PYMNTS

JULY 4, 2018

Following the massive data breach at Equifax last year, the cybersecurity sector has flourished – and so have some of the investments that track the industry. The ETFMG Prime Cyber Security ETF, for example, has risen 18 percent this year, CNBC reported. The exchange-traded fund, which was founded in 2014, notched staggering returns of 31 percent following the Equifax data breach in 2017, twice that of the S&P 500 return during that same time period.

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accountant accounted Account 76

PYMNTS

JULY 6, 2018

Following the closure of Toys R Us stores in June, retailers in the hobby and off-price segments may fill some of the larger empty big-box spaces. Companies such as Big Lots and Ashley Homestore had bid on the properties in bankruptcy court, but one hobby retailer may be particularly interested in Toys R Us’ former stores, The Wall Street Journal reported. “ Hobby Lobby especially is very aggressive,” Kimco Realty Chief Executive Conor Flynn said at a conference.

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Retail 73

PYMNTS

JULY 2, 2018

What to do for the shopper with champagne tastes — and a beer budget? For consumers with an appetite for designer, but a budget perhaps more tailored to fast fashion, the digital age offers a myriad of solutions: Buy it used, rent it temporarily or risk a knock-off from an extreme online discounter that may (or may not) be offering the real deal. Another option, the classic, is to whip out the plastic card with the highest limit and buy the designer good brand new — absolutely real and owned by

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accountant accounted Account Retail 60

PYMNTS

JULY 3, 2018

The digital age desperately wants to help consumers answer an important, age-old question: What should I wear today? The “hows” of solving that question have become increasingly high-tech in recent years. At any number of websites, consumers can answer a questionnaire that covers their relevant measurements and sartorial preferences to create a profile.

Technology 57

Technology New York Construction Start-ups 57

Speaker: Danny Gassaway and Wayne Richards

Finance leaders are prioritizing efficiency and digital transformation, yet many hesitate to automate due to uncertainty. Without a clear understanding of its impact, organizations risk falling behind competitors who are leveraging automation to drive productivity and cost savings. Join Wayne Richards and Danny Gassaway from AvidXchange for a practical guide on bringing accounts payable (AP) automation to your organization.

Finance

PYMNTS

JULY 6, 2018

After setting up a group within Facebook to look into blockchain technology, Facebook may be bolstering its efforts in the field: Evan Cheng has taken on the position of director of engineering, blockchain, at the company, according to reports and his LinkedIn profile. Before taking the latest position, Cheng led programming languages and runtimes at the tech firm.

Technology 57

Technology 57

PYMNTS

JULY 2, 2018

The world is getting faster these days. Change happens at the speed of, well, if not light, then sound. The information deluge is constant. Commerce is constant. Payments and financial services? Always on, too, and always in demand. There’s no such thing as “bankers’ hours” anymore. No surprise, then, that innovation in the payments space is getting ever-more truncated in terms of time to market.

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Technology Maine 54

PYMNTS

JULY 6, 2018

Shoe sellers can dust off a pair of unsold sneakers and keep them on the shelf until they sell, but businesses like grocery stores don’t have that luxury. Instead, they must keep a tight focus on moving goods out the doors — especially items with an expiration date. As such, grocers are turning to old retail standbys — sales and discounts — to help spur purchases, and for good reason.

Technology 52

Technology Sales Retail Transportation 52

PYMNTS

JULY 3, 2018

As retailers expand their omnichannel efforts with in-store pickup, they are faced with a challenge: What is the best way to help their customers retrieve their orders from their brick-and-mortar stores? Home Depot , for example, is taking a page out of the Amazon retail playbook by installing lockers in many of its locations to support its in-store pick-up service.

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Arkansas Retail Technology Sales 52

PYMNTS

JULY 6, 2018

We’ve come a long way, Mr. Edison. Since the early days of cinema, the moving image has captured the imagination of, well, everyone. In some ways, the formula hasn’t changed much, but the means of distribution have. We’ve moved from literal celluloid to digital, where films are beamed through bits and bytes into theaters. Now? From blockbuster to Blockbuster the chain to … blockchain.

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Government 50

PYMNTS

JULY 6, 2018

By opening a temporary store with apparel from Guess , Alibaba is testing out its inaugural “FashionAI” concept at Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Guess is looking to use the technology in stores, starting with Hong Kong and mainland China, Retail Dive reported. The concept store works with Alibaba’s Taobao platform and, when customers enter the concept store, they check in with a code from Taobao.

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New York Technology Retail 50

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It's the time of year to give our close process some TLC. Join us in this one hour webinar where we discuss how to adopt leading practices and infuse technology into the month-end close process to improve our experience and increase our productivity during month-end and quarter-end close. Learning Objectives: This course's objective is to understand how the month-end close can be improved with automation and adoption of leading practices.

Technology

PYMNTS

JULY 2, 2018

Direct-to-consumer advertising on Facebook has reportedly hit a rough patch, with spending by brands decreasing there. The trend comes at a time when brands are facing other changes on the social media site. Ten direct-to-consumer companies recently surveyed by Digiday all said their marketing plans are relying less on Facebook, as focus and dollars shift to other online marketing channels — and that includes Instagram , owned by Facebook.

