PYMNTS

DECEMBER 7, 2018

Not to ruin your holiday spirit, but let’s start this story with the cold and brutal truth: One of the largest risks that payments and commerce operators face in 2019 is being called to account by government officials, regulators or media about a failure to secure their organizations from cyberattacks. The past year brought a significantly increased focus on the security and privacy of online data, with not only consumers paying more attention to the issue but (much more importantly) lawmakers h

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Technology Government Maine Gaming 96

Katz,Sapper&Miller

DECEMBER 6, 2018

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) was the most sweeping overhaul of the U.S. tax code in more than three decades, and its changes will impact nearly every 2018 federal income tax return. As the year draws to a close, now is the time to consider year-end tax planning strategies to help you maximize deductions and minimize your tax bill – for this year and the year ahead.

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Tax income tax tax return tax planning 40

PYMNTS

DECEMBER 4, 2018

Ripple, the blockchain company that owns XRP, the digital currency, has joined forces with NEM, Fetch.AI, and EMURGO/Cardano to create a new association that represents the interest of blockchain and cryptocurrency business in Europe. According to a report in The Next Web , the group, dubbed Blockchain for Europe, says its the first unified voice for the industry in Europe.

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Healthcare Transportation audit Technology 83

PYMNTS

DECEMBER 3, 2018

In 1954, mathematician L.J. Savage published research about how consumers process information when making decisions. Dubbed the sure-thing principle , Savage’s work showed that consumers consider a variety of inputs when making decisions. They also mentally bucket – and then disregard – inputs that may be important, but not important enough to change their minds about something they really want to do.

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Real Estate Sales Transportation Technology 77

Speaker: Amanda Adams, Fractional CFO, CPA

Are you ready to elevate your accounting processes for 2025? 🚀 Join us for an exclusive webinar led by Amanda Adams, a seasoned fractional CFO and CPA passionate about transforming back-office operations for finance teams. This session will cover critical best practices and process improvements tailored specifically for accounting professionals.

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PYMNTS

DECEMBER 5, 2018

When the data of 15 million T-Mobile customers was stolen in 2015, the mobile firm’s CEO immediately went into damage control mode. John Legere released a statement when the news broke, offering customers access to free credit monitoring and identity resolution services, and emphasizing the company’s efforts to assist clients concerned about their privacy.

Technology 76

Technology Hospitality Healthcare Start-ups 76

PYMNTS

DECEMBER 4, 2018

Loyalty has come a long way in the payments realm, from the days when strict terms of rewards programs were more frustrating than enticing for consumers. Gone are the days when you had to redeem points for miles and miles for flights – but only if you were flying two years from that day, on the second Thursday in March, at 7:30 p.m., with the condition that you make three stops before finding your way to the final destination.

Retail 76

Retail Sales Technology 76

PYMNTS

DECEMBER 3, 2018

Like many positions in corporate finance, the role of chief financial officer (CFO) is facing new pressures in a climate of innovation and novel challenges, from cybersecurity to geopolitical events. It’s a shift that’s been happening for years. However, as the market looks ahead to 2019, corporate finance leaders will continue to face even more, newer hurdles to meet the demand for strategic leadership within the enterprise. “The CFO role has evolved over the last several year

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Technology accounting and finance Finance Manufacturing 75

PYMNTS

DECEMBER 5, 2018

By almost any measure, John Gossart , COO and Co-founder of fundraising resource Goodworld , has done more than his fair share of public service. He served two decades in the military and government, eventually working in a Department of Defense counter-terrorism post that took him to Pakistan, Yemen, Iraq and other countries. That is, until he decided, in his own words, that “the counter-terrorism world became more of a younger man’s game.

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PYMNTS

DECEMBER 5, 2018

After one of the largest data breaches in history, affecting an estimated 500 million guests , Marriott International Chief Financial Officer Leeny Oberg said the attack is too recent to estimate how much it will cost the company, and that it’s hard to compare attacks between other companies and Marriott, according to a report by Bloomberg. The company was made aware of the attack in September, after an alert from an internal security tool.

Gaming 74

Gaming accountant Account accounted 74

PYMNTS

DECEMBER 5, 2018

Banking in blockchain – with real-time payments as a kicker? CoinDesk reported this week that Signature Bank , which is based in New York, is debuting a digital payments platform that is built on blockchain – and geared toward real-time transactions. With the dawn of the new year, the platform, to be known as Signet, will go live on Jan. 1, and will let customers transact at any time.

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New York Legal Start-ups Technology 74

Speaker: Abdi Ali, Sr. Lease Accounting Consultant

Join this insightful webinar with industry expert Abdi Ali, who will discuss the challenges that can arise from managing lease accounting with spreadsheets! He will share real-world examples of errors, compliance issues, and risks that may be present within your spreadsheets. Learn how these tools, while useful, can sometimes lead to inefficiencies that affect your time, resources, and peace of mind.

