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For small business owners constantly juggling invoices, bills, and cash flow, managing payments can be a time-consuming headache. Oracle NetSuite and BILL want to change that. The two companies have joined forces to create a more streamlined and secure way for U.S. businesses to handle accounts payable, right from within NetSuite’s AI-powered cloud ERP platform. Announced at SuiteWorld 2025 in Las Vegas, the new integration—known as NetSuite Intelligent Payment Automation powered by BILL—aims to help businesses speed up payments, reduce human error, and cut down on administrative overhead. For small businesses that rely on limited staff or manual accounting, the partnership could make a meaningful difference in both time savings and financial control. Evan Goldberg, founder and executive vice president of Oracle NetSuite, said the move aligns with the company’s mission to simplify financial management for growing organizations. “Accounts payable plays an important role in helping organizations manage cash flow, control costs, and build stronger vendor relationships,” Goldberg said. “Our strategic partnership with BILL will enable our customers to optimize payment processes within NetSuite. It will also help us continue to extend the value our customers get from NetSuite Intelligent Payment Automation, one of the most advanced, AI-powered accounts payable offerings on the market.” For small businesses, the advantages go beyond convenience. The integration enables users to make payments directly from their existing bank accounts—no separate systems, no complex setup. Activation takes only minutes, and the system supports all U.S. banks. Because BILL’s network already connects over eight million businesses, NetSuite users can link up with vendors quickly and securely. Security is another major selling point. BILL’s infrastructure includes encryption, multi-factor authentication, and fraud prevention technology, plus compliance with PCI DSS and SOC 2 standards. For businesses worried about phishing, double payments, or vendor fraud, those protections could add much-needed peace of mind. René Lacerte, CEO and founder of BILL, said the partnership helps extend BILL’s mission to make finance automation more accessible to smaller enterprises. “This partnership marks an important milestone in our BILL mission to make intelligent finance more accessible to growing businesses everywhere—delivering innovation where they need it most, inside the systems they rely on to run their critical operations,” Lacerte said. “As an industry leader in delivering AP automation to nearly half a million BILL customers, we’re proud that our powerful payment capabilities and extensive network are being embedded within the world’s #1 AI Cloud ERP—providing an entirely new way for businesses to pay faster, optimize cash flow and accelerate growth.” Beyond payments, NetSuite’s Intelligent Payment Automation uses AI to tackle tedious financial tasks that often eat up valuable time. For example, it can capture bills automatically using AI recognition, link them to corresponding purchase orders, and flag potential issues before payments go out. Businesses can also use natural-language commands to generate payment proposals or run batch payments—features designed to make accounting workflows feel less mechanical and more intuitive. For small firms, that could mean a faster month-end close and fewer costly mistakes. Automation also helps reduce reliance on manual data entry, which not only saves time but limits opportunities for error. And because the system is embedded directly in NetSuite, there’s no need for data syncing between separate tools—a common pain point for smaller finance teams using multiple systems. However, there are considerations to keep in mind. Small businesses that don’t already use NetSuite may find the platform’s cost and learning curve steep compared to lightweight accounting tools. Those already using NetSuite will still want to ensure the automation aligns with their internal approval processes and cash flow cycles to avoid over-automation or payment timing issues. For businesses already invested in NetSuite, though, this new collaboration could offer a more unified approach to finance management—connecting billing, payments, and reporting in one place. As automation becomes increasingly central to small business operations, partnerships like this one between NetSuite and BILL are reshaping what efficient back-office management looks like. NetSuite Intelligent Payment Automation is available now for customers in the United States. This article, "NetSuite and BILL Join Forces to Streamline Business Payments" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

