Risk!

Risk! is the new monthly AFP newsletter focused entirely on issues relating to the fast-growing risk management area. With the advent of SOX requirements, hedge funds and massive natural disasters, risk management has come into its own as a key player in the realm of finance. As a result, today’s corporate world has made a major place at the table for risk management. And keeping up-to-date with the requirements and changes demands a newsletter like Risk!

Here you will find up-to-date information and commentary on various risk categories including treasury, operational, credit and investment risk. In addition, look for:

• The latest news in risk technology
• Current trends in risk employment
• profiles of key players in risk management,
• Briefs relating to breaking news in risk-related topics
• Calendar of risk-related educational seminars, forums and events

Here are headlines from in the inaugural issue:

Who should read Risk!

• Risk managers who want to keep at the leading edge of risk issues
• Senior level financial professionals who need to maintain an overview of the risk industry for the successful implementation of risk policy

Newsletter Archives

"Treasury departments typically are skilled in managing liquidity, foreign exchange, and interest rate risks-exposures that have long been in their domain. With increasing frequency, members are sharing with us their experiences of leading or contributing to the management of other risks. Credit risk, market risk, and energy risk now are on treasury's plate. Though to a lesser degree, treasury also works with other parts of their organizations to address commodity and non-financial risks, such as strategic and operational risks.

"And why not? Treasury is one of the few functions that can combine process expertise, long standing business unit relationships, and detailed knowledge of their businesses to inform a cohesive organization-wide risk management program."

- From Treasury's Growing Role in Risk Management by Kraig Conrad, CTP, Director of Corporate Finance and Risk Management, AFP, and Jeff Glenzer, CTP, Director of Treasury Services, AFP

Click here for a sample issue!

AFP EconWatch

Our latest newsletter, AFP EconWatch, provides you with a summary of the latest economic data releases from the previous week - tracking everything from prices and output to interest rates and business confidence. Designed to provide you with a roundup of the latest economic trends that could affect your organization, this quick read is featured each week as part of Online Headlines.

Newsletter Archives

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AFP Training Essentials

AFP Training Essentials is a new quarterly newsletter about custom training opportunities available through AFP internationally. These include courses, online learning capabilities, corporate training, and even customized web sites that can deliver targeted information, based on an organization's needs.

Each issue includes information about the latest developments, useful tools, new content and case studies about how treasury and finance training has been implemented at various organizations around the world.

Past Highlights:
Spotlight: Cross Border Trade Finance Techniques
The Royal Bank of Canada: Customizing Courses
Group AFP Learning System
Financial Risk: Identification, Measurement and Management Techniques SeminarTM
Survey Says: Treasury Expanding
Customizing a Course: An Instructor's Viewpoint

Click here for a sample issue!

Accounting and Financial Reporting Newsletter

Accounting and Financial Reporting, a monthly newsletter, will keep you abreast of key issues and potential changes with respect to lease accounting, differential accounting and convergence issues, among many other topics. It includes commentary, news briefs, a forward calendar, regulatory changes, and practical tips for financial professionals. It includes the best of AFP's global content on financial reporting issues.

The newsletter's PDF format allows for rich presentation of graphs and documents, as well as hyperlinks to online content such as white papers and comment letters to regulators.

Sample headlines:

• AFP Call on FASB to Revise FAS 95 on Cash Equivalents
• Get Ready for Pension Phase I Accounting Changes
• FASB and IASB to Change Rules on Lease Accounting
• IASB Freeze on New Accounting Standards Until 2009
• SEC Issues New Rules on Compensation Disclosure
• SEC Issues Concept Release to Change SOX 404

Who should read Accounting and Financial Reporting Newsletter?

