Author: Perry

Key takeaways Close speed is a systems problem, not an effort problem, for growing UK finance teams. Core bottlenecks: manual reconciliation, spreadsheet consolidation, low real-time visibility. AI-powered automation and intelligent agents now separate fast closers from slow ones. Connected financial management software removes the manual work that slows close down most. Faster close frees finance leaders for analysis and strategic decisions, not data-chasing. If your close still drags into a second week, you’re not alone—and it’s rarely down to effort. Financial controllers, finance managers and FDs at UK businesses with 20 to 1,000 employees often work flat out, including evenings…

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Key PointsWhen the stock market is going through boom times, it’s understandable that some people might feel tempted to day trade — buying and selling stocks based on short-term market moves or overpriced hype. If it seems like lots of other people are getting rich quick in the stock market, some people might feel a sense of “fear of missing out (FOMO).”Young men can be particularly vulnerable to the allure of risky investment behavior. But a recent survey found that day trading can be bad for your mental health.Missed Nvidia in 2009? This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again. In 2009,…

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Key takeaways A financial close checklist standardises reconciliations, reviews and sign-off into one repeatable sequence. It matters most when teams change, systems change, or transaction volume grows. Good checklists separate pre-close prep, in-close tasks, and post-close review. Month-end and year-end checklists share a core structure, but year-end adds extra review steps. Financial management software turns a static checklist into a tracked, auditable workflow. A financial close checklist is the step-by-step list finance teams work through to reconcile accounts, review transactions and finalise the ledger before reporting on a period. For financial controllers and finance managers at mid-sized, growing UK B2B…

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Jack Wallen/ZDNETFollow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google.ZDNET’s key takeawaysDicio is a solid replacement for Google Assistant.Dicio handles basic tasks very well (including hands-free calling).The free app’s main drawback is that it does not work with Android Auto.I recently wrote about the problems Gemini has with reliably making hands-free calls. Given that Assistant handled this task with ease and predictability, it’s worrisome that Google is set on permanently tossing Assistant aside, without having solved this hands-free issue.  When I learned that Google Assistant would be discontinued next month, I decided to look for an alternative. That search led…

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Key PointsThe “Magnificent Seven” group of stocks leads the market. This group dominates the rankings of the world’s largest companies, with the smallest still ranking as the 11th-largest company. It’s made up of: Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOG) (NASDAQ: GOOGL) Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META) Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) All seven of these stocks have been major success stories, but their performance in 2026 has been mixed. The S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) is up about 13% this year, and only two of the stocks are outperforming it: Amazon and Nvidia. That’s a…

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AI isn’t just for large corporations but for small businesses, too, offering the power to transform operations, improve customer experiences, and boost efficiency.  One expert in the use of AI for business is Heather Murray, who specialises in training non-technical people in the use of Microsoft Copilot. Heather talked to Sound Advice podcast host Bex Burn-Callander to demystify AI for anyone wondering how to harness its potential in business and daily life.  With her deep passion and enthusiasm, Murray cuts out all the jargon to make this tech accessible for everyone. In this new digital age, businesses must adapt and keep up with…

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