For small business owners constantly juggling invoices, bills, and cash flow, managing payments can be a time-consuming headache. Oracle NetSuite and BILL want to change that. The two companies have joined forces to create a more streamlined and secure way for U.S. businesses to handle accounts payable, right from within NetSuite’s AI-powered cloud ERP platform. Announced at SuiteWorld 2025 in Las Vegas, the new integration—known as NetSuite Intelligent Payment Automation powered by BILL—aims to help businesses speed up payments, reduce human error, and cut down on administrative overhead. For small businesses that rely on limited staff or manual accounting, the partnership could make a meaningful difference in both time savings and financial control. Evan Goldberg, founder and executive vice president of Oracle NetSuite, said the move aligns with the company’s mission to simplify financial management for growing organizations. “Accounts payable plays an important role in helping organizations manage cash flow, control costs, and build stronger vendor relationships,” Goldberg said. “Our strategic partnership with BILL will enable our customers to optimize payment processes within NetSuite. It will also help us continue to extend the value our customers get from NetSuite Intelligent Payment Automation, one of the most advanced, AI-powered accounts payable offerings on the market.” For small businesses, the advantages go beyond convenience. The integration enables users to make payments directly from their existing bank accounts—no separate systems, no complex setup. Activation takes only minutes, and the system supports all U.S. banks. Because BILL’s network already connects over eight million businesses, NetSuite users can link up with vendors quickly and securely. Security is another major selling point. BILL’s infrastructure includes encryption, multi-factor authentication, and fraud prevention technology, plus compliance with PCI DSS and SOC 2 standards. For businesses worried about phishing, double payments, or vendor fraud, those protections could add much-needed peace of mind. René Lacerte, CEO and founder of BILL, said the partnership helps extend BILL’s mission to make finance automation more accessible to smaller enterprises. “This partnership marks an important milestone in our BILL mission to make intelligent finance more accessible to growing businesses everywhere—delivering innovation where they need it most, inside the systems they rely on to run their critical operations,” Lacerte said. “As an industry leader in delivering AP automation to nearly half a million BILL customers, we’re proud that our powerful payment capabilities and extensive network are being embedded within the world’s #1 AI Cloud ERP—providing an entirely new way for businesses to pay faster, optimize cash flow and accelerate growth.” Beyond payments, NetSuite’s Intelligent Payment Automation uses AI to tackle tedious financial tasks that often eat up valuable time. For example, it can capture bills automatically using AI recognition, link them to corresponding purchase orders, and flag potential issues before payments go out. Businesses can also use natural-language commands to generate payment proposals or run batch payments—features designed to make accounting workflows feel less mechanical and more intuitive. For small firms, that could mean a faster month-end close and fewer costly mistakes. Automation also helps reduce reliance on manual data entry, which not only saves time but limits opportunities for error. And because the system is embedded directly in NetSuite, there’s no need for data syncing between separate tools—a common pain point for smaller finance teams using multiple systems. However, there are considerations to keep in mind. Small businesses that don’t already use NetSuite may find the platform’s cost and learning curve steep compared to lightweight accounting tools. Those already using NetSuite will still want to ensure the automation aligns with their internal approval processes and cash flow cycles to avoid over-automation or payment timing issues. For businesses already invested in NetSuite, though, this new collaboration could offer a more unified approach to finance management—connecting billing, payments, and reporting in one place. As automation becomes increasingly central to small business operations, partnerships like this one between NetSuite and BILL are reshaping what efficient back-office management looks like. NetSuite Intelligent Payment Automation is available now for customers in the United States. This article, "NetSuite and BILL Join Forces to Streamline Business Payments" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Amazon Big Deal Days is coming October 7-8, and Lifehacker is sharing the best sales based on product reviews, comparisons, and price-tracking tools before it’s over. Follow our live blog to stay up to date on the best sales we find. Subscribe to our shopping newsletter, Add to Cart, for the best sales sent to your inbox. New to Prime Day? We have a primer on everything you need to know. Sales are accurate at the time of publication, but prices and inventory are always subject to change. Not only is my house pretty small, it’s also pretty old, so my wife and I have learned to get creative (and a bit minimalist) to handle the challenge of where to put our stuff—but there’s one area that has been particularly challenging: My love affair with DIY projects around the house. I love diving into repairs and upgrades, learning how to do stuff like tiling or basic plumbing, and saving loads of cash by not hiring contractors every time the lights flicker. But those projects require bulky tools, and materials, and I have zero space to store them. So I am always on the lookout for something small and efficient that gives me the ability to do bigger projects. One thing I really needed for a long time was a work table—a sturdy space where I could cut, measure, clamp, and spread out tools and other materials. But there’s nowhere in this house to fit a workroom, and there’s no garage, so I wasn’t sure what to do. Until I found this folding work table from Worx. Worx Pegasus Multi-Function Work Table and Sawhorse $108.99 at Amazon $159.99 Save $51.00 Get Deal Get Deal $108.99 at Amazon $159.99 Save $51.00 It’s perfect. It’s durable and sturdy (it can handle up to 300 pounds, so if I can lift it up there, it can hold it). It has built-in clamps, which is really useful, and it transforms into a sawhorse in seconds, so I can cut and rip boards as needed, then immediately proceed to the next step in the project. But most importantly, for me: It folds up. It goes flat, so I can lean it against the wall of the closet I call a tool room, or hang it up on the wall if I decide I need to reclaim that small amount of space. And that means it’s also easily portable (it only weighs about 30 pounds), so I don’t have to cut boards in one location and transport them to another. If you don’t have a lot of space to store tools, this is the perfect solution—and it’s 32% off right now for Prime Day, so this is your moment. Looking for something else? Retailers like Walmart and Best Buy have Prime Day competition sales that are especially useful if you don’t have Amazon Prime. Walmart’s Prime Day competition sale runs from Oct. 6 at 7 p.m. ET through Oct. 12 and includes deals up to 50% off. It’s an especially good option if you have Walmart+. Best Buy’s Prime Day competition sale runs from Sept. 27 through Oct. 12, and has some of the best tech sales online. It’s an especially good option if you’re a My Best Buy “Plus” or “Total” member. Target’s Prime Day competition sale runs from Oct. 5 through Oct. 11, and it has deals going up to 50% off. You can become a Circle member for free. Our Best Editor-Vetted Prime Day Deals Right Now Apple AirPods Pro 2 Noise Cancelling Wireless Earbuds — $169.99 (List Price $249.00) Meta Quest 3S 128GB All-In-One VR Headset — $249.00 (List Price $299.99) Apple iPad 11" 128GB A16 WiFi Tablet (Blue, 2025) — $279.00 (List Price $349.00) DJI Mini 4K 3-Axis Gimbal Camera Drone (Under 249 Grams) — $239.00 (List Price $299.00) Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ 10.9" 64GB Wi-Fi Tablet (Graphite) — $148.94 (List Price $219.99) Blink Mini 2 1080p Indoor Security Camera (2-Pack, White) — $34.99 (List Price $69.99) Ring Battery Doorbell Plus — $79.99 (List Price $149.99) Shark AV2501S AI Ultra Robot Vacuum with HEPA Self-Empty Base — $229.99 (List Price $549.99) Amazon Fire HD 10 (2023) — $69.99 (List Price $139.99) Wyze Cam v4 2K Wired Wi-Fi Smart Security Camera (White) — $25.95 (List Price $35.98) Deals are selected by our commerce team View the full article

