Listing of AFP News Articleshttp://www.afponline.org/ArticleRss.ashxTue, 21 May 2013 12:43:20 -0400Tue, 21 May 2013 12:43:20 -0400Five years after the 2008 financial crisis placed treasurers in the board room with senior management for the first time, many say they are back on the outside looking in.  http://www.afponline.org/mbr/reg/res/reg_news/Treasury%E2%80%99s_Expanded_Role__Many_Still_Seek_Seat_at_the_Table.htmlTue, 21 May 2013 00:00:00 -0400http://www.afponline.org/mbr/reg/res/reg_news/Treasury%E2%80%99s_Expanded_Role__Many_Still_Seek_Seat_at_the_Table.htmlLast week at the CTC Corporate Treasurers Forum a question arose: Should treasurers lead the enterprise risk management function instead of the internal audit group? Not surprisingly, a spirited debate followed.http://www.afponline.org/mbr/reg/res/reg_news/Should_Treasury_Lead_ERM__Practitioners_Weigh_Pros_and_Cons.htmlMon, 20 May 2013 00:00:00 -0400http://www.afponline.org/mbr/reg/res/reg_news/Should_Treasury_Lead_ERM__Practitioners_Weigh_Pros_and_Cons.htmlEuropean treasurers are poised to save a substantial amount of money on cross-border credit card transactions for their companies now that Visa Europe has announced it is reducing interbank fees for these payments. http://www.afponline.org/mbr/reg/res/reg_news/Treasurers_to_Benefit_as_Visa_Europe_Cuts_Cross-Border_Fees.htmlFri, 17 May 2013 00:00:00 -0400http://www.afponline.org/mbr/reg/res/reg_news/Treasurers_to_Benefit_as_Visa_Europe_Cuts_Cross-Border_Fees.htmlThe SEC held a roundtable May 14 to discuss a new system wherein an independent board would randomly assign initial ratings to nationally recognized statistical rating organizations (NRSROs). Needless to say, the concept generated many opinions. http://www.afponline.org/pub/res/news/Members_of_Congress_Urge_SEC_to_Act_on_Rating_Agency_Reform.htmlThu, 16 May 2013 00:00:00 -0400http://www.afponline.org/pub/res/news/Members_of_Congress_Urge_SEC_to_Act_on_Rating_Agency_Reform.htmlAdopting electronic payments is essential for corporates, but one study uncovered substantial obstacles that treasurers must surmount to ensure a successful implementation.http://www.afponline.org/mbr/reg/res/reg_news/Study__Top_Hurdles_Keeping_Treasury_from_Adopting_E-Payments.htmlWed, 15 May 2013 00:00:00 -0400http://www.afponline.org/mbr/reg/res/reg_news/Study__Top_Hurdles_Keeping_Treasury_from_Adopting_E-Payments.htmlWith payments fraud running rampant, a recent AFP webinar held by a treasury executive provided especially timely advice. Effective internal controls include exception processing, activity specific accounts and more.  http://www.afponline.org/mbr/reg/res/reg_news/AFP_Fraudwatch__Essential_Controls_for_Treasury,_Finance.htmlTue, 14 May 2013 00:00:00 -0400http://www.afponline.org/mbr/reg/res/reg_news/AFP_Fraudwatch__Essential_Controls_for_Treasury,_Finance.htmlFollowing the $1.1 billion acquisition of Norit N.V., Cabot's debt balance grew from $600 million to $1.4 billion. Cabot’s treasury team was mandated with reviewing the capital structure and establishing ways to optimize interest expense by rebalancing the company’s fixed versus variable debt.http://www.afponline.org/mbr/reg/res/reg_news/Case_Study__Implementing_an_A2/P2_CP_Program.htmlTue, 14 May 2013 00:00:00 -0400http://www.afponline.org/mbr/reg/res/reg_news/Case_Study__Implementing_an_A2/P2_CP_Program.htmlPayments vendors will claim they are PCI compliant. But smart treasury and finance professionals shouldn't take their word for it. http://www.afponline.org/mbr/reg/res/reg_news/6_Tips_Treasurers_Can_Use_to_Reduce_Payment_Vendor_Risk.htmlTue, 14 May 2013 00:00:00 -0400http://www.afponline.org/mbr/reg/res/reg_news/6_Tips_Treasurers_Can_Use_to_Reduce_Payment_Vendor_Risk.htmlCorporate treasurers are highly skeptical about the merits of money-market