Interest rates are at levels not experienced since the Great Depression, even though the current economic environment is much stronger today than it was in the 1930s. If the US Federal Reserve maintains its zero-rate policy for too long we believe unintended consequences can spring in the form of asset-price bubbles or inflation. In addition, as bond markets remain expectant to any interest-rate policy decisions, common wisdom and popular ideas are diverging from current reality. Joe Ramos, Portfolio Manager/Analyst on Lazard's US Fixed Income team, discusses the current interest-rate environment and the importance of having the right US fixed income allocation in a portfolio.

Featured Speaker

Eulogio (Joe) Ramos

Managing Director, Portfolio Manager/Analyst

Joe Ramos is a Portfolio Manager/Analyst on the US Fixed Income team. He began working in the investment industry in 1978. Prior to joining Lazard in 2006, Joe was the Chief Investment Officer of Ambac Financial Group, Inc., where he was responsible for the oversight and management of Ambac's balance sheet investment strategies, including the Excess Liquidity, Core Capital, Plus, and levered IA portfolios. Previously, Joe was a member at E.H. Capital Group, LLC, a Senior Vice President and Portfolio Manager at Lazard Asset Management, a First Vice President and Senior Portfolio Manager at Lehman Management Co., and a Senior Analyst in the Lehman Brothers Kuhn Loeb Fixed Income Research Department. He has a BS from New York University. Joe Ramos is a member of the CFA Institute, the NYSSA and the Economic Club of New York.