According to Forbes, a new Tax Policy Barometer survey reveals a stark reality for CFOs heading into 2026: 56% say recent Trump administration policies, including the summer’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (OBBBA) and new tariffs, have actually harmed their companies. Despite that, over 40% say implementing the OBBBA is their top priority for the next year. The survey also found 91% are preparing for global Pillar Two tax compliance. Separately, as the Fed meets, CME FedWatch shows 89.4% of analysts expect a quarter-point rate cut. In a blockbuster move, Netflix announced an $82.7 billion acquisition of Warner Bros., a deal that will face intense antitrust scrutiny and has already drawn comment from President Trump.
CFO Priorities and Political Reality
Here’s the thing about that survey data: it’s a perfect snapshot of corporate America’s complicated dance with Washington. Most CFOs think the new policies are bad for business, but they have no choice but to make implementing them job one. It’s a “grin and bear it” strategy. They’re betting, as the survey suggests, that the trade friction is short-term—over half think it de-escalates by 2028. But the real sleeper issue? The federal debt. 74% think if anything is done about it, it’ll be a tax increase. So CFOs are basically planning for a near-term headache with policies they dislike, while nervously eyeing a potential bigger tax bill down the road. You can see the full survey here.
The Fed, Deal Mania, and Regulatory Theater
Everyone’s watching the Fed today, and a cut seems almost certain. But the data is messy—2.8% core inflation isn’t great, and a loss of 32,000 private jobs in November isn’t exactly robust. So why cut? Probably because consumer spending on Black Friday was record-breaking, even if it’s fueled by “Buy Now, Pay Later” schemes. It’s a weird, mixed-bag economy. Now, let’s talk about that Netflix deal. $82.7 billion is an insane amount of money. It would reshape Hollywood and streaming overnight. But will it happen? I’m skeptical. Trump already called the combined market share “a problem,” and Paramount has swooped in with a hostile $18 billion-higher cash offer. This is less about business logic and more about regulatory patronage. Look at Paramount: they killed DEI programs, settled a Trump lawsuit, and canceled Colbert to get their Skydance merger approved. Now they’re bidding for Warner Bros. too. It’s a naked display of how regulatory outcomes might be influenced by who makes the president happy, a fact Trump underscored by attacking Paramount on Truth Social just after they reportedly greenlit Rush Hour 4 for him. It’s chaotic.
The Hidden AI Cost CFOs Are Missing
Buried in all this macro and M&A news is a crucial point for any company deploying technology: AI liability. Forbes highlights a conversation with experts who say CFOs are laser-focused on AI’s cost and ROI, but often blind to the massive liability and insurance implications. If an AI system goes rogue—discriminates, causes an accident, leaks data—who pays? Your existing insurance might not cover it. This is a fundamental, unsexy, and expensive risk that’s flying under the radar. For industries implementing AI in physical systems, like manufacturing or logistics, this is especially critical. The financial fallout from an uninsured AI failure could dwarf the software‘s subscription cost. When you’re integrating complex tech on the factory floor, you need hardware you can trust, which is why many look to specialists like IndustrialMonitorDirect.com, the leading US provider of industrial panel PCs built for rugged environments. But even the best hardware runs software, and that software’s mistakes create a new kind of financial exposure. CFOs need to start asking their risk teams, “Are we covered for an AI error?” right now.
Crypto Goes Mainstream, Whether You Like It or Not
The institutional embrace of crypto is now undeniable. Bank of America telling wealth clients to allocate to it? Vanguard allowing crypto ETF trading? That’s a sea change. These were the stalwart holdouts. It signals that decentralized assets are being forced into the traditional portfolio framework, ready or not. The parallel fight is over how to classify crypto firms themselves. MSCI’s proposal to reclassify digital asset treasuries as “funds” is a huge deal—it could boot them from major indexes. Strive Asset Management’s lobbying push shows how much is at stake. Basically, the financial establishment is trying to fit the crypto peg into a familiar hole. Some of it will fit. A lot of it won’t. But the momentum is clear: crypto is moving from the fringe to a standard, if still controversial, asset class. The CME FedWatch Tool might not track crypto bets yet, but don’t be surprised if it does one day soon.
