After a year of turbulence in finance, politics, and international relations, the 2026 chief financial officer (CFO) may well set 'keeping steady' as the company's sole goal—and rightly so.

Gusts from federal policy changes are expected to persist.

Despite risks of rising prices, President Donald Trump has shown no signs of softening, as he has pressured the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates for a year, raising concerns about the central bank's independence.

U.S. tariffs—already at their highest levels since the 1930s—are expected to push up prices at least until June if Trump imposes no new import taxes.

Meanwhile, Trump's territorial ambitions—recently focused on Greenland, but also involving Panama and Canada—could weaken ties with America's closest allies and erode the dollar's dominance as the reserve currency.

Trump has delivered on his campaign promises to shrink government and cut regulations. However, large-scale layoffs, sweeping rule changes, or budget cuts at the IRS, SEC, PCAOB, and other agencies have created operational challenges for the bureaucracy and complicated CFO compliance efforts.

Internally, CFOs this year need to prove to executive peers and investors that last year's investments in artificial intelligence can yield a competitive edge, rather than serving as a cautionary tale of chasing new technology.

Moreover, as automation reshapes the workplace, CFOs focused on team building and talent retention need to closely monitor workforce trends and changes in CPA licensing rules.

The following three outlook articles describe these trends and other issues we will continue to track in 2026.