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More than half of senior finance professionals are considering changing jobs in 2026, with the pursuit of a new professional challenge overtaking salary as the primary motivation, according to CFO Connect’s latest CFO Salary Benchmark survey. The study found that 55% of finance leaders and 51% of CFOs are considering a move this year, up from 42% of CFOs in 2025. The trend is particularly pronounced in the UK, where 64% of finance leaders are exploring new opportunities over the next six to 12 months. While salaries continue to rise, career development appears to be a stronger driver of mobility. Nearly 59% of CFOs cited the desire for a new challenge as the main reason for seeking a new role. Across surveyed markets, finance salaries increased by 4%, while average CFO pay in the UK rose 12% to £172,000. The survey also highlighted the growing influence of artificial intelligence in finance. More than 90% of CFOs reported saving time through AI tools, with 53% saving more than three hours per week. Many said the technology allows them to focus more on strategic analysis and value creation. Nearly half of respondents were enthusiastic about AI’s impact, while 44% expressed mixed views.

 

Personnel Today

Finance Risk Intelligence Is Entering Its Next Era Body

Finance teams have invested heavily in visibility, monitoring, and risk detection. Yet identifying risk is only the beginning.

As AI adoption accelerates across finance, organizations need a trusted way to move from intelligence to action without sacrificing governance, accountability, or control.

Last week, Oversight introduced Oversight Actions, extending Finance Risk Intelligence beyond detection and prioritization into governed execution. The announcement outlines a new approach to helping finance teams transform insights into measurable outcomes while maintaining accountability and trust.

Read the Announcement

 

The Antitrust Division of the U.S. Justice Department has cleared Paramount ​Skydance's planned $110bn acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, saying the deal was unlikely to harm competition or consumers. The DOJ approved the merger without requiring any divestitures, behavioral remedies or concessions, according to a source. The deal is opposed by many in the entertainment industry who fear it could precipitate mass layoffs, among other concerns. The Antitrust Division said its eight-month review “determined based on the evidence received in its investigation that the transaction is not likely to result in harm to competition or American consumers” and could ultimately increase it by creating a stronger competitor across streaming, television and film.

 

Politico

Reuters

Wall Street Journal

Cybersecurity leaders from major U.S. companies, including Nvidia and Adobe, have urged the Trump administration to lift restrictions on Anthropic’s most advanced AI models, arguing that the curbs could weaken defenses against cyberattacks. The appeal follows Washington’s order requiring Anthropic to suspend foreign nationals’ access to its Fable 5 and Mythos 5 models over national security concerns. More than 50 security leaders said the restrictions remove powerful tools from defenders, create market uncertainty, and risk undermining U.S. AI leadership. The signatories argued that Anthropic’s models are not uniquely capable of discovering vulnerabilities or enabling exploits, noting that rival systems offer similar capabilities. They also warned that limiting access could be dangerous as China accelerates its own AI development. Anthropic has previously raised concerns about the hacking potential of its Mythos model but recently released Fable with cybersecurity safeguards. The dispute highlights ongoing tensions between Anthropic and the U.S. government over national security, AI access, and acceptable uses of advanced models.

 

Reuters

Agentic AI is emerging as a tool that can help indirect tax teams manage growing compliance demands, improve data quality, and free up resources for higher-value advisory work, according to Deloitte. As tax authorities increasingly adopt e-invoicing, real-time reporting, and more detailed transaction monitoring, tax departments face pressure to remain audit-ready while supporting broader business decisions. Unlike traditional automation or generative AI, agentic AI uses digital agents that can work across multiple systems, execute end-to-end workflows, and surface results for human review. Deloitte argues that the technology is designed to reduce manual coordination and repetitive tasks, rather than replace professional judgment or accountability. Potential applications include improving data quality by identifying errors earlier in transaction processes, automating aspects of VAT, sales tax, and GST filings, and supporting more accurate tax accruals. By reducing time spent on reconciliations, data cleansing, and routine compliance tasks, tax teams can focus more on strategic activities such as risk management, audit preparation, and business advisory work.

