<ul class="summary-list"><li>Many people value experiences over things. Instagram-able vacations are one such experience, but not everyone can afford it, especially not <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/millennials-great-recession-student-debt-affordability-crisis-2020-1">cash-strapped millennials</a>.</li><li>With student debt, high living costs, and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-credit-card-debt-record-high-millennials-delinquency-rates-2020-2">record levels of credit-card debt</a>, many Americans are looking for ways to pay for their travel splurges.</li><li>Uplift is a startup that partners with travel websites like Kayak and airlines like Southwest and Spirit to offer monthly payment plans for travel loans.</li><li>Affirm, founded by PayPal cofounder Max Levchin, offers a no-fee point-of-sale (PoS) financing. The startup partners with many retailers, and for buy now, pay later travel. Affirm has partnered with Delta Air Lines and travel websites like Expedia and Priceline.</li><li>Online lenders like BestEgg, Earnest, LendingClub, and Goldman's Marcus all offer a category of unsecured personal loans to finance vacations.</li><li>From vacation financing startups to point-of-sale lenders to traditional personal loan providers, we found 10 ways you can travel now, pay later. </li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/prime?module=article&amp;area=summarymarymary">Click here for more BI Prime stories</a>.</li></ul>For many, experiences are more valuable than things.Instagrammable travel has become just as much of a status symbol as a designer watch or fancy car. And a healthy dose of social media-induced FOMO may inspire people to book trips of their own. But that doesn't mean everyone can afford aspirational travel - and the likes and followers that come with it.<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/millennials-great-recession-student-debt-affordability-crisis-2020-1">Millennials, for one, are facing an affordability crisis</a>. With looming student debt and rising costs of living, millennials often <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/14-startups-are-trying-to-get-consumers-to-rent-instead-of-buy-2020-2">can't afford to splurge</a> on a trip to photogenic destinations like Iceland or Japan.And its not just millennials that struggling. In the US, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-credit-card-debt-record-high-millennials-delinquency-rates-2020-2">credit-card debt has reached a record high of $930 billion</a>, as reported by the Wall Street Journal. It's a double-edged sword. More spending means a strong economy, but if people can't pay off those debts, there may be trouble.Startups, travel sites, and lenders are all offering options for you to pay off Instagram-worthy trips.Here's a look at 10 different ways you can buy now and pay later for a vacation.<h2>Uplift </h2>Uplift is a startup that partners with travel websites like Kayak and airlines like Southwest and Spirit to offer monthly payment plans for travel loans.The loans have fixed rates ranging from 7% and 36% depending on a users' credit profile. There are no prepayment fees, and the minimum loan is $300. Uplift has raised over $470 million in both debt and equity financing. Its investors include LaunchCapital (Revel, Snapchat, Spotify), Ridge Ventures (Bolt, Indiegogo, ThirdLove), and DNX Ventures (Joymode, Nauto, Zum).<h2>Affirm</h2>Affirm, founded by PayPal cofounder Max Levchin, offers a no-fee point-of-sale (PoS) financing. The startup partners with many retailers, and for buy now, pay later travel. Affirm has partnered with Delta Air Lines and travel websites like Expedia and Priceline.Affirm's loans are typically offered with three, six, or 12-month terms at an annual percentage rate between 0% and 30%, depending on a user's credit. The startup doesn't charge deferred interest or late fees, but it does report to credit bureaus, so late payments could ding users' credit scores.With a $2.9 billion valuation, Affirm has raised $800 million to date from investors including Andreessen Horowitz (Airbnb, Instacart, Lyft), Lightspeed Venture Partners (Carta, Grubhub, Snap), and Spark Capital (Glossier, Postmates, Warby Parker).<h2>American Airlines Fly Now</h2>In addition to its co-branded credit cards, American Airlines offers a Fly Now plan on its own AA credit card. Users can charge a flight purchase of $150 with no interest if paid in full within six months. Otherwise, users will pay a variable APR, currently around 27%, according to American's website.Unlike a co-branded credit card like American's Citi credit card or Delta's Amex cards, this American Airline credit card can only be used for purchases made in the US with the airline.<h2>Klarna</h2>Klarna, the Swedish buy-now-pay-later startup, offers 30-day interest-free installment plans.Last year, Klarna partnered with the Expedia Group - which addition to Expedia.com, includes Hotels.com, Travelocity, and Trivago - to offer "travel now, pay later" options for travel expenses like flights, hotels, and rental cars. The startup earns revenue by charging a fee to the companies it partners with. Klarna's latest fundraise brought its valuation up to $5.5 billion, with over $1 billion raised to date from investors including Dragoneer Investment Group (Chime, Compass, Snowflake), <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/oliversmith/2019/01/17/exclusive-snoop-dogg-invests-in-swedens-25-billion-unicorn-klarna/#b01be0946d1c">Snoop Dogg</a>, and <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2017/06/27/1508499/">Visa</a>.<h2>PayDelay on Bookit.com</h2>Bookit.com offers a vacation layaway plan called PayDelay, where users can book vacation packages and pay in installments prior to the check-in date.There's no credit check, so users are instantly approved for the plans. Typically, there's an initial down payment, which varies per package, then six equal payments paid over a maximum of 120 days. The minimum purchase for the plan is $200, and there are $9 transaction fees applied to each payment. There are $35 fees applied to any declined payment, and if the plan isn't paid in full, the money is forfeited and the vacation gets canceled.<h2>PayPal</h2>PayPal Credit, formerly known as Bill Me Later, is available to PayPal customers at any PayPal-partnered merchant. For travel, PayPal Credit is available on travel marketplaces like Expedia and Hotels.com and airlines like KLM, Southwest, and US Airways.For purchases of $99 or more, there is no interest charged if the balance is paid in full within 6 months. If not, interest will be charged on the total value of the loan from the initial purchase date. The interest rate varies depending on a user's credit, and is determined when the user applies.<h2>Personal loans from BestEgg, Earnest, LendingClub, and Marcus</h2>Online lenders like BestEgg, Earnest, LendingClub, and Goldman's Marcus all offer a category of unsecured personal loans to finance vacations. Sizes, terms, and rates will all vary based on a user's credit, but typically these personal loans have minimum amounts above just a flight.BestEgg's personal loans range from $2,000 to $35,000 with rates between 5.99% and 29.99%. BestEgg charges an origination fee when the loan is first issued, and there are $15 late fees applied to payments not made within a 3 day grace period.Earnest, known for its student loan refinancing, offers vacation loans starting at 5.99% APR, and there are no prepayment fees. Earnest's personal loans range from $5,000 to $75,000.Marcus doesn't charge late fees nor prepayments fees on its loans, which range from $3,500 to $20,000 with terms from 3 to 6 years. Rates can be anywhere from 6.99% to 28.99%, depending on a user's credit information.And LendingClub, a marketplace lender that connects borrowers with investors, offers loans up to $40,000. LendingClub offers a 15-day late payment grace period, but interest still accrues on the balance during that time. Rates range from 6.95% to 35.89%.

