Author: Editor

The International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants has released a publication outlining its views of eight fundamental elements of an ethical culture and governance framework for accounting firms during a visit to Asia.Processing ContentThe Viewpoints document aims to foster a global dialogue on key characteristics of practice management such as ethical leadership, governance or incentives that influence ethical culture and behavior in accounting firms, as IESBA works to develop a global baseline for firm culture and governance.IESBA leaders are also traveling this week to Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong to do outreach with firms in Asia. The main topics on…

As Americans across incomes look to trim the grocery budget, Aldi plans to open more than 180 stores in the U.S. this year — including on the traditional turf of rival supermarkets and big-box stores.The German grocer’s latest growth plans follow an already aggressive expansion over the past decade. Aldi, which is known for its low prices, small stores and emphasis on private brands, has become the third-largest grocer in the country by store count, trailing behind only Walmart and Kroger. And last year, Aldi marked its biggest expansion since it opened its first U.S. store in Iowa in 1976…

Most people look forward to relaxing during retirement, but not my grandpa. After working for 40 years at the county’s Department of Agriculture, my grandpa started a part-time job at a local towing company. He didn’t have to, financially, but he wanted to stay busy. What started as a fun retirement gig evolved into three more decades of dedicated work. Even into his 90s, he didn’t fully quit working, and that’s just how he liked it. He credited his 70 years of work — and a good shot of bourbon every day — for keeping him strong, healthy, and quick-witted…

Forget AI influencers. Major brands are spending more than ever on human talent to star in their ad campaigns.US brands spent more than $1 billion on securing top celebrities to feature in their ads in 2025, surpassing pre-pandemic levels, according to a report published Monday by XR, an advertising operations platform that tracks campaigns and talent compensation. Spending on pay guarantees — the upfront cost to secure top talent to appear in ads rather than hourly rates — grew 47% since 2019, per XR.The increasing use of recognizable faces reflects a shift in how advertisers operate. Chief marketing officers are…

Bank executives were sent scrambling over the weekend after President Donald Trump declared late Friday that American credit card companies would be subject to a 10% cap on the interest rate they can charge customers.The move sent shares of large banks including Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo and Bank of America down between 1% and 4% in early trading Monday. Companies more tightly tethered to the card industry, like Visa, Mastercard and American Express, also fell. Capital One, whose loan book is mostly from credit cards, sank nearly 7%.Trump proposed a one-year cap on interest rates starting Jan. 20. While…

The restaurant industry is grappling with big questions this year.Diners these days are more value-conscious, more selective, and more willing to stay home; and costs, along with competition, continue to rise for operators.As big chains and local independents try to protect sales or regain their footing, analysts who spoke to Business Insider said the year ahead will come down to whether restaurants can do more with less, without losing what made people want to dine out in the first place.These are the biggest questions shaping the restaurant industry’s next chapter.How can we increase our value proposition?”Consumers are looking for value, but…

Some retailers provided early holiday results on Monday that showed the crucial shopping season was solid, but didn’t blow away expectations. Lululemon, which is preparing for a new CEO and staring down a proxy battle with its founder, said in a release it expects its holiday quarter to be “toward the high end” of its previously released guidance. Shoe maker Birkenstock and thrift store Savers Value Village also released lackluster early holiday results, while Abercrombie & Fitch cut the high end of its guidance. Meanwhile, American Eagle and Five Below bucked the trend and raised their guidance after better-than-expected holiday results. Lululemon…

As Wall Street’s top bankers huddled in New York last month, preparing to convince Elon Musk’s SpaceX that they should be chosen to lead its upcoming IPO, one firm wasn’t letting its star advisor miss the bake-off.Among the squad of JPMorgan Chase investment bankers flying 2,500 miles west to California to pitch SpaceX was the lender’s boss, billionaire CEO Jamie Dimon, people with knowledge of the trip told CNBC.The morning after that pitch meeting, on Dec. 19, Dimon was already back in his customary early Friday perch: sitting in his bank’s New York lobby, taking meetings in full view of…

Jersey Mike’s Subs is taking its signature sandwiches overseas with its first European expansion set for this year, the company said Monday. Leading the push is the brand’s founder and board chair, Peter Cancro, via his company, JM Submarines UK LTD.The deal between Jersey Mike’s and Cancro’s entity calls for 400 stores to be opened in the U.K. and Ireland, and it will be the first in a series of plans for future international growth. The privately owned Jersey Mike’s was acquired for a reported $8 billion by Blackstone in late 2024. “All consumers, not only here in the U.S.…

Here’s a case interview question for you: If a 40,000-person consulting firm added 25,000 AI agents to its workforce in under two years, how would that change its competitive advantage?It may not be long before McKinsey & Company is asking job candidates such a case question — but first, the firm is answering it for itself.The firm’s CEO, Bob Sternfels, said on an episode of Harvard Business Review’s IdeaCast recently that the company is rapidly remaking itself around artificial intelligence.He said that, according to his latest tally, the firm now has a workforce of 60,000, which he said is made…