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By Kimberly Palmer, NerdWallet The investing information provided on this page is for educational purposes only. NerdWallet, Inc. does not offer advisory or brokerage services, nor does it recommend or advise investors to buy or sell particular stocks, securities or other investments. The start of a new year can bring a surge of motivation around setting new goals, including financial resolutions. One way to help those goals become reality, financial experts say, is to make them as specific as possible. Then, track your progress, while allowing flexibility for unexpected challenges. “It’s easier to track progress when we know where we are going,” says Sylvie Scowcroft, a certified financial planner and founder of The Financial Grove in Cambridge, Massachusetts. That’s why she encourages her clients to set clearly defined goals, often related to paying off a specific debt, saving a certain amount per month or improving their credit score. Here are more tips from financial experts about crafting 2025 financial goals : Pick your top priorities Trying to accomplish too much can feel overwhelming. Instead, pick your priorities, says Cathleen Tobin, CFP and owner of Moonbridge Financial Design in Rhinebeck, New York. She suggests focusing on those big, often emotionally-driven goals to find motivation. “It’s more compelling than just a number,” she says. For example, do you want to make sure you’re on track for retirement or save money for a house? “Start there.” Be as specific as possible Scowcroft says she sees clients get tripped up by selecting overly broad goals, such as “get better with money.” Instead, she encourages people to select specific action items, such as “sign up for a budgeting tool and set aside time each month to learn where my money is going.” That level of specificity provides direction so you know what steps to take next, she adds. For example, if your top priority is to become debt-free, then your specific goal might be to pay off an extra $200 of your debt balance each month. Tobin says labeling savings accounts so they correspond with goals can also help. An emergency fund could be named something like “Peace of mind in 2025,” so you remember why you’re saving every time you make a transfer. “It’s more motivating than just ‘emergency fund,’” Tobin says. Track your progress Measuring your progress as the year unfolds is also a critical component of successful goal setting, Tobin says. She compares it to weight loss. If you want to lose 20 pounds by June, then you need to lose about a pound a week for the first six months of the year. Similarly, she says it helps to break savings goals into microsteps that specify what you need to do each week. Schedule a weekly or monthly check-in with yourself to make sure you are meeting those smaller goals along the way. You might want to review your debt payoff progress or check your credit score , for example. “Being able to break it down into steps that can be done each week or twice a month really helps,” Tobin says. Automate where you can If your goal is to save more money , then setting up an automatic transfer each month can help turn that goal into reality, as long as you know you have the money in your checking account to spare. Related Articles Business | Buying a house in 2025: your how-to guide Business | For some FSA dollars, it’s use it or lose it at year’s end Business | A million taxpayers will soon receive up to $1,400 from the IRS. Who are they and why now? Business | Corporate Transparency Act injunction lifted Business | Are religious people more generous than non-religious people? What new study finds “It reduces the mental load,” says Mike Hunsberger, CFP and owner of Next Mission Financial Planning in St. Charles, Missouri, where he primarily supports veterans and current members of the military. He recommends starting small to ease into the change. “I wouldn’t jump to double what you’re currently saving,” he says. For example, when it comes to saving in a retirement account, if you’re starting with a 3% contribution, you might want to bump it up to 4%, then slowly increase it from there. “My number one piece of advice is to start small, but make sure you scale over time,” Hunsberger adds. “Because it’s gradual, you probably won’t notice it impacting your lifestyle.” Adjust as needed “Stay flexible,” Scowcroft says. “Part of it is just being kind to yourself and not being too rigid.” When unexpected challenges come up, such as a big unplanned expense, you might have to pause making progress on your goal and reset. You might even need to change your goal. Scowcroft says that doesn’t mean you “failed,” just that life changed your plans. Dwelling on any negativity won’t help your forward progress. Team up with a friend Sharing your goals with a friend can also make it easier to reach them, Scowcroft says. “It really helps to have an accountability buddy,” she says. She suggests putting a regular “money date” with your friend on the calendar so you can ask each other how you’re doing, brainstorm any challenges or even budget together side-by-side . “It’s a fun excuse to meet up with a friend.” Kimberly Palmer writes for NerdWallet. Email: kpalmer@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @kimberlypalmer. The article The Secret to Making Successful Financial New Year’s Resolutions originally appeared on NerdWallet .