• Financial executives, including:
  • Chief Financial Officers
  • Treasurers
  • Controllers
  • VPs of Finance
  • Assistant Treasurers

Newsletter Archives

"Commentary: We will never arrive at a single set of accounting standards if every country thinks that they have the right to be an exception to the rule. The European Commission (EC) seems not to want one single set of accounting standards unless it is its accounting standards. While the EC states support International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), they "reserve their sovereign right to examine the suitability of any new standard before proceeding with its adoption." The European Union (EU) has already "carved-out" a section of IAS 39 for EU companies and in the EC's view their IFRS as adopted (or modified ) by the EU meets the criteria for financial statement filing in the United States without requiring any reconciliation. The EC also seems to have an issue with the requirement that the reconciliation concept proposed by the Securities and Exchange Commission allows only the English version of the IFRS as the legitimate version. "

Click here for a sample issue!

AFP Payments

AFP Payments is a monthly newsletter delivering best practice information, news and analysis of global payments challenges, regulations and emerging technologies. As the world migrates from paper-based to electronic payment methods, financial professionals and others need to stay atop developments ranging from new card-based payment options, to changes in banking practices, to regional payments concerns around the world.

The newsletter dovetails with payments coverage online and in person at the AFP Payments Forum.

Each issue contains articles about payments industry news as well as information about the way technology is changing our financial world. Sections include:

• Developments in the glgobal payments industry
• Analysis pieces from experts in the financial field
• Information about payments technologies
• International developments
• Fraud prevention
• Best practices

Sample headlines:

• Most Business Subject To Payments Fraud, Survey Says
• Consumers Wary Of Stored-Value Card Fees
• Federal Reserve Surveys Corporate Payment Needs
• Canada’s New Online Payments Protect Consumer
• Credit Card Companies Eye EU For Expansion
• UK Following U.S. In Adopting Gift Cards
• China’s Online Payment Market Nascent, But Growing
• E-payment Benefits Outweigh Risks, Experts Say
• Federal Reserve Links To Private Sector Payment Network
• U.S. Vending Machines Going Cashless

Newsletter Archives

AFP Payments is available to all registered users. Download now.

Click here for a sample issue!

AFP Update: IFRS

This timely series of news briefs highlights International Financial Reporting Standards from a treasury and finance perspective, especially regulatory changes, case studies from corporations making changes, costs involved, and best practices. Includes commentary and views from AFP members as well as insight into AFP's advocacy efforts.

FROM AFP's COMMENT LETTER TO THE SEC:

"Secure, transparent and efficient global capital markets is a goal shared by AFP members and regulators. In order for U.S. corporations to stay competitive in the global markets, there must be a level playing field which does not disadvantage U. S. companies. An option that would allow U.S. issuers the option to prepare statements in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards would help assure that U.S. companies are not placed at an unfair disadvantage in the global marketplace. Some U.S. companies are capable of making the transition now, including international U.S. companies that already are required to use IFRS in other jurisdictions. However, the accounting infrastructure for most domestic companies is not yet in place."

Online Headlines

Get the latest industry news briefs in this weekly members-only newsletter, delivered first thing Wednesday mornings by email. Read association and industry articles and stay on top of changing regulations.

Online Headlines An AFP member benefit
Before the start of the business day, you receive important information from the financial press in key areas -- all in a concise, easy-to-read format.

• Treasury and Cash Management
• Corporate Finance
• Financial Accounting and Reporting
• Pensions and Benefits
• Electronic Commerce and Technology
• Career Development and Leadership
• Job Postings

Get more information about Online Headlines.

Asia Pacific Forum Headlines

Read by CFOs, treasurers, FX traders, lawyers, accountants and others, Asia Headlines provides links to original articles, commentary and white papers, economic indicators, as well as a snapshot of Asia business news from the world's financial press.

Content includes articles from both AFP and gtnews, contributions from experts, and links to news items and postings and other networking items by users of the Asia Forum site. The newsletter covers banking, cash management, FX and repatriation, trade finance, risk management, strategy and other topics useful to midmarket companies doing business in China.

