Sat.Nov 14, 2020 - Fri.Nov 20, 2020

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Vintage Toys Aid In Happiness Recovery

PYMNTS

The word “nostalgia” entered the English language by way of ancient Greek. “Nostos” means “home” and “algos” means “pain.” It was invented to describe feeling homesick. Concepts like “homesickness” are taking on new meanings in 2020, as that chair, that table or that tiny crack in the wall are making us all slightly crazy after 10 months, and winter is setting in.

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The State of Planning in Dynamic Times

Jedox Finance

In this blog we take a closer look at the recently published BARC study “Sound Decisions in Dynamic Times.” What findings and insights can be derived for organizations and is it worthwhile to read it yourself? Let’s find out: Is your organization agile and resilient? In the current times of crisis, these buzzwords common in FP&A and planning turn out to be very important characteristics for companies and it becomes clear how well positioned they actually are.

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Asian countries to see higher pay raises than other regions in 2021

Future CFO

Asian countries expect to see an average pay raise of 4.3% in 2021, compared with the average of 3.2% increase this year, said ECA International recently. Outside of Asia, the outlook is very different for many nations, including many which are expected to see decreases to real salaries. This includes major economies such as the United States and Saudi Arabia, the firm pointed out.

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Gender Lens Funds: Ups and Downs for Women in the Workforce

CFA Institute

The third quarter was an eventful one for gender lens investing as well as women in leadership (WIL) in the financial sector and elsewhere.

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Planning Your Restaurants Path to Profitability

Speaker: James Kahler, COO of Full Course

Ever wondered where to splurge and where to safely conserve when it comes to operating and growing your restaurant? 🤔 Join James Kahler, COO of Full Course and industry visionary, in this new webinar where he'll talk all about best practices to invest in your restaurant's success! Whether you're a new business or an established restaurant, a seasoned pro or a rookie, you'll learn the keys to sustainable success in this competitive industry.

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Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos Invests In Chipper Cash In Latest African FinTech VC Deal

PYMNTS

African FinTech Chipper Cash has landed a whale of an investor. Chipper CEO Ham Serunjogi confirmed on Twitter the startup, which got its initial foothold in the market as a peer-to-peer (P2P) payments service, has just wrapped up a $30 million Series B round of venture capital. And among the investors was none other than multibillionaire Amazon Founder and CEO Jeff Bezos, who participated through Bezos Expeditions, his personal venture capital fund.

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Shopify Links Up With Alipay To Boost Merchants’ Cross-Border Sales

PYMNTS

Shopify has expanded its payment options for merchants with a new partnership with Alipay , China’s payments app. The deal will unlock “the power of cross-border commerce for Shopify’s merchants,” Shopify said in a press release that called Alipay “Asia's leading digital wallet platform.” The new payment option will ”allow Shopify merchants to seamlessly accept payments through Alipay from more than one billion annual active users in China alone — and, in the future, hundreds of millions more ac

Sales 130
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Mastercard Embraces Existing Rails To Drive B2B Payments Value

PYMNTS

When it comes to global B2B procurement, nothing is simple. For example, suppose a huge global consumer packaged goods (CPG) conglomerate wants to introduce a new shampoo. To do so it needs new supplies of palm oil, and a new supplier in Indonesia has the right quantity and the right environmental profile. Said CPG company would need to onboard the new supplier, which in the past could be a 90-day process full of you’re your customers (KYC) regulations and other laborious processes.

B2B 128
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Bringing Order To Chaos: Open Banking Meets Healthcare Payments

PYMNTS

In the accelerated, digital-first world, few things are more complicated than healthcare payments. In fact, even a medical school degree isn’t enough to sort out the different payment accounts, billing statements and various insurance plans. However, chaos invites someone or something than can bring order, and i2c wants to contribute to that effort.

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US Consumers Pay Down $10B In Credit Card Debt In Q3

PYMNTS

Americans paid off $10 billion in credit card debt in the third quarter (Q3) of 2020, but borrowed more for car and housing loans, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) citing the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. This follows a record $76 billion drop in Q2 credit card debt, as people used COVID-19 stimulus money and pandemic unemployment to pay down financial obligations.

Numbers 124
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How Automation is Driving Efficiency Through the Last Mile of Reporting

Speaker: Jamie Eagan

As organizations strive for agility and efficiency, it's imperative for finance leaders to embrace innovative technologies and redefine traditional processes. Join us as we explore the pivotal role of digitalization and automation in reshaping what is commonly referred to as the “last mile of reporting”. We’ll deep-dive into why digitalization is no longer a choice, but a necessity for finance departments to stay competitive in a fast-paced environment touching on: 2024 trends for the Office of

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Credit Suisse, Bird Rides In Talks To IPO Via SPACs

PYMNTS

Scooter rental startup Bird is working on a deal with Credit Suisse Group to go public, according to a report from Bloomberg. The company, based in Santa Monica, California, has spoken with some special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs) about acquisition deals, although none have reached any agreements, Bloomberg reported, and some SPACs have expressed inbound interest.

