The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)[1] recently released its semi-annual economic outlook[2].  Three major themes emerge from the report. First, the global economy is gradually emerging from a five-year (2012-1016) low-growth trap, and global growth should pick up modestly in 2017and 2018 (Table 1).  Second, we are seeing a shift in economic policy from over-reliance on monetary policy to fiscal initiatives designed to boost growth. Third, we are not out of the woods and significant risks remain.

In late January, I participated in an Oxford-style debate regarding whether healthcare is a commodity. The debate was the featured event at Tata Memorial Centre’s Platinum Jubilee Conference in Mumbai, India.

A packed auditorium of over a thousand attendees buzzed with excitement as Professor Antonio “Tito” Fojo (my opponent) and I walked on-stage. The conference theme, “HEALTHCARE: A Commodity or Basic Human Need?” put the spotlight on our contest. We were midway through the 3-day conference, and it was show-time.

Political events with major economic implications continue to swirl around us, centered on the change in leadership in the US. 

Key trends we are watching:

It's a bit of a cheap headline, I'll admit, but I've been reading about the so-called populism that the current U.S. president has tapped into and wondered what it has to do with financial technology. FinTech has been styled as a way to empower people, and that's basically where populism started.

"Populism" in the most generic sense refers to a concern for the common people. It also carries the charge of dissing establishment types, whether they are politicians, intellectuals, media types—maybe even banks.

So far, President Trump has demonstrated that he will try to make good on his campaign promises, though the process may be anything but pretty. We cannot recall a president who started out “fighting” on so many fronts: still confirming most of his cabinet, nominating a Supreme Court Justice and multiple sweeping executive orders on domestic and international matters. Until the rollout of corporate and other tax proposals, which at this rate may come sooner than expected, the economic focus should be on Trump’s trade policy.