Sat.Jan 05, 2019 - Fri.Jan 11, 2019

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Cherry Home CEO: The Future Of Smart Homes And Independent Senior Living

PYMNTS

When talking about advances in home automation and artificial intelligence (AI)-guided systems for consumers, the conversation has a natural tendency to drift toward younger consumers, particularly millennials. That focus isn’t unwarranted, as there are 75 million millennials, and the older half of that generation (the group PYMNTS has termed Bridge Millennials ) is much more likely than the average consumer to own a smart device, and more likely to use it to make a purchase.

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Robert J. Shiller on Bubbles, Reflexivity, and Narrative Economics

CFA Institute

Robert J. Shiller has shown remarkable prescience over the years. And with talk of inverted yield curves, overvalued stock markets, and imminent recession, the present struck us as an opportune time to see what was on his mind.

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Trending Sources

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How to use Connected Planning technology to maximize Salesforce data

Anaplan

An operational powerhouse in sales, marketing, quote-to-cash, and client support, Salesforce is widely accepted as a best-of-breed customer relationship management (CRM) platform.

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Amazon Plans Whole Foods Expansions In Closed Sears Stores

PYMNTS

Amazon has its eyes on expansion for its Whole Foods brand in closed Sears and Kmart stores, according to a report by Yahoo! Finance. The recent woes of Sears and other struggling retailers are seen as an opportunity for the online retail giant. Sources told Yahoo! that the company is visiting sites of now defunct retail spaces. For example, Whole Foods managers went to a site in Utah that used to be a Kmart.

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Automation, Evolved: Your New Playbook For Smarter Knowledge Work

Speaker: Frank Taliano

Document-heavy workflows slow down productivity, bury institutional knowledge, and drain resources. But with the right AI implementation, these inefficiencies become opportunities for transformation. So how do you identify where to start and how to succeed? Learn how to develop a clear, practical roadmap for leveraging AI to streamline processes, automate knowledge work, and unlock real operational gains.

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Credit Card Surcharges OK’ed In New York

PYMNTS

New York has banned the ban. In the wake of court filings this week that effectively ended a challenge to surcharges on credit card transactions in New York, merchants in the Empire State can indeed embrace those fees, contingent upon stating those costs to consumers up front. The merchant plaintiffs and the state of New York filed motions on Jan. 8 to dismiss a challenge to such charges, seemingly capping a battle stretching back years.

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Alipay In X-Border Blockchain Pact

PYMNTS

The new year has dawned with a number of cross-border payment pacts, done across blockchain and other means. In Pakistan, as reported by Coindesk, Telenor Microfinance Bank and remittance firm Valyou Sdn Bhd (a Telenor subsidiary) have launched a payment platform based on Alipay’s blockchain offerings. That blockchain technology, in turn, had been developed by Ant Financial Services Group.

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How Fortnite Turned ‘Free’ Into $3B In Profits

PYMNTS

Until extremely recently, the word “fortnight” was a fancy way to say “two weeks” – and it wasn’t likely to come up unless one happened to be studying for the SATs. But in the year 2018, that changed – the word went from being a piece of anachronistic English to a certified cultural phenomenon (albeit spelled a bit differently) that almost no one was anticipating.

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How FinTech Startups Scale Servers On Demand

PYMNTS

Payments can be very cyclical for clients of FinTech startups – they can be flooded Monday morning after a quiet Sunday. With that sudden rush of information, the startups need to rapidly adapt to handle that flow of information. “We need the ability to scale our platform quickly and very effectively,” DadeSystems ‘ CTO Doug Hathaway told PYMNTS in an interview, adding that clients can all “feel like they’re No.1” and that their data is quickly processed.

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U.S. Startups Raised A Record $130 Billion In 2018

PYMNTS

U.S. startups had a great 2018 in terms of funding, with new data showing that venture capitalists deployed $130.9 billion, marking a new all-time high. According to new data from the PitchBook-NVCA Venture Monitor , the $130.9 billion deployed surpassed 2000, which was a record-setting year. “The venture ecosystem continued to slash records in 2018, further illustrating the maturation of the venture capital asset class, but also raising questions about the sustainability and health of these act

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

Speaker: Claire Grosjean

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.