funds switching to a floating net asset value. The general consensus among attendees at a recent roundtable was that Rule 2a-7 appears headed for an overhaul that is likely to include a floating NAV.http://www.afponline.org/mbr/reg/res/reg_news/Corporate_Treasurers_Wary_of_Floating_NAV.htmlTue, 14 May 2013 00:00:00 -0400http://www.afponline.org/mbr/reg/res/reg_news/Corporate_Treasurers_Wary_of_Floating_NAV.htmlAlthough the recent AFP Corporate Cash Indicators™ suggests that corporate treasurers have become more willing to spend some of their excess cash, many do not anticipate a large uptick in spending on capital investments for some time. Treasurers at a recent roundtable in New York co-hosted by BlackRock and the AFP Corporate Treasurers Council indicated they are still very hesitant to take on more risk and spend more money.http://www.afponline.org/mbr/reg/res/reg_news/Murky_Outlook__Treasurers_Not_Taking_on_Risk.htmlMon, 13 May 2013 00:00:00 -0400http://www.afponline.org/mbr/reg/res/reg_news/Murky_Outlook__Treasurers_Not_Taking_on_Risk.htmlThe world—at least here in the USA—has been up, up, and away since the release of the employment report back on May 3. Every day seems to bring new highs to the stock market, and the news in both the housing and employment worlds seems to be getting stronger with each data release.http://www.afponline.org/mbr/reg/res/reg_news/This_Week_in_Corporate_Finance__A_Bright_Future_.htmlMon, 13 May 2013 00:00:00 -0400http://www.afponline.org/mbr/reg/res/reg_news/This_Week_in_Corporate_Finance__A_Bright_Future_.htmlEMV migration is coming to the U.S., and retailers need to be prepared. At the recent NACHA Payments conference in San Diego, AFP spoke with retail treasurers and other industry experts on the challenges they are likely to face when implementing this new card payment standard.http://www.afponline.org/pub/res/news/Retail_Treasurers_Discuss_EMV_Adoption.htmlSat, 11 May 2013 00:00:00 -0400http://www.afponline.org/pub/res/news/Retail_Treasurers_Discuss_EMV_Adoption.htmlBuyers everywhere face pressure to deliver cost savings for their organizations. The problem is that too many eyes become focused on stated vendor cost rather than Total Cost of Ownership (TCO).http://www.afponline.org/mbr/reg/res/reg_news/FP_A__Calculating_the_Total_Cost_of_Ownership.htmlFri, 10 May 2013 00:00:00 -0400http://www.afponline.org/mbr/reg/res/reg_news/FP_A__Calculating_the_Total_Cost_of_Ownership.htmlWhen Canadian Finance Minister Jim Flaherty appointed Export Development Canada CEO Stephen Poloz as the new Governor of the Bank of Canada last week, it was a signal to treasurers that the Canadian government intends to focus on expanding foreign trade.http://www.afponline.org/mbr/reg/res/reg_news/Corporate_Treasurers_Laud_New_BoC_Governor%E2%80%99s_Vast_Experience.htmlTue, 07 May 2013 00:00:00 -0400http://www.afponline.org/mbr/reg/res/reg_news/Corporate_Treasurers_Laud_New_BoC_Governor%E2%80%99s_Vast_Experience.htmlThe FSOC unanimously approved its third annual report recently, underscoring several systemic threats facing the financial system of interest to treasurers, including market runs, cyberattack vulnerabilities, interest-rate reform and overreliance on intraday credit extensions. http://www.afponline.org/pub/res/news/Treasurers_Take_Note__FSOC_Refining_Focus.htmlTue, 07 May 2013 00:00:00 -0400http://www.afponline.org/pub/res/news/Treasurers_Take_Note__FSOC_Refining_Focus.htmlMany mid-sized companies are reluctant to switch to SaaS. The Doe Run Company decided to switch anyway -- here's why.http://www.afponline.org/mbr/reg/res/reg_news/Case_Study__FP_A_Group_Overcomes_Hurdles_in_Switch_to_SaaS.htmlMon, 06 May 2013 00:00:00 -0400http://www.afponline.org/mbr/reg/res/reg_news/Case_Study__FP_A_Group_Overcomes_Hurdles_in_Switch_to_SaaS.htmlTreasury