Shoppers looking for beauty products will soon be able to get personalized assistance powered by artificial intelligence on Google surfaces and on Ulta Beauty’s digital properties. These shopping experiences will be enabled by solutions launched by Ulta Beauty and powered by Google’s Gemini, the companies said in a Wednesday (April 22) press release. In […] […]

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) published its final rule on the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (Regulation B) on Wednesday (April 22). The CFPB said in its summary of the final rule that it amends provisions related to disparate impact, discouragement of applicants or prospective applicants, and special purpose credit programs under the regulation […] […]

Four banking associations are looking to pause the rulemaking process for the GENIUS Act until one of the relevant final rules has been issued. The American Bankers Association (ABA), Bank Policy Institute (BPI), Consumer Bankers Association(CBA) and Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) made this request in a Tuesday (April 21) joint letter addressed to the Treasury Department, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) and Office of […] […]

The next time a customer wants a foundation shade, she might not open a search engine. She’ll ask an AI. Sephora launched an app inside ChatGPT. Fenty Beauty built an artificial intelligence adviser on WhatsApp. Ulta Beauty rolled out agentic commerce across Google’s AI surfaces. Three platforms, three brands, one problem: Purchase intent is […] […]

Crypto means a lot of things to merchants and payment service providers (PSPs). But for the first time, it might actually mean opportunity. With MoneyGram launching its stablecoin wallet in El Salvador Wednesday (April 22) as the start of a broader Latin American rollout, and DoorDash on Tuesday (April 21) saying it will begin offering […] […]

Velocity Capital Group has deployed over $1 billion to small businesses, newly unveiled financial stats show, shedding light on the firm’s performance as it enters a new phase of institutional-scale expansion. Across more than 10,000 transactions, VCG reports a 37.1% renewal rate and a sub-10% default rate. The firm says it operates in all 50 […]

Minnetonka, MN, April 21, 2026 – Channel today announced that Heidi Mukomela has joined the company as Senior Vice President of Credit and Operations. She brings over 25 years of leadership experience in equipment finance, with background spanning operations, risk management, and process improvement. In this role, Mukomela will oversee Channel’s credit and operations functions, […]

David Roitblat is the founder and CEO of Better Accounting Solutions, an accounting firm based in New York City and a leading authority in specialized accounting for merchant cash advance companies. To connect with David or schedule a call about working with Better Accounting Solutions, email [email protected]. Audits do not create problems. They reveal them. […]

Almost four years since Virginia’s sales-based financing provider law went into effect, the state now lists 229 registered parties. That’s an increase of only 27 companies since last year. Both funders and brokers are required to be registered if they intend to transact with Virginia-based merchants, subject to some exceptions. Registrants on the list include […]