By ERIC TUCKER WASHINGTON (AP) — A ninth U.S. telecoms firm has been confirmed to have been hacked as part of a sprawling Chinese espionage campaign that gave officials in Beijing access to private texts and phone conversations of an unknown number of Americans, a top White House official said Friday. Biden administration officials said this month that at least eight telecommunications companies , as well as dozens of nations, had been affected by the Chinese hacking blitz known as Salt Typhoon. But Anne Neuberger, the deputy national security adviser for cyber and emerging technologies, told reporters Friday that a ninth victim had been identified after the administration released guidance to companies about how to hunt for Chinese culprits in their networks. The update from Neuberger is the latest development in a massive hacking operation that has alarmed national security officials, exposed cybersecurity vulnerabilities in the private sector and laid bare China’s hacking sophistication. The hackers compromised the networks of telecommunications companies to obtain customer call records and gain access to the private communications of “a limited number of individuals.” Though the FBI has not publicly identified any of the victims, officials believe senior U.S. government officials and prominent political figures are among those whose whose communications were accessed. Neuberger said officials did not yet have a precise sense how many Americans overall were affected by Salt Typhoon, in part because the Chinese were careful about their techniques, but a “large number” were in the Washington-Virginia area. Officials believe the goal of the hackers was to identify who owned the phones and, if they were “government targets of interest,” spy on their texts and phone calls, she said. The FBI said most of the people targeted by the hackers are “primarily involved in government or political activity.” Neuberger said the episode highlighted the need for required cybersecurity practices in the telecommunications industry, something the Federal Communications Commission is to take up at a meeting next month. “We know that voluntary cyber security practices are inadequate to protect against China, Russia and Iran hacking of our critical infrastructure,” she said. The Chinese government has denied responsibility for the hacking.Trudeau, Carney push back over Trump's ongoing 51st state comments OTTAWA — Two senior members of the federal cabinet were in Florida Friday pushing Canada's new border plan with Donald Trump's transition team, a day after Trudeau himself appeared to finally push back at the president-elect over his social media pos Alessia Passafiume, The Canadian Press Dec 27, 2024 12:00 PM Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message Minister of Foreign Affairs Melanie Joly, centre, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, right, and Dominic LeBlanc participate in a news conference in Ottawa, on Monday, Oct. 14, 2024. LeBlanc and Joly are in Florida to meet with officials from President-elect Donald Trump's incoming administration.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang Listen to this article 00:01:24 OTTAWA — Two senior members of the federal cabinet were in Florida Friday pushing Canada's new border plan with Donald Trump's transition team, a day after Trudeau himself appeared to finally push back at the president-elect over his social media posts about turning Canada into the 51st state. Both Trudeau and former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney, who Trudeau has been courting to become Canada's next finance minister, shared posts on X Thursday, a day after Trump's latest jab at Canada in his Christmas Day message. It isn't clear if Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc, who has repeatedly insisted Trump's 51st state references are a joke, will raise the issue with Trump's team when he and Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly meet with them in Palm Beach. The two are there to discuss Canada's new $1.3 billion border plan with just under four weeks left before Trump is sworn in again as president. He has threatened to impose a new 25 per cent import tariff on Canada and Mexico the same day over concerns about a trade imbalance, as well as illegal drugs and migration issues at the borders. The broad strokes of Canada's plan were made public Dec. 17, including a new aerial intelligence task force to provide round-the-clock surveillance of the border, and improved efforts using technology and canine teams to seek out drugs in shipments leaving Canada LeBlanc's spokesman, Jean-Sébastien Comeau, said the ministers will also emphasize the negative impacts of Trump's threatened tariffs on both Canada and the U.S. Comeau said the ministers will build on the discussions that took place last month when Trudeau and LeBlanc met Trump at Mar-a-Lago just days after Trump first