Fintechs and lenders are tapping into your vacation FOMO with these 10 ways to travel now, pay later

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Point-of-sale financing isn't new, but it's gotten renewed attention as a wave of startups like Affirm, Afterpay, and Klarna acquired millions of new users during the coronavirus pandemic.</li><li>On Wednesday, Affim published its S-1, the paper detailing its planned initial public offering. </li><li>These fintechs offer consumers the ability to buy now, pay later, both online and in-store.</li><li>And now, incumbents like Amex, Citi, and PayPal are leaning in on this new way to pay, which consumers have flocked to as a way to stretch their dollars.</li><li>Fintechs are trying to establish their own brands, while incumbents are banking on their existing consumer base to take market share from the startups.</li><li>Here's a look at some of the key moments over the last several months as the buy now, pay later space continues to heat up.</li></ul>Point-of-sale financing has been around for a while. From in-store layaway to store-branded credit cards, retailers have always used financing as a way to convert browsers to buyers. But over the last several years, a cohort of fintechs have cropped up offering a new way for retailers to boost sales: buy now, pay later. From no-interest, two-week installment plans to longer-term financing, fintechs like Affirm, Afterpay, and Klarna, to name a few, have won over millions of consumers and tens of thousands of retailers with their digital-forward, easy-to-use alternatives to credit cards.Wednesday marked another big step for the market. Affirm published <a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1820953/000110465920126927/tm2026663-4_s1.htm#tRIFA">its Form S-1</a>, the document detailing its planned initial public offering. Among the revelations from the document, the fact Peloton represented roughly 28% of its total revenue for the most recent fiscal year. Affirm's total revenue jumped to $509.5 million in the fiscal year ending on June 30, up from $264.4 million the year earlier. Affirm had a net loss of $112.6 million, slightly narrower than the $120.5 million net loss the previous fiscal year. It's no secret that e-commerce is on the rise with continued growth year-over-year for the last decade. And like other digitally-driven trends, the coronavirus pandemic has only accelerated growth in the e-commerce segment.In 2019, e-commerce accounted for 11% of total retail sales in the US. In 2020, total retail sales have been down, but in the second quarter this year, with brick-and-mortar retail largely shut down, e-commerce grew to 16% of total retail sales, reflecting a 44% increase quarter-over-quarter, <a href="https://www2.census.gov/retail/releases/historical/ecomm/20q2.pdf">according to the US Census Bureau</a>.As consumers get used to doing more of their shopping online, they're also coming around to BNPL products."Credit availability actually closed a great deal under pandemic conditions. So that accelerated buy now, pay later, which has emerged as the new thing at the point-of-sale, as an alternative way to actually get credit, which was important," Ben Savage, partner at Clocktower Technology Ventures, told Business Insider. At the same time, consumer behavior, especially among younger consumers, has shifted away from credit to debit, Savage added. And these trends have proven to be tailwinds for BNPL providers, many of which have seen traction with Millennial and Gen Z consumers.Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/paypal-buy-now-pay-later-installment-launch-2020-9">PayPal's buy now, pay later launch is kicking off the next wave of adoption. Here's what it means for startups and banks competing in the space.</a><h2>BNPL has become a must-have for retailers</h2>This time last year, online shoppers at retailers like Asos or Casper were likely to see some version of "pay in four installments" as an option at checkout, offered by fintechs like Affirm, Afterpay, or Klarna, to name a few. But today, it seems like these BNPL buttons are everywhere, becoming a must-have for e-commerce.Over the last several months in particular, BNPL fintechs have seen explosive growth. In May, Afterpay hit five million active shoppers in the US after just two years in the market, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/afterpay-may-be-poised-for-us-success-2020-3">which is now a larger market than its native Australia</a>. The coronavirus, no doubt, has played a significant role. Afterpay nabbed one million new customers in just a ten-week span in the second quarter, when the pandemic was at its height. Affirm and Klarna, too, have more than five million users.Fintechs, who have spent years acquiring customers, are now looking to build brand stickiness with their own apps and loyalty programs.Incumbents like PayPal and American Express, well-equipped with brand awareness and loyalty, are leaning in with their own versions of a point-of-sale financing product.While BNPL products from fintechs and incumbents vary slightly on interest, fees, and