The State of Financial Storytelling

Clients and boards aren't waiting for the year-end pack. They want the story behind the numbers. Fast enough to matter, visual enough to land, and forward-looking enough to act on. This report draws on 370 finance professionals across 15 countries to show what they're being asked, how they're answering, and where the gaps are.

370

Finance professionals surveyed

15+

Countries represented

40%

Say cash flow is the #1 question they face

1.6×

More confident when using forecasting + reporting together

The Big Picture

The same five questions keep coming up.

370 finance professionals across 15 countries told us what their CEOs, boards, investors and clients are asking right now. Five themes dominate. And they're not year-end questions. They're coming up in monthly calls, quarterly reviews, and ad hoc messages.

What are they asking? — Top themes by mention rate

"Where has my cash gone?" is the defining question of March 2026.

4 in 10 finance professionals say cash flow is the top question from their CEO, board or clients right now, followed closely by profitability and margins. These aren't year-end questions either. They're landing in monthly calls, quarterly reviews, and ad hoc messages, and they need scenario modeling, visuals, and narrative context to answer well.

Looking Ahead

Next quarter's focus: still cash, still margins.

Asked about the main financial focus for next quarter, cash flow and runway dominated again, followed by profitability and revenue growth.

41%

Cash flow & runway

22%

Profitability & margin protection

17%

Revenue growth

5%

Scenario forecasting

5%

Operational efficiency

3%

AI & automation

"Cash flow and profitability together represent 63% of respondents' primary focus for next quarter. The era of 'growth at all costs' is over — what matters now is the story behind the cash."

CFOs & Finance Leaders in Business

What boards and investors are really asking.

182 in-house finance professionals shared the top questions their CEO, board or investors have posed this quarter. They want the story, not just the spreadsheet.

Top themes: CFOs & Finance Leaders (n=155)

What they're really saying

"How much runway do we have — and what moves the dial on it?"

— Finance Director, Technology, UK

"What happens to the cash projection if we add or remove staff?"

— Finance Manager, Technology, US

"Are variances timing or structural?"

— Finance Director, Technology, UK

"Which parts of the business are actually making money?"

— CFO, Retail, US

"Cash balance in 12–18 months based on 3 different scenarios."

— CFO, Technology, AU

The power-user pattern: more features, more confidence

Finance leaders who layer forecasting, scenario planning, and custom KPIs on top of standard reporting are 1.6× more likely to say Fathom "significantly" helps them answer board-level questions. 62% of the most confident users actively use forecasting and scenario tools — compared to 39% of those still building their toolkit. The pattern is clear: the more of the platform you use, the more confident you are in the room.

The confidence gap: reporters vs storytellers

Finance professionals who go beyond standard reporting and layer in forecasting, scenario planning, and custom KPIs are 1.6x more confident answering board-level questions. 62% of the most confident respondents actively use forecasting and scenario tools, compared to 39% of those relying on reports alone. The takeaway? A single report isn't a toolkit. The more you can combine visuals, forecasts, and narrative, the more confident you'll be in the room.

Industry breakdown: SMB respondents

ACCOUNTANTS & ADVISORS IN FIRMS

The questions clients keep asking their accountants.

188 accounting professionals shared the top 3 questions their clients ask most often. The shift from compliance to advisory is clear.

Top themes: Accountants (n=156)

What they're really saying

"Where has my cash gone? What is my business worth today?"

— Fractional CFO, US

"Which clients are actually profitable — and which are draining margin?"

— Advisory Manager, US

"Why am I profitable but have no cash?"

— Accountant, Australia

"Can I afford to hire? Can I give my employees a raise?"

— Accountant, Australia

The advisory opportunity

Hiring and headcount questions are nearly 3x more common from accountants' clients than from in-house finance leaders. Businesses are turning to their accountant as a strategic partner, not just a bookkeeper. When clients ask "can I afford to hire?", they're not looking for a number. They're looking for a scenario, a visual, a story.

14%

of accountants' clients ask about hiring

5%

of in-house finance leaders face the same

78%

of accountants say Fathom helps answer these questions

WHAT SEPARATES THE MOST CONFIDENT

Multi-feature users feel ready for the boardroom. Single-feature users are still getting there.

75% of respondents say Fathom helps them answer this quarter's toughest questions. And the data shows something interesting: those combining reporting with forecasting, scenarios and custom KPIs report much higher confidence.

62%

of the most confident users actively use forecasting & scenario tools

53%

of confident users combine 2+ feature categories (vs 33% of others)

1.6×

more likely to use forecasting if they report "significant" confidence

2×

more likely to use trend visuals & charts in their reporting

Feature usage: confident users vs those still building

In their own words: what the most confident users are doing

What they're really saying

"I created 3 forecast scenarios for different staff levels and compared them to last year. I use the Cash Inflow and Outflow chart often and the Breakeven Analysis Chart."