A group of U.S. officials want to know why London’s FTSE Russell, a top financial services firm, chose to include the underperforming The President Media & Technology Group (TMTG) in one of its most high-profile indexes. Their concern stems, in part, from the fact that analysts generally do not view TMTG, which owns the president’s social media platform Truth, as particularly stable. Trading under the symbol DJT, shares are down 38% year to date and currently trade at about $17.50. Last fiscal year, the company reported a net loss of $400.9 million And in the most recent quarter, it reported a loss of $20 million. The Russell 3000 tracks the performance of the 3,000-largest publicly traded companies in the United States. While investors can’t buy the index directly, several ETFs or index funds include the Russell 3000. Signed by Vermont State Treasurer Mike Pieciak, fiscal leaders from New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Maryland, as well as the comptroller of New York City, the letter expresses concern about TMTG’s inclusion in the Russell 3000, which occurred last year. The drop in the company’s share price, negligible revenues and risks that come with the stock are among the issues they raise. “The Russell 3000 is one of the most influential benchmarks in U.S. capital markets, with approximately $10.6 trillion in assets,” the officials write. “Its credibility depends on consistent, transparent, and rigorous standards that ensure its companies reflect the U.S. equity market and meet the expectations of institutional investors and public stewards alike. The continued presence of TMTG in the index raises troubling questions on both financial and governance grounds, as well as on the integrity of the benchmark itself.” London’s FTSE Russell nor TMTG responded to a request for comment at the time of publication. Pieciak’s signature on the letter is notable. Vermont’s Republican Gov. Phil Scott has urged leaders in his state to take a less confrontational posture with the White House. (Notably, Scott rejected two requests this summer to send the Vermont national guard to Washington, D.C., as part of The President’s federal takeover of the nation’s capital.) In their letter, the officials have asked FTSE Russell to explain TMTG’s inclusion in the Russell 3000. They’ve also asked for an assessment of how the group accounts for the company’s risks and detail on any safeguards in place to ensure that future index picks demonstrate sound market fundamentals. Noting that “two of the last three The President financial ventures have resulted in significant investor losses,” the letter expresses concerns that people investing in Russell 3000 tracking indexes might not realize they’re buying shares in TMTG. An evolving list The Russell 3000 is an evolving list of companies. On the last Friday of each June, the list is reconstituted to reflect changes in the U.S. equity market. Companies are evaluated to determine where they lie along the investment spectrum from value to growth stocks. FTSE typically looks at the market capitalization of the stock as a bellwether for inclusion. TMTG currently has a market cap of $4.87 billion. That ranks the stock 3099th among publicly traded companies, as of 10 a.m. ET Tuesday. In June of this year, when the list was last reconstituted, shares were about $3.50 higher than they are now, which likely put TMTG within the top 3,000, which could explain its inclusion. In January, on the final day of trading before the presidential inauguration, TMTG boasted a market cap of $8.68 billion as investors flocked to the company before The President’s second term began. View the full article

Never stop looking. By Marc Rosenberg CPA Firm Mergers: Your Complete Guide Go PRO for members-only access to more Marc Rosenberg. View the full article

Never stop looking. By Marc Rosenberg CPA Firm Mergers: Your Complete Guide Go PRO for members-only access to more Marc Rosenberg. View the full article

Deloitte Australia will partially refund the 440,000 Australian dollars ($290,000) paid by the Australian government for a report that was littered with apparent AI-generated errors, including a fabricated quote from a federal court judgment and references to nonexistent academic research papers. The financial services firm’s report to the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations was originally published on the department’s website in July. A revised version was published Friday after Chris Rudge, a Sydney University researcher of health and welfare law, said he alerted the media that the report was “full of fabricated references.” Deloitte had reviewed the 237-page report and “confirmed some footnotes and references were incorrect,” the department said in a statement Tuesday. “Deloitte had agreed to repay the final instalment under its contract,” the department said. The amount will be made public after the refund is reimbursed. Asked to comment on the report’s inaccuracies, Deloitte told The Associated Press in a statement the “matter has been resolved directly with the client.” Deloitte did not respond when asked if the errors were generated by AI. A tendency for generative AI systems to fabricate information is known as hallucination. The report reviewed departmental IT systems’ use of automated penalties in Australia’s welfare system. The department said the “substance” of the report had been maintained and there were no changes to its recommendations. The revised version included a disclosure that a generative AI language system, Azure OpenAI, was used in writing the report. Quotes attributed to a federal court judge were removed, as well as references to nonexistent reports attributed to law and software engineering experts. Rudge said he found up to 20 errors in the first version of the report. The first error that jumped out at him wrongly stated that Lisa Burton Crawford, a Sydney University professor of public and constitutional law, had written a nonexistent book with a title suggesting it was outside her field of expertise. “I instantaneously knew it was either hallucinated by AI or the world’s best kept secret because I’d never heard of the book and it sounded preposterous,” Rudge said. Work by his academic colleagues had been used as “tokens of legitimacy,” cited by the report’s authors but not read, Rudge said, adding that he considered misquoting a judge was a more serious error in a report that was effectively an audit of the department’s legal compliance. “They’ve totally misquoted a court case then made up a quotation from a judge and I thought, well hang on: that’s actually a bit bigger than academics’ egos. That’s about misstating the law to the Australian government in a report that they rely on. So I thought it was important to stand up for diligence,” Rudge said. Senator Barbara Pocock, the Australian Greens party’s spokesperson on the public sector, said Deloitte should refund the entire AU$440,000 ($290,000). Deloitte “misused AI and used it very inappropriately: misquoted a judge, used references that are non-existent,” Pocock told Australian Broadcasting Corp. “I mean, the kinds of things that a first-year university student would be in deep trouble for.” —Rod McGuirk, Associated Press View the full article