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Carrying Cash Could Become A Casualty Of COVID

PYMNTS

While its imminent death has been long forecast, cash just keeps on living to pay another day. Cash may not be king in the U.S. market anymore, but reports of its demise have often proved to be a bit premature. U.S. consumers’ cash use has declined over the last several years in terms of its share of the overall payments pie, but as consumers spend more, the pie gets bigger, and as people continue to use cash, cash usage continues to grow.

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Can Low Credit Card Balances Save Holiday Spending? Don’t Bet On It

PYMNTS

Here’s the scenario. Consumers have cut back on travel, in-person entertainment and restaurant spend. They have paid down their credit cards. Then they will use this newfound spending power to bring a new, vengeful spending strategy to the holiday season because, after all, the American consumer deserves a few gifts after all that they’ve been through this year.

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Bank’s Margins Suffer As US Consumers Pay Down Credit Card Debt

PYMNTS

U.S. consumers have been paying down payments on credit cards with the pandemic continuing to hamper spending opportunities, which has led to dramatically falling bank card loans, The Financial Times (FT) reports. According to the report, the total amount of card loans in U.S. banks was $755 billion, down $100 billion from before the pandemic, while balances have drifted lower in three of the last four weeks.

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Register Now: Sneak Peek Into Close Automation SkyStem Web Demo

Technology is rapidly changing the way accountants perform and manage month-end activities. Spreadsheets, email, and shared drives no longer have to slow us down. Join us as we present a "sneak peek" recorded demo of SkyStem's month-end close solution – ART. In under four weeks, your team can start reaping the benefits of month-end close automation by vastly reducing spreadsheets, cut down on reconciliation work, speed up the month-end close, and better manage your remote team.

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Bitcoin Daily: Citibank Analyst Says Bitcoin Will Hit $318K; Pakistan SEC Exploring Digital Asset Regulation; Binance Discontinues BGBP Stablecoin

PYMNTS

A Citibank senior analyst predicted that bitcoin could reach $318,000 by December 2021 in a report written for Citibank’s institutional clients, according to CoinDesk. Thomas Fitzpatrick’s report was leaked on Twitter Friday (Nov. 13) by user “ClassicMacro,” who noted in a tweet , “there is no edge in guessing targets so far in time with TA. All we know is that price is likely to continue going up.”.

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Banks Reinforce Protections As Cybercriminals’ Tactics Evolve

PYMNTS

Banks have long worked to anticipate and protect against emerging tactics of cybercriminals. Now, with the pandemic accelerating a move toward digital product acquisition, communication, purchases and money movement, financial institutions (FIs) and their clients need to be even more vigilant. Leslie Ragan manages transaction fraud prevention for Elan Financial Services , a unit of U.S.

Banking 118
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How Alternative Lending Technology Stays Flexible For SMBs

PYMNTS

In the wake of the 2008 global financial crisis, and banks' subsequent pullback from the small- to medium-sized business ( SMB ) lending arena, a slew of alternative lenders emerged onto the scene to fill the credit gap. Over the years, that surge in competition gave way to a more collaborative spirit between traditional financial institutions (FIs) and FinTechs as both sides worked to digitize and modernize SMB financing.

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Citi Partners With Mastercard For Google Pay Plex Accounts

PYMNTS

Citi and Mastercard are teaming up as network partners for the digital checking and savings account Citi Plex on Google Pay, available for both Android and iOS. . Alpesh Chokshi, head of business development, Citi Global Consumer Bank, said in a statement on Wednesday (Nov. 18) that today’s consumers seek money management that is like their own lives — a fast-moving “integrated experience.”.

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Accounting Software and ERP Readiness Guide

In this white paper, we explore the factors to consider in deciding whether the time is right for your Company to consider a new ERP or accounting software, the total cost of ownership and plans necessary to make the potential leap to these systems.

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SellerX Raises $118M In Bid To Buy Up Amazon Sellers

PYMNTS

Venture capital cash has been flowing this year to companies that plan to buy up sellers on Amazon and help them grow. In particular, such deals have targeted companies in the Fulfillment by Amazon program, in which the eCommerce giant warehouses a company’s products and then takes care of packing, shipping and providing customer service. The latest such deal has Berlin-based SellerX landing 100 million euros ($118 million) of financing, reported Tech.eu.

Valuation 112
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PayPal Teams With Gap, DoorDash For Payments, Checkout Solutions

PYMNTS

New entries to PayPal 's enterprise merchant roster include delivery company DoorDash and clothing retailer Gap Inc. , which will now allow customers to use PayPal at checkout, according to a press release. According to the release, PayPal's strategy is working " to create a seamless and simple checkout experience for consumers online by offering customers the flexibility and power to choose how to pay.".