Account

PYMNTS

DECEMBER 3, 2018

With cyberattacks on the rise, corporate victims find themselves battling it out with cyber insurance companies over protection from the damage done by security breaches. The Financial Times reports that not only have sales of policies been growing by about 25 percent a year, but so have disputes between companies and the insurers. For example, the National Bank of Blacksburg in Virginia sued Everest National Insurance Company earlier this year after the bank was hit by cyberattacks in 2016 and

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Virginia Legal Sales Technology 73

PYMNTS

DECEMBER 3, 2018

Mastercard and Microsoft announced Monday (December 3) a strategic collaboration to improve how people manage and use their digital identity. In a press release , Mastercard and Microsoft said that currently verifying an identity online is dependent on physical or digital proof which is managed by a central party. That dependence on a central party puts a big burden on individuals who have to remember hundreds of passwords for different identities.

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Government Tax accountant Account 73

PYMNTS

DECEMBER 7, 2018

In a new round of declines for bitcoin, the popular cryptocurrency tumbled 8 percent over a 24-hour period leading up to Friday (December 7) morning. The digital currency was trading at just over $3,375 as of 8:40 a.m. EST, CNBC reported. A few hours later, as of 11:21 a.m., the cryptocurrency was trading a bit lower at $3,235.57, according to Coindesk.

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Start-ups Retail 73

PYMNTS

DECEMBER 3, 2018

Water always finds the lowest point — that’s a fact of life. So, too, is this: Underaged consumers will always try, and often find ways to, circumvent restrictions on purchases of goods that they are not supposed to buy until they reach maturity or, at least, the age of majority. Excuse the homespun wisdom, but offering weak authentication defenses in the face of those determined young consumers can bring down heavy fines and unwanted attention, and threaten a growing retail or online business.

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Join us in this webinar, where we share best practices on how to think about the reconciliation work each month, when best to do reconciliations, how they should be prepared, and some common pitfalls to avoid. Learning Objectives: This course objective is to understand how to properly prepare and review balance sheet reconciliations and its impact on the financial statements.

financial statements

PYMNTS

DECEMBER 3, 2018

Almost five years ago (on Dec. 19, 2013), Target was breached. Roughly 40 million consumer credit cards were hacked, and the public outcry of shock was massive. People could not believe an entity like Target could be so completely compromised. Half a decade later, consumers are no longer so easily appalled since hacks, breaches and compromised data privacy have become a standard background noise in payments and commerce.

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PYMNTS

DECEMBER 4, 2018

The uptake of faster payment systems keeps going up — and up, and up. In fact, the number of Same Day ACH transactions rose by 192 percent in Q3 2018 over the same period from the previous year. EBA CLEARING ’s RT1 system, meanwhile, has processed more than 5 million transactions since launch — but some have said the faster payments space could be growing even faster.

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Government Technology Maine 70

PYMNTS

DECEMBER 3, 2018

Amazon ’s delivery efforts provided minor Facebook entertainment over this past weekend for more than a few people in New Orleans (home of the PYMNTS warm winter and Mardi Gras bureau). A picture of one of Amazon’s newer delivery vans doing its business in the city popped up on the social network as though it were a rare sighting of a whale. Other consumers soon chimed in, reporting Amazon delivery van appearances in this neighborhood or that.

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Kentucky Gaming Entertainment Start-ups 70

PYMNTS

DECEMBER 5, 2018

So much is changing in retail and payments these days — the seemingly unstoppable rise of mobile, for instance, or the transformation of cars and trucks into traveling commerce enablers, among many other developments — that it can be easy to overlook what’s going on with that old merchant homestead: the countertop. It’s where merchant and customer once interacted the most — and still do, depending on the store — and where money changed hands in the presence of a cash register.

Technology 69

Technology Sales Retail payroll 69

Speaker: David Warren and Kevin O’Neill Stoll

Transitioning to a usage-based business model offers powerful growth opportunities but comes with unique challenges. How do you validate strategies, reduce risks, and ensure alignment with customer value? Join us for a deep dive into designing effective pilots that test the waters and drive success in usage-based revenue. Discover how to develop a pilot that captures real customer feedback, aligns internal teams with usage metrics, and rethinks sales incentives to prioritize lasting customer eng

Sales

PYMNTS

DECEMBER 3, 2018

Bitcoin marked the beginning of December with another drop in value – this time by 8 percent, according to a report by CNBC. Following a 37 percent drop in November, which took about $70 billion off bitcoin’s market value, the cryptocurrency found a new bottom at $3,790.96. A year ago, bitcoin was on the rise to its peak at $20,000, and in December of 2017 it was up 40 percent, when a large number of retail investors were buying.