Look at your firm through their eyes. By Martin Bissett Business Development On a Budget Go PRO for members-only access to more Martin Bissett. View the full article

Look at your firm through their eyes. By Martin Bissett Business Development On a Budget Go PRO for members-only access to more Martin Bissett. View the full article

Normalizing good urbanism requires culture change, and culture change requires an advocacy long game that makes space for ideas that seem impossible today. Political scientist Joseph Overton developed a concept in the 1990s that had a major influence on my views on and approach to building support for good urbanism. “The Overton window” refers to the range of ideas that are acceptable or mainstream in public discourse at a given time. The acceptable topics are shaped by public opinion, media coverage, influence of special interest groups, and actions of political leaders. As Joseph Lehman, a colleague of Overton’s put it, “Public officials cannot enact any policy they please like they’re ordering dessert from a menu. They have to choose from among policies that are politically acceptable at the time.” Ideas that fall within the Overton window are more likely to be discussed and debated in the public sphere, while those that fall outside of it may be considered too extreme or fringe to be given serious consideration. The window shifts over time as public opinion changes, making new ideas acceptable and mainstreaming previously unacceptable ideas. Before the Overton window shifted, these opinions were considered outside the range of allowable opinion: The earth isn’t flat, nor is it the center of the universe. Multiple nationalities will be taught in the same classroom. A computer will one day fit on your desk. Tiny germs exist that you can’t see with your eyes. Human organs and limbs will be replaced. Art will be created by voice command. Radical departures What I’ve learned from the Overton window concept is that people need radical departures from normal scenario planning exercises. If you want to normalize walk-friendly, bike-friendly infrastructure, then you need to start by visualizing wildly different scenarios. When you eventually compromise, you’ve still made progress. Here’s a list of taboo urbanism ideas that might be worth shifting from fringe to mainstream: Zoning abolition — If incremental change is the aspirational goal, good luck with legalizing mixed-use neighborhoods. It’s been said that zoning is an unnecessary evil, so lead with a proposal to abolish it altogether. Yes In God’s Backyard (YIGBY) — Churches could provide short-term housing for the homeless or low-income individuals, free from government oversight. The faith-based community doesn’t agree on everything, but they all certainly want to help those in need. 3D-Printed Buildings — Promote the use of emerging technology to create homes and retail centers far cheaper than traditional construction. Grant people greater control over their property. Universal Basic Mobility — It’s like universal basic income, but for transportation. Several cities have piloted bus and bike subsidies. A radical proposition would be privatized UBM. Off-Grid Living — Decriminalize frontier life. Have you ever heard stories of people trying to disassociate from traditional utility services? Or building something without a permit? Local Farming — I know you’ve seen community gardens, but you haven’t seen people selling their own food, because it’s not allowed. And if you introduce fresh milk, the ATF will raid the operation. Homesteading — Programs that allow individuals to reclaim vacant or blighted properties. This could be a way to turn ordinary homeowners into developers. Asking big What If questions doesn’t have to be confrontational, but it will always make some people uncomfortable. It’s worth it. That’s how civilizations advance. View the full article

Lower-than-expected FCA figure is still set to be one of the banking industry’s biggest compensation schemesView the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Did you know you can customize Google to filter out garbage? Take these steps for better search results, including adding my work at Lifehacker as a preferred source. Amazon Big Deal Days is on October 7-8, and Lifehacker is sharing the best sales based on product reviews, comparisons, and price-tracking tools. Follow our live blog to stay up to date on the best sales we find. Subscribe to our shopping newsletter, Add to Cart, for the best sales sent to your inbox. New to Prime Day? We have a primer on everything you need to know. Sales are accurate at the time of publication, but prices and inventory are always subject to change. I take my post-workout recovery seriously. I've tried all kinds of different massage guns and non-gun gadgets, and it's no exaggeration to say that these kinds of devices have changed my life. TheraBody is probably the most well-known household name in massage guns, and right now, the TheraBody TheraGun Prime—normally priced at $319.99—is available for $219.99 on Amazon during Prime Day. TheraBody TheraGun Prime $219.99 at Amazon $319.99 Save $100.00 Get Deal Get Deal $219.99 at Amazon $319.99 Save $100.00 The Theragun Prime really stands out because it's seriously quiet compared to most massage guns out there. A lot of cheaper models sound like you're using a power tool on your muscles, but Theragun's QuietForce Technology keeps things nice and low-key. You can actually use it while watching TV or without bothering everyone around you. Plus, the signature triangular handle design comes in handy, especially when you need to reach those awkward spots on your back and shoulders without contorting yourself or asking someone for help. The battery life is another huge plus—you get about two hours per charge, which means you're not constantly hunting for the charging cable. What's really cool is that it connects to your phone via Bluetooth. The Therabody app walks you through different routines and shows you how to target specific sore spots, which is super helpful if you're not totally sure what you're doing. The Prime has four speed settings that go from 1,750 to 2,400 percussions per minute, so you can keep it gentle for a warmup or really dig in deep after a tough workout. It's versatile enough that beginners won't feel overwhelmed, but it still packs enough punch for serious athletes. Looking for something else? Retailers like Walmart and Best Buy have Prime Day competition sales that are especially useful if you don’t have Amazon Prime. Walmart’s Prime Day competition sale runs from Oct. 6 at 7 p.m. ET through Oct. 12 and includes deals up to 50% off. It’s an especially good option if you have Walmart+. Best Buy’s Prime Day competition sale runs from Sept. 27 through Oct. 12, and has some of the best tech sales online. It’s an especially good option if you’re a My Best Buy “Plus” or “Total” member. Target’s Prime Day competition sale runs from Oct. 5 through Oct. 11, and it has deals going up to 50% off. You can become a Circle member for free. Our Best Editor-Vetted Prime Day Deals Right Now Apple AirPods Pro 2 Noise Cancelling Wireless Earbuds — $169.99 (List Price $249.00) Meta Quest 3S 128GB All-In-One VR Headset — $249.00 (List Price $299.99) Apple iPad 11" 128GB A16 WiFi Tablet (Blue, 2025) — $279.00 (List Price $349.00) DJI Mini 4K 3-Axis Gimbal Camera Drone (Under 249 Grams) — $239.00 (List Price $299.00) Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ 10.9" 64GB Wi-Fi Tablet (Graphite) — $148.94 (List Price $219.99) Blink Mini 2 1080p Indoor Security Camera (2-Pack, White) — $34.99 (List Price $69.99) Ring Battery Doorbell Plus — $79.99 (List Price $149.99) Shark AV2501S AI Ultra Robot Vacuum with HEPA Self-Empty Base — $229.99 (List Price $549.99) Amazon Fire HD 10 (2023) — $69.99 (List Price $139.99) Wyze Cam v4 2K Wired Wi-Fi Smart Security Camera (White) — $25.95 (List Price $35.98) Deals are selected by our commerce team View the full article

