Sat.Aug 20, 2016 - Fri.Aug 26, 2016

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Full-Service Payments And Keeping Your Friends Close

PYMNTS

There was a time when it seemed that ubiquity would become the focal point of full-service and mobile payments systems. Experts believed that universally accepted mobile wallets from trusted companies like Apple or Samsung would dominate the new wave of payments. That belief was perhaps misguided, according to Stephen Goodrich, president and CEO of ZipLine, the company that built the loyalty and mobile payments app known as SmartPay for popular convenience and gas chain Cumberland Farms.

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Taking Stock of the ESOP Option: 9 Ways to Assess if an ESOP Is Right for Your Company

Katz,Sapper&Miller

There are many angles and factors to consider when determining if an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) is a company’s best option. Many leaders understand their employees might be their best succession plan, but they can lack the detailed knowledge to begin the process of determining if an ESOP is a feasible choice.

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Popular Becomes Second To Launch Credit Cards For Use In Cuba

PYMNTS

Popular announced on Tuesday (Aug. 23) that it has become the second financial institution in the U.S. and the first in Puerto Rico to offer its credit cards for use in Cuba. In a press release , Popular said the Mastercard credit cards of its two banking subsidiaries, Banco Popular de Puerto Rico and Popular Community Bank, can be used at any of Cuba’s authorized merchants and ATMs throughout the country.

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Back-To-School Spending Goes Big — And Omni

PYMNTS

With advancements in technology, parents are doing their homework online before making purchases online and in-store. The Vantiv Back-to-School Report — Special Edition takes a look at the latest back-to-school shopping trends and includes hot-off-the-presses insights from Google. Twenty years ago, taking a trip to the mall or retail store for some good old-fashioned back-to-school shopping was the norm when it came to getting new outfits and supplies.

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Your Accounting Expertise Will Only Get You So Far: The New Way To Lead

Speaker: Victor C. Barnes, CPA, MBA

In the climb from contributor to leader, the rules quietly change. But if you’re aiming for the summit, the air gets thinner, and what got you here won’t be enough to get you to the top. 🗻 What made you successful early in your finance career—technical accuracy, sharp analysis, flawless execution—won’t be what carries you to the next level. The higher you go, the more your effectiveness depends on how you connect, adapt, and communicate.

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Austin Is Bringing The FinTech Heat

PYMNTS

You know what they say, everything is bigger in Texas. That couldn’t ring truer for the state’s capital, which many consider to have a tech scene bursting with potential and growth. Though Austin may fall in the shadows of bigger U.S. tech hubs, like Silicon Valley and New York City, the city has been recognized as having a fast-growing tech sector with strong expansion.

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Vacation Rental Home Startup Vacasa Isn’t Just An Airbnb Knockoff

PYMNTS

At first glance, the business model behind Vacasa , the vacation rental home startup, sounds very similar to the one behind Airbnb. But Cofounder and CEO Eric Breon says that the two online rental startups are actually vastly different from one another. First, according to Breon, Vacasa tends to operate in smaller towns and more affluent communities, where people have vacation or second homes, as opposed to larger cities and urban centers, where Airbnb typically dominates the market.

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From IoT to IoP: The Internet Of Pet (Food)

PYMNTS

Pet owners, rejoice! Soon, you may own a pet food bowl — integrated with Internet of Things (IoT) technology and Amazon ’s Dash Replenishment Service (DRS) — that will automatically reorder dog or cat food. Pet owners may not have to worry about running out of pet food ever again. So says Obe , a San Francisco-based startup, whose ProBowl, a new IoT-enabled device, can track supplies and reorder food.

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Are Millennials Better Off As Non-Home Buyers?

PYMNTS

Millennials are buying fewer houses than their Baby-Boomer counterparts – that is inarguable by the data. Across age groups, the U.S. homeownership rate has fallen to a 50 year low – 62.9 percent – and that dip is mostly powered by millennial homebuyers who aren’t buying. Among those under the age of 35, home ownership rates are just over 1/3 – and about half the national figures.

