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State Department Federal Credit Union Signs with Lumin Digital for Enhanced Digital Banking Services

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SAN RAMON, Calif., Feb. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — State Department Federal Credit Union (SDFCU), an Alexandria, Virginia-based credit union, and Lumin Digital have entered a multi-year, strategic collaboration to enhance and streamline online and mobile banking features for credit union members.

SDFCU is ramping up its commitment and adopting a fresh approach to provide a world-class member experience while enriching the financial well-being of its members. The collaboration between Lumin Digital and SDFCU serves as a cornerstone in exceeding the expectations of its members regarding both experience and digital banking solutions.

“We’re committed to investing in cutting-edge solutions that deliver top-tier experiences for our members,” stated Victor Hall, chief retail officer at SDFCU. “Our partnership with Lumin Digital fortifies our member offerings by harnessing innovative tools to provide a smoother digital banking experience for both domestic and overseas members.”

“Consumer options for banking continue to evolve, and customer service, ease of use, security and product offerings are top of mind,” said Lisa Daniels, chief delivery officer at Lumin Digital. “In collaboration with SDFCU, our goal is to distinguish online and mobile banking from the competition through our modern and member-friendly platform. Our solutions not only enhance user experience with intuitive features, but they also prioritize advanced safety measures, offering peace of mind for customers during every transaction.”

About Lumin Digital
Lumin Digital is a fintech company specializing in digital banking solutions. Through a fundamentally different approach to technology, service and people, the company provides financial institutions with a best-in-class, cloud-native platform that drives consumer adoption, engagement, and growth. For more information, visit lumindigital.com.

About State Department Federal Credit Union
State Department Federal Credit Union is a member-owned full-service financial institution that is committed to serving its nearly 90,000 members worldwide. With $2.8 Billion in assets, SDFCU offers a full range of financial products and services that address the diverse and global needs of its members. SDFCU is headquartered in Alexandria, VA with six branch locations. For more information, visit www.sdfcu.org.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/state-department-federal-credit-union-signs-with-lumin-digital-for-enhanced-digital-banking-services-302068537.html

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Forrester Opens Nominations For Its 2025 B2B Awards In APAC And EMEA

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Awards honor B2B organizations that drive revenue growth through effective alignment of marketing, sales, and product strategies

SINGAPORE, May 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Forrester (Nasdaq: FORR) today opened calls for nominations for its 2025 B2B Return On Integration Honors and B2B Programs Of The Year Awards in Asia Pacific (APAC) and Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA). These awards will recognize B2B organizations based in both regions for achieving functional excellence and outstanding alignment across marketing, sales, and product — the B2B revenue engine — to improve customer experience and drive growth.

Nominations for both award categories are open to organizations of all sizes in each region. B2B leaders across APAC and EMEA — including chief marketing officers, chief sales officers, chief product officers, and other marketing, sales, and product leaders — are invited and encouraged to apply. To be eligible, programs need to be developed by leaders and teams based in the APAC or EMEA regions.

The nomination criteria for the two awards are as follows:

B2B Return On Integration (ROI) Honors. These awards showcase organizations that have achieved strong cross-functional alignment across marketing, sales, and product functions to increase customer value, improve company performance, and drive revenue. Organizations that demonstrate how they are using technology to support shared or interlocked go-to-market processes are encouraged to apply.

B2B Programs Of The Year (POY) Awards. These awards recognize excellence within marketing, sales, and product functions in areas including demand and account-based marketing, the partner marketing ecosystem, portfolio marketing, marketing operations, sales, product management, and customer engagement. To apply, an organization must demonstrate how it implemented a modern, customer-focused strategy, process, or initiative to help the company drive revenue growth.

“Forrester’s B2B Awards highlight organizations that exemplify strong cross-functional alignment across marketing, sales, and product functions,” said Paul Ferron, VP and research director at Forrester. “We’re looking forward to recognizing APAC- and EMEA-based organizations that understand that achieving alignment is not just a strategic advantage; it’s a necessity for delivering unmatched customer experiences and navigating dynamic buyer expectations.”

APAC

Companies based in APAC can visit here to review complete award nomination criteria and submit an entry. The deadline to submit a nomination for these awards is August 14, 2025.

