Bank fraud is at an unprecedented high. Are you prepared for an attack? Barry Barretta, principal with consulting firm Treasury Strategies, and Blake Coppotelli, senior managing director in the New York office of Kroll's business intelligence and investigations division, explain the reasons for the rise in fraud and provide tips on how banks can protect themselves.

In our recent Business Finance treasury survey, treasurers and top cash management executives shared their thoughts on important issues like the current cost and availability of capital, extending credit to new customers in an iffy economy, counterparty risk, and their approach to accounts payable and receivable. Here is a look at the findings.

Corporate finance chiefs who are concerned about their companies' loan maturities looming over them increasingly are turning to "amend and extend" arrangements. These deals give firms some breathing room, while allowing them to keep their current loan groups in place. However, although an amend-and-extend may let treasurers breath a little easier, the relief comes at a price.

The use of performance-based contracting, an arrangement in which the price you pay for a product or service goes up as the level of service and uptime it offers increases, rather than growing when you run into problems, is rising. The advantage, new research indicates, is better outcomes at lower cost with more financial predictability.

Vendors are suddenly becoming lenders to customers now that traditional funding sources are drying up. Scott Blakeley, an attorney with Blakeley & Blakeley LLP, presents steps vendors can take to determine if continuing these business relationships with customers makes sense.

Small and midsize business owners around the world appear to glimpse some light at the end of the tunnel, particularly when it comes to global trade. In a recent HSBC Trade Confidence Index report, a majority of respondents said they either expect access to credit to remain the same or increase and about two-thirds expect buyer risk to remain stable.

Throughout this recession small companies have suffered -- and, importantly, continue to suffer -- more intensely than larger companies. The suffering, which takes the form of late accounts receivable (A/R) payments and higher days beyond (payment) terms (DBT), poses a risk to small and large enterprises alike.

The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), which historically has been seen as an operations and sales issue, is becoming a concern for folks in the finance and treasury areas. In this blog post, Joe Zier, head of the West Coast FCPA Investigative and Consulting Services practice for Deloitte, identifies several steps companies can take to head off potential problems.

A majority of finance professionals (89 percent) in a recent poll said they believe the United States is still in a recession, despite Ben Bernanke's proclamation that the recession is technically over. They don't see it ending soon, either -- 69 percent said the recession will extend well into 2010.

Are your business analysts frustrated with unreliable data and unsuitable technology systems? Do your company's executives struggle with decision-making, budget commitments, and organizational performance? Read Ventana Research's "Decision-Making and Performance: Improving Essential Business Analytics and Technologies" in the BPM Resource Center to learn ways to align strategy and performance.

Financial reporting can sometimes hit snags that are not immediately visible to even the most experienced professionals. This is particularly true in high-risk areas where conditions around the globe impact everyday activities. Read this white paper to learn more about how Oracle's financial governance solution can focus resources on high-risk areas, improve the quality and efficiency of the financial reporting process, and strengthen operational controls.