Start-ups 69

Start-ups Retail 69

PYMNTS

DECEMBER 7, 2018

Coinbase, a platform that allows users to buy, sell and store cryptocurrency, said it is considering adding 30 new cryptocurrencies to its roster for trading, according to a report. The company said it is looking at many different currencies, including Cardano’s ADA, EOS and Tezos. Following is a list of all the currencies the company is considering: Cardano, Aeternity, Aragon, Bread Wallet, Civic, Dai, district0x, Enjin Coin, EOS, Golem Network, IOST, Kin, Kyber Network, Chainlink, Loom Network

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PYMNTS

DECEMBER 3, 2018

As GDPR continues to take root, having an impact in Europe and beyond the confines of the continent, news came late last month that the European Data Protection Board has published draft guidelines that touch on the data protection regulation’s territorial scope. As reported through sites such as Lexology.com, the guidelines help clarify, for non-EU based companies, whether GDPR covers their own operations.

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Technology accountant Account accounted 69

PYMNTS

DECEMBER 4, 2018

Let’s try this a different way, if only to make a vital point with insincerity. We must give credit to the criminals who engineered the recently disclosed data breach that could end up impacting some 500 million guests of Marriott International. These tourists, business travelers and others entrusted the Starwood hotel guest reservation database with details about their payment cards; home, work and email addresses; passport numbers and images; reward accounts and general travel habits.

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Government accountant Account accounted 68

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The first Market Momentum Index: AI and Unstructured Data Management, conducted by Deep Analysis with support from AIIM and M-Files, surveyed 500 enterprises across various industries to assess their readiness to employ AI. The results reveal that AI is already far more embedded into organizations' operations than previously realized. These findings and more insights have been brought to you in the "Market Momentum Index: AI and Unstructured Data Management.

PYMNTS

DECEMBER 5, 2018

India saw a busy year in B2B FinTech as the small business (SMB) community continued to demand enhanced financial services. The nation continues to push against cash in favor of digital payments, while both the government and private sector continue to fuel FinTech innovation. It hasn’t been easy for the nation’s small businesses, however.

B2B 68

B2B Finance Expense Management Government 68

PYMNTS

DECEMBER 7, 2018

Debt is the burden that can keep on burdening — forcing borrowers to make choices that are sometimes less than ideal. Consider student debt, which is carried by 44 million borrowers in the United States alone, and where $1.5 trillion is owed. Big numbers, to be sure, but let’s get granular for a moment. Generally speaking, student debt is used as a conduit to higher education, and by extension, higher education leads to a greater income potential over one’s career.

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Education accounting and finance Finance accountant 68

PYMNTS

DECEMBER 5, 2018

Cryptocurrency exchange ErisX announced that it has raised $27.5 million from investors, including Fidelity Investments and Nasdaq Ventures. The exchange is set to launch next year, pending regulatory approval. The funding will be used to hire staff, “build out our infrastructure and secure the appropriate steps are taken to develop a regulated market for digital assets,” said ErisX Chief Executive Officer Thomas Chippas, according to Reuters.

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Technology 66

PYMNTS

DECEMBER 2, 2018

Amazon is testing the idea of expanding its cashierless checkout technology to a larger store format, experimenting with it in Seattle in a space that is formatted to be like a big store, reported the Wall Street Journal. The report, citing people familiar with the matter, reported that if the test proves successful it would put retailers further on notice that they need to increase the convenience factor.

Technology 66

Technology Retail 66

Speaker: Mark Stovel

When it comes to automating, many firms focus on finding the latest tech, believing that efficiency is something achieved through new tools. Yet true efficiency is achieved by delivering real value to clients, not merely by upgraded systems. Without a clear approach, no level of automation can overcome the complexities of serving every client’s needs.

PYMNTS

DECEMBER 7, 2018

Brick-and-mortar is a no-go —literally. Consumers simply don’t visit physical stores to discover new products anymore. In fact, there is about a 58 percent chance that a consumer knew what they were going to buy before they even walked into the store to make their most recent purchase. So, where are modern shoppers going for new, exciting products to purchase?

Retail 66

Retail Maine 66

PYMNTS

DECEMBER 5, 2018

Much has changed in healthcare over the last decade. Technology, of course, has helped make strides in how we detect and treat any number of maladies. You can use your watch to monitor how many steps you take, use your phone to set up (literal) facetime with a physician, and pay bills with a tap of a virtual wallet. Online pharmacies deliver cost savings to customers, Amazon is debuting software that mines data and translates physician notes to improve the continuum of care.

Healthcare 66

Healthcare Hospitality Technology accounting and finance 66

PYMNTS

DECEMBER 5, 2018

Small business InsurTech startup CoverWallet is positioning itself directly with insurance brokerages, according to Insurance Journal reports Tuesday (December 4). The company aims to “reinvent insurance for small businesses” and launched to provide small business owners with access to insurance products and management solutions. Now, the company is looking to expand by working with brokers, too, and Chief Executive Officer Inaki Berenguer told the publication that 16 agencies have already been

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Technology B2B 64

PYMNTS

DECEMBER 4, 2018

Only a small fraction of organizations say they are able to have full visibility into their supply chains. According to Geodis research , only 6 percent of organizations have obtained this visibility — despite visibility remaining a top-three priority. Visibility is growing even more important as supply chains become more complex. There are more players involved, more transactions, more actions and more data flowing around.

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