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Will Google And The Digital Economy Be Tied To EU’s ‘Right To Be Forgotten’?

PYMNTS

Excuse the hyperbole, but Google (and other search engines) dodged a bullet this week when it came to privacy regulations that come out of the European Union and then influence other jurisdictions. It’s way too early to call what happened a victory, but months after the EU imposed digital security and privacy regulations that have generally become a hassle and headache for online commerce and payment operations — regulations being imitated in other parts of the world — a favorable outcome in a “

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Comcast Launches AI-Powered Cybersecurity Service

PYMNTS

Comcast is releasing an artificial intelligence-powered service that will monitor, block and tell customers about online threats to devices connected to home networks, the company announced on Tuesday (Jan. 8). The new service, called Xfinity xFi Advanced Security, was developed to protect numerous smart devices from potential hackers and malware attacks.

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Alternative Payments Gain Global Traction, But Cash Remains Tough Foe

PYMNTS

The recent announcement that China’s UnionPay and Huawei are teaming up to bring Huawei Pay to Russia stands as the latest example that alternative payments are spreading to different parts of the world. It also provides another sign that that cash is, generally at least, slowly losing its dominance as a payment method in all types of economies. But while alternative payment methods are certainly on the upswing in 2019, there are significant hurdles that promise to impede their progress in the d

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Amazon Turns To VR To Boost Furniture Sales

PYMNTS

Amazon is hoping to increase purchases of furniture online, rolling out a new feature dubbed Amazon Showroom that takes advantage of virtual reality tools. According to a report in Chain Store Age , the new feature lets online shoppers place 3D images of furniture into a virtual room to get a sense of how it would really look. The room’s wall colors can be changed, as well as the carpet and flooring.

Sales 75
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What Your Financial Statements Are Telling You—And How to Listen!

Speaker: David Worrell, CFO, Author & Speaker

Your financial statements hold powerful insights—but are you truly paying attention? Many finance professionals focus on the income statement while overlooking key signals hidden in the balance sheet and cash flow statement. Understanding these numbers can unlock smarter decision-making, uncover risks, and drive long-term success. Join David Worrell, accomplished CFO, finance expert, and author, for an engaging, nontraditional take on reading financial statements.

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Honda Expands In-Vehicle Payment Partnerships

PYMNTS

Paying on the go — literally, as in on the road and in the car — is gaining traction. As noted yesterday in the PYMNTS Digital Drive Report, 99 million drivers — commuters, to be exact — are connecting to their dashboards and driving $230 billion in commerce, buying everything from groceries to coffee. To that end, Honda has debuted its Honda Dream Drive prototype, billed as the “next generation infotainment, commerce, services and rewards” experience for drivers and passengers.

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Online Sports Gambling Makes Bet On Faster Payments

PYMNTS

Few things feel better than the rush of a winning streak — money bet on a football or baseball team, or a sporting event, that turns into a pile of dough after a victory or beating the spread. But that excitement can quickly deflate if the winning gambler then must wait for his or her winnings. That’s where reloadable cards and instant access to funds come in — especially as the worlds of payments and commerce move further toward the goal of frictionless transactions and sports betting in the U.

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UnionPay Launches Platform For Developers

PYMNTS

UnionPay International announced earlier in January that it rolled out the UPI Developer, which is a platform to create applications for cross-border payments. According to a report in Mobile Payments Today , the new platform is open and enables developers to create apps for cross-border mobile payments as well as other technologies. With the platform, developers can access UnionPay application programming interface so that UnionPay tech can be integrated into their own products. “With the

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Samsung Teams With Apple

PYMNTS

Samsung has announced that it will offer iTunes Movies and TV Shows and Apple AirPlay 2 support on all 2019 Samsung Smart TV models beginning this spring, while support on 2018 Samsung Smart TVs will launch through a firmware update. In addition, a new iTunes app will launch exclusively on Samsung Smart TVs in more than 100 countries, while AirPlay 2 will be available in 190 countries.

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Forecasting Failures Are Costly: Heres How To Fix Them

Speaker: Dave Sackett

Traditional budgeting and forecasting methods can no longer keep pace with today’s rapidly evolving business environment. Static budgets, rigid annual forecasts, and outdated financial models limit an organization’s ability to adapt to market shifts and economic uncertainty. To stay ahead, finance leaders must leverage a future-forward approach—one that leverages real-time data, predictive analytics, and continuous planning to drive smarter financial decisions.

