Patrick Augustin sets the record straight about Luxembourg
Luxembourg is best known as a wealthy tax haven--if people know it at all. The tiny and wealthy country is a significant financial centre, but it also has the reputation of being a little dull. But Professor of Finance Patrick Augustin begs to differ.
Spring Finance Workshop 2025
The fourth edition of the Spring Finance Workshop took place from April 27 to 29, 2025, bringing together top scholars in the field of finance to explore emerging themes across banking, investor expectations, climate finance, asset pricing, and corporate decision-making.
McGill Desautels professors and lecturers recognized at Faculty Awards
The McGill Desautels Faculty of Management acknowledges the vital contributions of research, teaching, service, and public engagement in inspiring future leaders. Through our annual Faculty Awards, we celebrate the exceptional achievements of our faculty members across various programs and disciplines. This year, we are proud to honour the following distinguished individuals:
Making payments on time and in full can help improve your credit score
Credit scores play an essential role in our financial lives, but they are calculated by private companies, and there is little transparency in the way they are calculated. Still, you can take steps to ensure your own credit score is good. “Make loan payments on time and keep credit card records in good standing,” Prof. Patrick Augustin told Consumer Affairs.
Innovative citation metrics seek to address shortcomings of traditional measures
Counting citations is an important way that a scholar’s academic influence is measured, but not all citations are created equal. Sometimes, widely-cited researchers don’t have much influence beyond their own narrow academic niche. New platforms like OpenAlex and Scite adjust for this type of difference and seek to provide a more balanced picture of influence across disciplines—as well as whether a citation is supporting, challenging or simply mentioning the original work.
Shadow banking is growing – and it’s a hidden risk to the stability of the financial system
Shadow banking is playing an increasing role in the financial system. Private equity firms, investment funds and mortgage finance companies all employ alternative lending strategies that are lightly regulated, and Canada’s Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions is concerned about how much exposure Canada’s banks have to this type of lender, who are collectively known as non-bank financial intermediaries.
Delve: Cashing in or Losing Big on Cryptocurrency Yield Farms?
If something seems too good to be true, it probably is. Add cryptocurrency yield farms to that list. A complex investment strategy in decentralized finance markets, yield farming advertises eye-popping passively earned returns. While some investors boast impressive returns, for others the risks are unclear or even undisclosed before they invest, and the advertised returns never materialize.
Recap of DGFRC-sponsored finance workshop
The 10th HEC-McGill Winter Finance Workshop took place from March 26-28, 2023, in Ischgl, Austria, in collaboration with the Faculty of Law, Economics and Finance (FDEF) at the University of Luxembourg.
DGFRC-sponsored finance workshop concludes successfully
The 9th edition of HEC-McGill Winter Finance Workshop as a special edition in collaboration with Goethe University successfully concluded on March 29, 2022. The conference, sponsored by the Desmarais Global Finance Research Centre, took place March 27-29 in Ischgl, Austria, and featured presentations of academic papers in all areas of finance, including interdisciplinary work in law and finance.
Delve - "New Normal" podcast: COVID-19, Ethics, and Stock Tips with Patrick Augustin
In episode 4 of The ‘New Normal’ hosted by Dave Kaufman, Professor Patrick Augustin from The Desautels Faculty of Management at McGill University examines the allegations of insider trading levied against former Georgia Senators David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler at the dawn of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The future of ETF regulation
Professor Patrick Augustin provides an expert perspective on questions surrounding the regulation of a Bitcoin-traded fund (ETF) proposed by VanEck Associates Group. While the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) deliberates, it runs the risk of making space for a digital shadow finance industry to emerge, says Augustin.
When sovereign debt becomes a problem
Professor Patrick Augustin and three other North American economists are ringing an alarm bell about the increasing risks associated with heavy borrowing at the state level. In their recent study of 30 developed countries and 30 U.S. states, they measure the effect of the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic on the borrowing costs of governments.
Prevent members of U.S. Congress from trading individual stocks
Professor Patrick Augustin wades into the debate over the heated race to fill Georgia’s two Senate seats in a runoff and special election scheduled for January.
Potential insider trading following landmark Kodak loan
In July, the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) provided a $765 million loan to support Kodak’s transition from photo giant to producing drugs for the U.S. domestic market. The first loan of its kind under the Defense Production Act, it is not surprising that ensuing events have hinted at the possibility of illegal insider trading, writes Professor Patrick Augustin.
U.S. states facing financial hardship need unity
As the pandemic takes its financial toll on states across the U.S., Professor Patrick Augustin suggests that compromise and unity from the federal government could provide a lifeline for those facing economic harship.
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