S&P Global, in partnership with AARP, examined Corporate America’s family leave policies to understand the relationship between family-friendly benefits and female representation in the workforce and senior management. The research is based on the results of an S&P Global/AARP survey of 1,573 individuals—51% men and 49% women—who work for a firm with more than 1,000 employees. The survey was fielded between Aug. 20 and Sept. 8, 2020.

“It is vital to recognize that bias is generated reflexively by the brain, and masquerades as reality. As a distortion, bias blocks our access to the present reality. When our biases are in charge, we are on automatic pilot and unaware of the uniqueness of the present moment and other people.” So concludes a summary newsletter article on the topic of bias produced by the Institute of Coaching. Direct and straightforward, the above statement gets to the heart of the matter. Bias is within us, and so much so we often do not recognize it because it distorts our reality.

Last week, October 10, jobless claims rose to 898,000 according to new data from the U.S. Department of Labor making it the highest number since late August. The new numbers come as job gains and consumer spending have slowed down, potentially indicating that the U.S. economic recovery is slowing down.

A new report by Fitch Ratings found that despite the International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA) releasing a protocol related to fallback language for LIBOR derivatives contracts, there will still be many challenges that the industry needs to address before successfully transitioning away from LIBOR.

With the 2020 election just a couple of weeks away, industry participants are wondering what the future of mortgage regulation and enforcement could look like in 2021.

2020 has been a wake-up call for leaders and companies on many levels. From a global pandemic to protests across our country fighting systemic racism, it’s been a year like none other, and we’re only in the second half.

New data from Axios reveals that despite the pandemic negatively impacting the global economy, the number of business bankruptcies and insolvencies in 2020 has decreased compared to 2019.

New data from S&P Global found that global issuance across the four major sectors (ABS, CLOs, CMBS and RMBS) totaled $54 billion in September bringing year-to-date issuance to $333 billion.

A new research piece by the Kroll Bond Rating Agency (KBRA) found that a hypothetical down payment assistance grant for mortgages could have many benefits for the market including better performing loans, lower risk-based pricing, and decreasing the racial homeownership gap.

On the latest episode of Bright Ideas, Michael Bright sits down with Politico reporter Victoria Guida to analyze the dynamics of the Federal Reserve, Treasury, and Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the implications of their policy positions, and to discuss what it’s like covering policy substance during one of the strangest years in our lifetimes.