made his tariff threat. It was at that dinner on Nov. 29 when Trump first raised the notion of Canada becoming the 51st state, a comment LeBlanc has repeatedly since insisted was just a joke. But Trump has continued the quip repeatedly in various social media posts, including in his Christmas Day message when he said Canadians would pay lower taxes and have better military protection if they became Americans. He has taken to calling Trudeau "governor" instead of prime minister. Trudeau had not directly responded to any of the jabs, but on Thursday posted a link to a six-minute long video on YouTube from 2010 in which American journalist Tom Brokaw "explains Canada to Americans." The video, which originally aired during the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, explains similarities between the two countries, including their founding based on immigration, their trading relationship and the actions of the Canadian Army in World War 2 and other modern conflicts. "In the long history of sovereign neighbours there has never been a relationship as close, productive and peaceful as the U.S. and Canada," Brokaw says in the video. Trudeau did not expand about why he posted a link to the video, posting it only with the words "some information about Canada for Americans." Carney, who is at the centre of some of Trudeau's recent domestic political troubles, also called out Trump's antics on X Thursday, calling it "casual disrespect" and "carrying the 'joke' too far." "Time to call it out, stand up for Canada, and build a true North American partnership," said Carney, who Trudeau was courting to join his cabinet before Chrystia Freeland resigned as finance minister last week. Freeland's sudden departure, three days after Trudeau informed her he would be firing her as finance minister in favour of Carney, left Trudeau's leadership even more bruised than it already was. Despite the expectation Carney would assume the role, he did not and has not made any statements about it. LeBlanc was sworn in as finance minister instead the same day Freeland quit. More than two dozen Liberal MPs have publicly called on Trudeau to resign as leader, and Trudeau is said to be taking the holidays to think about his next steps. He is currently vacationing in British Columbia. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 27, 2024. Alessia Passafiume, The Canadian Press See a typo/mistake? Have a story/tip? This has been shared 0 times 0 Shares Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message More National News After cold, snowy Christmas, temperatures to rise across southern Quebec for new year Dec 27, 2024 10:48 AM Gerry Butts says Trudeau less likely to remain leader since Freeland quit Dec 27, 2024 9:52 AM Tugboats, crews try to refloat ship stuck in St. Lawrence River near Montreal Dec 27, 2024 9:40 AM Featured Flyer
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WASHINGTON , Dec. 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- In a new major enhancement to the Apollo ® Customer Experience Platform (CXP), dealers partnering with Team Velocity can now unlock the power of automated customer scoring and real-time alerts with Deal Alerts. As customers engage throughout their journey, Apollo's predictive technology dynamically ranks and scores them, sending instant notifications when they hit custom thresholds. Powered by Apollo and intelligent predictive technology, Deal Alerts deliver closing ratios 3-4x higher than traditional sales leads, often within just five days – and best of all, there's no cost to the dealer. "Deal Alerts take our platform's predictive capabilities to the next level," said David Boice , Co-Founder and CEO at Team Velocity. "With this latest innovation, we're making it easier for dealers to connect with customers who are truly ready to buy. By focusing on what really matters, dealers can now spend less time on guesswork and more time building genuine, productive relationships with qualified leads. It's about turning data-driven insights into impactful customer experiences that are proven to convert." This innovative enhancement empowers dealers to further leverage the Command Center, enabling them to proactively prioritize leads, close more deals, and bridge CRM gaps. Apollo's Deal Alert technology intelligently filters website activity, distinguishing between shoppers (inventory searches, trade value estimates) and buyers (based on purchase history, service activity, and intent). Once identified, buyers are segmented into one of three high-value categories – Previous Buyer, Service Customer, and Conquest Customer – and assigned a dynamic score that reflects their likelihood to purchase. Updated every 30 minutes, these scores ensure dealers have real-time insights to act on hot opportunities before they're missed. During beta testing, Murgado Automotive Group and Yark Automotive Group saw the immediate effects of Team Velocity's