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USA Technologies Grows Cashless Footprint

PYMNTS

A&A Vending Services is expanding its relationship with self-service retail market payment technology service provider USA Technologies (USAT). The company announced on Tuesday (Aug. 23) that it has committed to enabling 100 percent of its vending machines with cashless payment options. USAT will assist with upgrading 1,200 of the company’s machines to accept cash, credit/debit cards and mobile wallet payments, such as Android Pay and Apple Pay, through the NFC-capable ePort Connect cashle

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Mobile Payments: Adornments For the U.S., mVisa For The Unbanked In Nigeria

PYMNTS

From makeup to jewelry, mobile payments are all about accessorizing going into the fall season. In this roundup, Global Payments is providing Bluetooth technology and mobile payment capabilities to Mary Kay Sales consultants; iZettle, the U.K. mobile payments leader, might yet be toppled; Walgreens is integrating its rewards program with its Android app; and we have the launch of the first EMV-complaint payment ring —exquisite gem devotees are drooling.

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The Hidden Science Behind Why Finance Teams Resist Change—And How to Fix It

Speaker: Kim Beynon, CPA, CGMA, PMP

The most overlooked, yet most critical, element of transformation is preparing people for change. Automation and AI aren't just technical upgrades, they’re cultural shifts which can challenge identities. That’s why change management isn’t a side project—it’s the foundation. In finance, where precision and process rule, navigating change can feel especially disruptive.

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Some Big Banks Are Borrowing The Blockchain To Build Their Own Bitcoin

PYMNTS

The blockchain — the underlying technology that powers the digital currency bitcoin — may be nearing its mainstream moment in the sun as four of the world’s largest banks are using it to develop a new form of digital currency. That bank-backed “bitcoin” is intended to become a financial industry standard for making it easier and faster to move money around the world.

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What Faster Payments Mean For Payday

PYMNTS

From Same Day ACH to paycard controversies , a few recent news stories have placed payroll in center stage. At the heart of the discussion is how companies can pay their employees in a timely manner — naturally, a critical component of a functioning workforce. New research from payments technology firm Hyperwallet is placing data behind the need for employers to come through on payday.

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WhatsApp Opens Up For Business Messaging

PYMNTS

After Facebook paid a staggering $22 billion for WhatsApp , the most popular question that followed was “why?” WhatsApp had lots of users at the time — still does — but Facebook already had lots of core services users, as well as a lot of Messenger users (especially once the company split it out as its own app) and Instagrammers. WhatsApp didn’t have a proven ability to generate profit, thus the questions about why Facebook would pay so very much for it.

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The Big Banks’ Coming Venmo Killer

PYMNTS

Can the biggest banks in the United States catch up to the millennial-beloved Venmo with their own P2P payments app? They’re sure hoping so and are putting their product, reportedly called Zelle, out for public consumption in October. The hope? That soon the young and hip who are Venmoing each other will be Zelling each other like crazy come the fall.

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Doing More With Less: The Modern Finance Miracle

Speaker: Mark Gilham, FCCA, CPP

Finance used to be the function that counted, now it's the one that’s counted on. 📊 For accounting firms, controllers, and finance leaders, expectations are rising faster than headcount. Businesses want agile forecasts, granular analysis, seamless reporting, and smart automation—often without added resources while demanding uncompromised accuracy and compliance.

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Uber Lodging Losses Despite Growth

PYMNTS

Ridesharing app Uber may be enjoying brisk business as it expands around the globe, but the company isn’t making money as a result. That’s according to a report by Bloomberg , which cited people familiar with the matter who heard comments from Uber’s head of finance, Gautam Gupta. According to the report, Gupta informed investors that Uber ‘s losses are increasing in the second quarter, even in the U.S., where the company reported a profit during its first quarter.

