Chapter News

FTC | Looking for small business financing?

It’s exciting to see so many “open” signs appearing in store windows across the country. But some companies making the transition to an in-person workplace may find themselves in a short-term cash flow crunch. Even before the pandemic, the FTC raised concerns about deceptive practices related to small business financing. With many companies working to regain their footing, the FTC has tips on protecting yourself when looking for financing. Consider close to home. If you already have financing through a local lender, that...

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Chapter News, COVID-19 News

NextGenerationEU: European Commission raises €20 billion in first transaction to support Europe’s recovery

On June 15, the European Commission, in its first NextGenerationEU transaction, raised a €20 billion via a ten-year bond due on 4 July 2031 to finance Europe's recovery from the coronavirus crisis and its consequences. This is the largest-ever institutional bond issuance in Europe, the largest-ever institutional single tranche transaction and the largest amount the EU has raised in a single transaction. The bond has attracted a very strong interest by investors across Europe and the world, thanks to which...

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Member News

WRRGA | Tall Paul’s shadow

Previously published in Reuters Breakingviews as Guest view: Warning signs of a "Volcker Moment" | Paul Volcker, the former Federal Reserve chairman who was my longtime friend and officemate, died at the end of 2019 before Covid-19 swept the planet. But as the world has struggled to cope with the economic and human damage inflicted by the pandemic, I am often reminded of Paul’s concerns that policymakers would forget the important lessons imparted during his years as the central banker...

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Member News

FTI | Six Strategies for Building the E in ESG

Holistic approaches to managing risk, engaging stakeholders, adapting to change and taking on new opportunities are keys to leveraging this business and societal imperative. Public scrutiny of the way in which corporations incorporate environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices into their business strategies has been rising over the past decade. That scrutiny reached an inflection point in 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic focused a spotlight on many social aspects of ESG management. Investors responded by pouring nearly $1.7 trillion into funds that...

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Chapter News

IMF | A Proposal to Scale Up Global Carbon Pricing

Between one quarter and one half. That’s how much carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases must fall over the next decade to keep alive the goal of restricting global warming to below 2°C. The fastest and most practical way to achieve this is by creating an international carbon price floor arrangement. 'Climate change presents huge risks to the functioning of the world’s economies.' This matters to the IMF because climate change presents huge risks to the functioning of the world’s economies....

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Chapter News

IMF | A New Era of Digital Money

Digital forms of money could be a boon for emerging market and lower-income economies if the transition is well managed and regulated Digital money has the potential to transform the financial sector. Emerging markets and lower-income countries stand to gain the most from this dramatic shift. Broad and inexpensive access to digital money and phone-based transactions could open the door to financial services for 1.7 billion people without traditional bank accounts. And countries may grow increasingly connected, facilitating trade and...

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Member News

Vulcan Insight | Lovefest at EU-US Summit, but transatlantic differences remain

When the Presidents of the EU’s two main institutions welcomed US President Joe Biden in the Council’s egg-shaped Europa building, it was immediately clear to observers that, while the difficulties of the past four years had not been forgotten, all signs pointed to a softening of the transatlantic relationship.  Following the rocky and often openly acrimonious relationship between the Trump Administration and the European Union, President Biden’s overarching objective for his trip to Brussels was to reconfirm his commitment to...

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Member News

AlixPartners | How airlines can win in their post-pandemic recovery

As the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines continue, there is optimism that the airline industry has left last year’s turbulence behind. But unanswered questions remain. For carriers in the northern hemisphere, the summer travel season should offer some indication of challenges that lie ahead. While leisure travel, especially in the U.S., may return quickly, it still seems unlikely that the international business segment will come back to pre-pandemic levels anytime soon. Full-service carriers (FSCs) that get most of their profits...

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Member News

Arendt | No fixed establishment for VAT purposes for property companies without staff

The Court of Justice of the European Union ('CJEU') confirmed in decision C-931/19 of 3 June 2021 that the letting of immovable property abroad, where the property owner does not have its own staff to perform letting-related services, does not give rise to a fixed establishment for VAT purposes in the country where the property is located. The case concerned a Jersey-based company, Titanium Ltd (‘Titanium’), involved in real estate and asset management activities. In the context of those activities, Titanium...

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Chapter News

OECD | Addressing complex housing policy challenges should be a central priority for governments

Access to affordable and decent housing is vital for good health, job opportunities and life satisfaction, but housing remains one of the most complex policy challenges facing societies today. Governments must do more to ensure universal access to affordable, high-quality, environmentally sustainable housing, according to the OECD. The COVID-19 crisis has uncovered how unevenly housing is distributed across population groups, and has worsened the adverse impacts of poor housing conditions, notably on the most vulnerable. Launched in 2018, a wide-ranging OECD Housing...

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