While the office of the CFO is eager to modernize, some practices remain rooted in the past. Benchmarks from AFP’s 2025 survey reports reveal a disconnect between intent and reality that will affect strategic decision-making for years to come.

Below are 20 statistics that serve as essential benchmarks for financial professionals. Whether you are looking at payments fraud trends or building a long-term business case for automation, this is the data you need to know.

Executive Snapshot: The State of Finance Benchmarks

Key Themes for Financial Professionals

The Escalating Cost of Fraud

Recovering funds lost to fraud is becoming more difficult for organizations. According to the 2025 AFP Payments Fraud and Control Survey, underwritten by Truist, 79% of organizations faced fraud attempts in 2024. However, only 22% of organizations recovered at least 75% of funds lost to fraud, a sharp decline from the previous year.

Despite the growing consequences of fraud, organizations resist moving away from vulnerable paper payment methods. Sixty-three percent of organizations faced check fraud in 2024, the highest of any payment method, yet 75% of organizations do not plan to eliminate check usage in the next two years.

The Modernization Paradox in FP&A

The 2025 AFP FP&A Benchmarking Survey finds that although 71% of FP&A teams use EPM tools quarterly, they still rely on manual processes. Spreadsheets are still used by 96% of FP&A professionals for planning. Why the disconnect? The survey points to a foundational issue: 61% of FP&A professionals cite lack of data reliability as their primary hurdle.

The “Safety First” Approach to Short-Term Investments

Organizations continue to prioritize safety over liquidity and yield in their short-term investments. According to the 2025 AFP Liquidity Survey, underwritten by Invesco, safety is the top short-term investment objective for 61% of organizations. The top short-term investment vehicle for organizations is bank products (cited by 46% of respondents).

FAQs on Payments Trends

Are companies still using checks?

Checks accounted for 26% of B2B payments in 2025, down from 33% in 2022, according to the 2025 AFP Digital Payments Survey, conducted triennially and underwritten by J.P. Morgan.

How common are cross-border payments?

In 2025, 87% of organizations engaged in cross-border payments, up from 78% in 2022, according to the 2025 AFP Digital Payments Survey.

What is the most common way payments fraud occurs?

Business email compromise (BEC) was the top avenue for fraud attempts for 63% of organizations in 2024, according to the 2025 AFP Payments Fraud and Control Survey.

FAQs on Treasury Trends

What is the most challenging task for treasury professionals?

Cash or liquidity forecasting was cited by 62% of treasury professionals as their most challenging task, according to the 2025 AFP Treasury Benchmarking Survey, underwritten by Wells Fargo.

What is the top priority for treasury professionals?

Cash management and forecasting are the top priorities for 73% of treasury practitioners, according to the 2025 AFP Treasury Benchmarking Survey. At all levels of seniority, cash management and forecasting are the top priorities.

What is the most important skill for treasury leaders?

Ninety-six percent of treasury professionals believe that communication is a critical skill for treasury leadership, according to the 2025 AFP Treasury Benchmarking Survey.

What size is the average treasury department?

On average, treasury departments have five full-time employees in front-office roles and six in back-office roles, according to the 2025 AFP Treasury Benchmarking Survey.

Treasury’s front office oversees cash management, risk management, capital market activities and investment management. Treasury’s back office handles transaction processing, reporting and compliance, technology and infrastructure, and documentation and recording.

FAQs on Financial Talent Trends

What is the average salary increase for financial professionals?

On average, financial professionals received a 3.9% increase in their base salaries in 2024, according to the 2025 AFP Compensation and Benefits Survey.

How hard is it to fill finance roles?

Finding qualified financial talent is difficult for many organizations. Sixty-seven percent of organizations said finding qualified candidates was their biggest talent management challenge, according to the 2025 AFP Compensation and Benefits Survey.

What are the top retention strategies for financial talent?

Top employee retention strategies include providing comprehensive benefits (cited by 70% of organizations), work-life balance (68%) and competitive salary increases (52%), according to the 2025 AFP Compensation and Benefits Survey.

What are the top challenges financial professionals face?

Limited resources (cited by 39% of financial professionals) and volume of work (36%) are the two most significant challenges financial professionals face, according to the 2025 AFP Compensation and Benefits Survey.