Current Account with Clay Lowery
Hot topics in the financial industry from a U.S. politics and policy point of view.
2 years ago

Episode 49 – Let’s Go Quilting — ISSB Disclosure Standards

with IIF's Jeremy McDaniels, Deputy Director, Sustainable Finance, Global Policy Initiatives & Katie Rismanchi, Deputy Director, Regulatory Affairs

In this episode of Current Account, Clay is joined by two IIF colleagues, Jeremy McDaniels, Deputy Director of Sustainable Finance and Katie Rismanchi, Deputy Director of Regulatory Affairs, to help explain the recent developments in the standards set by the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB.) The discussion includes an explanation of the ISSB and its standards, international reaction to the standards, differences in approach in Europe and the US, and prognosticating the implementation of these standards. This will be the final episode of Current Account until September, make sure to look out for new episodes after our summer break.
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2 years ago

Episode 48 – Howdy Modi: India Hosts the G20 and Visits Washington

In this episode of Current Account, Clay takes a look at the current state of India. Topics broadly cover India's role as this year's G20 chair, what the upcoming Central Bank Governor and Finance Minister meetings may look like, reviewing Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent visit to the United States and India's relationships with China and Russia.

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2 years ago

Episode 47 – Is Japan’s Monetary Policy the Hotel California?

with Nathan Sheets, Global Chief Economist at Citi

In this episode of Current Account, Clay is joined by Nathan Sheets, Global Chief Economist at Citi, to talk about Japan. The discussion centers on a recent history of Japanese economy, what a transition from Gov. Kuroda to Gov. Ueda is looking like, explaining the policy of Yield Curve Control and its pros and cons and what the future may look like for Japan.
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2 years ago

Episode 46 – Paris or Bust? A Summit on Financing for the Poor

In this episode of Current Account, Clay takes a look at the upcoming meetings in Paris. The Summit for a New Global Financing Pact takes place on June 22-23, and Clay talks about many of its key points, but focuses mainly on Special Drawing Rights (SDRs). Other topics include Multilateral Development Bank (MDB) reform, taxes and innovative financing, and global debt.
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2 years ago

Episode 45 – Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride to Regulate Digital Assets

In this week's episode of Current Account, Clay dives into a topic at the forefront of the minds of many - digital asset regulation in the United States. He begins by explaining what the recent developments have been, lawsuits filed by the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) and a recent draft bill in Congress to establish a regulatory framework for digital assets with the SEC and Commodity Future Trading Commission (CFTC), before discussing what the impacts of these events might have immediately and what the process might look like as the US works its way to establishing a framework.

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2 years ago

Trailer for Current Account with Clay Lowery

Welcome to Current Account with Clay Lowery, the Executive Vice President of the Institute of International Finance, the global association of the financial industry. On Current Account, Clay talks about a variety of impactful topics in international finance, while integrating his background in US Politics and Policy where applicable.

Topics on Current Account vary from those domestically, such as the US Debt Ceiling and wide-reaching impact of the US Midterm and Presidential Elections, to those on a global scale, including ongoing development of financial technologies like Central Bank Digital Currencies and overviews of topics such as Blended Finance. There are also some recurring topics, such as the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the relationship between China and the United States and Global Policy Implications, as seen in the Russian oil price cap.

Given the breadth of topics covered, Clay is always looking for fresh perspectives and expert opinions. Many episodes of Current Account feature guest speakers, primarily industry experts and specialists both within and outside of the IIF.

Join Monday morning for new episodes of Current Account, which can be found on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

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2 years ago

Episode 43 – US Debt Ceiling - Still Under Renovation?

In this episode of Current Account, Clay revisits the timely topic of the United States Debt Ceiling. He outlines what the "X date" is and why it is important, analyzes what each political party will be negotiating for, gives a variety of scenarios as to how the issue may be resolved and lays out the potential impact these outcomes may have at a global scale.

Clay's initial explanation on the debt ceiling can be found in Episode 31: Dancing on the Ceiling: The Upside-Down World of the Debt Ceiling Debate.

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2 years ago

Episode 42 – Turkish Elections – Erdogan Again?

with IIF's Ugras Ulku, Head of EM Europe Research

In this episode of Current Account, Clay is joined by IIF's Head of EM Europe Research, Ugras Ulku, to discuss the upcoming Turkish Presidential Election on May 14th. The conversation includes an analysis of where Turkey is presently, what each candidate, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and challenger Kemal Kilicdaroglu, bring to the table, what may happen in each potential outcome and the impact either result will have in the US and other regions.

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