credit decisioning, one thing is clear: consumers are looking for ways to stretch payments over time, even on small purchases.What remains to be seen is where the industry will go next. For now, retailers are entering into exclusive deals with BNPL fintechs, paying them fees around 3% to 6% for each transaction. The promise of BNPL is to increase order values and the likelihood an online shopper actually buys. Those economics may be compelling in a time when total retail spending is down and advertising budgets are tight. But traditional players like PayPal are offering buy now, pay later features at no additional cost to retailers. And with many credit-card companies, like Citi and American Express, installment financing options happen post-transaction, so merchants are just paying the typical payments processing fees."The economics shifted a bit," Savage said.With many BNPL players, offering point-of-sale financing becomes a cost to merchants. Merchants could offer their own financing options like branded credit cards, but the cost to build and maintain that financing could be prohibitive for smaller retailers, even if they earned revenue from the book of credit. "The merchants are essentially now paying in a way that really was not part of point-of sale <keyword id="25455" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="finance">finance</keyword> 10 years ago. Or, to the extent merchants paid for it 10 years ago, it was all done through a promotional discount," Savage said.As point-of-sale financing grows in popularity in the way credit cards did, merchants may not longer be willing to pay those fees. Be it through higher prices on the goods sold or a surcharge at the point of sale for using a BNPL solution, merchants could start to reconsider the way they manage the cost of offering these services. "If you play the movie forward five years and everything goes to buy now pay later, and let's say it all still looks to the consumer like a roughly zero interest rate thing, someone is paying the cost of the money. If it's the merchants paying the cost of the money, it's going to show up in higher prices someway," Savage said.Here's a look at some of the key moments in the BNPL space over the last several months:<h2>March</h2><ul><li>Afterpay <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/afterpay-may-be-poised-for-us-success-2020-3">reaches 3.6 million active users in the US</a> (where it launched in 2018), surpassing its native Australia in terms of user count. </li><li>Ant Financial <a href="https://www.klarna.com/international/press/ant-financial-services-group-klarna-announce-investment-to-fuel-global-cooperation/">buys a minority stake</a> in Klarna.</li></ul><h2>April</h2><ul><li>Goldman Sachs' consumer bank, Marcus, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/if-you-cant-afford-to-travel-vacation-loans-uplift-affirm-2020-2">partners with JetBlue to offer a buy now, pay later option on flights</a>.</li></ul><h2>May</h2><ul><li>Tencent <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/afterpay-ceo-says-tencents-stake-will-help-startup-expand-china-2020-5">buys a 5% stake in Afterpay</a>, signaling the Australian fintech's ambitions in China. E-commerce is forecasted to account for around 40% of total retail sales in China in 2020, <a href="https://www.emarketer.com/content/china-ecommerce-2020">according to eMarketer</a>.</li><li>QuadPay <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/quadpay-stripe-buy-now-pay-later-app-2020-5">partners with buzzy fintech Stripe to launch its card-issuing platform</a>, enabling shoppers to use QuadPay in-store.</li><li>Afterpay hits <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com.au/afterpay-asx-shares-invest-us-expansion-2020-5">five million active shoppers in the US</a> after just two years in the market.</li></ul><h2><div type="image" title="Klarna CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski in London" height="682" width="1024" msid="79325841" hostid="261"></div>June</h2><ul><li>Affirm <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/affirm-high-yield-savings-max-levchin-personal-finance-2020-5">launches a high-yield savings account</a>, playing on both the spending and saving side of its users' finances.</li><li>Australian buy now, pay later player <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com.au/zip-asx-quadpay-afterpay-us-bnpl-2020-6">ZipCo acquires QuadPay</a> in an effort to expand into the US market.</li><li>Splitit <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mastercard-splitit-partner-for-global-expansion-2020-6">partners with Mastercard to expand its reach</a> in Australia, Canada, and the UK.</li><li>Klarna <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/klarna-loyalty-program-launch-buy-now-pay-later-surges-2020-6">launches a loyalty program for its users</a>, part of a larger strategy to become shoppers' go-to app.</li></ul><h2>July</h2><ul><li>Afterpay <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/afterpay-goes-in-store-in-us-business-insider-2020-7">launches its in-store payments for its US shoppers</a> via Apple Pay and Google Pay.