Being advised to max out your 401(k) is Personal Finance 101. But is that universally solid guidance? Tax-sheltered retirement plans offer the convenience of automatic investments and tax breaks—pretax contributions and tax-deferred compounding for traditional 401(k)s and tax-free compounding and withdrawals for Roth contributions. But the availability and quality of the 401(k) are also important considerations. Some workers don’t have access to an employer-provided retirement plan, and 401(k) quality can be uneven. High administrative costs, meager employer matching contributions, and costly investment lineups can detract from 401(k)s’ tax-saving features. Meanwhile, the tax efficiency for investors’ nonretirement accounts has improved over the years. Broad market equity exchange-traded funds have dramatically reduced the tax drag for taxable accountholders, effectively simulating the tax deferral that comes with investing in a 401(k). And many robo-advisors use other techniques to reduce the tax drag on investors’ taxable accounts—specifically, selling losing positions to offset gainers elsewhere in investors’ portfolios. That can reduce the capital gains taxes on positions when they’re eventually liquidated. Even as investing in a taxable account has grown more attractive, it’s a given that investors should put enough in a 401(k)—even a poor one—to earn matching contributions. If the 401(k) plan is weak and they have additional retirement assets to invest, they should opt for an IRA in lieu of steering more money to the poor 401(k) plan. Income limits apply to IRA contributions, but anyone can invest in a Roth IRA through the “backdoor,” provided they have earned income to cover the contribution amount. Multiple factors determine whether a taxable account can beat a 401(k) But what if they have additional retirement assets to invest? Once the IRA is fully funded, would those dollars be better off in a weak 401(k) or in a brokerage account held outside a tax-sheltered account? The answer here, as with so many financial questions, depends on a couple of key factors, especially the following: 401(k) plan quality: How bad is the plan? Does it have high administrative costs and subpar and/or expensive investment options? Or is it simply that the lineup includes some lackluster funds that are past their prime? Comparing your plan to others can help you make that assessment. The quality and tax efficiency of the investments in the taxable accounts: Investing in a taxable account will rarely be the better option unless you can invest in securities that make few ongoing distributions of income, capital gains, or both. The good news is that investors can opt for a brokerage platform that offers a good array of low-cost, tax-efficient options—namely, index-tracking ETFs and municipal-bond funds. The investor’s tax bracket at the time of the contributions: Being able to make pretax contributions—as is the case with traditional 401(k)s—will be more valuable to the investor who’s in a high tax bracket at the time of that contribution than it will be to the person who’s in a lower tax bracket. The tax bracket at the time of withdrawals: Withdrawals from taxable accounts receive more favorable (and flexible) tax treatment than withdrawals from traditional 401(k)s. Investors pulling from their taxable accounts will owe capital gains taxes, whereas money coming out of a traditional 401(k) is taxed at the investor’s ordinary income tax rate, which is higher. Moreover, because the 401(k) money has never been taxed, investors owe taxes on the entire withdrawal, not just the appreciation; taxable-account investors, by contrast, will only owe tax on their gains. Finally, 401(k) assets are subject to required minimum distributions at age 73. For investors who expect to be in a high tax bracket upon retirement, having assets in a taxable account—and enjoying more favorable taxation on the distributions—will be particularly beneficial. (Of course, Roth 401(k) withdrawals are more favorable still: Roth 401(k) assets can be rolled over to a Roth IRA to avoid RMDs. Better still, qualified withdrawals from Roth 401(k)s and IRAs are tax-free.) Taxable account vs. 401(k) takeaways Investors would do well to weigh their own personal tax situations—both current and future—as well as the quality of their 401(k)s when determining which account types to fund. Investors can also benefit from tax diversification—splitting assets across accounts with varying tax treatment, whether tax-deferred, taxable, or Roth—when saving for retirement. This article was provided to The Associated Press by Morningstar. —Christine Benz, Morningstar’s director of personal finance and retirement planning View the full article

