In 2022, the economy continued to stabilize and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic but was impacted by supply-chain disruptions, rising inflation, and a tight labor market, along with a rising interest rate environment as the Federal Reserve Bank and other central banks across the globe attempted to mitigate inflationary pressures.

In a MarketWatch opinion piece, Dr. Mason and his co-author provide perspective on recent discussions surrounding technology and its impact on bank runs, finding that it is not “the technology per se that drives the speed of a run, but rather how quickly people agree on a new set of beliefs about the state of banks.” 

This article provides an update on the valuation issues facing companies, risk managers, and insurance brokers who either oversee or insure complex properties. Specifically discussed are the drastic changes in replacement cost values as a result of recent events, including the disruption of global supply chains following the COVID-19 pandemic, labor shortages, inflation, and the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

In an interview with American Public Media Marketplace Dr. Mason expands on the limitations of current banks stress tests in a rising interest rate environment. 

In an interview with CNBC, Dr. Mason discusses inconsistencies between current bank stress tests and the Federal Reserve’s moves to raise interest rates and reduce the effects of monetary stimulus that followed the Global Financial Crisis.  

In an op-ed column published in The Wall Street Journal, Dr. Mason and his co-author explain how stress testing for financial institutions could be improved to provide more advanced warnings to regulators in advance of possible bank runs. 

Transacting in cryptocurrency has been fraught with limitations since it came onto the scene over a decade ago.  Widespread adoption has been slow, as inherent volatility creates reluctance for businesses to accept crypto payments and hesitancy for customers to integrate crypto in their daily lives.  Paying a mortgage or buying an ice-cream cone, for instance, with a currency whose value can fluctuate wildly over the course of days, weeks, and months is generally unappe...

In 2021, the insurance industry continued to recover from the initial wake of COVID-19 and benefited from the easing of pandemic-related restrictions and increased economic growth. In the first half of 2021, the S&P Insurance Industry Index (ticker INDEXSP:SPSIINS) exceeded the S&P 500 index by an average of 2.24 percent. However, in the second half of 2021, the S&P Insurance Industry Index lagged behind the S&P 500 index by an average of 4.8 percent.