Recipients of the B2B Awards in APAC will be recognized at Forrester’s B2B Summit APAC, being held in Singapore and digitally, November 6, 2025.

EMEA

Companies based in EMEA can visit here to review complete award nomination criteria and submit an entry. The deadline to submit a nomination for these awards is July 14, 2025.

Recipients of the B2B Awards in EMEA will be recognized at Forrester’s B2B Summit EMEA, being held in London and digitally, October 6–8, 2025.

Resources:

Learn more about Forrester’s B2B ROI Honors and B2B POY Awards criteria and past winners.

Read more about how to apply for Forrester’s B2B Summit EMEA and APAC Awards.

Learn more about Forrester Decisions for B2B Marketing Executives, B2B Sales, and Portfolio Marketing & Product.

About Forrester
Forrester (Nasdaq: FORR) is one of the most influential research and advisory firms in the world. We empower leaders in technology, customer experience, digital, marketing, sales, and product functions to be bold at work and accelerate growth through customer obsession. Our unique research and continuous guidance model helps executives and their teams achieve their initiatives and outcomes faster and with confidence. To learn more, visit Forrester.com.

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SOURCE Forrester

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Tripadvisor Announces Cancun & Las Vegas as the Top Destinations For Travelers with Release of Annual Summer Travel Index

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New Report Suggests an Increased Interest in International Travel Among US Travelers and Gen Z

NEEDHAM, Mass., May 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Tripadvisor, the world’s largest travel guidance platform, predicts a busy travel season according to the brand’s annual Summer Travel Index, released today, with 63% indicating excitement for the upcoming travel season.

Tripadvisor’s Summer Travel Index uncovers the top and trending summer destinations for 2025, with the most popular locations from 2024 still leading the way again for US travelers such as Las Vegas and Cancun. Now trending for summer 2025 are cities including Fort Walton Beach, Florida and Punta Sam, Mexico which topped the list. New data from the report also shows that Gen Z and Millennials are 38% more likely to travel both domestically and internationally compared to Gen X and Boomers.

Summer Travel Index: 2025 Top Summer Travel Destinations
This year’s data indicates that US travelers are looking for a blend of bustling city activities and laid-back beach vacations for their summer travels both internationally and domestically.

Top global summer travel destinations for US citizens include: 

Cancun, MexicoParis, FranceLondon, United Kingdom

Top domestic summer travel destinations for US citizens include:

Las Vegas, NevadaNew York City, New YorkMyrtle Beach, South Carolina

For all destinations that top the Summer Travel Index for American travelers, see below.

Popular International Destinations – US Travelers

 

Popular Domestic Destinations – US Travelers

 

Cancun, Mexico

Las Vegas, Nevada

Paris, France

New York City, New York

London, United Kingdom

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

Rome, Italy

Ocean City, Maryland

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

Chicago, Illinois

Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

Honolulu, Hawai’i

Barcelona, Spain

Panama City Beach, Florida

Oranjestad, Aruba

Key West, Florida

Venice, Italy

Clearwater, Florida

Cap Cana, Dominican Republic

Nashville, Tennessee

For international trends, four of the top ten trending destinations for US travelers are in the Caribbean, with 51% of travelers citing that their primary reason to travel is to relax and rejuvenate.

While Florida dominates the list of trending domestic locations for US travelers with four inclusions on the top ten list, remote areas like Big Sur and Moran, Wyoming are trending as 38% of travelers seek to enjoy nature on their summer travels.

For all trending destinations that top the Summer Travel Index for American travelers, see below.

Fastest Growing International Destinations – US Travelers (Based on YoY growth)

 

Fastest Growing Domestic Destinations – US Travelers (Based on YoY growth)

 

Punta Sam, Mexico

Fort Walton Beach, Florida

Noord, Aruba

Isle of Palms, South Carolina

Puerto Rico, Spain

Big Sur, California

Cap Estate, St. Lucia

North Wildwood, New Jersey

Goreme, Türkiye

Dewey Beach, Delaware

Akumal, Mexico

York Beach, Maine

Asakusa, Japan

Moran, Wyoming

Krakow, Poland

St. Augustine Beach, Florida

Lucea, Jamaica

Panama City Beach, Florida

Bonaire, Caribbean

Fort Myers Beach, Florida 

Opting for Experiences

Activities and experiences are a top priority for travelers of all ages, with 83% reporting that it’s an important part of their travel budget. Most travelers (89%) are planning up to five activities. Gen Z respondents are more likely to book six or more activities compared to older age group respondents (14% versus older age group average of 9%). Similarly, Gen Z and Millennials are leading the charge on those most likely to travel in general.

