Proxy Voting Goes Mobile

Broadridge Financial Solutions Inc. announced that Mobile ProxyVote.com is live and compatible with mobile devices.

ProxyVote offers participants of 401(k) plans, employee-stock ownership plans (ESOP) and employee-stock purchase plans (ESPP), as well as registered shareowners, the convenience of voting their shares on the Internet, and now with the introduction of Mobile ProxyVote, through compatible mobile devices.  

“There is no software to download and no fee for the corporate or mutual fund issuer or the shareholder,” explained Joseph Vicari, Vice President, Business Strategy and Development, Broadridge.  

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“The availability of ProxyVote on thousands of mobile devices is in direct response to consumers’ rapidly changing preference to access and act on information on the go — on their mobile device,” said Robert Schifellite, President, Investor Communication Solutions, Broadridge,

Luxury by the Hour

Once strictly a business model of less-than-luxurious motels, a growing number of luxury hotels are offering hourly rates.  

Despite growing signs of an economic recovery, luxury businesses are getting a little creative to keep customers coming back for more.   

Several newspapers have reported that some of the most high-end hotels in the country are offering rooms during day-time hours for much cheaper rates than an over-night stay would be.

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The Chicago Tribune referenced a promotion by Manhattan’s Le Parker Meridien offered before and after Valentine’s Day that included a four-hour stay between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. for $150–when an overnight stay costs $379.  The newspaper also cited the Malibu Beach Inn near L.A., which charges $270 for a daytime stay that includes a three-course lunch and an oceanfront room; the average overnight reservation would be around $400.

But, minds out of the gutters–day-time hotel rates can be used for shoppers who may need to rest, travelers who have nothing to do before a flight, or business meetings away from noisy restaurants.

Nevertheless, USA Today’s hotel-guru, Barbara De Lollis, attended the recent Americas Lodging Summit in San Diego, where veteran boutique hotel creator Chip Conley told her he expects to see a rise in “love hotels.”

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