

ARE HIGHER INTEREST RATES BAD FOR EMERGING MARKETS?
Emerging market economies have been challenged by longer wait times to receive COVID-19 vaccine supplies and by their limited ability to use fiscal stimulus to counteract the economic drag of the pandemic. As developed nations’ economies recover, interest rates are heading higher, representing a further potential headwind for emerging markets. Higher rates are typically seen as a negative for emerging markets, as they increase dollar-denominated debt burdens, trigger capital


ESG INVESTING IN ERISA RETIREMENT PLANS
Investment managers and other Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) plan fiduciaries well know that they are not permitted to sacrifice investment returns or assume greater investment risks to advance social goals. While Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) criteria investments that don’t sacrifice returns or hold greater investment risk are permitted in ERISA plans, a 2020 U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) rules modification established a higher bar for includin