Nostalgia is not a strategy: the past cannot returnView the full article

Fund managers are under pressure to deploy capital quickly and risk buying bad assetsView the full article

Bond markets are losing patience with political paralysisView the full article

Change in residence from the UK was disclosed in a Companies House filingView the full article

Laura Youngson didn’t expect to focus so much on soccer cleats when she organized a group of women to climb Mount Kilimanjaro and play a high-altitude match. The point of the 2017 game was to highlight inequality in sports for women and girls. On that front, Youngson achieved her goal with the match becoming the subject of a documentary and landing the group in the Guinness Book of World Records. Still, something bothered Youngson as the match unfolded. Glancing at the athletes’ feet, she was struck that all the women were wearing men’s or boy’s soccer cleats instead of gear that was designed specifically for them. The realization led her to launch IDA Sports, which makes soccer cleats for the unique athletic needs of women. “There was this real commercial gap for performance footwear for women,” said Youngson, whose IDA cleats are worn by players including Washington Spirit midfielder Courtney Brown. “As the game is growing, we’re in this moment when everything’s professionalizing, but the footwear wasn’t really keeping pace, so I wanted to go and change that.” IDA is among a growing number of companies founded in recent years to prioritize women in sports. These aren’t just lifestyle or athleisure brands. Moolah Kicks, for instance, makes women’s basketball shoes designed specifically for women’s feet and counts Courtney Williams of the WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx as one of its partners. Lindsay Housman founded Hettas, a performance running shoe company. Saysh, Olympic gold medalist Allyson Felix’s running shoe company, allows buyers to make free exchanges when their size changes during pregnancy. Beyond shoes, Liv Cycling makes performance bicycles for women and there’s even Indiana Fever partner Sequel tampons, which have spiraled grooves that help prevent leaks during strenuous activities. The companies are entering the market at a time when interest in women’s sports is intensifying. The WNBA has shattered attendance records recently, lifted by the star power of players like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese. National Women’s Soccer League teams are worth 29% more this year than they were a year ago, with both Angel City and the Kansas City Current now valued at over $250 million. Several new pro sports leagues have formed in recent years, including the Professional Women’s Hockey League and the 3-on-3 Unrivaled basketball league. The Women’s Professional Baseball League is set to launch next year. Overall, women’s sports generated global revenue of $1.88 billion in 2024 and is projected to rake in $2.35 billion this year, according to consulting firm Deloitte. Commercial revenue, including sponsorships and merchandising sales, surpassed $1 billion globally for the first time last year. No more ‘shrink it and pink it’ All that growth means more opportunities for women-owned brands — and a chance to reject the “shrink it and pink it” mentality in which companies were criticized for taking men’s products and selling them to women by making them pretty rather than functional. “Marketing is all about understanding the needs of consumers,” said Dae Hee Kwak of the Center for Sport Marketing Research at the University of Michigan School of Kinesiology. “So thinking of the needs of the women’s sports fan and athlete, who understands them better than women, right?” Leela Srinivasan, CEO of the sports marketing and sponsorship platform Parity, said men’s products simply weren’t built for women’s bodies. “Women in motor sports will tell you that even the way the seat belts are designed, they don’t fit right, they don’t fall in the right places,” Srinivasan said. “You talk to Lynn Saint James, the motor sports legend, about how she couldn’t reach the pedals. Nothing has been designed with women’s bodies in mind.” Bonnie Tu, who founded Liv Cycling, experienced that problem with bicycles. “Whenever I’d go for vacation, I would take a bike from the hotel,” Tu said. “Most of the time, I would get myself hurt because the bike doesn’t suit me well. Because most of the bikes are meant for men, no matter if it’s a mountain bike or it’s road bike, it was all for men.” Youngson similarly looked at biomechanical needs when designing cleats for IDA, resulting in a product that features a wider toe box, narrower heel and shorter studs than men’s boots. For those who have spent decades in and around women’s sports, these shifts represent a profound change. Natalie White, who founded Moolah Kicks after playing basketball in college and working on the business side of several WNBA teams, recalled always playing the sport in boy’s and men’s shoes. “It wasn’t until I was a senior in college and I saw an advertisement that had more top WNBA players holding out men’s shoes that it really hit me, ‘Oh, my God, this is crazy.’ When you begin your career, through pro, you’re not only going to be playing in equipment that isn’t fit for you, but you’re going to be promoting it?” White said. “Oh my gosh, crazy.” The bigger shoemakers, including Adidas and Nike, have developed women’s soccer and basketball shoes in recognition of the growing market and the needs of the female athlete. Sabrina Ionescu has a signature shoe with Nike and, this past summer, Adidas released its first player edition of Adidas’ F50 Sparkfusion cleat with NWSL star Trinity Rodman. Women want products without pandering Kwak said that in addition to products made specifically for them, women also value authenticity as consumers. And that means working with women’s leagues, athletes and sometimes causes involving equity and social justice. IDA, for example, has partnered with the players’ unions for both the NWSL and the Gainbridge Super League, a top-tier domestic professional women’s soccer league that launched last year. Coalition Snow, a women-led ski and snowboard company based in Reno, Nevada, not only makes sure of safe and fair working conditions throughout its supply chain, it also uses recycled material for packaging and partners with a nonprofit to plant trees in rural Kenya for every board or pair of skis sold. Liv Cycling sponsors women’s racing teams and competitions, like the Tour de France Femmes, in addition to community clubs. Athlete involvement in the creation of products helps, too. It’s really what personalizes these companies compared to the sporting goods giants. But it’s all about taking that first leap, Youngson said. “As the game grows and professionalizes, it should be attractive to brands,” Youngson said. “So then you’re going, ‘Why aren’t you doing it?’ Because the money’s there, the game’s there. Why can’t we have all of this choice around us in the same way that the men’s game has?” AP Sports Writer Alyce Brown contributed to this report. —Anne M. Peterson, AP Sports Writer View the full article

