Sat.Aug 10, 2019 - Fri.Aug 16, 2019

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Chatbot Company Sued By Delta Over Data Breach

PYMNTS

Delta Airlines Inc. has filed a lawsuit against a firm that powered a chatbot on its website. The lawsuit alleges that [24]7.ai Inc. did not have basic cybersecurity safeguards while it ran a service powered by artificial intelligence (AI) on the carrier’s website last year and in 2017, The Wall Street Journal reported. The suit claims that [24]7 waited over five months to tell the airline about the breach instead of immediately informing it.

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Status Anxiety Or: How Our Neighbors Make Us Worse Investors

CFA Institute

The best way to keep up with the Joneses is to ignore them. Joachim Klement, CFA, explains.

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Trending Sources

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How to Transform Your FP&A Plan

Jedox Finance

Finance professionals generally tend to be risk averse. Transforming your FP&A plan will not be an easy task, but it must be addressed as it is a top priority for the CFO to better support delivering on the expectations from the CEO. In today’s world where technology changes are rampant and society’s expectations of new ideas and stimulation is at a rate not seen before.

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Why Cash Is Still King

Planful

Cash is the most important asset in any business. It’s the lifeblood. It’s what keeps the lights on, and fuels the future growth of the company. If you run out of cash, it’s game over. Why Cash Is So Important. Cash keeps the business running. Cash is used for things like: Paying expenses – the things that are necessary for the successful daily operation of the business like employee salaries, sales and marketing expenses, supplies, and inventory.

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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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Visa’s CyberSource On The Digital Payments Evolution

PYMNTS

The “online version of a payments terminal” was how the media portrayed Visa ’s acquisition of CyberSource in 2010. Then, it was a very easy way to mentally place the online payments processor in what was at the time a nascent online payments ecosystem. And very nascent it was. At the turn of the 2010s, online commerce was roughly a tiny 4 percent of all retail sales, but growing at nearly a 15 percent annual clip.

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Global Cross-Border Payments Expected To Grow, But Challenges Remain

PYMNTS

Cross-border payments are expected to surge over the next few years as the economy becomes increasingly global and interconnected. These transactions reached $144 billion in value in 2014 and could hit $240 billion by 2024. The latest Smarter Payments Tracker looks at the infrastructure developments that are making cross-border payment systems faster, more seamless and interoperable.

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Citibank Sees Credit Card Charge Offs, Delinquency Rates Spike

PYMNTS

Citigroup reported that its July credit-card delinquency rate increased to 2.91 percent in July, up from 2.56 percent in June. The lender’s three-month average is 1.54 percent, with a net charge-off rate of 2.91 percent, an increase from 2.56 percent in June, reported Seeking Alpha. The three-month average is 2.74 percent. According to the SEC paperwork, the total delinquency amount in July stood at $36,401,205,805.

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How Chipotle Is Keeping Rewards Out Of The Hands Of Hackers

PYMNTS

Mobile order-ahead apps are becoming more and more popular among quick-service restaurants (QSRs), and many eateries are turning to loyalty and rewards programs to encourage customers to make return visits. They’ve been well-received by both QSRs and customers, with PYMNTS’ Restaurant Readiness Index finding that nearly 80 percent of both groups report having positive experiences with loyalty programs.

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Alleged CapOne Hacker Might Have Stolen Data From 30+ Companies

PYMNTS

Paige A. Thompson , who has been accused of hacking into Capital One ’s cloud and compromising the data of 100 million people, may have also hacked into upwards of 30 other companies, according to a Bloomberg report. Thompson was arrested in July and has a past that includes threatening the lives of others and saying she would commit “suicide by cop,” according to information filed in court on Tuesday (Aug. 13).

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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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Why Payments’ New World Isn’t A Solo Mission

PYMNTS

“No person is an island,” so goes the line from an old poem, meant to show how we are all interconnected. That line may lean toward the metaphysical, but the wisdom is pretty literal when it comes to the future of banking, playing out in these last months of the 2010s. Simply put, that means consumers’ retail experiences tend to inform their expectations for financial services, said Jim Johnson, executive vice president of FI payments and wealth for FIS , in a new PYMNTS interview with Karen Web

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How FinTechs Combine The Benefits Of A Gateway, Hub And Switch

PYMNTS

FinTech firms will travel the world and describe what they are up to using brand-new terms that are different or exciting. People might draw comparisons in response — wait a second, isn’t this kind of like? — and use some more familiar terms that have been in the marketplace for a long time. FinTechs have created some repeated descriptions that might be useful to a broader audience.

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How Automation Helps Treasurers Weather The FX Volatility Storm

PYMNTS

The continuing uncertainty over Brexit and geopolitical volatility in the U.K. that has led to a depreciation of the pound are having widespread impacts throughout supply chains with touchpoints in the markets. Reports Monday (Aug. 12) in Catering Insight showcased some of the foreign exchange hurdles businesses face as a result of that uncertainty.

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PayPal Wants To Capitalize On India’s Mobile Growth

PYMNTS

As PayPal reaches saturation points in Western markets, it wants to continue to expand internationally, especially in India, where the country’s 450 million mobile users make it an attractive target for retailers. The Financial Times is reporting that PayPal launched a domestic business in India in 2017, which allows for local and global payments in the country.

