100K – new H-1B visa fee under Trump’s order
70% – execs say revenue forecasting is harder now than a year ago
CFO-APPROVED WATCHLIST
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Read: Senate’s SVB report – a brutal reminder that CFOs are on the hook for governance.
Listen: Risky Business NYC panels – replay available with practical risk frameworks.
Watch: Fed commentary this week – rate cut dissent is already shaping policy chatter.
TURBO HEADLINES
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Firings tied to Charlie Kirk remarks → HR/legal reminder for boards.
Social media policies back in spotlight.
Nvidia’s $100B loop with OpenAI raises eyebrows.
GenAI survey: 31% say training models harder than expected, but 82% happy with results.
MORNING HACKS
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Run a Rate Shock Drill: model what a surprise cut or hike does to cash flow, debt service, and capex.
Reframe controls as accelerators: highlight to your board how stronger controls enable growth, not slow it down.
👋 Still sitting in a corporate CFO seat? Why.
