As each year passes, cybersecurity becomes more important for businesses and agencies of every size, in nearly every industry. In 2020, ransomware cases grew by 150%, and every 39 seconds, a new attack is launched somewhere on the web. A data breach also causes rising costs in banking and finance.

The COVID-19 pandemic has completely changed how businesses view and manage their priorities. More than ever before, organizations realize the importance of closely managing their business costs with operational efficiency and performance. However, across the globe, as organizations reexamine their operations, it has become abundantly clear that outdated accounts receivable (AR) and accounts payable (AP) processes still plague many businesses. To add to this new dilemma, the accelerated movement toward a paperless business model due to COVID restrictions has caused costly disruptions across multiple industries. This new reality has created a renewed sense of urgency in organizations to modernize and digitize their back-office processes to support better business resilience.

Embracing the New Reality of Procurement Over twenty years of diversified experience in supply chain, management consulting, and corporate retail. Annie has held a series of leadership roles focused on Procurement Transformation, Organization Assessment and Design, Strategic Sourcing, Supplier & Contracts Management, Supply Chain Strategy, Procurement Technology Design, Implementation, and Training/Change Management. Areas of expertise span across multiple industries primarily in the consumer p

For many people, there are few things as exciting as owning their own home. The idea of being able to settle down, start a family or maybe start a home business can be hard to imagine without a place to call your own. Still, becoming a homeowner can be quite overwhelming, especially when considering how to finance the purchase. Thankfully, first-time and experienced homebuyers have a variety of options available to them when securing the funds necessary to purchase a new home. There are many di

Tax season is just around the corner, and that means it’s time to get organized and ready to prepare this year’s taxes. Many people have mixed emotions about this time of year, however. While some people look forward to receiving their tax returns each year, others stress about ensuring they’ve calculated their deductions properly to minimize how much they owe each year. Regardless of how stressful or care-free preparing your taxes may be, using tax software to organize your income and expenses is a great way to ensure you’re filing correctly and minimizing the amount you owe each year. The great thing is that there are many tax software solutions to choose from, each of which has its own unique benefits.

If you’re a homeowner, you may have heard the term 203k loan used when reviewing financing options available for your home purchase. 203k loans are guaranteed by the Federal Housing Administration, or FHA, and are a bit different than your typical home mortgage loan. With a 203k loan, new homeowners are not only financing the purchase of their home but also any needed home improvements. This type of loan addresses a common problem in the housing marketing for buyers who might be discouraged from buying a property because of the potential costs to repair it. Before you decide on which type of home loan is best for you, though, it’s important to take a deeper dive into the features and eligibility requirements of a 203k loan to see if it’s right for you.

For many years, adjustable-rate mortgages (ARM) have earned a bad reputation because they were perceived to be riskier financing solutions than traditional fixed-rate mortgages, but what most people don’t take into consideration are the new ARM formats, which are available with extended 7- and 10-year fixed-rate terms. These extended terms give homeowners a unique opportunity to take advantage of low introductory rates while still having the possibility to lower premiums once the variable term has started.

Owning your own home is an exciting new chapter in most people’s lives, one that opens up a wide array of new opportunities. Aside from the benefits of not having to answer to a landlord or share close quarters with other apartment tenants, homeownership has other significant benefits that can pay dividends year after year. Although many new homeowners don’t realize it before purchasing their property, owning your own home makes it possible to claim a variety of tax deductions on a yearly basis. These deductions can play a large factor in reducing the total amount you owe while maximizing your tax return.

While you might not have heard of LightStream before, you’ve surely heard of the mega-bank SunTrust, now merged with BB&T to form Truist. LightStream car loans are responsible for financing well over $13 billion worth of new and used car auto loans. Around now for nearly a decade, LightStream car loans are already making a positive splash on the industry with competitive interest rates, the availability of same-day funding and an impressive rate-beating program.

Refinancing your home is the process of taking out a new loan to pay off your original mortgage. There are several reasons a homeowner may want to do this, but there are also a few downsides to be aware of, too. The costs could outweigh the benefits in many cases, so it’s wise to do your research before refinancing and find out some of the reasons why you shouldn’t refinance your home. You may find that refinancing your home is not worth the money or the hassle. 6 reasons not to refinance your

For the last few years now, blockchain technology has continuously disrupted the way companies do business, especially in the financial industry. More than just the foundation for cryptocurrency investments, however, blockchain technology has completely innovated everyday processes and the supply chain efficiency of businesses in nearly every industry.One such industry where blockchain and the distributed ledger is starting to make an impact is in legal services. New disruptive technologies are beginning to transform the way legal departments and law firms handle their business processes, and blockchain is becoming the new standard in contract management, efficiency, and uniformity

For aspiring entrepreneurs and startup companies, knowing how and when to raise capital for their businesses can be a challenging endeavor. This challenge only becomes compounded when you consider the dynamic digital landscape that all companies are required to navigate. Now more than ever, there is a growing need for companies to be able to provide secure and easily accessible information to their potential investors while minimizing lead-times through seamless virtual data exchanges.VDRs (Virtual Data Rooms) have been a popular choice for growing businesses when it comes to organizing and sharing documentation that helps support strategic investments. These document sharing systems provide a secure, centralized location to manage on-demand access of business reports, contracts, and agreements, and create a more productive environment when it comes to coordinating fundraising rounds and business acquisitions. However, when raising capital for their business, some may feel that taking the time to invest in and manage a VDR might be an unnecessary expense, especially considering the number of file exchange systems to choose from. While this may be the case, it's important to understand the difference between VDRs and other file-sharing programs and when a VDR makes the most sense for deployment.

If last year taught the financial industry anything, it’s that transitioning into a digital bank is no longer an option. As the first quarter of 2018 has come and gone, consumer expectations for a more seamless banking experience have continued to increase exponentially. Demand for innovation has led to financial institutions seeking out better solutions to digitize their offerings while optimizing their workflow. Several resolutions have already been made for the rest of the year, highlighting advancements in digital banking technology and expected areas of growth. Here are five emerging trends in 2018 that paint the future of online banking.

As each year passes by, new advancements in technology continue to improve the way people run their businesses. However, these new advancements don’t come without their potential threats to system security. It’s expected that cybercrimes will result in the loss of $6 trillion annually by 2021. That’s an alarming figure that has led many business owners to educate themselves and their staff about potential incoming threats and how to protect themselves.