# Treasury and banking insights for CFOs. Source: https://firmaadvisory.com/insights Last updated: 2026-10-01 TYPE html> Treasury and Banking Insights for CFOs | FIRMA Advisory [Skip to main content](#main) Selective, executive-level commentary on cash management, banking strategy, rates, and cross-border financial operations. Published when there is something specific worth saying, not on a schedule. ## Bank fees, FX and bank relationships Bank Fees · October 2026 · 6 min read ### [How to read your bank's account analysis statement](https://firmaadvisory.com/insights/account-analysis-statement) A line by line guide to the monthly account analysis statement, with an illustrative example and the questions to ask your bank. FX · October 2026 · 6 min read ### [What your FX spread really costs and how to measure it against mid-market](https://firmaadvisory.com/insights/fx-spread-mid-market) How to measure the margin inside every FX rate, trade by trade, with an illustrative example and a checklist of where margins hide. Banking Relationships · October 2026 · 6 min read ### [Running a bank RFP: how banks score you while you score them](https://firmaadvisory.com/insights/bank-rfp-scoring) How to structure a bank RFP, score the answers on agreed criteria, and understand how each bank decides how hard to compete. Banking Relationships · October 2026 · 6 min read ### [Why European SMEs get the worst pricing from global banks and what to do about it](https://firmaadvisory.com/insights/european-sme-bank-pricing) Why mid-sized European companies often pay standard prices at global banks, where the gap shows up and how to close it. Banking Relationships · April 2026 · 6 min read ### [The banking relationship is the most under-managed financial asset](https://firmaadvisory.com/insights/banking-relationships-2026) Most corporates are paying meaningful, recurring cost on banking arrangements they have not actively reviewed in years. The asymmetry between bank sophistication and corporate negotiation is the largest single source of avoidable financial cost. ## Cash, liquidity and rates Cash Management · October 2026 · 6 min read ### [Physical or notional cash pooling for mid-sized multinationals](https://firmaadvisory.com/insights/physical-vs-notional-pooling) How physical and notional pooling differ, why fewer banks offer notional pools, and which structure fits a mid-sized multinational. Cross-Border · October 2026 · 6 min read ### [Trapped cash and FX controls in Latin America: a treasury playbook](https://firmaadvisory.com/insights/latam-trapped-cash-fx-controls) How FX access rules, transaction taxes and registration requirements trap cash in Latin America, with dated country notes and a step by step playbook. Rates & Markets · May 2026 · 6 min read ### [EU and US rates in 2026: implications for corporate treasury](https://firmaadvisory.com/insights/rates-eu-us-2026) The divergence between the Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank has reset the calculus for cross-border treasury. We look at what the current rate environment means for funding decisions, FX hedging, and the structure of corporate liquidity. Cash Management · May 2026 · 6 min read ### [Cash Management in 2026: from visibility to deployment](https://firmaadvisory.com/insights/cash-management-2026) After three years of high rates, the cash management agenda has shifted. Visibility is no longer the question, because most treasuries have solved it. The harder problem is deployment: how to convert liquidity into yield, working capital, or strategic optionality without compromising operational discipline. ## Private equity and acquisitions Private Equity · October 2026 · 6 min read ### [The 100 day banking review for private equity portfolio companies](https://firmaadvisory.com/insights/100-day-banking-review) What a portfolio company's banking review should cover in the first 100 days, how findings enter the model, and how to repeat it across holdings. M&A Integration · October 2026 · 6 min read ### [Day one banking after an acquisition: the integration checklist](https://firmaadvisory.com/insights/day-one-banking-checklist) The banking items that must be ready at close, the order to consolidate banks in the first 180 days, and the failures to avoid. M&A · October 2026 · 6 min read ### [Treasury due diligence red flags deal teams miss](https://firmaadvisory.com/insights/treasury-due-diligence-red-flags) The treasury and banking risks standard diligence tends to miss, a cash bridge example and the red flag checklist to run before signing. ## Treasury function, systems and controls Treasury Function · October 2026 · 6 min read ### [The first treasury policy for a scaling company](https://firmaadvisory.com/insights/first-treasury-policy) What a growth company's first treasury policy should contain, how to size the rules, and who should approve it. Treasury Function · October 2026 · 6 min read ### [When a company needs an interim treasurer](https://firmaadvisory.com/insights/when-to-hire-interim-treasurer) The situations that call for interim treasury cover, what the role should own, the cost of a gap and how to hand over to a permanent hire. Treasury Systems · October 2026 · 6 min read ### [TMS or ERP treasury module: how to decide](https://firmaadvisory.com/insights/tms-vs-erp-treasury-module) When an ERP treasury module is enough, when a treasury management system pays off, and why bank connectivity drives the timeline. Payments and Controls · October 2026 · 6 min read ### [Outsourcing payments and reconciliation to a BPO provider: the controls checklist](https://firmaadvisory.com/insights/bpo-payments-controls-checklist) The controls to keep in-house, how to set up bank access for provider staff, what belongs in the SLA and how to plan the exit. ## For consulting firms Consulting Partners · October 2026 · 6 min read ### [What a consulting firm should check before adding a treasury specialist to an engagement](https://firmaadvisory.com/insights/consulting-firm-treasury-specialist) How a consulting firm can tell whether a workstream needs a treasury specialist, and what to check on experience, conflicts and terms. ## Where we publish Our commentary focuses on the disciplines where we work. ### Treasury & liquidity Cash visibility, liquidity structuring, working capital, and capital allocation. ### Banking & FX Banking relationships, pricing transparency, FX optimization, and credit structuring. ### Cross-border operations Multi-jurisdiction structures, currency management, and headquarters and local alignment. ### Financial infrastructure Treasury systems, payment architecture, and scalable financial operations. ### Rates & macro Implications of EU and US monetary policy for corporate treasury and funding decisions. ### Execution Practical implementation of treasury, banking, and financial transformation initiatives. ## Discuss your financial priorities with us. A brief, confidential conversation is the most efficient way to determine where FIRMA Advisory can support your organization. [Book a 30 minute call](https://firmaadvisory.com/contact) [contact@firmaadvisory.com](mailto:contact@firmaadvisory.com)