Markets opened mixed Monday with Dow 20,000 still in reach.
Geopolitical risks weighed on markets, and market participants are prepping for some key earnings this week.
by Diane Alter
Markets opened mixed Monday with Dow 20,000 still in reach.
Geopolitical risks weighed on markets, and market participants are prepping for some key earnings this week.
by
Cash is likely going the way of the dinosaur, thanks to a one-two punch from governments and their central banks on one hand, and technology on the other.
It's unruly and chaotic, simply too hard to track and control. So, as part of a quiet but all-out war on cash, governments have thrown their weight behind the adoption of next-generation credit and debit card features, like the Euro-import "EMV standard" gold chip cards that were rapidly adopted in the United States.
When all you have to do is tap your credit card or smartphone to complete a purchase, the convenience is almost impossible to resist. Add the rapidly increasing galaxy of payment apps and devices, and you can see that the days of banknotes and coins are numbered worldwide.
This war is still in its early stages, but it's already going well for those who would see cash gone: A Gallup poll released in July reported that just five years ago, 36% of Americans said they made nearly all of their purchases with cash. In June this year, the result was just 24%.