new Deal Alert rollout. Averaging 4 days from alert to sale, the dealer groups are a shining example of the importance of intelligent lead scoring technology. "Deal Alerts have revolutionized the way we handle leads, turning what used to be guesswork into a precise, efficient process," said Mario Murgado Jr. , Director of Marketing and Operations at Murgado Automotive Group. "Instantly identifying the customers most ready to buy lets our teams focus on high-value opportunities, driving results faster than we ever imagined." "We're now closing deals at lightning speed—often within just a few days. It's a true game-changer that's brought our stores to the next level," said Billy Yark , Vice President and CMO at Yark Automotive Group. To learn more about Deal Alerts or to schedule a demo, please visit https://teamvelocitymarketing.com/websites/ . About Team Velocity Team Velocity is revolutionizing the automotive industry with technology that digitizes the car buying and vehicle ownership processes. Made by dealers for dealers, our Apollo Customer Experience Platform provides a suite of integrated applications that make, manage, and measure frictionless consumer experiences from the initial engagement to a final transaction. Apollo empowers dealers to own the entire customer journey by delivering hyper-personalized campaigns across every touchpoint, maximizing ROI and lifetime revenue. For more information, please visit www.teamvelocitymarketing.com . View original content to download multimedia: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/team-velocity-announces-latest-breakthrough-technology-with-automated-deal-alerts-and-customer-scoring-302325163.html SOURCE Team Velocity
Join our daily and weekly newsletters for the latest updates and exclusive content on industry-leading AI coverage. Learn More This year's show should be big again. Last year's attendance reached 138,789, according to an audited report by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), the group that puts on the show. Last year at CES 2024, I recorded around 80 press events, interviews, and sessions. I walked 46.78 miles, or 105,407 steps, over six days. My feet hurt and my back were sore. There were more than 4,300 exhibitors and 2.4 million square feet of exhibit space to crawl. And the Goodyear blimp was there. I've been attending the Consumer Electronics Show since the 1990s when then-Microsoft CEO Bill Gates gave the opening keynote speeches every year. This time, the biggest speech will come from Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, the graphics chip maker that has become the king of AI hardware with a market value of $3.42 trillion — the most valuable company in the world. He will give a talk at 6:30 p.m. Pacific time at the Michelob Arena at the Mandalay Bay on January 6. Most attendees arrive at the show on January 7 and stay through January 10, when the expos are open. But the press — a few thousand of us — start arriving on January 5 for the afternoon previews and CES Unveiled (press only, in Mandalay Bay), where award-winning exhibitors show their wares at tables. "The CES is an amazing, powerful tech event. I was looking back at what you had written last year about it, before and after," said Gary Shapiro, CEO of the Consumer Technology Association, in an interview with GamesBeat. "A lot of people go with a very full agenda, but we always say you have to have time for serendipity and discovery. We have a new look, a new feel. We focused the campaign on "Dive in." We're inviting attendees to do three things: connect, solve, and discover." He said the average attendee has about 29 meetings during the show, as face-to-face business is still important. About... Dean TakahashiWe are living through a period of unprecedented species extinction due to human-induced changes to the planet's ecosystems . This is not the first time human activities radically changed relationships between land and life. Illustrated by a famous photograph of remains, the extermination of bison from the North American West in the 19th century is one key example of catastrophic species loss. As a visual studies researcher, I use photographs to analyze the impacts of colonization on human and non-human lives. Images of bison bones provide a window into the cultural and ecological relations that tie animal and human lives together . Through photographs, we can also think about bison extermination as part of a history of relationships . An iconic image The most famous photograph of bison extermination is a grisly image of a mountain of bison skulls. It was taken outside of Michigan Carbon Works in Rougeville, Mich., in 1892. This photo from 1892 shows two men with an enormous pile of American bison (buffalo) skulls. Originally numbering 30-60 million, commercial hunting and government campaigns aimed at destroying the Indian way of life ultimately reduced the total bison population to