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The BlackRock Foundation and Commonwealth Launch National Research Effort to Understand First-Time Investors Who Entered Capital Markets Since 2020

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Supported by a $1MM grant from The BlackRock Foundation, “The Investor Diaries” will shed light on investors earning low to moderate incomes; pave the way for more sustainable wealth-building

BOSTON, Jan. 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The BlackRock Foundation and national nonprofit Commonwealth launched “The Investor Diaries,” a research initiative designed to better understand the millions of new investors who entered retail capital markets in the U.S. since 2020, particularly those earning low to moderate incomes (LMI). By following these investors through voice diary entries, a national survey, and analysis of large transaction data sets representing millions of investment decisions by people earning LMI, the project shines a light on their unique financial circumstances, motivations, behaviors, needs, and the role that capital market investing plays in the overall financial wellness of LMI households. The initiative aims to equip the investing industry, financial platforms, and policymakers with important insights to support and sustain this and future generations of new investors. 

During 2020-21 alone, 46 million new brokerage accounts were opened by individual investors in the U.S., an 80% increase over a two-year period. Despite the prediction that this might be a temporary surge, more than 75% of these new investors remain invested today.

Partnering with Investing Platforms
The Investor Diaries will feature real-time research with people earning LMI ($30,000 to $80,000) who are currently investing, capturing their unique stories through their experiences and transaction data. The longitudinal research study will follow dozens of individual investors over 18 months, conducting observational diary-style interviews and tracking their transactional behavior on an ongoing basis. Many are among the first in their families to invest.

Commonwealth has partnered with investment platforms Betterment and moomoo to capture participants’ experiences with both robo-advised and self-directed platforms:

Betterment – For investors who don’t want to pick their own stocks, Betterment’s easy-to-use, automated investment technology offers diversified, expert-built portfolios and continually monitors the investments, rebalances the portfolios, and reinvests the dividends.moomoo – Moomoo offers an accessible platform for self-directed investors of all levels to confidently make their own investment decisions with advanced tools and features to help guide their trades.

The Investor Diaries will also include a large National Perceptions and Habits Survey and a parallel study of macro-level investor transaction data to better understand the broad investing behaviors of this population. 

“The Investor Diaries will provide a groundbreaking holistic view of those living on modest incomes who are new to investing in the past five years,” says Timothy Flacke, CEO, Commonwealth. “Understanding the choices and actions of these new market participants, and where existing platforms and tools are serving these new investors well—and falling short—will inform the next wave of investing innovations and help ensure broader capital market participation is a sustainable, productive source of wealth creation.” 

Commonwealth’s past research has demonstrated an unmet appetite for investing among LMI households and the early positive impact of this type of market participation on financial stability and mobility.

“Measuring household investing behavior will help determine how supported these new market participants feel in their investing experience,” says Claire Chamberlain, President, The BlackRock Foundation. “The insights derived from The Investor Diaries can help inform product solutions, investor education, and outreach strategies to optimally support LMI households in building and sustaining wealth via the capital markets.”

For more information about The Investor Diaries, please visit https://buildcommonwealth.org/research/investordiaries

About Commonwealth
Commonwealth is a national nonprofit building financial security and opportunity for people earning low- to moderate-income through innovation and partnerships. For over two decades, Commonwealth has designed effective innovations, products, and policies enabling over 2 million people to save nearly $8 billion. Commonwealth collaborates with consumers, the financial services industry, employers, and policymakers. Because Black, Latin, and women-led households disproportionately experience financial insecurity, we focus especially on these populations. The solutions we build are grounded in real life, based on our deep understanding of people who are financially vulnerable and how businesses can best serve them. To learn more, visit us at www.buildcommonwealth.org

About The BlackRock Foundation
Helping people earn, save, and invest – earlier, more often and for their futures. Guided by BlackRock’s history of making saving and investing more accessible and affordable, The BlackRock Foundation funds and partners with organizations that elevate the voices and experiences of LMI households. With our partners, we aim to 1) support individuals in their efforts to build a financial safety net to protect against shocks that widen disparities and 2) make it easier to build wealth and support upward mobility. With Commonwealth and partners, BlackRock’s Emergency Savings Initiative has provided access to more than 10 million people and led to $2 billion in new liquid savings between 2019 and 2022.