While every generation prioritizes relaxation, older respondents do so more than younger ones: 56% of older generations (Boomers and Gen X) versus 47% for Millennials and Gen Z. Conversely, younger respondents are significantly more likely to want to have an adventure and explore different cultures than older generations.

“Summer travel is all about making memories with friends, family and loved ones – and planning those special trips is a highlight of the year for so many travelers,” said Hilary Fischer-Groban, Head of Research & Insights at Tripadvisor. “Whether it’s exploring the unique cultural sights of a new country, playing and relaxing on a beach, or booking an outing like a guided tour or boat ride, taking advantage of local experiences while traveling helps make memories that will last a lifetime. Tripadvisor reviews can help guide travelers to find the best of the best experiences to round out their trip.”

It’s All in the Plan

Planning ahead with a travel guidance platform like Tripadvisor helps ensure travel plans run smoothly and that experiences go according to plan. In fact, 57% of travelers report that they will book activities ahead of their vacations, and Gen Z and millennials are 78% more likely to book on-trip activities in advance (71% vs 40% older age groups). While on their trip, Boomers are more likely to ask locals for recommendations (38%) while Gen Z are more likely to go to social media (51%) to round out their itinerary. The top trending experience categories for 2025 are cultural and themed tours, outdoor activities including things like hiking and horseriding, and cruises, sailing and water tours.

Booking accommodations is also a factor in the planning process. Younger respondents (Gen Z and Millennials, 30% average) are more likely to stay in vacation rentals than older respondents (Gen X and Boomers, 21% average), who favor hotels.

“With experiences and stays available through Tripadvisor, planning your summer travels in one easy-to-use platform simplifies the scheduling process and lets users focus on their getaway,” said Fischer-Groban. “Tripadvisor’s billion-plus reviews and contributions will help travelers decide how best to maximize their valuable vacation days.”

Popular International Travel Experiences – US Travelers

 

Popular Domestic Travel Experiences – US Travelers

 

Chichen Itza, Cenote, and Valladolid Tour – Cancun, Mexico

Fountains of Bellagio – Las Vegas, Nevada

Paris Walking Food Tour with Secrets Food Tours – Paris, France

New York in One Day Guided Sightseeing Tour – New York, New York

Stonehenge, Windsor Castle & Bath from London – London, United Kingdom 

Myrtle Beach State Park – Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

Methodology

The data cited in this release was gathered and analyzed from two key sources:

A Tripadvisor Consumer Sentiment Survey, based on data drawn from an online survey of over 2,800 consumers, in partnership with Qualtrics, conducted between March 26, 2025 and April 8, 2025 across six countries, including Australia, France, Japan, Singapore, U.K. & U.S.Site behavioral data sourced from first party traffic data on the Tripadvisor platform for searches made by travelers in the U.S., U.K. and Japan between February 1 – April 10, 2025 for travel between June 1 – August 31, 2025.

About Tripadvisor
Tripadvisor, the world’s largest travel guidance platform*, helps millions of people each month** become better travelers, from planning to booking to taking a trip. Travelers across the globe use Tripadvisor’s website and app to discover where to stay, what to do and where to eat based on guidance from those who have been there before. With more than a billion reviews and contributions, travelers turn to Tripadvisor to find deals on accommodations, book experiences, reserve tables at delicious restaurants and discover great places nearby.

Tripadvisor LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Tripadvisor, Inc. (Nasdaq: TRIP). The subsidiaries of Tripadvisor, Inc. own and operate a portfolio of travel media brands and businesses, operating under various websites and apps.

* Source: SimilarWeb, unique users de-duplicated monthly, May 2025

** Source: Tripadvisor internal log files

 

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SOURCE Tripadvisor

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HTX DeepThink: U.S. Inflation Falls, Liquidity Rises–How Long Can the Rally Last?

