This story is part of our collaboration with Retail Brew on changing retail investing strategies.

As Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said earlier this month after announcing that the central bank wasn’t planning on lowering rates anytime soon, the purpose of a strict monetary policy is to put “downward pressure” on economic activity.

JPMorgan explains it this way: “When the central bank increases interest rates, borrowing becomes more expensive. In this environment, both consumers and businesses might think twice about taking out loans for major purchases or investments.”

In other words, higher rates should make it harder to obtain loans, which should make it harder to fund investments in your business, whether that’s a new store or a new technology. But looking at retailers specifically, this trend is not so clear-cut.

While department stores and apparel companies such as Express and Macy’s are shuttering locations and struggling under excessive debt loads, other major retailers such as Walmart and Aldi are planning ambitious store expansions and technology investments.

Watch out for the big boys: So where do interest rates factor into these very different outcomes? Samuel Rines, macro strategist at WisdomTree, told Retail Brew that it depends on variables such as size and cash flow.

To keep reading Retail Brew’s story on managing capital expenditures, click here.—AV

Do you know how to CFO? In the past, the job responsibilities of finance leaders revolved around…company finances. But these days, CFOs are planning for long-term growth.

Today’s financial leaders need to build expertise around business strategy and digital transformation to be effective. Enter BILL’s Next in Finance: The CFO of the Future—aka a virtual crash course in everything you need to know about how the CFO role is changing.

Every day from May 20–24, subject-matter experts will lead a tailored discussion on a must-know topic for CFOs. Attendees will dig into the following:

• how CFOs interact with strategy, leadership, + culture
• how to harness AI + automation in finance
• strategies to attract and retain talent
• FP&A trends

PLUS, earn a CPE credit for each session. Save your spot.

The accounting shortage is real and it’s painful, reaching the point of having a highly visible impact on some businesses—but the National Pipeline Advisory Group (NPAG), an accounting professional group, has a plan in the hopes of alleviating some of this pain.

NPAG recently unveiled a draft strategy report containing numerous recommendations to break down barriers and open new avenues for the next generation to pursue a career in accounting and finance.

“While a career in accounting has much to offer, the profession is at a crossroads, and many agree it’s time for changes that will make the field more attractive,” Lexy Kessler, mid-Atlantic regional leader at Aprio and chair of NPAG, wrote in the draft report’s executive summary.

NPAG grouped its recommendations into six major themes that call for addressing the time and cost of accounting education, better supporting CPA exam candidates, and expanding access for underrepresented groups, among other things.

One concept the draft offers is to create “a competency-based licensure model” that would “help measure mastery and readiness instead of time in school or on the job.”

Click here for more on the plan to attract more accounting talent.—AZ

We’re hoping that you’ve already read our piece about the spending power of Gen Alpha, which outlined the importance of reaching the generation born between 2010 and 2024 because that group’s spending power is expected to hit $5.46 trillion by 2029, according to research-based advisory firm McCrindle.

But let’s pretend for a moment that you’re just a casual CFO Brew reader who doesn’t hang on to our every word with bated breath. Maybe, just maybe, you need an on-the-go, quick-burning primer as you attempt to get a Gen Alpha financial strategy in place. And hey, would you look at that: We can offer that as well. Or rather, Kristin Patrick, EVP, CMO, and head of e-commerce for teen accessories retailer Claire’s, can explain the most crucial ingredient of a good Gen Alpha game plan.

She’d know: When Patrick started at Claire’s, “the company had been taken through bankruptcy, and there was a new leadership team” she told CFO Brew. “What we very quickly realized is that we have this tremendous brand and tremendous equity. We’ve got about 95% brand awareness around the world. And when we talked to consumers, they told us, ‘Listen, we love Claire’s. We haven’t been in the stores in a while, but we actually would accept more from you.’”

So Patrick and her team “set out on a journey to transform the brand and to make it something that would appeal to the ‘Gen Zalpha’ demographic,” she explained.

Click here for more on capturing Gen Alpha.—NP