ShareShareSharePrintMailGooglePinterestDiggRedditStumbleuponDeliciousBufferTumblr An explanation of the most recent threat to the industry’s exemption.by: Erik PayneThe U.S. Senate Committee on Finance is a 26-person (14 Republicans, 12 Democrats) committee that oversees federal spending and revenue, specifically with matters relating to taxation. It’s widely considered one of the most powerful committees in Congress.In an afternoon session on Day 2 of the Governmental Affairs Conference titled “The Politics and Policies of Tax Reform and Its Implications to Credit Unions,” the credit union tax exemption was the topic of choice.Moderator Terry West, president and CEO  of VyStar Credit Union, and panelists Chris Campbell, the committee’s staff director, and Mark Gerson, a tax lobbyist for Miller Chevalier, spoke for a little less than 75 minutes on how and why the credit union tax exemption could be eliminated.The Federal Case For Eliminating The Credit Union Tax ExemptionAs not-for-profit institutions that exist to serve their member-owners, credit unions are tax-exempt entities. This we know. The federal tax code marks these exemptions as “preferences,” and by basic way of explanation, the more preferences that exist in the tax code, the higher the overall tax rates. Fewer taxable entities have to pay more, resulting in a corporate tax rate that, as many including Campbell — a Republican it should be noted — pointed out over the course of the conference, is the highest in the world. continue reading » read more

One of my family members recently experienced debit card fraud where a scammer stole her card information and went on a $5,000 shopping spree in the span of an hour and a half. How the scammer got ahold of her information is unknown, but she quickly contacted her credit union to notify them so the necessary steps could be taken to prevent the scammer from making additional purchases on her account. Her credit union incurred the loss, increasing her loyalty to the brand. Meanwhile, her credit union’s bottom line took a $5,000 hit…but it could have been even more had the fraud not been detected within 1.5 hours of use.According to Cardhub.com, credit and debit card fraud resulted in $16.31 billion worth of losses in the US. Card issuers and merchants incurred 62% and 38% of those losses- the issuer losses occurring mostly at the point of sale from counterfeit cards and the merchant losses occurring mostly on card-not-present transactions.While many credit unions are now switching to EMV chip cards, cybercriminals are getting more creative and continue to scam consumers at an alarming rate. That said, here are some proactive ways to combat debit and credit card fraud:Offer transactional alerts. Many credit unions now provide members with the opportunity to set up alerts such as email, push notifications and/or SMS. My own personal alerts on my checking account, for example, are set up to send me an immediate push notification with every transaction made. This offers a value-add to members while positively impacting the credit unions’ bottom lines. The member receives peace of mind in knowing that if their debit card is compromised, they will be notified right away. In turn, the credit union is able to freeze the account in a timelier manner, mitigating the risk of larger account refunds. Encourage members to go paperless. A recent article on Mashable entitled “How to halt credit card fraud this holiday season” discusses the impact of forgoing hard-copy statements in favor of online access to accounts. Signing up for paperless statements eliminates the possibility of credit union account information being stolen straight out of your members’ mailboxes. This is a two-fold effort with existing members, as well as new accounts opened. With existing members, a good practice would be to segment those who are still receiving paper documents and then communicate the benefits of going paperless on those members’ transactional documents. The approach CSRs should take with new accounts is to communicate on the front end the benefits of eAdoption. Aside from mitigating risk of fraud through the mail stream, some of the other advantages to the member are as follows:Online Archival: Online document history availability is a great eAdoption motivator. Viewing at least 18 months of history online will provide members with important information as they prepare tax returns and other financial documents. In addition, providing document history reduces member service calls regarding inquires for past statements.Sustainability: According to Business Wire, one out of five members has stated that green initiatives cement the bond they have with financial institutions. Furthermore, 43% of members say they are more likely to do business with organizations that are green. Sustainability can be communicated through member-critical communications- whether print or electronic- by utilizing well-placed colorful eAdoption messaging. Set members up with two-factor authentication. Many of you are familiar with two-factor authentication, which is a security measure that requires more than a member’s username and password to gain access to accounts. As cybercriminals continue to find ways to scam your members, two-factor authentication is necessary. How you implement it, however, is even more important. Be sure that you communicate with members that the while this will help protect them from cybercriminals, they still should be mindful of any phishing emails or texts that appear to be from your credit union.While these solutions are not 100% foolproof, utilizing them will help decrease the amount of fraudulent charges to your members’ accounts, increasing their loyalty to your brand and improving your bottom line. 110SHARESShareShareSharePrintMailGooglePinterestDiggRedditStumbleuponDeliciousBufferTumblr,Callie Cady Callie Cady is the Communications & Marketing Manager at Lanvera, a world-class provider of end-to-end outsourcing solutions for transactional documents. At Lanvera, cutting edge technology solutions are coupled with industry … Web: www.lanvera.com Details read more