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SINGAPORE, May 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Since the start of May, macro tailwinds have gained momentum—U.S. inflation cooled, trade tensions began to ease, and the Fed has injected fresh liquidity. Bitcoin has surged back above $100,000, with ETH and SOL also posting strong gains. Yet beneath the surface of this rally, volatility risks remain. In this edition of HTX DeepThink, Chloe (@ChloeTalk1) from HTX Research unpacks the macro catalysts, institutional activity, and market structure to assess whether this rally can truly last.

Expectations for Rate Cuts Strengthened, Fed Liquidity Improves

The U.S. Consumer Price Index (CPI) data released on May 13, 2025, showed further cooling of inflation, reinforcing market expectations for Fed rate cuts later this year. Headline CPI rose 2.3% year-over-year (vs. 2.4% expected, 2.6% previous), marking the lowest level since March 2021; core CPI was 2.8% (in line with expectations, 3.0% previous). However, it is important to note that the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge, core PCE, stood at 2.3% in March, still above the 2% target.

Market support also stemmed from a phase of expanding macro liquidity. The Fed’s total assets rose slightly from $6.70 trillion on April 30 to $6.73 trillion in early May. FED Net Liquidity (balance sheet + TGA – RRP) increased from $4.89 trillion to $4.94 trillion over the same period, injecting about $50 billion of net liquidity. Meanwhile, the U.S. Treasury General Account (TGA) balance rose to $583 billion, while the Reverse Repo Facility (RRP) balance dropped to a record low of $78 billion. This improvement in liquidity was mainly driven by the Fed slowing the pace of QT (reducing Treasury redemptions to $5 billion), the post-tax season Treasury cash inflows, and money market funds reallocating capital out of the RRP.

A significant risk remains, however: should a debt ceiling agreement be reached in July or August, substantial Treasury issuance to replenish the TGA, coupled with an almost depleted RRP buffer, could lead to a tightening of system liquidity once again, potentially exerting downward pressure on risk assets.

Institutional Inflows Power Crypto Rally

Boosted by the improving macro backdrop, crypto market flows rebounded significantly. Bitcoin (BTC) futures open interest (OI) remained at elevated levels, with CME data showing about 660,000 BTC, representing 3.4% of circulating supply, highlighting strong institutional positioning. BTC OI on crypto-native exchanges also rose by 12%, with positions largely concentrated around the $100,000 level. Ethereum (ETH) and Solana (SOL) derivatives markets also saw a strong recovery, with ETH OI rising 15% since the first week of May and SOL rebounding 18% from late April lows. On-chain data showed ETH short-term holder (STH) profit addresses rising to approximately 90% and SOL to 88%, approaching historically high thresholds (>90% usually signals local top risk), raising concerns over near-term profit-taking pressures.

Data from Deribit showed that the near-term implied volatility of Bitcoin options decreased from 65% prior to the CPI release to 58%, reflecting expectations of short-term price stability and encouraging some institutions to sell options to capture premium yields. The ETH options market displayed a longer-dated bullish structure, with strong demand for $4,000$5,000 call options expiring in December, suggesting institutional investors are positioning early for the next potential rally.

Macro Tailwinds Drive Bullish Bias, But Volatility Risks Linger

In summary, the combination of macro liquidity expansion, cooling CPI strengthening rate-cut expectations, sustained institutional allocation, and a rebound in derivatives market risk appetite has driven the strong May rally in BTC, ETH, and SOL.

However, in the short term, the high percentage of short-term holders in profit and the concentration of leveraged positions imply that any breakout or breakdown of key technical levels could trigger concentrated profit-taking and liquidation cascades, leading to heightened volatility. The overall market structure remains defined by a medium-term structural bull trend combined with a short-term consolidation phase.

*The above content is not an investment advice and does not constitute any offer or solicitation to offer or recommendation of any investment product.

About HTX DeepThink:

HTX DeepThink is a flagship market insights column created by HTX, dedicated to exploring global macro trends, key economic indicators, and major developments across the crypto industry. In a world where volatility is the norm, HTX DeepThink aims to help readers “Find Order in Chaos.”

About HTX Research

HTX Research is the dedicated research arm of HTX Group, responsible for conducting in-depth analyses, producing comprehensive reports, and delivering expert evaluations across a broad spectrum of topics, including cryptocurrency, blockchain technology, and emerging market trends.

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SOURCE HTX Research

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