— Fractional CFO/COO, US

"KPIs, non-financial KPIs, cash flow forecast, and targets — the combination is what makes the conversation productive."

— Finance Director, Technology, UK

"3-way forecast and forecast snapshots — being able to compare versions is what gives the board confidence."

— Group Financial Controller, Financial Services, UK

"Forecast baseline, microforecast, drivers — that's how I answer 'can we afford to hire, and what's our profitability?'"

— Director, Professional Services, AU

The formula:

Reporting + Forecasting + Visuals = Boardroom Confidence

The most confident finance professionals aren't relying on a single report. They're pairing P&L reports with scenario analysis, stacking cash flow forecasts on top of breakeven charts, and running trend visuals next to custom KPIs. Whether you're walking into a board meeting or sitting down with a client, the difference is the same: you're leading with the story, not just the spreadsheet.

REGIONAL & INDUSTRY VIEW

The questions are global. The emphasis shifts by region.

Respondents span AMER, EMEA and APAC. Cash flow is universal, but the secondary priorities tell a different story.

192

AMER respondents

52%

107

APAC respondents

29%

70

EMEA respondents

19%

Theme

AMER

APAC

EMEA

Cash flow & runway

#1 (39%)

#1 (40%)

#1 (43%)

Profitability & margins

#2 (35%)

#2 (27%)

#2 (37%)

Forecasting

#3 (30%)

#3 (27%)

#3 (25%)

Revenue growth

#4 (23%)

#6 (10%)

#5 (12%)

AI & automation

#5 (18%)

#4 (18%)

#7 (8%)

Cost reduction

#6 (16%)

#5 (20%)

#4 (27%)

Hiring & headcount

#7 (11%)

#7 (10%)

#8 (6%)

Budget vs actual

#8 (17%)

#8 (16%)

#6 (18%)

Cash flow is the universal #1 regardless of geography. But the secondary priorities shift. AMER respondents are twice as likely to ask about revenue growth (23%) compared to APAC (10%) and EMEA (12%), reflecting a stronger growth orientation. EMEA respondents rank cost reduction highest (27%) and show the strongest cash flow focus overall at 43%. APAC respondents show higher interest in AI and automation than other regions

Industry signal: Technology (20%), Professional Services (17%), and Property & Construction (11%) represent the largest industry clusters among in-house respondents. But the core question themes, cash, margins, forecast, cut across every vertical. The difference isn't what industries are asking, but how urgently.

Your board is asking. Your client is asking.
Are you answering with a story?

Whether you're presenting to investors or advising a business owner, the difference between confidence and hesitation comes down to one thing: can you show the story behind the numbers, fast enough to matter?

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The State of Financial Storytelling

The same five questions keep coming up.

"Where has my cash gone?" is the defining question of March 2026.

Next quarter's focus: still cash, still margins.

What boards and investors are really asking.

"How much runway do we have — and what moves the dial on it?"

"What happens to the cash projection if we add or remove staff?"

"Are variances timing or structural?"

"Which parts of the business are actually making money?"

"Cash balance in 12–18 months based on 3 different scenarios."

The power-user pattern: more features, more confidence

The confidence gap: reporters vs storytellers

The questions clients keep asking their accountants.

"Where has my cash gone? What is my business worth today?"

"Which clients are actually profitable — and which are draining margin?"

"Why am I profitable but have no cash?"

"Can I afford to hire? Can I give my employees a raise?"

The advisory opportunity

Multi-feature users feel ready for the boardroom. Single-feature users are still getting there.

"I created 3 forecast scenarios for different staff levels and compared them to last year. I use the Cash Inflow and Outflow chart often and the Breakeven Analysis Chart."

"KPIs, non-financial KPIs, cash flow forecast, and targets — the combination is what makes the conversation productive."

"3-way forecast and forecast snapshots — being able to compare versions is what gives the board confidence."

"Forecast baseline, microforecast, drivers — that's how I answer 'can we afford to hire, and what's our profitability?'"

The formula:

Reporting + Forecasting + Visuals = Boardroom Confidence

The questions are global. The emphasis shifts by region.

Move from reporting to dynamic financial storytelling.

Your board is asking. Your client is asking. Are you answering with a story?

Whether you're presenting to investors or advising a business owner, the difference between confidence and hesitation comes down to one thing: can you show the story behind the numbers, fast enough to matter?

Your board is asking. Your client is asking.
Are you answering with a story?