Viewpoints
These commentaries from the network of GCFP affiliates offer fresh perspectives on current issues in financial policy. The GCFP does not make policy recommendations, and any opinions expressed are those of the authors and not the GCFP.
Why Is Europe’s Economy Falling Short?
PROJECT SYNDICATE | MIT’s Simon Johnson sat down with fellow Nobel laureate economist Philippe Aghion to examine what ails Europe and how to revive its dynamism. Their conversation addresses the costs of excessive regulation, the role of creative destruction in fostering competition, and the case fo...
Inflation Needs a Short Leash and 4 More Lessons From the Fed’s Powell Era
BARRON'S | Kristin Forbes, Jerome and Dorothy Lemelson Professor of Management and Global Economics at MIT Sloan, does the math on Jerome Powell's tenure.
Partners in prime: The Fed and Treasury’s new relationship
THE ECONOMIST | Peter R. Fisher, MIT GCFP’s Golub Distinguished Senior Fellow, served as a Treasury official between 2001 and 2004. He shares the sceptical view of the Fed’s humongous balance-sheet held by Mr Bessent and Mr Warsh.
You’re Probably Overinvested in Bonds
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL | MIT Sloan’s Robert C. Pozen argues that many affluent investors may be over-allocated to bonds and could benefit from a more equity-heavy 90-10 portfolio, citing long-term stock outperformance, tax advantages, and the limits of bonds as protection during market downturns.
How Accurate is AI Retirement Planning?
CBS NEWS - MoneyWatch | Professor Andrew W. Lo said that AI struggles with tax optimization, doesn't understand regulatory nuance and — unlike a human financial adviser — isn't subject to legal requirements...
RIP Spirit Airlines
VOX MEDIA - Today, Explained | Sloan Professor and GCFP Director Deborah Lucas weighs in on the Spirit Airlines bailout.
Would a government bailout of Spirit Airlines really be worth it?
MARKETPLACE | By the time companies are discussing bailouts, "they're already toast, and you're just trying to resurrect them from the dead," said professor Deborah Lucas. Bailouts can have a bad reputation, she said, but there are some cases where there is some justification. That's why, Lucas adde...
Fed succession brings central bank independence into focus
CNBC - Squawkbox | Eric Rosengren discusses the Federal Reserve leadership transition, the importance of central bank independence, and how inflation and supply pressures are complicating the policy outlook.
AI investment risks, Fed leadership changes, and policy uncertainty shape the outlook for investors
At the 2026 MIT Sloan Investment Conference, Peter R. Fisher and Gary Gensler discuss how rapid investment in artificial intelligence, Federal Reserve leadership changes, and policy uncertainty are shaping the outlook for investors.
Federal Reserve on hold as Iran war clouds inflation and labor outlook
BLOOMBERG - The Close | MIT GCFP Visiting Scholar and former Boston Fed President Eric Rosengren discusses how the Iran war is affecting the Federal Reserve’s policy outlook, and its implications for inflation, the labor market, and the 2026 rate path.