What replaced inflation as the top challenge for finance leaders

Ken Witt, CPA, CGMA, AICPA & CIMA associate director – Management Accounting Research and Development, discusses in this JofA podcast episode the reasons that finance executives in a quarterly AICPA & CIMA survey continue to lower their optimism about the U.S. economy. He also reveals what CPA decision-makers now view as their organization's top challenge. For the first time in a long time, it's not inflation. On the episode that detailed the previous quarter's survey, Witt noted that inflation "seems to be settling out a little bit." This quarter's survey data shows that was an accurate assessment, as inflation concerns are diminishing somewhat. What you'll learn from this episode: ·         Details about Witt's assessment of this quarter's results as "interesting." ·         The surprising parts of the third-quarter data. ·         Updated projections for revenue and profits in the coming 12 months. ·         How election-year uncertainty is affecting CPA decision-makers' business forecasting efforts. ·         The percentage of finance executives who say that a potential lowering of the federal funds rate would have a favorable impact on their business.