</li><li>PayPal <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/paypal-credit-buy-now-pay-later-payments-tech-2020-7">rolls out its Pay in 4 product in France</a>, a preview of its similar product roadmap in the US. </li><li>Affirm <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/shopify-affirm-partner-buy-now-pay-later-installments-online-shopping-2020-7">becomes Shopify's exclusive partner for its buy now, pay later solution</a> it offers to Shopify's US-based merchants.</li><li>Afterpay <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/afterpay-rewards-on-time-payments-with-new-loyalty-program-1029425113">launches a loyalty program where shoppers earn points for on-time payments</a>.</li><li>Sezzle <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/us-buy-now-pay-later-leader-sezzle-secures-usd55-million-in-latest-capital-raise-301092512.html">raises $55 million</a> in post-IPO equity.</li><li>Affirm, backed by Andreessen Horowitz, Lightspeed Venture Partners, and Morgan Stanley, is <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/affirm-eyeing-an-ipo-goldman-sachss-buy-now-pay-later-2020-7">reportedly eyeing a $10 billion IPO</a>.</li></ul><div type="image" title="Afterpay" height="2667" width="4000" msid="79325845" hostid="261"></div><h2>August</h2><ul><li>American Express <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/american-express-extends-access-to-flexible-payment-options-2020-8">expands its Pay It Plan It and Pay Over Time products to its Green, Gold, and Platinum cards</a>.</li><li>Citi <a href="https://www.bankrate.com/finance/credit-cards/citi-flex-pay-amazon-purchases/">adds its Flex Pay product</a> to Amazon's point of sale.</li><li>Mastercard's Vyze, which offers retailers the ability to provide point-of-sale financing from multiple sources, adds <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ally-expands-financing-into-retail-with-mastercard-vyze-partnership-301117292.html">Ally Bank</a> and <a href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200831005183/en/QuadPay-Partners-Mastercard-Vyze-Easy-Retailers-Offer">QuadPay</a> as lending partners.</li><li>Splitit <a href="https://www.afr.com/technology/splitit-raises-100-million-to-tap-us-uk-boom-20200805-p55isl">raises $100 million</a> in post-IPO equity from investors including Woodson Capital Management.</li><li>Afterpay launches in Canada and <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/afterpay-expands-into-europe-1029527383#">acquires European buy now, pay later player Pagantis</a>.</li><li>PayPal <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/paypal-buy-now-pay-later-installment-launch-2020-9">rolls out Pay in 4 to all its US merchants</a> that offer PayPal as a way to pay.</li><li>Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG), one of Japan's largest banks, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/afterpay-stocks/afterpay-shares-rise-nearly-10-to-record-after-hiking-core-profit-view-idINL4N2FM03F">buys a 5% stake in Afterpay</a>.</li></ul><h2>September</h2><ul><li>Sezzle partners with <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/marqeta-ceo-jason-gardner-interview-hiring-acquisitions-2020-5">Marqeta</a> to launch its card-issuing platform for in-store use of its point-of-sale financing.</li><li>Private-equity firm Silver Lake is reportedly leading a group investing $650 million into Klarna, <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/silver-lake-led-group-pours-650-million-into-payments-company-klarna-11600124400?mod=hp_lista_pos5">according to The Wall Street Journal</a>. </li><li>Affirm raises a $500 million Series G led by GIC, a returning investor, and Durable Capital Partners LP. It also launches an interest-free bi-weekly financing option.</li><li>QuadPay raises a $200 million line of credit from Goldman Sachs.</li></ul><h2>October</h2><ul><li>Klarna signs 5-year contract with Macy's as its exclusive buy now, pay later partner. Macy's also invested in Klarna.</li><li><a href="https://www.affirm.com/press/releases/affirm-announces-confidential-submission-of-draft-registration-statement">Affirm announces</a> it had confidentially filed with regulators for an initial public offering. </li><li><a href="https://www.klarna.com/international/press/etsy-enables-millions-of-us-shoppers-to-buy-now-pay-later-with-klarna/">Etsy adds Klarna</a> as its buy now, pay later partner for purchases between $50 and $10,000.</li></ul><h2>November</h2><ul><li>JPMorgan Chase launches a buy now, pay later option for its credit card customers.</li><li>Affirm becomes payments giant Adyen's buy now, pay later partner.</li><li><a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1820953/000110465920126927/tm2026663-4_s1.htm#tRIFA">Affirm publishes its Form S-1</a>. </li><li>Quadpay is the first buy now, pay later player to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/quadpay-google-chrome-extension-buy-now-pay-later-online-fintech-2020-11">launch a Chrome extension</a>.</li><li>Klarna hits 11 million customers in the US, with 2 million monthly active users.</li></ul>