Retail 109
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Payments Startup Veem Introduces New Tool For Easy B2B Payments 

PYMNTS

Global payments startup Veem is launching a new business-to-business (B2B) tool to simplify and automate domestic payments, the company announced in a Wednesday (Nov. 18) press release. “Small business owners, financial controllers, and accountants are moving away from paper-based payments and manual processes as the pandemic increases the demand for online payment solutions,” Veem Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer Marwan Forzley said in the announcement. .

B2B 109
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COVID Crisis: What Happens If Most People Don’t Get The Vaccine?

PYMNTS

On the same day that COVID-19 cases in the U.S. topped 10 million and hit 50.5 million globally, the world got news that Pfizer and BioNTech had successfully completed Phase 3 trials of a COVID-19 vaccine on 43,000 people — and achieved an astounding 90 percent effectiveness rate. It was a day that medical scientists and epidemiologists had been awaiting for eight long months, marking a significant scientific breakthrough for the virus that hobbled the world.

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Recruit and Retain New Blue-Collar Talent

Blue-collar jobs have a branding problem. One company, GEON, partnered with Paycor to find the solution. Learn how to attract, engage, and retain blue-collar employees, helping them build meaningful careers – and support your company’s goals.

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COVID-19 Pivot: Boston Restaurateur Turns Idle Space Into Cozy Money Maker

PYMNTS

Like restaurant owners and operators everywhere, restaurateur Chris Campbell of Boston’s Troquet on South has found the past eight months to be full of challenges. He’s increased take-out, retooled delivery and altered his dining room’s seating and layout as a way to adapt to the pandemic’s new requirements. But after watching his private function room sit idle for six months, Campbell figured he had to try something different.

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Deep Dive: How Biometrics Help Telecommunication Companies Fight Onboarding Challenges, SIM Swap Fraud

PYMNTS

Consumers’ ownership of smartphones has become all but ubiquitous in the U.S. More than three-quarters of Americans carry a smartphone , with average users checking their devices 58 times a day. This overwhelming reliance on smartphones has generated record profits for major telecommunications companies, including AT&T , Sprint and Verizon , with the industry generating $610 billion in revenue in 2019.

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Revolut Brings Open Banking To Germany In Deal With TrueLayer

PYMNTS

Revolut announced Tuesday (Nov. 17) that, in collaboration with TrueLayer, it will expand into Germany. Earlier this year, the European digital bank had taken on Ireland, France and Italy. In a press release, Revolut said the latest expansion would bring open banking to its users in Germany. “With the new feature, German customers can now connect their accounts at Comdirect, Commerzbank, Deutsche Bank, ING-DiBa and Sparkasse with the Revolut app and view all their finances in one place — directl

Banking 105
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Facebook’s WhatsApp Gets Another Shot At P2P In Brazil As Google Shows Interest

PYMNTS

WhatsApp is getting another crack at grabbing a slice of Brazil’s fast-growing payments market. Facebook ’s messaging service will soon get a green light to start providing peer-to-peer (P2P) payment services in Brazil, Roberto Campos Neto , head of the country’s central bank, said at a news conference Monday (Nov. 16), Reuters reported. Campos Neto also noted Brazil’s central bank has talked to other Big Tech firms like Google about their interest in offering instant payments services in the co

Banking 105
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PowerPoint Best Practices for Creating Stellar Presentations

Mastering data visualization in PowerPoint will help accelerate your career because it positions you as someone who can present data that drives business decisions forward. think-cell's PowerPoint Best Practices eBook was created specifically for professionals aiming to master the art and science of data-driven storytelling. What’s inside: Practical Insights: Uncover valuable tips for crafting engaging and persuasive presentations.

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SEC Chair: Flaws In Modern Payments Systems Are Boosting Bitcoin

PYMNTS

Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Jay Clayton thinks inefficiencies in traditional payments are boosting favorability for bitcoin, a report from Coindesk says. Clayton, speaking on CNBC, said bitcoin's popularity came from that disappointment in mainstream payments. "What we are seeing is that our current payment mechanisms domestically and internationally have inefficiencies.

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CVS Pharmacy Unveils Contactless Payments Via PayPal, Venmo

PYMNTS

Customers at 8,200 CVS Pharmacy locations can use PayPal and Venmo to pay for purchases contact-free starting Monday (Nov. 16), the retailer announced in a press release emailed to PYMNTS. The purchase process will involve scanning QR codes on mobile devices, CVS stated in the release. Loyalty program discounts will be automatically applied to purchases at the time of sale.

Retail 105
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Optimizing B2B eCommerce Payments From The Moment Of Onboarding

PYMNTS

While optimizing B2B payments is often about combating friction at the moment of transaction, the truth is, the B2B payment experience often happens way before any money is ever actually moved. As more seller organizations embrace the B2B eCommerce model, they're quickly coming to realize that for buyers, the B2B payment experience begins right at the moment of onboarding.

B2B 105