Whether to offer face-to-face advice is, in fact, a fiercely debated issue among financial institutions that target the mass affluent.

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The challenge many apps face is determining what the target demographic is, before bringing product to market.

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To be sure, Wal-Mart and Target, two other massive big-box retailers, face this problem.

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There was no doubt about the intended target of his comments, but they were phrased ambiguously enough to save Mr Thaksin's face.

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With Clear Channel's stock trading well below its buyout value, lenders to the private equity consortium now face the prospect of lending far more than the current market value of the target company, and at a time when banks are already nervous about making loans.

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