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Gambling Real Estate Start-ups Maine 49

PYMNTS

JULY 6, 2018

Players in the mobile point-of-sale (mPOS) space are focusing on catering to payment needs of small- to medium-sized businesses (SMBs). Efforts range from Mobeewave ’s collaboration over an in-person contactless payment solution for small merchants in the UAE to myPOS ’ efforts to steer taxi drivers away from cash and onto its card-accepting mPOS. In the July mPOS Tracker , PYMNTS explores all the latest initiatives.

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Transportation Sales Technology Maine 48

PYMNTS

JULY 6, 2018

To roll out a mobile wallet for its credit and prepaid Visa cardholders, Kuwait Finance House (KFH) teamed up with Visa. The wallet will use Visa’s token service, and KFH Chief Retail and Private Banking Officer Waleed Khaled Mandani said to the media that the tie-up will help its customers use the newest technologies for payments on the market, according to reports.

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Finance Technology Retail 47

PYMNTS

JULY 5, 2018

It seems that blockchain may never leave the lab and enter the real world. And, indeed, this week’s Blockchain Tracker continues its coverage of ongoing tests and trails of blockchain solutions. That includes a new Know Your Customer (KYC) application for banks, as well as Hong Kong’s latest cross-border trade finance initiative using distributed ledger technology (DLT).

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accounting and finance Finance corporate accounting Technology 47

Speaker: Jennifer Hill

Payroll compliance is a cornerstone of business success, yet for small and midsize businesses, it’s becoming increasingly challenging to navigate the ever-evolving landscape of federal, state, and local regulations. Mistakes can lead to costly penalties and operational disruptions, making it essential to adopt advanced solutions that ensure accuracy and efficiency.

payroll

PYMNTS

JULY 2, 2018

Enterprise processes are starting to look a lot more like the consumer world. From procurement’s path to mimic an Amazon experience, to the Bring Your Own Device movement, corporates have embraced the movement toward user-friendly processes for the sake of convenience and efficiency. This consumerization of the enterprise has emerged as a heavyweight behind corporates’ digital transformations – but businesses aren’t consumers, and emerging technologies must address unique needs

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B2B Technology accounted Account 46

PYMNTS

JULY 6, 2018

Though not much of a surprise to anyone, speaker company Sonos has filed to go public, and will likely be trading on the public markets by the end of the month. The Wall Street Journal first reported that a June IPO was in the firm’s future back in April. The news comes as the company is reporting a net loss of $14.2 million on revenue of $992.5 million for its most recent fiscal year.

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Sales accountant accounted Account 46

PYMNTS

JULY 4, 2018

Winnie – like so many tech innovations – started out as an attempt by its two co-founders to solve their own problems. And Winnie’s co-founders were something of a unique dynamic duo in Silicon Valley terms. Like many of their fellows, they were young, entrepreneurial and technology-minded. They also had resumes that included stints at a veritable catalog of tech headliners, including Twitter, Google, YouTube, Quora and Postmates (to name a few).

Technology 46

Technology Start-ups 46

PYMNTS

JULY 6, 2018

Summer is here, which means Americans will be decamping to the beach en masse this summer — hoping to escape the heat, get a tan and, hopefully, finally kick back relax to enjoy the season. Not as many Americans take vacations as they did in a bygone era — the Great Recession seems to have cured many people of the desire to take time off work, likely for fear of not still having working upon their return — but, according to estimates by AAA , tens of millions of Americans will decamp for parts u

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Start-ups Sales Retail 45

Speaker: Sierre Lindgren

Fraud is a battle that every organization must face – it’s no longer a question of “if” but “when.” Every organization is a potential target for fraud, and the finance department is often the bullseye. From cleverly disguised emails to fraudulent payment requests, the tactics of cybercriminals are advancing rapidly. Drawing insights from real-world cases and industry expertise, we’ll explore the vulnerabilities in your processes and how to fortify them effectively.

Finance

PYMNTS

JULY 6, 2018

Sizzle. IPOs: See a renaissance of sorts, topping $35 billion in 2018, amid the fastest pace in 20 years and among verticals as far-flung as wholesale clubs and FinTech firms. The volume is the highest seen since 2014. Capital is flowing and investors’ pulses are quickening, it seems. Chatbots and the bottom line: Talk about money where the mouth is — kinda.

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Healthcare Government Retail 44

PYMNTS

JULY 6, 2018

Generating year-on-year growth of nearly 4 percent, Smart Payment Association (SPA) data indicates that 2.3 billion payment chip cards were shipped worldwide in 2017. While shipment volumes in China and the United States “continue to normalize,” contactless payment cards are more than 70 percent of shipments in “a growing number of territories,” the association said in an announcement.