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Why Steve Wozniak Is Preparing To Be Let Down By The iPhone 7

PYMNTS

It is almost never a good sign when tech luminaries start complaining about a product long before its release — and arguably somewhat worse when said tech luminary is one of the vaunted founding fathers of the firm. And yet, such is the latest headwind Apple is facing, as Steve Wozniak is publicly sounding off about Apple’s reported plan to make the next iPhone iteration fully wireless without a headphone jack (Bluetooth earbuds only from here on out).

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Tune In To Payments Reality Check!

PYMNTS

“ Reality Check ” was a TV show that aired in 1995 about a couple of kids who moved into a house and found a computer that was left behind by the previous owner. These kids – Samantha and Nick – soon discovered that the computer was not your run-of-the-mill ugly beige Compaq. Stuck inside the computer was the original owner of the house, a guy named Jack Clark.

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Complacent Managers Thwarting Expense Report Accuracy

PYMNTS

Exaggerated claims on expense reports are challenging businesses’ ability to manage employee spend — and their own. A new survey released by travel and expense management company Concur revealed some of the ways manual expense reporting processes are harming employees and the companies they work for, despite automation and digitization having taken off in other parts of business spend processes.

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8 Pillars of Leadership Development

Great leadership development is the key to sustainable business growth. Are you ready to design an effective program? HR can use Paycor’s framework to: Set achievable goals. Align employee and company needs. Support different learning styles. Empower the next generation of leaders. Invest in your company’s future with a strong leadership development program.

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Pokémon GO + iBeacons = Perfect Together?

PYMNTS

They can both be used as a way to lure potential customers to a physical store front or location, according to an opinion piece that Keenan Baldwin, cofounder of location intelligence technology provider SiteZeus, wrote for Chain Store Age. “As retailers, we’re learning that location is really the crux of progress when it comes to store fronts versus online shopping.

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Hitting Back At ‘Archaic’ Global Payroll Tactics

PYMNTS

The prospect of hiring cheaper labor overseas can be an attractive one to companies, but it’s not the only reason why firms may globalize their employees. But for all of its potential, international staffing can cause headaches come payroll time. According to Victor Lobo, VP of sales and marketing at Blue Marble Global Payroll , companies really aren’t approaching it the right way, and that could mean the costs of cross-border payroll may not make the benefits of a global workforce w

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SMB Lending And The ‘Pay-As-You-Go’ B2B Future

PYMNTS

In an always-on world, communication moves instantaneously, while payments remain a bit behind the curve — to put it mildly. Mired in paper though transactions may be, financial tech firms are moving to promote speed and to bridge the gap in lending between businesses and their suppliers or customers. Yantra Financial Technologies said earlier this week that it has enabled lenders to deliver funds in real time, using a business bank account known as BlastPay.

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Twitter Launches Button To Private Message Companies

PYMNTS

Social media giant Twitter is at it again, this time rolling out a new button for websites that enables visitors to privately message an individual or company directly. The feature, which is now one of several website buttons that Twitter offers, comes on the heels of the company’s move to encourage users to direct message and not tweet at a business’ Twitter account.

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Protect What Matters: Rethinking Finance Ops In A Digital World

Speaker: Cheryl J. Muldrew-McMurtry

Distributed finance teams are rewriting how the back-office runs, and attackers are taking notes. Disconnected workflows, process blind spots, and rising cyber threats are more than just growing pains—they’re liabilities. The challenge isn’t just going remote. It’s building resilient systems that protect accuracy, control, and speed across every transaction and touchpoint.