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U.S. consumers are expected to spend a record $253.4 billion online this holiday season, according to Adobe’s annual shopping forecast. That’s a 5.3% year-over-year increase covering the period from Nov. 1 to Dec. 31. Adobe’s analysis, based on over 1 trillion visits to U.S. retail sites and 100 million SKUs across 18 categories, suggests that this year’s season will be shaped by the dominance of mobile shopping, flexible payment options and the growing influence of generative AI and social platforms on consumer behavior. Cyber Week to drive nearly a fifth of spend. Adobe expects 10 separate days where online spending will top $5 billion. Cyber Week – the five-day stretch from Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday – will account for $43.7 billion, or 17.2% of the season’s total, up 6.3% YoY. Cyber Monday remains the single biggest day at $14.2 billion (+6.3% YoY). Black Friday is forecast to grow faster, up 8.3% YoY to $11.7 billion. Thanksgiving Day spending will hit $6.4 billion (+4.9% YoY). Mobile overtakes desktop shopping. For the first time, mobile devices will drive the majority of online holiday spend, capturing 56.1% ($142.7 billion). That’s up 8.5% YoY and a dramatic shift from 2020, when mobile accounted for just 40% of holiday ecommerce. Buy Now, Pay Later expands share. Consumers continue to embrace Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) for budget flexibility. BNPL purchases to reach $20.2 billion this season (+11% YoY), including more than $1 billion on Cyber Monday alone, per Adobe. Notably, nearly 80% of BNPL transactions are expected to come from mobile devices. October boost. Adobe expects early holiday discounts in October to jump-start seasonal shopping, with Amazon’s Prime Day event – now an industrywide ecommerce moment – driving much of that activity. U.S. consumers will spend $9 billion across Oct. 7-8, a 6.2% year-over-year increase, as retailers roll out promotions to capture early demand, Adobe projected. Discounts will peak at 17% off list prices, setting the tone for an aggressive start to the holiday season, Adobe said. Discounting drives higher-ticket purchases: Discounting will remain aggressive, with deals peaking during Cyber Week: Electronics: up to 28% off Toys: 27% Apparel: 25% Adobe notes a “trade-up effect,” with shoppers using discounts to purchase higher-end items. The share of units sold from premium products is expected to jump in sporting goods (+56%), electronics (+52%), and appliances (+39%). Electronics, apparel, and home goods lead: More than half of all online spending will be concentrated in three categories: Electronics: $57.5 billion (+4% YoY) Apparel: $47.6 billion (+4.4% YoY) Furniture: $31.1 billion (+6.5% YoY) Smaller but fast-growing categories include groceries (+9.2% YoY) and cosmetics (+9.1% YoY). Adobe also projects surging demand for home improvement, health tech and gaming. Sales of activity trackers are expected to rise 1,055%, smartwatches 950% and gaming consoles 1,040% versus baseline spending earlier this year. Hot sellers include the Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, iPhone 17, Google Pixel 10, Dyson Airwrap Multi Styler, and trending toys like Disney Stitch Puppetronic and Labubu Dolls. AI and social media reshape discovery: There are two significant shifts in how consumers are finding products, according to Adobe: Generative AI traffic to retail sites is forecast to rise 520% YoY, following a 1,300% surge last year. Shoppers are turning to AI tools for research (53%), product recommendations (40%), deal-finding (36%), and gift inspiration (30%). Social media influence on ecommerce is expected to jump 51% YoY, with affiliate and influencer-driven sales also growing 14%. Why we care. Adobe’s forecast underscores the continued strength of U.S. ecommerce and signals how consumer behavior is shifting toward mobile-first, AI-assisted, and socially influenced shopping. While aggressive discounting will fuel sales, the bigger story may be how emerging technologies shape the path to purchase during the 2025 holiday season. View the full article

So I did something different: I asked the speakers and panelists at Ahrefs Evolve, our conference in San Diego from October 13-15, which newsletters they actually read and recommend. The result? A curated list of newsletters that span SEO, media,…Read more ›View the full article