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"Economist David Hale, in an essay in the journal Foreign Affairs and in an interview with us, argues that the emphasis on the weakness of the yuan against the U.S. dollar or the euro misses some fundamental points about China’s economy.

"The first is that Made In China does not mean made entirely in China but rather assembled in China from imported components, part of a larger economic expansion of the Asia Pacific region. In the increasingly fragmented world of manufacturing, this is the case everywhere. Hale points out that a stronger currency would lower the price of the products the China buys from other countries and assembles into imports for other markets.

"Another point of his is that with so much of the goods that consumers buy being imported from China, bringing up the value of the yuan would inflate the prices of those goods in markets where they are sold, which is a gloomy prospect at a time when the U.S. economy is teetering toward a recession. This is especially true in the case of lower-priced goods such as toys or textiles whose production has largely moved to low-wage economies."

Futures in Finance

Futures In Finance is free to the financial industry. Subscribe and receive Futures in Finance monthly via e-mail!

Futures In Finance, a monthly newsletter, delivers timely tips for job seekers building a career in finance and treasury. Finance jobs are changing at the pace of technology. As job descriptions shift to accommodate compliance and risk management needs, how can you stay ahead of the competition? Turn to Futures In Finance for reliable, timely information on finance and treasury careers. Job seekers at all levels in finance-from CFO to new MBAs-will benefit from this fast-read format, delivered each month.

Each issue includes articles on finance job searches, interviewing techniques, CFO strategies, MBA careers and job postings.

The newsletter's PDF format allows for rich presentation of sample resumes, charts and graphs, as well as hyperlinks to online content and links to sponsor Web sites.

Topics include:

• Developments in the finance field
• Opinion pieces from HR experts
• Information on compensation trends and incentive packages
• CFO Corner - Executive news, views And strategies
• Organizational structure
• Training tips
• Finance career trends
• Tips for job seekers
• Hot job postings

Recent Headlines:

• CFOs Struggle With High Turnover And Reporting Burdens
• Employee Satisfaction Index
• Finance Salary, Bonus,Total Compensation By Title
• The Sarbanes-Oxley Effect: Is Employee Turnover Due To Tough Compliance Requirements?
• Why CEOs Say Good Governance Equals Direct Returns
• Treasurers Move Into The Spotlight As CFOs Rise To Number Two Slot
• Profits Vs. People: Lessons Mis-Taught To MBAs
• Risk Management Is The New Hot Job

Who should read Futures In Finance:

• Finance professionals who want to land their dream job.
• Graduates looking for information on career trends.
• Job seekers targeting specific industry sectors.
• Senior level finance professionals who want to stay on top of the latest strategies for organizational and staff development.

Newsletter Archives

"Some of the best strategies to help employees take charge of themselves and their careers involve avoiding workplace negativity, enhancing their flexibility, avoiding procrastination and developing a bias for action rather than putting off decisions. And ironically, the employees who position themselves as potential leaders have also learned to say no and avoid the self-overload problem. Additionally, companies look for internal candidates who have learned to establish an effective partnership with their boss and colleagues. Such employees understand and meet the expectations of their supervisors."

Click here for a sample issue!

AFP Legislative and Regulatory Status Update

The Legislative & Regulatory Status Update is an online publication free to members and available to non-members for a nominal subscription fee. Available in 10 issues a year, this publication helps you track legislative, regulatory, standards and payments activities that may affect your work.

AFP Members: Read the current issue.

AFP Update: Credit Crisis

This timely newsletter in AFP's update series covers the aftermath of the subprime mortgage debacle from a treasury and finance perspective.

It includes links to the latest AFP articles, commentary, discussions with experts, advocacy efforts, and regulatory news that would be of interest to financial professionals on the job.

Sample issue

"A common refrain from corporate treasurers is 'We don't want to take risk with our investment portfolios. We would rather take the business risk, which we understand.' Unfortunately for many, recent events have required corporate treasury staffs to devote additional time and attention to the very issue they sought to minimize: investment risk."