There’s a lot of uncertainty in the world right now, so much so that it can feel hard to tell up from down. But amid all the gyrations of the recent news cycle, it pays to remember that finance and accounting professionals have remarkable tools and techniques for understanding what’s happening now and what could happen in the future.

We took a deep dive into LinkedIn and found useful tip sheets for sharpening your forecasting and analysis skills.

Our usual disclaimer to the wise: You should always look for additional resources and expertise when doing complicated finance (or accounting) work because it can be difficult to accurately sum up sophisticated concepts in such a short space.

With that said, check out these useful accounting forecasting and analysis cheat sheets we recently found on LinkedIn.

• Bojan Radojicic: How to perform a forecast using an AI tool
  
  While we’ve been talking about generative AI for years, organizations are still figuring out the best uses and risks of AI technology. Radojicic, a financial modeling coach and finance advisor, offers a lesson for finance and accounting professionals on performing AI-based forecasting in a concise three-minute video presentation.
  
  He demonstrates an AI forecast with step-by-step video examples. He also explains how to successfully prompt, how to export into Excel, and how to ask for visuals.

Click here for more tips on sharpening your forecasting skills.—DA

Organizations are under increasing pressure by regulators and workers alike to be more transparent around pay. Yet, just one in five companies globally “consider themselves ready for pay transparency,” according to a new Aon survey.

Seven in 10 of the 1,400 professionals Aon surveyed said their organizations’ readiness around pay transparency—the practice of disclosing employee compensation information—has improved over the past year. In fact, 69% said their companies publish salary ranges while recruiting, and 21% said they do this on every job posting.

But organizations know they have more work to do. For instance, just a quarter of North American survey respondents said their organizations were fully ready for pay transparency. Most (59%) respondents said their companies were “getting ready,” while another 16% said they weren’t ready. Respondents in other regions felt even less prepared. Nearly half (48%) of those in the Asia-Pacific region said their companies weren’t ready at all for pay transparency.

“Pay transparency is no longer a buzzword. It's a baseline expectation from employees and a regulatory imperative across an increasing number of jurisdictions,” Lisa Stevens, chief administrative officer at Aon, said in a statement. “Yet our data shows a concerning lack of progress. Organizations that fail to act face risks not only in compliance, but in their ability to attract, retain and engage talent.”

How transparent are companies being on pay?—AZ

AICPA is taking another step toward tweaking auditors’ responsibilities related to fraud.

The group recently published a draft statement on auditing standards (SAS) titled The Auditor’s Responsibilities Relating to Fraud in an Audit of Financial Statements. AICPA is seeking industry feedback through Oct. 3. The proposed SAS is slated to take effect for audited periods ending on or after Dec. 15, 2028.

One of the most significant changes is that the proposed SAS would “clarify the auditor’s response when fraud or suspected fraud is identified in an audit of financial statements,” according to a news release. Another new requirement would stress “the importance of remaining alert throughout the audit for information that is indicative of fraud or suspected fraud.”

“This exposure draft doesn’t alter the overall objectives of the auditor when fraud or suspected fraud is identified,” Jennifer Burns, the AICPA’s chief auditor, said in the release. “What it does is strengthen and clarify the auditor’s specific role in these circumstances.”

Keep reading here.—AZ

As recession fears mount in 2025, finance leaders look back on the 2008 financial crisis with hard-earned wisdom. From rapid market collapse to tough cash management and slow recovery, CFOs share their frontline stories and insights to help today’s companies navigate uncertain times—and avoid past pitfalls.