risk managers are taking a new approach to the way they identify, aggregate and manage insurance risk. The growing sophistication of insurance markets is giving a boost to the captives market.http://www.afponline.org/mbr/reg/res/reg_news/How_Treasurers_Manage_Insurance_Risk__The_Newest_Trend.htmlThu, 02 May 2013 00:00:00 -0400http://www.afponline.org/mbr/reg/res/reg_news/How_Treasurers_Manage_Insurance_Risk__The_Newest_Trend.htmlMany FP&A professionals spend the majority of their day manually grinding through spreadsheets, wasting time on data manipulation instead of focusing on analysis. Certain advanced spreadsheet functions can help reduce time spent collecting and managing data and redirect that time to more productive ends.http://www.afponline.org/mbr/reg/res/reg_news/Advanced_Spreadsheet_Functions_for_FP_A_Professionals.htmlWed, 01 May 2013 00:00:00 -0400http://www.afponline.org/mbr/reg/res/reg_news/Advanced_Spreadsheet_Functions_for_FP_A_Professionals.htmlHow does ex-FDIC Chair Sheila Bair think money-market mutual funds should be restructured, and why? A keynote speaker at the upcoming 2013 AFP Annual Conference, Bair didn't mince words when asked.http://www.afponline.org/mbr/reg/res/reg_news/Ex-FDIC_Chair_Sheila_Bair__Floating_NAV_is_%E2%80%98the_Best_Thing%E2%80%99.htmlWed, 01 May 2013 00:00:00 -0400http://www.afponline.org/mbr/reg/res/reg_news/Ex-FDIC_Chair_Sheila_Bair__Floating_NAV_is_%E2%80%98the_Best_Thing%E2%80%99.htmlWith the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) due to take full effect in 2014, treasurers for health plans are scrambling to implement electronic payments and remittances so their organizations can deliver mandated electronic funds transfer (EFT) and electronic remittance advice (ERA) to providers.http://www.afponline.org/mbr/reg/res/reg_news/A_Treasurer%E2%80%99s_Advice_on_Implementing_E-Healthcare_Payments.htmlTue, 30 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0400http://www.afponline.org/mbr/reg/res/reg_news/A_Treasurer%E2%80%99s_Advice_on_Implementing_E-Healthcare_Payments.htmlMany aspects of FP&A are fundamental across industries and markets. To the extent that the business models of industries differ, however, so too does the analysis. In traditional banking, two unique aspects of the business require significant analytical attention: the interest margin and asset quality.http://www.afponline.org/mbr/reg/res/reg_news/Up_Close__FP_A_in_Banking.htmlTue, 30 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0400http://www.afponline.org/mbr/reg/res/reg_news/Up_Close__FP_A_in_Banking.htmlU.S. businesses are growing increasingly confident about their intermediate and longer-term prospects, according to the AFP Corporate Cash Indicators™ (AFP CCI™), underwritten by State Street Global Advisors. The forward indicator measuring expectations for the second quarter of 2013 was at -5, following a -4 reading during the previous quarter and only the third negative reading in the history of the survey.http://www.afponline.org/pub/res/news/AFP_CCI%E2%84%A2_for_1Q2013__Treasurers_Growing_More_Confident.htmlMon, 29 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0400http://www.afponline.org/pub/res/news/AFP_CCI%E2%84%A2_for_1Q2013__Treasurers_Growing_More_Confident.htmlIs there truly a need to accept EMV? Executives from three major retailers recently questioned whether any merchant needs to accept the standard. The reasons they cited included the costs of implementing EMV and even the overall necessity of it.http://www.afponline.org/mbr/reg/res/reg_news/Retail_Treasurers_Question_the_Need_for_EMV.htmlMon, 29 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0400http://www.afponline.org/mbr/reg/res/reg_news/Retail_Treasurers_Question_the_Need_for_EMV.htmlThe pace of economic expansion