June in Review: 15 Top Finance Press Releases

A roundup of the most newsworthy financial press releases from PR Newswire and a look into the newest payment cards bridging digital and physical commerce.

NEW YORK, July 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- With thousands of press releases published each month, it can be difficult to keep up with everything on PR Newswire. To help finance journalists and consumers stay on top of the month's most popular releases and newsworthy trends, here's a recap of some of the past month's most read- and engaged-with stories.

The list below includes the headline (with a link to the full text) and an excerpt from each story. Click on the press release headlines to access accompanying multimedia assets that are available for download.

1. The Princeton Review Has Posted Its "Best Value Colleges for 2025" Report: Top Public and Private Colleges Ranked in Seven Categories Georgia Institute of Technology is the #1 Public Best Value College (it was also #1 on this list last year). Princeton University is the #1 Private Best Value College.
2. Chainlink and Mastercard Partner to Enable Over 3 Billion Cardholders to Purchase Crypto Directly Onchain As adoption of crypto assets continues to grow, collaborations like the one between Mastercard and Chainlink are helping drive a new wave of user-centric solutions that bridge the gap between crypto-native technology and real-world usability.
3. ADP National Employment Report: Private Sector Employment Increased by 37,000 Jobs in May; Annual Pay was Up 4.5% "After a strong start to the year, hiring is losing momentum," said Dr. Nela Richardson, chief economist, ADP. "Pay growth, however, was little changed in May, holding at robust levels for both job-stayers and job-changers."
4. BOXABL Announces Intent to Merge with a SPAC, Targeting Nasdaq Listing The Proposed Transaction represents a significant step forward in BOXABL's mission to revolutionize affordable, sustainable housing. BOXABL currently has over 50,000 investors, representing an aggregate investment of over $200 million, who have shown support for BOXABL's mission and vision.
5. Carnival Cruise Line to Launch New Loyalty Program in 2026 Dubbed 'Carnival Rewards'™ The new program will be closely tied to everyday spending on the co-branded credit card with Barclays – the Carnival Rewards Mastercard – giving cardmembers the opportunity to earn points and status even faster.
6. OnePay and Synchrony to Launch New Industry-Leading Credit Card Program With Walmart; Credit Card to Be Powered by Mastercard and Set to Go Live This Fall The program will add credit cards to OnePay's growing portfolio of financial services products, helping consumers save, spend, borrow, and grow their money — all in one place.
7. US Consumer Confidence Retreats in June The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index® deteriorated by 5.4 points in June, falling to 93.0 from 98.4 in May. June's retreat in confidence was shared by all age groups and almost all income groups. It was also shared across all political affiliations, with the largest decline among Republicans.
8. Aflac Incorporated Discloses Cybersecurity Incident In response to the June 12, 2025, incident, Aflac is offering any individual who contacts the dedicated call center free credit monitoring and identity theft protection, and Medical Shield for 24 months.
9. Couchbase to be Acquired by Haveli Investments for $1.5 Billion Under the terms of the Agreement, Couchbase stockholders will receive $24.50 per share in cash. Upon completion of the transaction, Couchbase will become a privately-held company.
10. Gemini Announces Confidential Submission of Draft Registration Statement for a Proposed Initial Public Offering The number of shares of Class A common stock to be offered and the price range for the proposed offering have not yet been determined. The initial public offering is expected to occur after the SEC completes its review process, subject to market and other conditions.
11. Nuveen Acquires Leading Custom Multi-Asset Direct Indexing Provider, Brooklyn Investment Group The move underscores Nuveen's conviction in the continued growth of direct indexing and multi-asset tax-managed solutions, which have been one of the fastest growing areas of the asset management industry, having risen to $864 billion in assets at the end of 2024, representing a 43% compound annual growth rate since the start of this decade.
12. First Financial Bancorp and Westfield Jointly Announce First Financial's Acquisition of Westfield Bancorp The acquisition will grow First Financial to a $20.6 billion Midwest-based institution, with a broad suite of capabilities for retail and business clients and a focus on community.
13. 2025 Allstate America's Best Drivers Report® reveals the safest and riskiest driving cities Allstate's 17th annual America's Best Drivers Report reveals that Texas leads the nation in safe driving with four cities in the top 20. Meanwhile, Boston is once again the most collision-prone city in the nation, where drivers are nearly 3.5 times as likely to be in a collision compared to the national average.
14. Wealthbox Secures $200 Million Investment from Sixth Street Growth to Accelerate Expansion and Innovation The partnership marks a major milestone in Wealthbox's evolution and positions the company to further scale its operations, accelerate product development, and expand its footprint across the wealth management industry.
15. IGT Lottery Becomes Brightstar Lottery "We have a nearly 50-year history of reliability, innovation, and leadership in lottery, a bedrock from which we are launching Brightstar with a future-forward mindset of helping lottery customers around the world succeed in an environment of digital adoption, shifting player expectations, and an increasing variety of gaming choices," said Vince Sadusky, CEO of Brightstar. 

For more news like this, check out all of the latest finance-related releases from PR Newswire.

Trending Topics 

Among the finance news that was distributed in June, the PR Newswire team was able to spot several larger stories that highlight the trends shaping the industry.

• Economic Signals Send Mixed Messages: June's economic data painted a contradictory picture that left both consumers and analysts searching for clarity. Consumer confidence retreated 5.4 points to 93.0 according to The Conference Board, with declines across all age groups and income levels. Yet Vanguard's annual report revealed retirement savings rates reached new highs, with a record 45% of participants increasing contributions in 2024. The housing market reflected similar complexity, as Zillow reported rising inventory and easing competition alongside persistently sluggish sales due to affordability challenges. A personal finance preparedness study by Credit One Bank showed generational divides, with only 38% of Gen Z maintaining dedicated cash reserves compared to 65% of Baby Boomers. While fully assessing economic health remains challenging, the overall message conveying a continuing trend of evolving financial behaviors is clear.
• New Cards Bridging Digital and Physical Commerce: Payment providers expanded their card offerings in June, connecting online platforms with traditional retail spending. PayPal launched a physical card to complement its digital credit product, while Venmo introduced more ways for cardholders to use their balance. Specialized options emerged for niche markets, including eTip's payroll card for tipped workers and Bybit's unified rewards program linking crypto payments with traditional spending. Major retail partnerships took shape with OnePay and Synchrony announcing a new Walmart credit card program, while Chainlink partnered with Mastercard to enable direct cryptocurrency purchases for over 3 billion cardholders. As consumers increasingly expect seamless transitions between their digital wallets and physical cards, we expect to continue seeing payment institutions seek innovative ways to create more unified platforms.
• Breaking Down Financial Barriers: A number of press releases in June highlighted financial institutions working to address traditional barriers that have limited access to key services. Rocket Mortgage's bridge loan program tackled the timing challenges of buying a home before selling, while Premera Blue Cross streamlined prior authorization processes that previously delayed healthcare payments. PNC's $208 million affordable housing fund targeted gaps in residential development financing, alongside the launch of PNC Mobile Accept, a pay-as-you-go payment solution for micro businesses that typically face higher barriers to access to services. Bank of America's expansion to $10 million real-time payment limits demonstrates a response to a demand for faster, high-value transactions. The shift toward more inclusive financial services will likely be a prominent theme this year and beyond as institutions work towards expanding access to various underserved markets.

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