There are growing concerns that hedge funds, referred to as the “gold rush of the 21st century,” are troubling investments for pension funds.1 For instance, pension funds have decreased their investments in hedge funds by 25% from 2011 to 2014. 2 In September 2014, Calpers, the California Public Employees’ Retirement System, stunned the investment world…
Tag: Social
Uber Altering Approach Towards Regulators
Uber, the smartphone-based ridesharing service long known for operating in the face of unknown legal consequences while daring regulators to bring legal action,1 may be adopting a new approach. Instead of facing regulators with defiance, the company has started to push for new laws that would bring its services into a clearer status of legality.2 …
The Benefits and Complications of Big Data
The type of significant decisions that drive businesses, big and small, in their attempts to better react to customers’ needs have increasingly been driven by big data. Big data refers to “the recent wave of electronic information produced in greater volume by a growing number of sources (i.e., not just data collected by a particular…
As Apple Pay Is Set to Launch, Will It Become the Apple of CFPB’s Eye?
As Apple looks to replace the wallet with its new Apple Pay feature, is the technology giant unwittingly exposing itself to regulation from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)? Apple Pay allows iPhone users to store their credit and debit cards on their phones and pay for purchases using their phones as well—essentially making plastic…
Online Gambling in the United States
Gambling, and especially online gaming, in the United States has a long and complicated past. Recently, three states, Nevada, Delaware, and New Jersey, have passed legislation allowing for online gambling within their state borders. This blog post reviews a history of online gaming in the United States, examines recent areas of legalization for online…
Did You Hear That Tweet, Wall Street?
Almost every user of social media like Facebook and Twitter knows that information they post online will be read by someone else, and might even be repeated to others. But what if the social media user was someone in the financial industry or a giant corporation announcing a strategic move or product development, and the…
New Faces in Venture Capital
Often, when we think of the people involved in financial markets, images of old, stodgy men come to mind. But this is not usually the case, especially in today’s modern venture capital markets. Especially in the technology industry, venture capitalists hope to get in on the ground floor of startups that will become “the next…
Google’s $3.2 Billion Acquisition of Nest is a Big Win for Silicon Valley Venture Capitalists, Signals Search Giant’s Increasing Presence
On January 13, 2014, Google announced it was purchasing Nest Labs, known for making “smart” home thermostats, for $3.2 billion.1 The acquisition was Google’s biggest since a 2012 purchase of another hardware maker, Motorola.2 The US Federal Trade Commission approved the deal in early February.3 Google’s purchase of Nest produced exceptional returns for several Silicon…
The Caribbean Detroit: Puerto Rico’s Debt Crisis
Despite the severity of the debt circumstances in Puerto Rico, the financial crisis has gone largely unnoticed. The lack of attention on Puerto Rico is particularly shocking when comparing the crisis to the current state of Detroit. The island has a population of 3.7 million and debts of about $87 billion; this compares with a…
Tech in 2014: Bring out the Bubbly or Pop goes the Bubble?
Giants like Facebook and Twitter have entered the public markets with huge valuations, and more tech companies are expected to follow in 2014. However, this is only stirring the debate on whether those popping champagne bottles are the precursor of a popping tech bubble. Some say that we are seeing the dot-com bubble all over…