Douglas Holtz-Eakin tells how a McCain presidency would react to foreign bids for US firms. Writer Courtney Fingar.

Dan Tarullo explains the impact an Obama presidency would have on foreign investment. Writer Lara Williams.

In the final months of the Bush administration, there is to be no slacking off with the president pushing for trade agreements with the likes of Colombia, says the US commerce secretary. Writer Courtney Fingar.

No stranger to the banking world, Archibald Cox has been inspired to return to the sector as chairman of Barclays Americas. He tells Katherine Tully of his intent to expand the bank’s share of the market and build its position in the US as an international platform.

The proposed radical shake-up of financial regulation in the US has rattled the banking industry, writes Michael Imeson.

Competition and consolidation among exchanges, on both sides of the Atlantic, is reshaping the clearing models for exchange-traded derivatives, reports Frances Maguire.

US acceptance of International Financial Reporting Standards is a breakthrough, but UK bankers foresee a discrepancy between rules-based and principles-based systems, writes Michael Imeson.

Any hopes of Q4 results helping to restore the battered fortunes of the top five US banks were dashed as a further wave of bad news from the economy and escalating fall-out from the subprime crisis hit confidence.

Bankers fear that the US’s proposed regulation to prohibit banks from handling transactions related to illegal internet gambling would damage the payments system, writes Michael Imeson.

Jane Monahan talks to Barney Frank, chairman of the US Financial Services Committee, about its plans.