All Posts – Page 11 – Vanderbilt Business Review

3Oct

By Matthew Jean-MaryNo Comments

All Posts, Sustainability

The Sucky Word “Performative”

Blackstone has recently made a commitment to cut emissions by 15% on investments within the first 3 years of its purchase. For those who are not familiar with Blackstone, it is an investment firm and is one of the largest owners of real estate anywhere on the planet. Blackstone plans to hold itself accountable, by closely charting its process going forward. While this is a big step for a big firm to take, it's certainly been a trend in the investment industry. Organizations such as UBS, Credit Suisse, and Morgan Stanley all have made their own large commitments to having their investment portfolios be environmentally friendly. At first glance, this initiative seems to be great. Blackstone and other investment companies are stepping up to the task of helping with progressive matters. En...

Robinhood Changing the Game for Young Traders

3Oct

By Gabriel HinojosaNo Comments

All Posts, Industries

Robinhood Changing the Game for Young Traders

Stock trading was never really a young person’s game; in fact, stock trading was never free, at least not until now. The rise of the smart-phone and the digitization of our lives has changed everything from the way we shop to the way we trade stocks. Ten years ago, it was rare to see 20 year olds trading, now you can ask almost any group of friends and at least one of them will say they know someone trading stocks. Stock trading has opened up to people of all socioeconomic backgrounds and ages for one sole reason: free mobile stock trading. Robinhood is the go-to app for most millennials and gen-Zers, such as myself, who would like to get their feet wet in stock trading. Founded in 2013, Robinhood was one of the first companies to make stock trading free. Meanwhile, other notable tradi...

The Great Moderation: Why Monetary Policy Matters

2Oct

By Maxwell QianNo Comments

All Posts, Economy and Government

The Great Moderation: Why Monetary Policy Matters

During the 1970s, the United States suffered from double-digit inflation, rising unemployment, and bleak economic prospects. Declining domestic industry and increasing global competition sowed the seeds of doubt in American minds and the OPEC oil embargo shook the economy to its core. The crisis culminated in a period of stagflation, a stagnant economy ill with both high unemployment and inflation. Monetary policy and the Federal Reserve had failed in both of their mandates: full employment and price stability. The global monetary order created by the Bretton-Woods agreement collapsed and the US found itself forced to detach the dollar from the gold standard. However, the world today is not racked by hyperinflation. The Fed eventually managed to tame th...

19Sep

By Gabriel HinojosaNo Comments

All Posts, Economy and Government

Want a Student Loan? Now’s the Time!

The U.S. economy has drastically changed ever since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. Businesses shuttered, teleworking at an all time high, are all part of the “new normal” we are living through. The lack of economic growth has called for the Federal government to enact very low interest rates in order to spur economic growth and prevent an economic crisis like we had in 2008. What do low interest rates mean? The cost of borrowing any money is now extremely low compared to before because the government wants people to borrow money to spur economic growth. This low interest rate includes student loans, which intrigues a large percentage of the Vanderbilt student body. The interest rates on student loans is at a rate of 2.75%, much lower than a typical rate in any other year. Rate...

19Sep

By Matthew Jean-MaryNo Comments

All Posts, Economy and Government

Wage Violations are Shameful

There has been a drastic increase in worker violations since the onset of COVID-19. The American employer has responded by seemingly being passive with regards to the exploitation of their labor as times have become especially dire. There is no time to be prideful with fighting for their deserved liberties, as now COVID has led many to the mentality of survival. Many workers are grateful for just having a job, as with an unemployment rate of about 8.4%, getting too picky can easily lead to them being one of millions not having a stable source of income. The Washington Center for Equitable Growth published a paper on some potential violations. The typical worker on the wrong side of these violations lost approximately 20% of their hourly wage. Furthermore, more than 20% of work...

16Sep

By Maxwell QianNo Comments

All Posts, Economy and Government

Why Does the Fed Target 2% Inflation?

Since January 2012, the Federal Reserve has maintained a target of 2 percent inflation for the US economy. The target allows the Fed to perform its congressionally mandated jobs of maintaining price stability and maximum employment. Before the 1970s, economists believed inflation and unemployment had a permanent negative correlation so that low inflation and low unemployment could not be achieved at the same time. However, the 1970s oil shock brought on a period of high inflation and unemployment known as stagflation. With the high rates of the 1970s, the Fed needed a new way to control inflation. At the time, most central banks used currency pegging to control inflation by controlling the value of currency. Relatively stable currency values ac...

7Sep

By Matthew Jean-MaryNo Comments

All Posts, Industries

Microsoft and TikTok

In case you haven’t heard, President Trump said he planned to ban TikTok in the United States sometime in September of this year because of the risk of the popular social media app, impeding among American freedoms and security. To counteract the gaping hole that would be left by the fun and transcendent experience of posting short-1 minute clips of drop dead humor, Microsoft offered to jump in and buy TikTok. And then recently just a few days ago, Walmart also entered the competition for America’s most comedic website. Now Walmart and Microsoft are teaming up in attempting to claim the rights to TikTok. Such a mashup introduces many interesting possibilities of what the potentially merged companies could do. TikTok’s influence is likely to be magnified under Microsoft for a coup...

31Aug

By Dave Ghosh1 Comment

All Posts, Opinion

OPINION: The Value of an MBA

There was a time when a Master’s in Business Administration – simply known as an “MBA” – was the degree to pursue. Regardless of price, it gave people a chance to pursue a high-earning career of their choice. If one felt trapped by a job and wanted a breath of fresh air, an MBA provided them the opportunity to switch to something else. If one wanted to maximize their wages but could not do so with their present job, an MBA allowed them to increase their earnings. Schools continue to advertise the degree as one that can propel someone to management and comfortable living, as evidenced by Harvard Business School’s statistics which shows that students received a $148,750 median salary. This statistic, along with the fact that many CEOs of the top companies have an MBA, suggests that it is st...

Dry Powder: Economic Threats in the Post-Pandemic Era

31Aug

By Maxwell QianNo Comments

All Posts, Economy and Government

Dry Powder: Economic Threats in the Post-Pandemic Era

As part of the historic 2nd quarter contraction in the US gross domestic product, investment spending decreased by a massive 49% under the duress precipitated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Poor general economic conditions translated to uncertainty in the minds of investors. Meanwhile, investors received government relief aid that they did not use to invest. As a result, there is now an estimated $1.5 trillion in unused capital in private equity funds alone that could be invested as soon as negative economic conditions recede. This massive glut of capital could create an explosion of investment and is therefore referred to as dry powder. Pandemic induced uncertainty has contributed to a buildup of dry powder in the global economy, something that economists are concer...