Over the past couple of years, a number of U.S. and European banks have undergone so-called stress tests. These were intended to tell regulators, as well as the banks’ customers, if the banks were strong enough to withstand a persistently weak economy. While corporate America didn’t have to participate, companies could benefit from doing a similar assessment themselves, says Tom Nelson, cash management specialist with Wall Street Systems. In fact, Nelson outlined ten questions that every corporate treasurer should ask him or herself:

1. How well could your company survive a 10 percent depreciation or appreciation in your main trading currencies – namely, those in your home territory and those of your main customers and suppliers?

2. How well could your company survive a 25 percent increase in the interest rates charged on your variable rate debt? more

Forgive the dramatic headline; I want your attention because Dodd-Frank appears to be the sort of regulation that keeps on giving. Each time I post insights on one facet of the legislation, someone pings me, eager to discuss another part of the new law.

This week, David Kovel of Kirby McInerney LLP connected to weigh in on the ways in which Dodd-Frank may lead to more whistle-blowing. I want to be careful with my choice of words. I’m not saying that Dodd-Frank will necessarily stimulate more whistle-blowing.

Nor am I complaining about Dodd-Frank’s impact on companies; there’s enough belly-aching about regulatory risk making the rounds these days. To me, those complaints are akin to bemoaning bad cards at the poker table (where, I have noticed, the winners never complain about bad cards).

All publicly listed companies have to deal with Dodd-Frank. Here, Kovel offers his take on how companies may want to deal with the new law’s whistle-blower provision. more

Earlier this month, I participated in a CMA-Canada roundtable discussion in Toronto that focused on the future role of corporate finance and accounting executives (as well as other titles that management accountants fulfill).

We spent most of our time discussing risk management, human capital management, a growing need to account for intangible assets, and a strong desire among CFOs to maintain sufficient innovation and creativity within their staffs.

This week, I downloaded more pressing CFO concerns from SAP Executive Vice President and General Manager Sanjay Poonen, whose company recently held its own CFO roundtable event in North America.

Eric Krell: What is the current state of mind of the CFOs with whom you met?

Sanjay Poonen: I was pleasantly surprised to see how remarkably optimistic this group of CFOs was, given that the “bottom” of the financial crisis was not all that long ago and considering that there are still a number of ongoing and concerning world and business events plaguing our economic future. more