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

Episode 84 – A Blizzard of Ideas - Takeaways from New York Climate Week

with IIF's Sonja Gibbs, Managing Director, Global Policy Initiatives & Head of Sustainable Finance

In this episode of Current Account, Clay is joined by IIF's Sonja Gibbs, Managing Director of Global Policy Initiatives and Head of Sustainable Finance, to recap an eventful New York Climate Week. Clay and Sonja talk about the major themes surrounding this year's meetings, including balancing a Brown vs Green transition strategy, the role of private and public funding in decarbonization efforts, how various jurisdictions approach reporting standards and impacts of EU's Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), what role the upcoming U.S. Presidential Election may have in climate policy 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.

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1 year ago

Episode 83 – Draghi’s Choice – What Does the Draghi Report Mean for the Future of European Competition?

with Giovanna Faggionato, Financial Services Reporter for Politico Europe

In this episode of Current Account, Clay is joined by Giovanna Faggionato, a reporter for Politico Europe who has extensive experience covering competition, to discuss the recent report given by former Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi. Clay and Giovanna discuss the report's key themes and takeaways, focused on a plan to make the European Union more competitive economically. They discuss why Draghi was the author of this report, how he proposes to close the competition gap between the EU and the United States, challenges in implementing the report's recommendations, what steps may follow suit 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.

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1 year ago

Episode 82 – Can We Make a Discussion about Basel III Even More Interesting?

with IIF's Andrés Portilla, Managing Director of Regulatory Affairs and Richard Gray, Director of Prudential Policy

In this episode of Current Account, Clay is joined by IIF's Andrés Portilla, Managing Director of Regulatory Affairs and Richard Gray, Director of Prudential Policy, to revisit the topic of Basel III implementation. The podcast covers how the United States Federal Reserve may look to repropose implementing Basel III, what metrics are being suggested in the reproposal process, the shifting implementation timeline, thinking of how other jurisdictions may monitor the Federal Reserve's process, the impact of the 2024 U.S. Presidential elections on impending steps and more.

For more information on Basel III, tune in to Episode 55: "Can We Make a Discussion about Basel Capital Accords Interesting?" where Clay, Andrés and Richard analyze the Basel III Endgame.

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.

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1 year ago

Episode 81 – Global Economic Forecast with New IIF Chief Economist Marcello Estevão - Cloudy with a Chance of Optimism?

with IIF Managing Director and Chief Economist, Marcello Estevão

In this episode of Current Account, Clay is joined by IIF's new Chief Economist and Managing Director, Marcello Estevão. Marcello joins the IIF with a plethora of experience in the financial industry, including stints at the World Bank, IMF, U.S. Federal Reserve Board, G20 Deputy for Brazil and many more. Clay and Marcello discuss a number of global economic topics at the macro level, including an update on the Federal Reserve and their probable rate cuts, current status of central banks in China and Japan, upcoming IIF work and ideas on capital flows, forecasting economic landscape for the near future 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.

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2 years ago

Episode 80 – Should I Stay or Should I Go: What Market Volatility Tells Us About Economic Fundamentals and Policy

with Gregory Daco, Chief Economist at Ernst & Young

In this episode of Current Account, Clay is joined by Gregory Daco, Chief Economist at EY, to discuss recent developments in the U.S. economy, including recapping the recent market volatility and the reasoning behind it, impact and potential inflationary measures on the economy moving forward, upcoming decisions for the Federal Reserve, forecasting the future of the dollar 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.

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2 years ago

Episode 79 – U.S. Elections: The Summer of Bizarre

In this episode of Current Account, Clay gives an update on the upcoming United States Presidential Elections on November 5th, following a number of developments in recent weeks. Clay discusses the impact of a variety of unprecedented events, including the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, sitting President Joe Biden backing down from seeking a second term in office, how current Vice President and presumptive Democratic nominee Kamala Harris will approach both picking a Vice-Presidential candidate, how these events may shape the Democratic National Convention in mid-August, what are considered to be the "swing" states in the election at this time, how Donald Trump will aim to appear to certain voter types 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.

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2 years ago

Episode 78 – Sanctions Policy: Is Secondary Becoming Primary?

with Daniel Tannebaum, Partner & Global Anti-Financial Crime Practice Leader at Oliver Wyman & Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council

In this episode of Current Account, Clay is joined by Daniel Tannebaum, a Partner and Global Anti-Financial Crime Practice Leader at Oliver Wyman and Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council, to provide a sanctions update amid the recent United States’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) escalation of the December 2023 sanctions package on Russia. The episode begins with an explanation of what the new escalation package entails, before discussing the approaches of the G7 lending plan, the relationships of India and China with Russia in this context, how the upcoming U.S. Presidential Elections will play a role going forward and much more.

Editor's note: This episode was taped on Friday, July 19th, 2024.

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.

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2 years ago

Episode 77 – Liberty, Equality, No Clarity - Recap of the French Snap Elections

with Guillaume de Calignon, Journalist, Les Echos

In this episode of Current Account, Clay is joined by Guillaume de Calignon, a Journalist at Les Echos - a French financial newspaper headquartered in Paris - to discuss the results and implications of the recent French snap elections. Clay and Guillaume discuss why President Macron called for the elections, the results leading to a coalition government, impact it may have on French economic policy, weighing investor and public uncertainty around the current government landscape, how this event is tied to the greater European Union, potential pathway until the French General Elections in 2027 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.

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2 years ago

Episode 76 – The ECB Cuts Rates: Is the Last Kilometer Shorter than the Last Mile?

with Marcelo Carvalho, Global Head of Economics at BNP Paribas CIB

In this episode of Current Account, Clay is joined by Marcelo Carvalho, Global Head of Economics at BNP Paribas CIB, to discuss the recent decision by the European Central Bank (ECB) to cut interest rates. The episode includes discussing the thought process by the .25% rate cut, an unprecedented aspect of the ECB's decision, whether more rate cuts are to come, how events in Europe may have impacted this decision 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.

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2 years ago

Episode 75 – You Can Count on Me Like 1-2-3... or Maybe You Can’t - Recapping the Indian, Mexican and South African Elections

In this episode of Current Account, Clay recaps a variety of recent and important elections across the globe. The episode includes results and implications from elections in Mexico, India and South Africa, and how President-Elect Claudia Sheinbaum, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the ANC Party, respectively, will respond to the results.

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.

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