 

International Tax Review

So-called “backdoor” job references, which have long played a role in hiring, are being used more than ever by businesses desperate for human insight now that candidates are using AI to write résumés and coach them through virtual interviews. “They’ve become a lot more important,” observes headhunter Mark Toscano. “The tools that people are using to present themselves in the best light possible are the same reason that companies are resorting to these backdoor references.” Although such references offer the potential for score-settling by rivals, independent recruiter Kelli Hrivnak says: “I’ve actually seen backdoor references help people more often, as opposed to being a detriment.”

 

Wall Street Journal

Sam Bankman-Fried, the co-founder of cryptocurrency exchange FTX, has failed in his attempt to overturn his fraud conviction and 25-year prison sentence. In a unanimous decision, a three-judge panel of the Manhattan-based 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said prosecutors' evidence against Bankman-Fried "was, conservatively stated, robust." Circuit Judge Barrington Parker wrote on behalf of the panel: "While he was publicly reassuring customers, investors and regulators that FTX customer funds were ​safe, he was simultaneously using FTX as his own personal piggy bank, spending customer funds on real estate, ​political contributions, and investments." 

 

Forbes

Financial Times

Reuters

Palantir has lost a legal bid to force Swiss magazine Republik to publish its responses to articles detailing how the country’s government repeatedly rejected its services. Zurich’s commercial court dismissed 22 out of 23 counterstatement requests filed by the data analytics company and its Swiss subsidiary, finding that only a single passage in one article warranted a published response. Jennifer Steiner, co-founder of Swiss research collective WAV, which conducted and published the one-year investigation with Republik, said: “It was a lot of work and time invested. After four months waiting for a verdict, it’s good to have such a ruling now.”

 

Financial Times

The Guardian

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is expected to deliver a significant short-term economic boost, with FIFA and the World Trade Organization projecting a $17.2bn increase in U.S. GDP and a $40.9bn gain globally. The five-week tournament, spanning three countries and 16 cities, is forecast to attract 6.5m attendees and engage around 6bn people worldwide, generating spending across tourism, hospitality, retail, and sports betting. Host cities are expected to see between $160m and $620m in additional economic activity, while international visitors are projected to spend more than $5,000 each during their stay in the U.S. The event is also anticipated to become one of the largest gambling spectacles in history, with an estimated $60bn wagered through legal sportsbooks worldwide. While economists expect the tournament to provide a temporary lift to economic activity and employment, Goldman Sachs noted that historical data suggests World Cups have little lasting impact on economic growth. The bank said most long-term benefits are negligible, as a substantial share of spending on merchandise, food, beverages, and related products occurs outside the host countries.

 

CBS News

U.S. consumer sentiment rose in early June for the first time in four months, as declining gasoline prices eased some of the pressure on households facing elevated inflation. The University of Michigan’s preliminary consumer sentiment index increased to 48.9 from a record low of 44.8 in May, surpassing economists’ expectations, though it remains the second-lowest reading since the 1970s. Consumers’ inflation expectations also moderated, with one-year expectations falling to 4.6% from 4.8%, and five-to-ten-year expectations declining to 3.4%. Lower gasoline prices improved views of personal finances, particularly among lower-income households, which tend to spend a larger share of their budgets on fuel. Despite the improvement, overall sentiment remains historically weak amid inflationary pressures linked to the Iran conflict. Nearly half of survey respondents now expect interest rates to rise over the next year, up from 25% before the conflict began. The survey’s current conditions measure edged higher but remained near record lows, while the expectations index climbed to a three-month high of 49.3.