U.S. retail sales increased less than expected in October and could slow further, restrained by spiraling new Covid-19 infections and declining household income as millions of unemployed Americans lose government financial support.Retail sales rose 0.3% last month, the Commerce Department said on Tuesday. Data for September was revised down to show sales surging 1.6% instead of shooting up 1.9% as previously reported. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast retail sales would gain 0.5% in October.- Advertisement – Excluding automobiles, gasoline, building materials and food services, retail sales nudged up 0.1% after a downwardly revised 0.9% increase in September. These so-called core retail sales correspond most closely with the consumer spending component of gross domestic product. They were previously estimated to have risen 1.4% in September.Daily new coronavirus cases have been exceeding 100,000 since early this month, pushing the number of infections in the United States above 11 million, according to a Reuters tally. Some state and local governments have imposed new restrictions on businesses.Restrictions and consumer avoidance of crowded places like bars and restaurants could undercut spending and trigger another wave of layoffs, further squeezing incomes following the loss of a government weekly unemployment subsidy.- Advertisement – The supplement, which was part of more than $3 trillion in government coronavirus relief, has lapsed for millions of unemployed and underemployed workers. Millions more will lose benefits next month when a government-funded program for the self-employed, gig workers and others who do not qualify for the regular state unemployment programs expires.Another government program providing benefits for people who have exhausted their six months of eligibility for state aid will also lapse at the end of December.A second rescue package is unlikely before President-elect Joe Biden takes office in January.- Advertisement – – Advertisement – Economists expect moderate retail sales growth for the rest of the year, which will contribute to slower economic growth after a historic rebound in gross domestic product in the third quarter. A JPMorgan survey of credit and debit cardholders showed a broad decline in spending through Nov. 9, with big drops in states where Covid-19 is spreading most rapidly.Growth estimates for the fourth quarter are below a 5% annualized rate. The economy grew at a 33.1% rate in the July-September quarter after contracting at 31.4% pace in the second quarter, the deepest since the government started keeping records in 1947. read more

After he put out a message on the council’s Facebook page asking if anyone in Villanueva de Algaidas wanted to fly a rainbow flag, he received more than 100 requests for the flags, prompting him to drive over and hand out another 300.”The village is full [of flags]. It is incredible,” Alcántara said.Piedad Queralta hung two flags from her house in the village.“I think people should be free to love who they want to as long as it does not cause anybody any harm,” she said.In 2005, Spain became the third country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage, after the Netherlands and Belgium.A 2013 report for the US-based Pew Research Center found 88% of Spaniards accepted homosexuality, making it one of the most accepting countries of the 39 polled.Antonio Ferre, of the Federation of Andalusian LGTB+ Diversity, said the villagers’ initiative in Villanueva de Algaidas was “especially moving”.Manolo Garcia, another resident, was just happy to support the cause.“To me it is not good nor bad. Every person should be able to do what they like in their own home and in the public street if it does not offend others,” he said.  Civico said the local government was bound by a recent ruling by the Spanish Supreme Court that only official flags, of Spain, its regions or the European Union, can be flown from council buildings.”After the complaints, we studied what we had to do. We saw that under the law we had to remove the flag. But the people can put what they like on their balconies,” said Civico.Hearing about the police action, Antonio Carlos Alcántara who runs a shop in the seaside resort of Torremolinos, 62 km away, had an idea.He sells rainbow flags in his shop in the resort, which is popular with the LGBT community, but because of the coronavirus they were not selling and he had plenty in stock. Topics : When police ordered a local mayor in southern Spain to take down a rainbow flag put up to celebrate gay pride on Friday because it was illegal, more than 300 households in the village rallied to the cause and flew their own flags.By the time gay pride celebrations took place in Spain on Sunday, the Andalusian village of Villanueva de Algaidas near Malaga was awash with flags hanging from balconies, windows and even a bar in solidarity.Juan Civico, Socialist mayor of the village of 4,000 inhabitants, only found out it was illegal for authorities to fly the flag after three residents complained about the one he had put up. read more