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Technology 44

PYMNTS

JULY 5, 2018

The European Union’s (EU) new data privacy law isn’t being followed by some of the globe’s biggest technology companies, according to research from the EU Institute. According to a report in Bloomberg , researchers found, of the 14 major technology companies’ privacy policies that used artificial intelligence software, a third of the privacy clauses were either “potentially problematic” or contained “insufficient information.” What’s more, an

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Technology Sales 44

PYMNTS

JULY 5, 2018

By the cultural standards of today, the technology is ancient, born amid hot jazz and bootleg booze, when memories of the slaughters of the “The Great War” — now called World War I — were still fresh enough to hurt. History, though, is often wonderfully contradictory, even contrarian, and as the internet age matures, it is becoming more difficult to imagine digital life without the benefit of television.

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Manufacturing Entertainment New York Technology 44

Speaker: Debra L. Robinson

CPAs know the drill: taxes, compliance, rinse, repeat. But what about the sneaky cash flow that’s quietly messing with your organization’s success? It’s time to step into the spotlight and expose the “dirty little secrets” of cash flow to fuel strategic growth. By upskilling your accounting practices and shifting focus from tax compliance to the strategic movement of money, you can transform your role from reactive accountant to proactive financial strategist.

CPA

PYMNTS

JULY 5, 2018

In the 26 years of continued economic growth in Australia , cash has continued to play an imperative role. In 2016 alone, Australian consumers and businesses spent some $143 billion in cold, hard cash. But while the country sees a high usage of the age-old payment method, it is also seeing a proliferation of digital payment methods. Established financial institutions and up-and-coming FinTech startups alike are introducing an endless stream of new payments technologies.

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Technology Maine 44

PYMNTS

JULY 4, 2018

As a consumer lending category with the fastest growth, outstanding balances for personal loans jumped by about 18 percent to $120 billion in the first quarter. And the percentage of loans originated by FinTech firms is growing astronomically: While they originated less than 1 percent of personal loans in 2010, they originated 36 percent of them in 2017, Bloomberg reported.

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New York Finance 44

PYMNTS

JULY 6, 2018

Welcome to Five at Five, your late look at the day’s payments and commerce news. Coverage includes a discussion of the real value of Amazon Prime, and why Walgreens sees new profit in China. Alibaba has a new idea about fashion, Visa has a new path in Kuwait and there is new information about the impact of tariffs. Analyst: Amazon Prime Subscription Worth $180 Today.

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Retail Finance Technology 44

PYMNTS

JULY 6, 2018

After telling subscribers in June that it would roll out “peak pricing,” MoviePass has announced surcharges based on demand. The fees will be based on a movie’s showtime and title and such showings would be highlighted with a lightning bolt icon, Variety reported. “Peak Pricing goes into effect when there’s high demand for a movie or showtime,” MoviePass told subscribers.

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Speaker: Aaron Berson

Managing spend is more than a cost cutting exercise – it's a pathway to smarter decisions that unlock efficiency and drive growth. By understanding and refining the spending process, financial leaders can empower their organizations to achieve more with less. Explore the art of balancing financial control with operational growth. From uncovering hidden inefficiencies to designing workflows that scale your business, we’ll share strategies to align your organization’s spending with its strategic g

Spend Management

PYMNTS

JULY 5, 2018

A violation of company policies has cost Barnes & Noble CEO Demos Parneros his job. The retail chain did not detail the specific nature of how Parneros broke the rules but said that his firing “is not due to any disagreement with the company regarding its financial reporting, policies or practices or any potential fraud relating thereto,” according to a company filing on Thursday (July 5).

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Retail 43

PYMNTS

JULY 3, 2018

Here is a quick survey of the world of payments, commerce, financial services and financial technology at the mid-point of 2018. Everyone is trying to get on board with what’s next, but, of course, there is no single, easy answer for anyone. Retailers not only know how to hit the reset button, but — as Sharper Image has demonstrated — they also know how to keep hitting it.

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Technology Retail accounted accountant 43

PYMNTS

JULY 3, 2018

Strong cash flow among U.S. small businesses means less demand for financing, and trend is reflected in the latest figures from Pepperdine University ‘s Graziadio Business School in conjunction with Dun & Bradstreet. Reports in The Washington Post on Monday (July 2) said the survey shows small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in the U.S. reported strong cash flows in the second quarter of this year, and fewer businesses are seeking external financing as a result.

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Finance Washington Tax B2B 43

PYMNTS

JULY 2, 2018

Bank of America is being sued for $120 million after failing to flag large deposits into small accounts, which were cleared a few days later. Previously, U.S. Bank was fined $600 million for failing to flag and report suspicious activity according to anti-money laundering (AML) requirements. These are big banks making these mistakes, and they aren’t the only ones making headlines for regulatory blunders.

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Technology Start-ups Sales accountant 43

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Bleisure travel — where employees combine work and leisure — has been around since the advent of corporate travel and is here to stay. Successful bleisure policies strike a balance between employee preferences and company goals — workers report a 64% improvement in work-life balance, while companies benefit from reduced travel costs and increased workforce innovation.