A reader writes: I work in an industry notorious for poor work-life balance. Our company has an unlimited PTO policy, with most people on the team taking about 15-20 days, usually no more than five straight days at a time. (So one week off per quarter, just about) I have a team member who has asked for feedback. She wants to grow and be assigned more high-profile, visible projects. The quality of her work is average to slightly above average, so there’s room for growth there. On top of this, the main thing I believe is preventing her from achieving these goals is that people perceive her to be on vacation all the time. I’d say she’ll end up taking around 30 days (six weeks off) this year, and unlike most members of the team, more than a full office week at a time. Management never denies her the days off, and since she’s not on more high-profile projects, the coverage has not been a problem. Like I said, our industry culture is extreme and we push ourselves to burnout. It’s really not sustainable at the end of the day, so it’s honestly refreshing to see her try to have a personal life. Our office encourages us to have time off (within reason), and because we technically have unlimited PTO, she’s not breaking policy. But her personal life is not aligning with what she wants to achieve professionally. Is it poor advice for me to suggest she should take less vacation to prove she’s capable of handling more visible projects? Well … this isn’t quite “you can take the time off if you want it, but we’re going to hold it against you,” but it’s close. If she’s taking too much time off within the context of your culture and industry expectations, she deserves to know that. If she keeps asking for time off and it keeps getting approved, it’s not unreasonable that she thinks it’s fine. (And yes, people should look around and observe norms and calibrate accordingly, particularly when it’s a field-wide expectation, but management has a role to play there too.) Now, maybe the amount of time off she’s taking is fine for her current role, and it’s only a problem if she’s looking to take on different projects. That’s more fair! In that case, you should very clearly spell out how this works in your company. For example: “I want to be up-front that to be assigned to projects like X and Y, you’d likely need to take less time off than you do currently. Right now my sense is that there’s a perception that you’re gone a lot, which would be an obstacle to putting you on more high-profile work. So realistically, you’d need to decide if you’re willing to use less vacation in order to be considered for those projects, or whether that’s not a trade-off that’s worth it to you.” Think of it as sharing the playbook that everyone else is using, so she can make the right decisions for herself. For what it’s worth: if the 15-20 days a year that most people take includes sick leave as well as vacation, that’s really low and I’d urge your company to reconsider the way they frame their policy, because that is not what new hires are going to envision when they hear “unlimited time off,” even in an industry notorious for poor work-life balance. The post should I tell an employee she should take less time off if she wants better projects? appeared first on Ask a Manager. View the full article

Meta will stop running all political, electoral, and social issue ads across the European Union starting this week, citing the region’s new Transparency and Targeting of Political Advertising (TTPA) regulations that take effect Oct. 10. The details. The law requires platforms to gain explicit, separate consent from each user to use their data for political or issue-based targeting – a standard Meta says is unworkable at its scale. As a result, political ad delivery in the EU will end at 6 p.m. CET on Oct. 6. Why we care. For advertisers and campaigners, this means an immediate pause on EU political ad activity and necessary updates to API and campaign tools. This cuts off a major channel for advocacy, nonprofit, and public policy campaigns, and forces agencies to rethink how they reach and mobilize audiences across Europe ahead of key elections and legislative debates. The broader context. Meta has repeatedly warned that EU rules like the TTPA add “untenable complexity and legal uncertainty.” The company says its global transparency tools will remain available, but political messaging in the EU will now rely solely on organic reach. Bottom line. Meta’s political ad blackout highlights how strict EU data laws are reshaping digital campaigning – and how platforms are willing to withdraw rather than adapt to regulatory burdens. View the full article

Social Security Administration Commissioner Frank Bisignano was named to the newly created position of CEO of the IRS on Monday, making him the latest member of the The President administration to be put in charge of multiple federal agencies. As IRS CEO, Bisignano will report to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who currently serves as acting commissioner of the IRS, the Treasury Department says. It is unclear whether Bisignano’s newly created role at the IRS will require Senate confirmation. The Treasury Department said in a statement that Bisignano will be responsible for overseeing all day-to-day IRS operations while also continuing to serve in his role as commissioner of the Social Security Administration. Bessent said in a statement that the IRS and SSA “share many of the same technological and customer service goals. This makes Mr. Bisignano a natural choice for this role.” The move to install Bisignano at the IRS adds another layer to the leadership shuffling that has occurred at the agency since the beginning of The President’s term. Bessent was named acting commissioner in August after The President removed former U.S. Rep Billy Long from the role less than two months after his confirmation, and nominated him as ambassador to Iceland. The four acting commissioners who preceded Long in the job included one who resigned over a deal between the IRS and the Department of Homeland Security to share immigrants’ tax data with Immigration and Customs Enforcement and another whose appointment led to a fight between former The President adviser Elon Musk and Bessent. Mike Kaercher, deputy director of the Tax Law Center at the New York University School of Law, points to a possible conflict of interest in Bisignano holding leadership roles at SSA and the IRS. “Putting the same person in charge of both the IRS and SSA creates a conflict of interest when SSA wants access to legally protected taxpayer data,” Kaercher said. With two day jobs, Bisignano joins a number of other The President administration officials to wear multiple hats, including Bessent, Marco Rubio, Sean Duffy, Jamieson Greer and Russell Vought. IRS and Social Security advocates expressed concern about the new appointment. Kathleen Romig, director of Social Security and Disability Policy at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, pointed to Bisignano being named to a position that appears to avoid congressional approval. “If the The President Admin asked for the Senate’s advice & consent, would they really want the same person running the government’s biggest program AND overseeing the implementation of the extraordinarily complex new tax law?” she said on the Bluesky social media app. And Nancy Altman, president of Social Security Works, an advocacy group for SSA recipients and future retirees, said Bisignano’s “divided attention will create a bottleneck that makes the inevitable problems that arise even harder to correct. Never in Social Security’s 90-year history has a commissioner held a second job. Bisiginano’s new role will leave a leadership vacuum at the top of the agency, especially since the Republican Senate hasn’t even confirmed a deputy commissioner.” Bisignano has served as CEO of Fiserv, a payments and financial services tech firm, since 2020. He is a onetime defender of corporate policies to protect LGBTQ+ people from discrimination. —Fatima Hussein, Associated Press View the full article

Zak Brown accused of stringing along Indycar star in $20.7mn High Court battle brought by team over alleged breach of contract View the full article