SHARE Email Facebook Twitter May 28, 2020 Press Release,  Public Health Governor Tom Wolf and Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine signed amended yellow phase orders to include eight counties moving to the yellow phase at 12:01 a.m. tomorrow, May 29. The counties include Dauphin, Franklin, Huntingdon, Lebanon, Luzerne, Monroe, Pike and Schuylkill.The eight counties are joining 49 counties that previously moved into the yellow phase.The Governor’s amended order can be found here.The Secretary of Health’s amended order can be found here.Ver esta página en español. Yellow Phase Orders Updated to Include Eight Additional Counties Moving on May 29 read more

LNG World News Staff Veresen shareholders have approved the proposed takeover of the company by Pembina Pipeline Corporation with 99 percent of cast votes in favor of the combination. The two companies said the combination would create one of the largest energy infrastructure companies in Canada, with the deal valued at C$9.7 billion ($7.5 billion).Under the terms of the transaction, Pembina will acquire all of the issued and outstanding common shares of Veresen in exchange for either 0.4287 of a common share of Pembina or $18.65 in cash.The deal gives Pembina a 100 percent ownership of the proposed Jordan Cove liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in Oregon, which is estimated to be worth about $6 billion.The United States Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) said last month it will prepare an environmental impact statement for the project.The LNG terminal would include five liquefaction trains and two full containment LNG storage tanks. It would be designed to liquefy about 1.04 billion cubic feet per day (7.8 mtpa) of LNG for export to markets across the Pacific Rim.Pembina and Veresen both noted that the transaction is expected to close late in the third quarter or early in the fourth quarter of 2017.1 CAD = 0.774604 USD read more

Fox News 15 May 2013The $5.7 billion United Nations Development Program, the U.N.’s flagship anti-poverty agency,  is poor at producing lasting results, sets unrealistic or unfocused priorities and often seems more interested in getting funding than in setting up programs that make the best sense, according to an internal assessment that will be discussed at a top-level meeting next month.Moreover, in a sweeping examination of some $19.7 billion worth of UNDP programs between 2008 and 2012, the report says that only in “just about half” of the country-by-country efforts was the agency “likely to have made, or make, a significant contribution to the intended outcome.”Nor is the agency very good at judging where it is going wrong, the report adds, meaning that “strengthening the efficiency of projects and programs is a major challenge.”The sobering evaluation of UNDP’s usefulness was carried out by UNDP’s own Evaluation Office, whose director is appointed by UNDP’s top official, Helen Clark. So far, only an executive summary of the evaluation is available to members of UNDP’s 36-nation supervisory Executive Board, which holds its semi-annual meeting in New York City starting on June 3. According to a UNDP spokesman, a full version of the report will be made public next week.The 16-page document is tough, but it is only the latest internal analysis of UNDP’s performance to give the agency — it operates in 177 countries and territories around the world, where its efforts are tailored to “national ownership” — lousy marks for its far-flung efforts at improving the lot of the world’s worst-off people.http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/05/15/un-anti-poverty-agency-often-chases-cash-rather-than-long-term-results-study/ read more

