Welcome to our News Round-Up! Here, we’ll share with you interesting news in interesting ways, giving you a snapshot of a few of this past week’s headlines and events to get you caught up on what’s going on both here and abroad.
May 23, 2015
Quote of the Week:
- “Sensitive technology developed by U.S. companies in Silicon Valley and throughout California continues to be vulnerable to coordinated and complex efforts sponsored by foreign governments to steal that technology.” – Melinda Haag, the United States attorney in San Francisco. Six Chinese citizens were indicted after an alleged decade-long scheme to steal intelligence from American companies.
On Your Business:
- Oh Canada, eh? Yes, half of them speak French and yes, they might still pay allegiance to the British Crown, but apparently there’s a lot of potential for financial advisors up North. At least according to this article from FA Magazine, which offers six reasons why you should be paying more attention to Canada…eh.
On the Industry:
- Gamifying Retirement Planning. Gamification is taking the concepts of games and applying it to non-game contexts to engage users. One example is putting up a goals board in the sales department to create competition among employees. Advisors can apply the same method to their clients when planning for retirement. Using progress charts and seeing the impact of their decisions against their goals can get clients to become more involved.
On Technology:
- Turns out, you CAN go “Home” again – thanks to Apple. Could these leaked screenshots show off some new software for the iPhone? Apparently Apple has big plans for the future of their different platform. Not only are they introducing iPhone interactivity with all of your “smart” devices (including your car, if you own a Tesla) but they’re incorporating an eye-pleasing new font to their user interface and a brand new keyboard on their popular MacBook line of laptops.
On the Economy:
- They did what?! Six banks, including J.P Morgan Chase and Citigroup, will pay a combined $5.6 billion to settle charges that they manipulated foreign-exchange markets. More shocking than the fine however, is that they plead guilty to the charges, rather than just settling the case financially as is custom. Maybe they wouldn’t have gotten caught if they didn’t call themselves “the Cartel”.
On the World:
- Spy Games. The South China Sea has become a hotbed of international intrigue lately, with China swooping in to build military installations in the hotly contested area of the world.Naturally the United States is trying to glean information from whatever sources they can–including spy aircraft, according to the Chinese military.