About Betterment 
Betterment LLC (“Betterment”) is the largest independent digital financial advisor, using automated technology powered by human expertise to fulfill a singular mission: making people’s lives better. With easy-to-use saving, investing, and retirement solutions, Betterment is built to help people optimize their money, no matter their level of experience or how the market is doing. Launched in 2010, Betterment helps more than 900,000 customers manage over $50 billion with curated selections of low-cost, expert-built investing portfolios; personalized guidance; and tax-smart tools. The company has received multiple awards for its investing app, including Buy Side from WSJ (2024). Learn more and for additional disclosure on these awards, visit https://www.betterment.com/#award-disclosure.

About moomoo
Moomoo is an investment and trading platform that empowers global investors with pro-grade, easy-to-use tools, data, and insights. It provides users with the necessary information and technology to make more informed investment decisions. Investors have access to advanced charting tools, technical analytics, and in-depth data. Moomoo grows with its users, cultivating a community where investors share, learn, and grow together in one place. Moomoo provides free access to investment courses, educational materials, and interactive events that any investor, at any level, can gain from. Users can join forum discussions, trending topics, and seminars to better their investment knowledge and insights. The moomoo app is offered by Moomoo Technologies Inc. (“MTI“) a company that is based in Jersey City, New Jersey. The app is used globally in countries including the U.S., Singapore, Australia, Japan, Malaysia and Canada. MTI is not a broker-dealer and does not provide investment advice or recommendations. In the U.S., securities products and services are offered by Moomoo Financial Inc. (“MFI“), an SEC-registered broker-dealer and member FINRA/SIPC. MTI and MFI are indirect, wholly-owned subsidiaries of Futu Holdings Limited (Nasdaq: FUTU). For more information, please visit Moomoo’s official website at www.moomoo.com/us.

Contact:
Jackie Jusko
216-374-0945

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-blackrock-foundation-and-commonwealth-launch-national-research-effort-to-understand-first-time-investors-who-entered-capital-markets-since-2020-302350968.html

SOURCE Commonwealth

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JelloX Aims to Improve Patient-Centered Care with AI-powered 3D Digital Pathology

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First shared at a recent Japanese Society of Digital Pathology meeting, the company is forging a global alliance with a leading US medical institution and other organizations to harness technology for better patient care and outcomes in oncology.

TAIPEI, Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — JelloX Biotech Inc., a Taiwan-based startup focused on cancer pathology, is unveiling its vision for AI and 3D digital pathology to advance patient-centered care. The vision was first detailed publicly by Dr. Yen-Yin Lin, CEO of JelloX, during the August 2024 Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society of Digital Pathology. JelloX continues to distinguish itself as an early adopter of AI and 3D imaging applied to cancer pathology.

“Technological advancements and the recent surge in AI have reshaped the future of healthcare, enabling the extraction of valuable insights that will have real benefits for patients,” shared Dr. Lin. “3D pathology can offer at least 50 times more information than conventional 2D methods, providing pathologists with a more comprehensive understanding of a tumor’s biology. The power of such a diagnostic tool lies in its ability to help pathologists stratify and personalize, matching the right patients with the right treatment at the right time. This ultimately leads to better prognosis, quality of life, and more patient-centered care.”

Improving patient-centered care with technology

JelloX has previously estimated that 40% of cancer patients can benefit from AI-analyzed 3D imaging for pathology by expanding feasibility of treatment options like immunotherapy. Due to the complexity of cancer and variability between cases, these technologies hold significant promise for oncology, particularly in addressing the challenge of limited information from conventional methods. With the increased sampling rate via 3D imaging analyzed by AI, pathologists have more actionable insights regarding the tumor, assisting them in making a wholistic diagnosis.

Patients who were previously excluded from immunotherapy due to undetected biomarker expressions, resulting from the limitations of current techniques, may now have a renewed opportunity. With its improved sensitivity, 3D pathology can not only identify cases previously classified as “false negatives” but also enable early cancer detection. This allows for earlier treatment initiation, leading to an improved quality of life for patients.

For healthcare providers, this means matching the right patients to the right drugs at the right time. For patients, more precision for diagnosis, treatment, and timing means lowered risk of misdiagnosis, minimized patient costs, and better prognosis—ultimately to more patient-centered care and better quality of life.