RelatedPosts Aruna Quadri’s uncommon qualities stand him out, says Oshodi Quadri Aruna leads Africa to World Cup Aruna’s arrival attracted interest in Germany — TTBL The table tennis continental ruling body, African Table Tennis Federation, has named the 32 contestants that will battle for honours at the 2020 Top 16 Cup holding in Tunis later this month. The three-day tournament serves as qualifiers for the 2020 ITTF World Cup holding in Germany and China later in the year. According to the list released by the ATTF, Egypt’s Omar Assar and Dina Meshref will be defending their titles in the men and women singles against top contenders and regional champions in Africa. In the men’s singles, Assar will slug it out with regional champions like Algeria’s Sami Kherouf (North), Cote d’Ivoire’s Oba Oba Kizito (West), Congo DRC’s Gedeon Kassa (Central), Kenya’s Brian Mutua (East), and South Africa’s Shane Overmeyer (South). Other top players expected to battle for the sole slot in the men’s singles are Algeria’s Larbi Bouriah, Benin Republic’s Monday Olabiyi, Congo Brazzaville’s Saheed Idowu, Senegal’s Ibrahima Diaw, Togo’s Kokou Dodji Fanny, Tunisia’s Adam Hmam, Egypt’s Ahmed Saleh, Nigeria’s Olajide Omotayo and Aruna Quadri as well as South Africa’s Theo Cogill. Dina Meshref will contend with regional champions Tunisia’s Fadwa Garci (North), Congo DRC’s Flavia Kimbu (Central), Ethiopia’s Marta Gulti (East), South Africa’s Musfiquh Kalam (South) and Nigeria’s Fatimo Bello (West). Others that made the list of participants based on their continental ranking include Algeria’s Katia Kessaci, Botswana’s Tshepiso Rebatenne, Cameroun’s Sarah Hanffou, Egypt’s Yousra Helmy, Mauritius’ Nandeshwaree  Jalim, Nigeria’s Offiong Edem, South Africa’s Simeen Mookrey, Tunisia’s Safa Saidani, Seychelles’ Christy Bristol, and Algeria’s Lynda Loghraibi. For the President of ATTF, Khaled El-Salhy, the competitiveness of this year’s tournament would make the championship exciting. “I am so happy to have such competitive atmosphere that the winners cannot be known until the end of the final match, and also that gives Africa the chance to get more than one qualifier for ITTF World Cup as we did it twice in men in 2017 and 2019. We are also to give the tournament the needed coverage as the matches would be stream live,” El-Salhy said.Tags: 2020 ITTF World CupAfrican Table Tennis Federationaruna quadriDina Meshref read more

Thursday, a man who killed and dismembered his girlfriend’s 14-year-old daughter as part of a […]

– Tucville, Broad Street and Back Circle also advanceSPARTA Boss is on course to take their third Georgetown title in the Guinness greatest of the Street Football Tournament as they moved on to the semi-finals following games on Saturday night.The champs overcame Camp Street All-Stars 1-0 at the Demerara Park with Courtney Britton’s 21st minute strike securing the berth.Meanwhile, they will face Back Circle in the second semi-final after the former advanced via similar margin over North East La Penitence,thanks to Sylvester Richardson who scored in the19th.Tucville also advanced with a 2-1 win over Leopold Street with Leon Richardson opening the scoring for the eventual winners in the 21st. Okeene Fraser responded to level things up but Dennis Edwards hammered in the winner to pilot his team into the next round.The last semi-final spot was picked up by the Broad Street Bullies who outshone Queen Street Tigerbay 2-0, the first of which was an own goal by the eventual losers while Lennox Court slammed in the second.Semi-final action is billed for Tuesday at the National Cultural Centre Tarmac.The winners of the leg will cart off $500,000, second place $200,000 , third place $150,000 and fourth place $75,000.There are also legs billed for the West Coast Demerara, West and East Coast Berbice, Linden and Bartica. read more