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 74 – The Yen: Down, Down, Down into the Ring of Fire?

with Rebecca Patterson, Investment and Macro-Economic Industry Professional

In this episode of Current Account, Clay is joined by Rebecca Patterson, a globally recognized investor and economic researcher and former chief investment strategist with over 25 years of studying the intersections of politics and policy with financial markets, to discuss a variety of currency; namely the Yen, the Dollar and the Yuan. The discussion includes what developments the Japanese government has made around monetary policy, reason and impact of the Dollar's recent rise, the decline of the Yuan and what the ripple effects are, the impact of the upcoming U.S. Presidental Elections 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 73 – AI-Yi-Yi: Deepening the Conversation about A.I. and the Financial Sector

with IIF's Jessica Renier, Managing Director, Digital Finance

In this episode of Current Account, Clay is joined by IIF's Managing Director of Digital Finance, Jessica Renier, to discuss developments in artificial intelligence and the implications for the financial sector. Clay and Jessica discuss key takeaways from expert discussions during the recent IMF/World Bank Spring meetings, implementation strategy for A.I. in the financial industry, how the relationship between A.I. and data may alter internal strategy, current and upcoming challenges, how the rapidly-changing field may develop in the future and more.

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2 years ago

Episode 72 – China’s Economy - No Walk in the Park

In this episode of Current Account, Clay gives an update on the economic state of China. Topics include China's better-than-expected growth to begin 2024, adapting a new growth model and its implications, the economic impact of advancements in the energy industry, international ripple effects of China's monetary decisions, the potential path forward and more.

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2 years ago

Episode 71 – 2024 Spring Meetings Week Preview: A Cauldron of Ideas

with IIF President and CEO Tim Adams

In this episode of Current Account, Clay is joined by IIF President and CEO Tim Adams to preview the 2024 IMF/World Bank Springs in Washington. Tim and Clay discuss the unique aspects of this iteration of the meetings, key themes and talking points, how crucial industry topics such as Artificial Intelligence, Sustainable Finance and Geopolitics will influence discussion, high-level speakers in Washington 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 70 – In a New York State of Mind – Proposed Sovereign Debt Legislation and its Consequences

with IIF's Sonja Gibbs, Managing Director and Head of Sustainable Finance

In this episode of Current Account, Clay is joined by IIF's Sonja Gibbs, Managing Director and Head of Sustainability, to discuss recent legislative actions in the New York State Senate around a proposed bill on sovereign debt. Sonja and Clay discuss the contents of the bill, titled the "Sovereign Debt Sustainability Act," the overall impact of the bill should it be passed, industry reaction to the proposition, potential beneficial next steps and more.

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2 years ago

Episode 69 – Lessons from the Banking Turmoil of Spring 2023

In this episode of Current Account, Clay revisits the banking turmoil of March 2023 and its lessons learned. The episode incudes a breakdown of how the turmoil began, including the incidents involving firms such as SVB and Credit Suisse, what the landscape looks like one year later, what impact these specific situations may have analyzing risk and supervision, future implications of the turmoil and more.
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2 years ago

Episode 68 – Oh Mexico: Investor Interest and Presidential Elections

with IIF's Martín Castellano, Head of Latin America Research

In this episode of Current Account, Clay is joined by IIF's Martin Castellano, Head of Latin America Research, to discuss the present economic state of Mexico and the upcoming Mexican Presidential Elections after recently returning from an investor trip to the country. The discussion includes overall trends in Mexico, explaining the situation around offshoring and its implications, what the outlook for the upcoming elections might be, the role of Mexico in relations between the U.S. and China, and more.

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2 years ago

Episode 67 – Surfing the Debt Tsunami

with IIF's Emre Tiftik, Director of Sustainability Research

In this episode of Current Account, Clay is joined by IIF's Director of Sustainability Research, Emre Tiftik, to give an update on the current state of global debt. The podcast includes discussion on predominant trends on the current tally of over $310 trillion of global debt, outlook for the debt landscape in 2024, impact of geopolitics on debt, the concept of the United States being "the world's largest emerging market," funding strategy for climate finance, debt restructuring approaches and more.

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2 years ago

Episode 66 – Economic Impact of Russia-Ukraine Conflict: Resetting the Scene Two Years Later

with IIF's Ugras Ulku, Head of EM Europe Research and The Peterson Institute's Elina Ribakova, Nonresident Senior Fellow

In this episode of Current Account, Clay is joined by IIF's Ugras Ulku, Head of Emerging Market Europe Research, and Elina Ribakova, Nonresident Senior Fellow, Peterson Institute for International Economics, to give a detailed update of the economic impact of the Russia-Ukraine conflict on a global level. The discussion includes topics such as detailing Ukraine's necessity of foreign aid, how the Russian economy has responded to the international sanctions regime, what future sanctions may look like, what impacts a continued conflict may have on Ukraine and the global economy, and the unique approach to the Russia's reserve assets.

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2 years ago

Episode 65 – Economic Impact of Escalation of the Conflict in the Middle East

with IIF's Garbis Iradian, Chief Economist, Middle East & North Africa, and Ivan Burgara, Economist

In this episode of Current Account, Clay is joined again by IIF's Garbis Iradian, Chief Economist, Middle East & North Africa, and Ivan Burgara, Economist, to revisit the economic impact of the conflict in the Middle East. The trio discuss the likelihood and impact of two proposed scenarios: One in which the conflict is contained to the region and one where the conflict escalates beyond the region. Both scenarios are analyzed on a regional and global impact level.

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