In this episode of Current Account, Clay is joined by Eugene Ludwig, Founder and CEO of Ludwig Advisors, to discuss a variety of updates within financial regulation - specifically those in the spotlight as President Trump continues to fill his regulatory cabinet. Clay and Gene start the discussion by assessing how the current administration seems to be approaching regulation, before diving into topics such as increased White House supervision on regulators, plans for potential Basel III implementation, a drastic change from the previous administration in approaching digital assets, how the U.S. is varying its approach from other jurisdictions, how financial institutions are approaching this period of transition and much more.

This IIF Podcast was hosted by Clay Lowery, Executive Vice President, Research and Policy, with production and research contributions from Christian Klein, Digital Graphics and Production Associate, and Miranda Silverman, Senior Program Assistant.

In this episode of Current Account, Clay is joined by Rebecca Patterson, Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and globally recognized investor and economic researcher, to discuss a potential new feature of the Trump Administration - A Mar-a-Lago Accord. Clay and Rebecca begin by explaining potential motives behind such an accord, followed by detailing the process of making it a reality, the impact the accord may have on the dollar, evaluating this potential scenario to similar measures in the past, how the U.S. may aim to get international support and the feasibility of this process leading to a real Mar-a-Lago accord.

This IIF Podcast was hosted by Clay Lowery, Executive Vice President, Research and Policy, with production and research contributions from Christian Klein, Digital Graphics and Production Associate and Miranda Silverman, Senior Program Assistant.

In this episode of Current Account, Clay is joined by Jenny Cosco, Global Head of Government Relations & Regulatory Strategy at LSEG, to discuss recent trends related to market risk and vulnerability. Jenny and Clay discuss some of the key market trends in 2025, how deeply volatile trends could be the pattern of the future, how markets seem to be combating volatility with resilience, regulatory frameworks that may bolster market stability and resilience, an overview of front-of-mind regulatory and market issues and much more.

This IIF Podcast was hosted by Clay Lowery, Executive Vice President, Research and Policy, with production and research contributions from Christian Klein, Digital Graphics and Production Associate and Miranda Silverman, Senior Program Assistant.

In this episode of Current Account, Clay is joined by IIF's Martin Boer, General Manager and Chief Representative, Europe, to discuss some of the recent developments captivating the European economy. Joining Clay from Brussels, Martin is able to dive into a number of key areas of focus in the region, including the path of Europe on the road to greater growth and competitiveness, potential implications for the financial industry on a broader consumer level, how things may have shifted since President Trump recently took office, how the European Union is balancing its trade relationship with the U.S. and other major partners, what the near-term outlook may look like for the European economy and much more.

This IIF Podcast was hosted by Clay Lowery, Executive Vice President, Research and Policy, with production and research contributions from Christian Klein, Digital Graphics and Production Associate and Miranda Silverman, Senior Program Assistant.

In this landmark 100th episode of Current Account, Clay is joined by IIF's Gene Ma, Head of China Research and Chief Representative of the Asia/Pacific Region, to provide an update on China. Fresh off of the "Two Meetings" sessions, Clay and Gene first provide an update on economic trends from China, before analyzing a potential shift to a more consumption-led economy, how China is responding to President Trump's tariff policy, other ripple effects on China's economy from the U.S.-China relationship and more.

This IIF Podcast was hosted by Clay Lowery, Executive Vice President, Research and Policy, with production and research contributions from Christian Klein, Digital Graphics and Production Associate and Miranda Silverman, Senior Program Assistant.

In this episode of Current Account, Clay is joined by Jeffrey Rathke, President of the American-German Institute at John Hopkins University, as well as host of The Zeitgeist podcast, to discuss the results and implications of the recent elections in Germany. Clay and Jeff first recap the events that led to these elections back in November of 2024, before analyzing the results of a voter turnout not seen since reunification: Implications of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU)-Christian Social Union (CSU) bloc forming a coalition government with the Social Democratic Party (SDP), impact on the German economy and its role as a European powerhouse, how U.S.-German relations may change under new leadership, likelihood and procedure of halting the debt brake and much more.

This IIF Podcast was hosted by Clay Lowery, Executive Vice President, Research and Policy, with production and research contributions from Christian Klein, Digital Graphics and Production Associate and Miranda Silverman, Senior Program Assistant.

In this episode of Current Account, Clay is joined by IIF's Martín Castellano, Head of LatAm Research, to discuss recent economic developments in Mexico, fresh off a recent investor trip to Mexico City. The discussion centers around the impact of President Sheinbaum's initial few months in office, response to recent actions and discussions led by the Trump administration, Mexico's outlook for growth, overall economic trends in the region and more.

This IIF Podcast was hosted by Clay Lowery, Executive Vice President, Research and Policy, with production and research contributions from Christian Klein, Digital Graphics and Production Associate and Miranda Silverman, Senior Program Assistant.

In this episode of Current Account, Clay analyzes a topic gaining momentum in recent weeks - sovereign wealth funds and the potential of one in the United States. Clay first gives some background on sovereign wealth funds at large and examples of successful funds across the globe, before diving into three main points: How sovereign wealth funds are funded, what the objectives of these funds are and how a new U.S. fund may fit into existing legal frameworks.

This IIF Podcast was hosted by Clay Lowery, Executive Vice President, Research and Policy, with production and research contributions from Christian Klein, Digital Graphics and Production Associate and Miranda Silverman, Senior Program Assistant.

In this episode of Current Account, Clay discusses developments around the recent tariffs and threatened implemented by United States President Donald Trump on countries and regions such as Colombia, Canada, Mexico, China and the European Union. Clay dives into why and how the Trump administration may use tariffs as a bargaining tool in trade discussions, describing the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and its role, how these tariffs are impacting markets and international relationships, and much more.

This IIF Podcast was hosted by Clay Lowery, Executive Vice President, Research and Policy, with production and research contributions from Christian Klein, Digital Graphics and Production Associate and Miranda Silverman, Senior Program Assistant.

In this episode of Current Account, Clay is joined by IIF's new Deputy Chief Economist, Ashok Bhundia, to discuss economic developments amid South Korea's recent political events. Clay and Ashok recap key points over recent months before discussing the impact these events have on both monetary and fiscal policy, how markets have reacted to the political uncertainty, the forthcoming process to gain clarity on a political leader and much more.

This IIF Podcast was hosted by Clay Lowery, Executive Vice President, Research and Policy, with production and research contributions from Christian Klein, Digital Graphics and Production Associate and Miranda Silverman, Senior Program Assistant.