Affirm revealed its IPO paperwork. Here's a look inside the buy now, pay later frenzy, the new twist on financing that is a must have for everyone.

<div class="KonaFilter image-container float_right"><div class="image on-image"><a href="https://twitter.com/FromTheEmbers">Twitter @FromTheEmbers</a>Alyssa O'Neill</div></div>A Pennsylvania family bought 40 strangers Pumpkin Spice Lattes from <keyword id="6377922" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Starbucks">Starbucks</keyword> to remember their deceased teenage daughter. 
Alyssa O'Neill, 18, texted her mother earlier this month and suggested they get Pumpkin Spice Lattes together, <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/26/us/pennsylvania-ajo-pay-it-forward/?hpt=us_c2">CNN reports</a>. 
But O'Neill tragically died of an epileptic seizure Sept. 4.
"We were just shocked at the sudden loss and didn't know what to do," her father, <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/26/us/pennsylvania-ajo-pay-it-forward/?hpt=us_c2">Jason O'Neill, told CNN</a>. "So we tried to fulfill the one thing that she asked us. If Alyssa couldn't get a pumpkin spice latte, we would get them for other people and try to pass the kindness forward."
The family purchased the drinks and asked Starbucks employees to write #AJO in her commemoration.
Inspired by their effort, the employees donated an additional 50 drinks and, a global campaign in Alyssa's name has since emerged. And lattes are just the beginning.
It has extended to include all acts of kindness such as people paying for each others' Christmas layaways and purchasing meals for one another.
"It just kind of exploded at that point. We had somewhat of a following, but nothing like this," her father said.
The O'Neills also started the AJO Forever Fund to assist families of children with epilepsy and to bolster a local scholarship fund.