 

CNN

Bloomberg

President Donald Trump has threatened to impose a 100% tariff on French wine and champagne unless France removes its 3% digital services tax on major American technology companies. Speaking ahead of the G7 summit in France, Trump said he had warned French President Emmanuel Macron that the U.S. would have “no choice” but to levy the tariffs if France continues to tax U.S. tech giants. Trump argued that eliminating the digital tax would remove the need for retaliatory trade measures. The threat escalates a long-running dispute over France’s digital services levy, which applies to companies generating more than €25m ($29m) of revenue in France and €750m globally. The tax has been in place since 2019 and primarily affects large U.S. technology firms. French wine and spirits exporters criticized the proposal, warning that the industry could become collateral damage in a broader trade conflict. Industry groups urged both governments to seek a balanced resolution, noting that French alcohol exports are heavily dependent on the U.S. market. The latest warning comes despite recent efforts to ease transatlantic trade tensions. Wines and spirits imported from the European Union currently face a 15% U.S. tariff, and French officials have been lobbying for those duties to be reduced or eliminated.

 

France 24

Reuters

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners, which seeks to unify state-level insurance rules, is examining credit risks linked to data center projects, which are increasingly showing up in insurers’ investment portfolios.

 

Financial Times

Financial planning is becoming increasingly global as clients, assets, and financial professionals operate across multiple jurisdictions, making consistent professional standards more important than ever, according to FP Canada chief executive Tashia Batstone. Writing after attending Financial Planning Standards Board (FPSB) meetings in Cape Town, Batstone said shared global standards help ensure clients receive consistent levels of professionalism, competence, and ethical advice regardless of where services are delivered. FP Canada continues to align its certification framework and professional standards with FPSB requirements while maintaining standards that reflect Canadian regulatory expectations. Batstone highlighted common challenges facing financial planners worldwide, including the rise of financial influencers, increasing fraud risks, and the growing impact of artificial intelligence. She noted that international collaboration allows jurisdictions to share best practices and strengthen responses to these evolving issues. Discussions at the FPSB also emphasized the importance of trust, investor protection, broader access to financial planning, and greater diversity within the profession. 

 

Investment Executive

The number of private tax-advantaged foundations and their assets have surged to nearly $2tn, according to research from FoundationMark presented at a PKF O'Connor Davies event. Assets have increased from approximately $653bn in 2010 to $1.8tn by 2025. Despite a steady growth of about 1.5% per year, around 3,000 to 4,000 foundations close annually. Foundations disburse $118bn annually, with giving growth averaging 7% over the past 15 years. However, without incoming contributions, many foundations could deplete their funds in 14 years. The IRS is also planning to revamp Form 990 to enhance transparency regarding funding sources.

 

Accounting Today

EU regulators ‌have hit out at Apple for blaming the Digital Markets Act (DMA) for its decision not to launch its upgraded assistant Siri AI in the region for now, saying they had rejected the company's request for an 18-month exemption from the act's obligations. "The decision not to roll out Siri AI in the EU is Apple's and Apple's only", spokesperson Thomas Regnier said, observing there was nothing in the DMA to stop the company from introducing new products in the EU. "Apple was simply unable to develop interoperability solutions that meet essential EU ​privacy and security standards", Regnier said. "In essence, [the] commission [is] asking us to conduct a very risky experiment on many, ​many, many tens of millions of users", said Greg Joswiak, Apple's marketing chief, "and we only want to ship these capabilities when we ‌can ⁠do so safely".

 

Reuters

The International Labour Organization (ILO) has agreed ​to adopt the first binding employment standards for gig workers in sectors such as ride-hailing and food ‌delivery. The Decent Work in the Platform Economy Convention, which was adopted at the 114th annual International Labour Conference in Geneva, aims to extend labor protections to hundreds of millions of people worldwide who work through digital platforms. A growing number of workers are being excluded from standard labor protections due to their classification as independent contractors rather than employees, and the protections include an end to such classification, as well as enforcement of minimum wage requirements and obligations including healthcare, sick leave and social security contributions. “For the first time in the history of international law, the women and men who move our cities, who clean and care in our homes . . . will be named, recognised and protected by a binding international standard,” said Amanda Brown, vice chair of the ILO’s Workers’ Group.

 

Al Jazeera

Reuters

Daily Star (Bangladesh)