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How Finance Departments Can Mold Risk Mitigation Into Opportunity

PYMNTS

The enterprise is exposed to financial risks at just about every angle, with expansion across borders and into partnerships with unfamiliar firms upping the ante on both risk and reward. Analysts are urging corporates to enhance their risk management strategies in today’s particularly volatile climate. But enterprise risk management (ERM) isn’t just about playing defense; rather, strategic ERM enables professionals to identify new business opportunities that result from volatility, m

Finance 74
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HERE Releases New Social Transport App, SoMo

PYMNTS

HERE Technologies , a mapping and location data company, has released a new mobile transportation app called SoMo that hinges on a social aspect, according to a report from VentureBeat. Unlike, say, Uber or Lyft, SoMo allows users to plan trips based on events and friends. For example, if everyone is going to see a concert, they can coordinate in the app and carpool.

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The Reality Of Real ID

PYMNTS

At times, it seemed it would not get this far: the Real ID Act. States resisted the post-9/11 authentication law, and sought extensions to its deadlines. Citizens raised complaints to lawmakers about the hassle of collecting birth certificates to prove identity, and the prospect of taking time away from work or personal lives to stand in long lines for the new forms of ID.

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EU Works To Quell Chaos Post-Bank Failures

PYMNTS

Launched in 2016, the Single Resolution Board ( SRB ) aims to make sure that the failure of one major bank does not impact the EU’s entire banking system or require a bailout from taxpayers. In an interview with The Financial Times , the agency’s head, Elke König, said that while there has been progress in how the EU handles bank failures, it is still “an ongoing challenge.”.

Banking 73
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Are Robots Replacing You? Keeping Humans in the Loop in Automated Environments

Speaker: Erroll Amacker

As businesses increasingly adopt automation, finance leaders must navigate the delicate balance between technology and human expertise. This webinar explores the critical role of human oversight in accounts payable (AP) automation and how a people-centric approach can drive better financial performance. Join us for an insightful discussion on how integrating human expertise into automated workflows enhances decision-making, reduces fraud risks, strengthens vendor relationships, and accelerates R

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UK Tries Another Late Payments Tactic With Stoplight System

PYMNTS

The U.K. is launching a traffic-light warning system to spotlight large companies that fail to pay their suppliers on time. The Sunday Times reported that the plan will be revealed this week by the nation’s Small Business (SMB) Commissioner Paul Uppal. The only details released so far have said that a red light will be shown to identify repeat offenders, as well as for companies that fail to publish their payment terms, which they are obligated to do twice a year.

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Small Businesses At The Center Of Bots Vs Accountants

PYMNTS

Behind many shifting trends in small business (SMB) financial services — the rise of FinTech service providers, the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI), even regulatory efforts to promote bank switching — is a growing realization for the industry: Business owners don’t just want number crunchers and money holders; they want advisory services and guidance to help grow their firms.

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Taco Bell: Kiosks, The Ticket To QSR Order Customization

PYMNTS

To help modernize its restaurants and provide new ordering experiences to its diners, Taco Bell is bringing new technology into its brick-and-mortar restaurants across the country: The quick-service restaurant (QSR) chain is deploying self-service kiosks. The devices enable customers to peruse the Mexican-inspired chain’s menu and customize its selections to their tastes or dietary needs.

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With Appetite For Data And Social, Restaurant App Taste Gets Personal

PYMNTS

Entrepreneurs are constantly solving problems, and those challenges often come out of personal experiences. Kevin Vanderwarker, who co-founded dining recommendation platform Taste , traveled across the country for a number of jobs over the years and found it difficult to discover a good place to eat on the road. “The only way to find a good restaurant in my opinion was to call somebody you knew,” Vanderwarker told PYMNTS in an interview.

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Book of Secrets on the Month-End Close

Based off SkyStem's popular e-Book, the book of secrets to the month-end close will be revealed in this one-hour webinar. Learn leading practices when it comes to building a strong and sustainable month-end close that has room to grow and evolve. Learn about the power of precise estimates, why reconciliations are critical to closing the books, how and when to automate, and how the chart of accounts play into your close process.