Break from the Grind September 19, 2019

A Little Friday File Fun

And now it's time for FRIDAY FILES!
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In Chicago, State Representative Jaime Andrade was discussing ideas to address a Chicago Transit Authority stop known by some as “pigeon poop station” with a reporter outside of the Irving Park Blue Line station. WBBM-TV reports that one of the birds did its business on the head of the lawmaker during the interview. Andrade rubbed the top of his head and said, “I think they just got me.” Talk about backing up your argument with evidence.

In Lincoln, Nebraska, a heart-broken 19-year-old awoke from a nap to find the carpet on fire in her apartment. Turns out, before the nap, she had used a butane torch to set fire to love letters from her ex. According to the Associated Press, police say the woman left some of them of the floor.
I’ve done this (although not that song)—and danced!

If you can't view the below video, try https://youtu.be/Hkp2saxfSmY.
Interesting facts about our vision.

If you can't view the below video, try https://youtu.be/2nHrsf2KyoU.
In Washington, D.C., a post of home security footage that showed what appeared to be a huge cat sparked fears that there was a mountain lion or cougar loose. However, a local woman came forward and told NBC 4 that the cat in the video is her own pet, Cookie.  “He’s utterly docile,” she said. “He’s small. He’s a domestic cat and we’ve had him for six and a half years.” However, Cookie’s veterinarian told the station that Cookie was a long cat who “takes up most of the table” when he comes in for a visit.
At the LaPorte County Library in Indiana, librarians want you to know that tacos do not make good bookmarks.
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Products September 19, 2019

Firms Announce Changes to Equity Compensation, ESPP Platforms

UBS enhanced its equity compensation plan services and digital platform, and Carver Edison’s Cashless Participation technology is now available to all public companies who use E*TRADE Corporate Services to manage their employee stock purchase plans (ESPPs).

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UBS Wealth Management USA announced enhancements to its equity compensation plan services and digital platform.

UBS equity compensation plan clients and their employees now benefit from:

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  • An experience that brings their equity awards and personal finances together in one place, irrespective of where those accounts are held;
  • Flat trading commissions as low as $0 for U.S. equity trades completed on its equity compensation plan platform;
  • Personal finance tools to track what they spend, where they save, as well as the ability to set and monitor budgets; and
  • UBS’s digital advice platform which combines UBS’s research with intelligent technology to provide guidance on fine-tuning investments, as well as the ability to set and monitor near and long-term goals.

This platform is offered to equity plan participants alongside access to tailored advice provided by a UBS financial adviser.

“As the workplace continues to evolve, we know the demand for simplicity and affordability is top of mind. Combining our next generation digital participant platform and lower trading fees with advice from our financial advisers aims to enable employees to manage equity awards as part of their overall lives, helping them better value their awards and make more informed financial decisions,” says Michael Barry, head of UBS Workplace Wealth Services.

A Fidelity survey found equity compensation is increasingly used for participants’ financial wellness and retirement.

Carver Edison, a New York City-based financial technology firm, announced that its Cashless Participation technology is now available to all public companies who use E*TRADE Corporate Services to manage their employee stock purchase plans (ESPPs). The firm says this reflects a major advancement in helping employees nationwide access company-sponsored stock plans.

Cashless Participation will be supported by E*TRADE’s platform Equity Edge Online, allowing administrators to seamlessly reconcile and process purchases for ESPPs with Cashless Participation. Carver Edison’s technology can now also be offered globally.

Cashless Participation is an enhancement to ESPPs that allows employees to maximize their ESPP contributions with limited payroll deductions. Essentially, Carver Edison issues an interest-free loan to employees who elect to participate in their ESPP. With that loan, their ESPP administrator purchases additional shares on their behalf at the end of the offering period. The loan is then repaid instantly (this all happens on the backend) and the employee gets a net benefit.

Participating employees own more shares than they would otherwise have been able to afford without seeing their paychecks shrink.

For more details, visit www.carveredison.com.

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