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Fighting The Dark Side Of Matchmaking

PYMNTS

Conducting business online — especially when it involves bringing together various parties on a single platform — comes with its own unique set of challenges. Chief among them, for both merchants and matchmakers alike, is the ongoing fight against fraudsters that are not only more sophisticated but, in many cases, always two steps ahead. This week’s episode of the The Matchmaker Is In series zeroes in on the dark and hidden marketplaces that are not only bringing fraudsters together but helping

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CFPB Charges Wells Fargo Over Student Loan Servicing Practices

PYMNTS

Wells Fargo may have recently announced a partnership with Amazon to give student loan borrowers a break, but when it comes to servicing its existing loans, the bank is falling short — big time. That’s according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau , which announced on Monday (Aug. 22) it took action against Wells Fargo, charging the bank engaged in allegedly illegal private student loan servicing practices that increased the costs for borrowers and unfairly penalized certain borrowers.

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Amazon Alexa Fund Invests In Smart Thermostat Company ecobee

PYMNTS

Ecobee , the maker of a smart thermostat, has completed a $35 million round of funding, which included an investment from Amazon’s Alexa Fund. Amazon’s Alexa Fund is joining with Thomvest and Relay Ventures to invest in the startup that has become the first smart thermostat to sync with Amazon’s personal assistant, Alexa. “These investments enable ecobee to drive significant operational improvements, profitable growth and future product innovations for our customers,” said Stuart Lombard, presid

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Consumers Still Drawn To The Branches Banks Are Trying To Shut Down

PYMNTS

Though often written about and praised highly, the digital-only world may not have quite the number of converts the tech press would lead one to believe. Case in point? Banking. Despite banks’ best efforts to move more of their customers online – and thus lessen the need for overhead-heavy branches – consumers are turning out to be way more into visiting the local branch than initially imagined.

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Automation, Evolved: Your New Playbook for Smarter Knowledge Work

Speaker: Frank Taliano

Documents are the backbone of enterprise operations, but they are also a common source of inefficiency. From buried insights to manual handoffs, document-based workflows can quietly stall decision-making and drain resources. For large, complex organizations, legacy systems and siloed processes create friction that AI is uniquely positioned to resolve.

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Wells Fargo, AMD, Fifth Third May Have Run Afoul Of Whistleblower Laws

PYMNTS

Wells Fargo , Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) and Fifth Third Bank have reportedly struck settlement agreements with former employees that may have run afoul of U.S. whistleblower protection laws. According to a report by Reuters , which cited five lawyers, including three who represent whistleblowers, the settlements appear to be aimed at preventing employees from voicing concerns about their company’s activities regarding government rules.

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Almost 20% Of Consumers Would Avoid A Retailer After A Breach

PYMNTS

As the list of retailers and service providers breached by hackers seems to be ever-growing, it seems the organizations that suffer at the hands of data thieves have a related but separate problem to worry about. Customers are watching and making decisions about where to shop based on security questions more than they ever have. According to new data released by KPMG , 19 percent of consumers would stop shopping at a retailer that had been breached — no matter what said retailer did to remediat

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GM’s Car-Sharing Service Is Rolling Up The Miles

PYMNTS

GM ‘s car-sharing operation Maven has hit a couple of big milestones: expansion to five cities in the U.S., more than 5,000 registered members and 4.2 million miles driven. The car-sharing effort, which provides customers with access to new vehicles on-demand based on an hourly fee, has enabled General Motors to build an entire end-to-end service in just seven months.

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For Manufacturers, Cash Management Is In Their Hands

PYMNTS

Accounting and consulting firm Crowe Horwath LLP says businesses face a balancing act when it comes to cash flow management. Treasurers and money managers need to make the right decisions with corporate money for today, while ensuring the business will be in a good position tomorrow. A recent research report by the firm explores how these professionals in the manufacturing sector are approaching the issue.

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Data Talks, CFOs Listen: Why Analytics Are Key To Better Spend Management

Speaker: Claire Grosjean, Global Finance & Operations Executive

Finance teams are drowning in data—but is it actually helping them spend smarter? Without the right approach, excess spending, inefficiencies, and missed opportunities continue to drain profitability. While analytics offers powerful insights, financial intelligence requires more than just numbers—it takes the right blend of automation, strategy, and human expertise.