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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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Faster Checkout Might Be The Key To Boosting Retail App Adoption

PYMNTS

In June, Costco launched a revamped digital membership app that allows members to use its mobile device rather than flashing a physical card upon entry and during checkout. Convenient? Yes. However, it can’t be used for in-app payments. This can’t be interpreted as an oversight, considering a new PYMNTS report about “ everyday apps ” found that mobile users rarely make in-app payments.

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New Strain Of Ransomware Striking US, European Firms 

PYMNTS

Cyber insurance claims are spiking as a new type of ransomware targets companies across the U.S. and Europe, the The Financial Times reported on Sunday (Aug. 11). Sodinokibi is on the attack, making higher ransom demands, hijacking companies’ systems and demanding bitcoin payment in exchange for a decryption key. Cyber insurance security responder Tom Bennett of CFC Underwriting told the FT that claims surged in June and July.

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Wells Fargo Taps Former Mastercard Exec To Run Merchant Services

PYMNTS

Wells Fargo announced it has hired Colleen Taylor to run its Wells Fargo Merchant Services, which shepherds the direction and oversight of its merchant services business as well as a joint initiative with Fiserv, according to a release by the company. Taylor has 30 years of experience in the payments field. Her most recent position was as an executive vice president at Mastercard , where she helped to drive growth for the company in the areas of B2B, government and payment segments.

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Small Biz FinTech Leads Week’s B2B Funding Roundup

PYMNTS

With more than $200 million in venture capital funding landing with B2B FinTechs this week, investors had their eyes set on a variety of pain points in corporate finance. Small business finserv was a popular target this week, with startups securing funding for their SMB banking, lending and accounting tools. Meanwhile, logistics, data analytics, and business travel technologies also won over investors.

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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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FinServ Matchmaker SuperMoney Tops $2B In Loan Requests

PYMNTS

Most people make big purchases not so much with the total cost of ownership in mind, but how much it costs them on a monthly basis. In fact, SuperMoney founder and CEO Miron Lulic told Karen Webster, it’s how 80 percent of Americans secure a car loan. Consumers are willing to negotiate the price of car down to the last cent, but the vast majority will not negotiate the charges, interest or fees packaged into their auto loan at all — provided that they get the monthly payment down to where they

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FCA Agrees To 18-Month SCA Implementation Timeframe

PYMNTS

The Financial Conduct Authority said Tuesday (Aug. 13) that it has agreed to a phased implementation of the Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) rules slated to start taking effect beginning next month. The implementation will span an 18-month plan, and “The plan reflects the recent opinion of the European Banking Authority (EBA), which set out that more time was needed to implement SCA given the complexity of the requirements, a lack of preparedness and the potential for a significant impact on

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Carvana Opens Car Vending Machine In LA, Marking 20th In US

PYMNTS

Carvana , the eCommerce platform for buying and selling used cars, opened its latest Car Vending Machine in the Westminster area of Los Angeles, the company announced today (Aug. 15) in a press release. . Eight stories high, the vending machine holds 30 vehicles where customers can pick up their purchase with the help of a Customer Advocate. The vending machine is activated by a commemorative, oversized Carvana coin.

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More Than Pretty Pictures: The Rise Of Visual Commerce Boosts Retail

PYMNTS

For fans of retail or marketing history — or just fans of how people communicated in the past — reading old magazine and newspaper advertisement from, say, before the 1960s can be fun and illuminating. Sure, there are a lot of pretty pictures, but what strikes you is the relative verbosity of the ad copy, the sentences and narratives that seem long by today’s standards, and the way the words often seem to carry a heavier pitch load than do the images.

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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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Money-Inspired Music And Why Hip Hop Tops The Charts

PYMNTS

It used to be all about the Benjamins , all about the cold hard cash – in this case, U.S. $100 bills, as expressed in a Puff Daddy track from 1997. But rap music and hip-hop culture – arguably the greatest global culture force of this and the last generation – is moving on from cash, reflecting trends in the worldwide digital economy. These days, it’s becoming more about the digital payments instead of paper currency.

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Banks Tap FinTechs For Remittance Overhaul

PYMNTS

The cross-border payment market is thriving, and trends are expected to continue over the next few years. In fact, cross-border payments are expected to reach $240 billion in value by 2024. For these transactions to run smoothly, however, communication must remain seamless and secure. Companies separated across borders want payments to be delivered on time so they can meet their payment deadlines, access capital and deliver products in a timely fashion.

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China’s Central Bank Completes Development Of Digital Currency

PYMNTS

The People’s Bank of China (PBoC) said it is now ready to launch its own blockchain-based digital currency after five years of research, CoinTelegraph reported on Sunday (Aug. 11). Deputy Director Mu Changchun said that PBoC’s digital currency “can now be said to be ready,” he told the news outlet, and a prototype was successfully developed that uses the blockchain architecture.

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Cap One Employees Warned Of Security Issues Pre-Hack

PYMNTS

Capital One employees raised red flags over security risks before the company suffered a massive data breach. According to a report in The Wall Street Journal , sources said that employees sent a warning to Capital One about high turnover in its cybersecurity unit as well as the failure to install some software to help spot and defend against hacks.

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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.