A visionary new platform

Dr. Lin continued: “The fight against cancer is not a one-on-one battle, so partnerships are crucial to accomplish this. JelloX has embraced collaboration across countries and industries to build an AI-powered 3D pathology platform together.”

In collaboration with a leading US medical center and other partners, JelloX is developing a platform that can address multiple pain points for patients and the healthcare industry. The platform will leverage JelloX’s software, MetaLite®, which recently received 510(k) clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration.

In addition to the benefits for patients, an AI-powered 3D pathology platform that continuously grows could greatly accelerate biomarker research and benefit the healthcare industry. Over time, the platform could continue to grow more precise at cancer diagnosis as it learns from sample biomarkers paired with anonymized patient outcome data. Also, as the platform finds novel biomarkers, it could facilitate development of new technologies and their commercialization.

About JelloX Biotech Inc.

Based in Hsinchu, Taiwan, JelloX Biotech Inc. is a startup which focus on advancing cancer pathology through 3D digital imaging and AI technology. 

For more information, please visit: https://jellox.com/en/home/

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SOURCE JelloX

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ACKO’s New E-Challan Widget Simplifies Pending Fine Management for Drivers

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LUCKNOW, India, Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — ACKO, the leading digital insurance provider in India, has launched a revolutionary e-challan widget. The platform has been designed to transform the process of how traffic fines are handled and paid through e challan UP portal or e-challan portal of other states. This one-stop digital solution makes checking fines fast and transparent to cater to modern motorists who seek convenience and efficiency. Keep reading to get an in-depth idea.

Key Features of the E-Challan Platform

ACKO prioritises user convenience and transparency in its e-challan platform. The platform’s standout features include:

Easy Fine Lookup: Drivers can effortlessly check pending traffic fines by entering their vehicle registration number, ensuring instant access to up-to-date information.Detailed Violation Breakdown: Users will receive clear and concise details about their fines, such as the violation type, location, and date.User-Friendly Interface: The platform is built with simplicity in mind, catering to users of all technological skill levels.

Driving Change for Drivers

Traffic violations are the most common offence in India’s rapidly growing urban landscape. Also, the process of managing pending fines is often very frustrating for drivers. It is either in the form of long queues or complicated online portals leading to uncertainty about fine details.

ACKO’s ts challan platform overcomes these problems with a simple, user-friendly system that equips drivers to quickly resolve fines. It focuses on what really matters — safe and responsible driving.

Traffic Violations and Penalties in India 2025

Following is a list of penalties and fines that you have to pay for traffic violation in state in India:

Traffic Rules Violated

Fines & Penalties

Drunk driving or driving under influence
of intoxicated items

Rs. 10,000 and/ or 6 months in prison, Rs.
15,000 and/or 2 years in prison in case of
repetition of violation

Overloading pillion riders

Rs. 2,000 plus disqualification of licence
and/or community service for three months

Over speeding

Rs. 1,000 for LMV, Rs. 2,000 for MMV

Driving without licence

Rs. 5,000

Driving without insurance

Rs. 2,000 and/or 3 months in prison,
community service, Rs. 4,000 in case of
repetition of violation

Signal jumping

Rs. 1,000 to Rs. 5,000, licence seizure, and/or
6 months to 1 year in prison

Riding without helmet

Rs. 1,000 plus licence scrapping for three
months

Driving without carrying a valid driving
licence

Rs. 5,000

Unauthorised driving of a vehicle
without carrying a valid driving licence

Rs. 5,000

Use of Offensive Number Plates for
vehicles used in driving.

Rs. 100

Displaying ‘Applied For’

Rs. 4,500

Improper use of headlights and/ or
taillight for your vehicle used in driving.

Rs. 100

Using a High Beam when it is not
needed.

Rs. 100

Disobeying a Traffic Police Officer in
uniform

Rs. 100

Driving against Police Signal

Rs. 100

Not complying with the manual Traffic
Signal.

Rs. 100

About ACKO

ACKO Insurance is India’s leading digital-first insurer, changing the way people experience insurance processes. Focusing on technology-driven solutions, ACKO offers a wide range of products such as car, bike, health, and travel insurance that are simple and affordable. Be it instant policy issuance or lightning-fast claim settlements, ACKO is ensuring customer convenience at every step. Millions across the country have trusted ACKO to set new benchmarks in insurance innovation.

