Ezra Zask Research Advisors

Fintech Overload

Fintechs have made people’s lives unnecessarily complicated The proliferation of products creates confusion rather than clarity

The Fed's Political Decision-Making
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As Mr. Sandhi points out, the Fed is in an unenviable position in its choice of decisions. If it allows the economy to surge ahead, inflation may become institutionalized, while slamming on the breaks can tip the world's economy into a recession of unknowable depth and duration. There are many unknowns in this decision, including the relative importance of various factors in maintaining inflation at high levels, and the unknown impact of a labor market that is undergoing structural changes. This all brings into question the inevitability of a wage-price cycle in the absence of drastic Fed decisions to rachet up interest rates without certainty of the effectiveness of this policy. And yet, despite the uncertainties, the Fed is hell-bent on pursuing an all-or-nothing policy. Mr. Sandhi convincingly argues that public opinion may be a decisive factor. That in the public's perception, economic pain is preferrable to high inflation. It remains to be seen, however, if opinion remains the same if the coming recession turns out to be deep and prolonged and only has a moderate impact on inflation.

Central banks are risking the best jobs market in a generation They are about to address a cost of living shock by willingly inflicting a hit to growth

Crypto has gone through a number of transfigurations in the past decade from a medium of exchange, to a disrupter of traditional payment systems, to a hedge against inflation and instability. None of these have outlasted the hype. Its latest incarnation is as an asset class and trading vehicle, initially for wealthy and institutional investors as illustrated by the offerings from Fidelity, Charles Schwab, and, most telling, BlackRock's inclusion of Bitcoins on its vaunted Alladin system....

Cryptocurrencies find a home as an “asset class” Crypto has gone through a number of transfigurations in the past decade from a medium of exchange, to a disrupter of traditional payment systems, to a hedge against inflation and instability. None …