Family Arranges Touching Act Of Kindness At Starbucks To Remember Their Daughter 

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/handwrite/6411630095/in/photolist-6ti6N4-7xXGK-8drGmJ-dR2CFr-82EAuY-enRcPM-4YGcm5-aLzhft-7CxCFE-7Y5i9m-82BqWt-82EAfU-9yjTfL-4ihCDr-9bwQk-61xMPo-5XbhNq-a45Ak7-obmEy-enR92Z-82BqG6-tKNK5-95Lwks-8ZRNyS-4BGjc7-4ekDHv-4FiPsY-4XEMN1-6NGsUn-95Lwzh-5PeizX-4RUfYD-a27Qrh-a27QQd-a27Q7C-4maUYJ-2f8LHL-7NfgLj-LQmJu-9hjH2r-8dHnZm-8dE8eT-9hjPRV-8dHnTd-8dHnLm-6SG5VN-9hYvJH-8ZRTVx-6NJiZC-4E9y2s">V.H.D./flickr</a></div></div></div>The U.S. <a href="http://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/OFAC-Enforcement/Pages/20140716.aspx">just issued</a> a new sanctions against a flurry of Russian firms in response to Russia's offensive in Ukraine.
Among the firms targeted is Kalashnikov Concern, the company that makes AK-47s.
The Treasury has <a href="http://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/faqs/Sanctions/Pages/answer.aspx#373">published</a> an in-depth Q&amp;A about the new sanctions on its website.
How in-depth is it? T
hey devote two different sections laying out the stakes for American Kalashnikov owners.
Here's the full text. The gist is, if you bought yours before today, you can still resell it. But you can't buy any new ones. If you're currently paying for your AK on layaway, you need to contact Treasury for further info.
374. If I own a Kalashnikov product, is that product blocked by sanctions? Am I able to resell a Kalashnikov product at a gun show or other secondary market? 
If a U.S. person is in possession of a Kalashnikov Concern product that was bought and fully paid for prior to the date of designation (i.e., no payment remains due to Kalashnikov Concern), then that product is not blocked and OFAC sanctions would not prohibit the U.S. person from keeping or selling the product in the secondary market, so long as Kalashnikov Concern has no interest in the transaction. New transactions by U.S. persons with Kalashnikov Concern are prohibited, however, and any property in which Kalashnikov Concern has an interest is blocked pursuant to OFAC's designation of Kalashnikov Concern on July 16, 2014. If a U.S. person has an inventory of Kalashnikov Concern products in which Kalashnikov Concern has an interest (for example, the products are not fully paid for or are being sold on consignment), we advise that U.S. person to contact OFAC for further guidance on handling of the inventory. [7-16-2014] 
375. If I have Kalashnikov products in my inventory, can I sell them? 
If a U.S. person has an inventory of Kalashnikov Concern products in which Kalashnikov Concern has an interest (for example, the products are not fully paid for or are being sold on consignment), we advise that U.S. person to contact OFAC for further guidance on handling of the inventory. [7-16-2014]
Glad that's cleared up.
(<a href="https://twitter.com/oliverbullough/status/489513894272970752">h/t Oliver Bullough</a>)

Treasury Department Tells AK-47 Owning Americans They Won't Be Affected By New Russia Sanctions

Monday September 9, a mere 106 days before <keyword id="8206" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Christmas">Christmas</keyword>, <a href="http://gawker.com/happy-christmas-advertising-season-gunshot-1286014316?utm_source=feedburner&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_campaign=Feed%3A+gawker%2Ffull+%28Gawker%29">Kmart aired its very first holiday ad of the season</a>.
"This might give new meaning to the phrase Christmas Creep," Kathy Grannis, a spokeswoman for the National Retail Federation, told Ad Age.
The infamous Christmas creep isn't this guy:
Rather it is the dreaded merchandising trend in which holiday marketing creeps up earlier and earlier every year. In this case, <a href="http://www.almanac.com/content/first-day-seasons">when it's still summer.</a>
<a href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Christmas%20creep">Or, as Urban Dictionary defines it,</a> the "universally hated, market driven phenomenon that if left unchecked will eventually culminate in an uninterrupted decade of concatenated carol medleys, closely followed by a glorious moment of frantic arson destroying every <a href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Christmatastasized" title="" data-original-title="">Christmatastasized</a> mall in America."
The <keyword id="554530" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Kmart">Kmart</keyword> ad - made by DraftFCB, which also created the retailer's viral sensations <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&amp;v=I03UmJbK0lA">"Ship My Pants"</a> and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/kmarts-ship-my-pants-ad-sequel-2013-5">"Big Gas Savings"</a> - actually features a Christmas creep. A large ginger bread man creeps up on a woman in a cubicle, accompanied by a voiceover stating, "Don't let the holidays sneak up on you. Shop early with Kmart free layaway. … Kmart. Get in, get more Christmas."

