This Week in ESG and Impact Investing

Every spring "the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group..bring together central bankers, ministers of finance and development, private sector executives, and academics to discuss issues of global concern, including the world economic outlook, poverty eradication, economic development, and aid effectiveness." We have attended this event for the past six years. Prior to the event, the IMF issues a  Global Spring Meeting Economic Forecast , this year predicting the world's economy will grow by 3.2% in 2016, down from the 3.8% forecast issued last year. This decline was due mainly to an increase in political ( as opposed to purely economic) risks. Keep in mind that these are the same factors (austerity as an inappropriate focus on reducing deficits in a time of recession, inability to rationally  address  the  causes  and  solution  to the  crisis ) that led to the shallow global recovery in the first place....

The Real Superpredators Thursday, April 14, 2016 Business Recently, the Department of Justice announced that Goldman Sachs “ agreed to Pay More than $5 Billion in Connection with Its Sale of Residential Mortgage Backed Securities. ” Close scrutiny reveals that Goldman will actually pay, for a number of reasons, $0. Goldman’s Track Record: We note that: On April 28, 2003, Goldman Sachs was found to have aided and abetted efforts to defraud investors. On September 4, 2003, Goldman Sachs admitted that it had misused material, nonpublic information that the US Treasury would suspend issuance of the 30-year bond. On April 28, 2003, Goldman Sachs was found to have "i ssued research reports that were not based on principles of fair dealing and good faith .. contained exaggerated or unwarranted claims.. and/or contained opinions for which there were no reasonable bases ". . On January 25, 2005, " the Securities and Exchange Commission announced settled ...

At the request of community groups in DC's Ward 7, William Michael Cunningham and Creative Investment Research are conducting a preliminary analysis of the Ward's social and economic condition. An informal straw pool is also underway. These efforts will provide information on the real time economic and social landscape of Ward 7. This data may also be used as a preface for a Ward 7 City Council Candidate Forum and Straw Poll. The Ward 7 Candidates Forum and Straw Poll will be h eld on Saturday, April 9, 2016 at H.D. Woodson Senior High School at 9am. The moderator for the Forum will be Harold T. Fisher of WHUR-FM Radio The Daily Drum along with two Youth Mayors from the Marion S. Barry, Jr.'s Youth Leadership Institute. Our preliminary economic and social data analysis reveals the quality of life in Ward 7 has declined. Further analysis reveals that this is due to the protracted lack of economic opportunity and an increase in certain negative social issues directly re...