Global economies & markets

Income inequality in the United States is the greatest it has been in a century — a problem the Biden administration has expressed an intention to tackle. While there are no easy fixes, the government plans to focus on several tactics: a $1.9 trillion relief package, taxing the wealthiest Americans and investing in education.

The cultural mismatch between lending professionals and potential clients in diverse communities can cause lost revenue in what could otherwise be a win for all. Here: the story of a bank attempting to expand its market, a family facing the financing challenges of immigrant entrepreneurs, and a loan officer who embraces “character-based lending.”

Nicholas Sargen, a lecturer at the University of Virginia Darden School of Business and economic consultant, offers his thoughts on President Biden's potential changes to regulation that could have major impact on the U.S. economy: climate change, health care and the technology sector.

For years, the Western United States has experienced increasing drought. A new paper by Darden economist Peter Debaere reveals the culprit: beef production. Long-term water security and ecosystem health will depend on change.

Once the domain of video games, Virtual reality (VR) is playing a growing role in the workplace. Darden Professor Roshni Raveendhran explores how business leaders can leverage VR technologies — in particular, avatars — in frequent monitoring situations.

Why would oil producers continue to pump oil despite an excess supply globally and a shortage in storage space? Darden Professors Elena Loutskina and Daniel Murphy examine how oil prices went negative (and could again), collateralized debt and oil producers’ relationships with lenders, and broader implications for the oil market.

Nicholas Sargen, a lecturer at the University of Virginia Darden School of Business and economic consultant, offered his thoughts on how the election outcome could affect the economy.

With the onset of COVID-19, it was incredibly important for businesses to reach out to their consumers and preserve those consumers’ loyalty. Darden Professor Kimberly Whitler, an expert in marketing strategy and brand management, investigated how marketing teams were communicating with customers during the crisis.

With President DonaldTrump testing positive for COVID-19 positive, Darden lecturer Nick Sargen considers implications for the economy and the market.

Fiscal policy is a powerful tool to combat economic downturns, but the results depend on decreasing inequality, an imperative to the efficacy of fiscal multipliers. As COVID-19 cases rise, new research offers insights into which fiscal policies may bolster the economy — and the other options, which may have long-term ramifications.