Kmart told Business Insider that it wasn't prepared to share its holiday plan and strategy just yet - no word on if future ads will feature ridiculous puns - but the early start might inspire other advertisers to get in the game, too.
Last year, the retailer premiered its first holiday spot October 28. Target made headlines when it released a holiday ad October 15 last year.
September 9 is a pretty big, and terrifying, leap.

Kmart Aired A Holiday Ad 106 Days Before Christmas

Kmart Aired First Holiday Ad A Whopping 106 Days Before Christmas

You may have noticed that <keyword id="554530" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Kmart">Kmart</keyword> has had a lot of weird commercials lately. Whether it is <a href="http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/ad-day-kmart-finds-completely-evil-way-push-layaway-program-153858">Satan promoting a layaway</a> or guys doing a <a href="http://www.adweek.com/adfreak/kmart-hunks-play-jingle-bells-their-junk-crazy-christmas-ad-153929">Chippendales-inspired "Jingle Bells" dance</a> in their boxers, there have definitely been plenty of alternatives to the more <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFtiMRbEE7o">traditional, Mom-friendly ads</a>.
But with some hits there are usually misses, and it is safe to say that the "GIF-ing Out" ads are the latter. This one features a couple coming home from a successful holiday shopping spree at Kmart. Their celebration is on loop, which reminds their neighbors of a <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/10-gorgeous-gifs-2013-11">GIF file</a>: 

The commercials are aimed at the Internet community, but it does not seem to be enjoying them (to put it lightly):
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
Worst &amp; most annoying commercial I've seen in my life.. "Giffing" <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23kmart&amp;src=hash">#kmart</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Kmart">@Kmart</a> please cut it out already. <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23poormarketing&amp;src=hash">#poormarketing</a>
- Kyle A Richards (@krich30thirties) <a href="https://twitter.com/krich30thirties/statuses/406339638622961664">November 29, 2013</a></blockquote>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
Don't watch much tv but just happen to catch the <a href="https://twitter.com/Kmart">@Kmart</a> 'giffing out' commercial. Makes me want to hurl my tv &amp; my lunch. Please. Stop. It.
- grace haynes (@graceNC4) <a href="https://twitter.com/graceNC4/statuses/405781059289100288">November 27, 2013</a></blockquote>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
I HATE THE STUPID KMART "GIFFING OUT" COMMERCIALS <keyword id="1605971" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Gifs">GIFS</keyword> ARE SILENT STOP ITS ANNOYING AND DUMB
- Drew ? ? ? (@offoceanave) <a href="https://twitter.com/offoceanave/statuses/405231283497734144">November 26, 2013</a></blockquote>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
the "giffing out" kmart commercial makes me beyond uncomfortable
- shan (@SHANNONiganzz) <a href="https://twitter.com/SHANNONiganzz/statuses/405571913650409472">November 27, 2013</a></blockquote>

For the record, the GIF pronunciation debate supposedly ended back in March, when the file type's creator said it <a href="http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/05/23/battle-over-gif-pronunciation-erupts/?_r=0">should be pronounced like the peanut butter brand "Jiff."</a>
<a href="http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/05/23/battle-over-gif-pronunciation-erupts/?_r=0"></a> This guy even liked Kmart's concept but found the "giff" (hard 'G') part annoying:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
Love <a href="https://twitter.com/Kmart">@Kmart</a>'s"gifing out" commercial.. but can people PLEASE learn the correct way to pronounce "Gif" <a href="http://t.co/q11RD5sGto">http://t.co/q11RD5sGto</a>
- Justin (@justindmorris) <a href="https://twitter.com/justindmorris/statuses/405384160740507649">November 26, 2013</a></blockquote>

It's also worth noting that GIF files don't have sound, but Kmart's ads have given them audio anyway.
Kmart gave the Chicago agency <keyword id="176654" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Draftfcb">Draftfcb</keyword> the green light for their series of offbeat, goofy commercials after its "Ship My Pants" spot became the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/the-top-5-most-shared-ads-of-2013-2013-11">fourth most shared ad of the year</a>.

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