 

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/in/news-releases/ackos-new-e-challan-widget-simplifies-pending-fine-management-for-drivers-302357063.html

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Liquid Wind partners with Turun Seudun Energiantuotanto Oy for the establishment of an eFuel facility in Finland

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Liquid Wind and Turun Seudun Energiantuotanto Oy (TSE) announce the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the development of an eFuel facility in Naantali, Finland.

GOTHENBURG, Sweden, Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The MoU indicates the launch of a close cooperation and is one of Finland’s most significant green hydrogen projects supporting the clean energy transition and domestic competitiveness by utilizing existing and large infrastructure. The eFuel facility is planned to be adjacent to TSE’s local power plant Naantali 4 which will deliver biogenic CO2 and steam for the production of eMethanol. In addition, the process and waste heat of Liquid Wind’s facility will be used for district heat, reducing the share of incineration-based district heat production by TSE.

Once operational, the eFuel facility will produce 100,000 tons/a eMethanol made from green hydrogen and biogenic CO2 (160,000 tons/a). Final investment decision (FID) is planned for 2026, and the facility will be operational in 2029. eMethanol is a very versatile commodity that can replace fossil fuels in hard-to-abate sectors such as shipping and aviation while reducing CO2 emissions.

Liquid Wind acts as the main project developer and has started the environmental impact assessment and permitting process. In addition, the parties will jointly explore the possibilities of ensuring a sufficient supply of renewable electricity to produce eMethanol.

Claes Fredriksson, CEO and Founder of Liquid Wind, says:

“We are very happy to announce the development of our eFuel collaboration project with TSE. By entering this MoU, we are combining our companies’ strengths to promote and accelerate the clean energy transition both locally and globally. Locally, in the city of Naantali, we will focus on Carbon Capture and Utilization (CCU) and the reuse of CO2 and waste heat. Globally, we aim to support the transition by allowing our off-takers to shift from fossil fuels to low-carbon eFuel produced at this facility.”

Pertti Sundberg, MD of TSE and Timo Honkanen, CEO of Turku Energia Group* state:

“This is an important project for us to achieve the climate goals of our owners and to secure renewable district heating for the Turku region in the future. We are very pleased that TSE is involved in promoting concrete domestic hydrogen economy projects, supporting the creation of future energy systems. This agreement solidifies our cooperation with Liquid Wind and enables the production of renewable fuel in Naantali.”

Mika Lehtonen, Chairman of the TSE Board and Head of Fortum’s Heating and Cooling business in Finland**, comments:

“We are glad to jointly promote this project that aligns with the circular energy economy and resource efficiency principles. Liquid Wind has large-scale project capabilities and is a valuable partner for TSE. This industrial integration also strengthens the position of the Naantali power plant, enabling it to supply new commodities for methanol production while it continues to produce electricity and heat for customers in the Turku region and TSE’s investments remain moderate.”

Laura Leppänen, Mayor of the City of Naantali***, concludes:

“This large investment project is an important step in the green transition of the former Neste harbor area which the city is committed to. Responsibility plays an important role in the city’s strategy, as does vitality. The Naantali eMethanol production facility fulfills both of our strategic goals.”

*Turku Energia owns 43.5% of TSE.
**Fortum Power and Heat owns 53.5% of TSE.
***Naantali owns 3% of TSE.

Media contacts:
Liquid Wind
Klaudija Cavala, Head of PR, Marketing & Communications
media@liquidwind.com

Turun Seudun Energiantuotanto Oy
Pertti Sundberg, MD
pertti.sundberg@tset.fi

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

https://news.cision.com/liquid-wind/r/liquid-wind-partners-with-turun-seudun-energiantuotanto-oy-for-the-establishment-of-an-efuel-facilit,c4093139

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PRESS RELEASE_Liquid Wind announces eFuel facility project in Finland_ENG_22 January 2025_FINAL

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TSE facility site in Naantali Finland Picture by TSE

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Claes Fredriksson CEO and founder Liquid Wind Pertti Sundberg MD of TSE Picture by Liquid Wind

 

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