picked up during the first three months of 2013, but the growth rate in the gross domestic product (GDP) was slower than anticipated.http://www.afponline.org/pub/res/news/AFP_EconWatch__GDP_Growth_Slow_in_Q1_2013.htmlMon, 29 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0400http://www.afponline.org/pub/res/news/AFP_EconWatch__GDP_Growth_Slow_in_Q1_2013.htmlBankers and practitioners agree: Corporate treasurers need to be more vocal about wanting electronic remittance standards.http://www.afponline.org/mbr/reg/res/reg_news/Consensus__Corporates_Must_Push_for_E-Remittance_Standards.htmlThu, 25 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0400http://www.afponline.org/mbr/reg/res/reg_news/Consensus__Corporates_Must_Push_for_E-Remittance_Standards.htmlUTA, a transport services provider operating throughout Europe, began its SEPA direct debit implementation program in 2010 and is ready for the 2014 launch date. Senior Credit Manager Thomas Wolpert explains how.  http://www.afponline.org/mbr/reg/res/reg_news/Case_Study__How_One_Corporate_Implemented_SEPA_Direct_Debit.htmlWed, 24 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0400http://www.afponline.org/mbr/reg/res/reg_news/Case_Study__How_One_Corporate_Implemented_SEPA_Direct_Debit.htmlAt least one expert on payments in the eurozone is concerned that slow progress over implementing the SEPA direct debit may result in some businesses missing the deadline. Neil Burton, director, product strategy at Earthport PLC, sees early adoption rates as an indicator that many of the smaller and medium-sized organizations, and even a few large corporates, are not going to be ready by the February 2014 deadline.http://www.afponline.org/mbr/reg/res/reg_news/SEPA_Direct_Debit_to_Cause_Corporates_to_Miss_Deadline_.htmlTue, 23 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0400http://www.afponline.org/mbr/reg/res/reg_news/SEPA_Direct_Debit_to_Cause_Corporates_to_Miss_Deadline_.htmlThe payments industry is at a crossroads, in which industry players are constantly challenged to innovate, all the while trying to decrease expenses and respond to changing regulations, said Janet Estep, president and CEO of NACHA. Estep emphasized that payments professionals—including those in corporate treasury—must focus on the possibilities of tomorrow, rather than just the needs of today.http://www.afponline.org/mbr/reg/res/reg_news/Banks_Must_Innovate_or_Else,_Experts_Say.htmlTue, 23 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0400http://www.afponline.org/mbr/reg/res/reg_news/Banks_Must_Innovate_or_Else,_Experts_Say.htmlSAN DIEGO-Charles Bretz, director, payment risk, Financial Services Information Sharing and Analysis Center (FS-ISAC), provided insights on the most prevalent cyberthreats to corporates and said account takeovers remain one of the most frequent methods that cybercriminals use. http://www.afponline.org/mbr/reg/res/reg_news/AFP_Fraudwatch__Fraud_a_Top_Concern_for_Payments_Pros.htmlTue, 23 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0400http://www.afponline.org/mbr/reg/res/reg_news/AFP_Fraudwatch__Fraud_a_Top_Concern_for_Payments_Pros.htmlLONDON -- Members of the newly-formed London FP&A Club gathered April 17 for their second event in the City of London. More than 20 finance professionals were present to hear Dr. Peter Bunce, director of the Beyond Budgeting Round Table, discuss the beyond-budgeting approach to financial planning and analysis. News about the forthcoming FP&A certification program also was unveiled.http://www.afponline.org/pub/res/news/London_FP_A_Club%E2%80%99s_Second_Meeting_Journeys_Beyond_Budgeting.htmlMon, 22 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0400http://www.afponline.org/pub/res/news/London_FP_A_Club%E2%80%99s_Second_Meeting_Journeys_Beyond_Budgeting.html