The debates about potential impact of ageing for institutions and economies, the fiscal sustainability of the pension and welfare systems are based on a convention that was established one century ago: the definition of 65 years as the fixed threshold at which old age and economic dependency begins.

Today we celebrate International Mobile Phone Day in commemoration of the device that has become an essential part of our lives, profoundly changing society and the way we communicate.

We live with cell phones, but… Do we really know how to coexist with cell phones? Are we aware of all the information we put in our cell phones? Are we prepared to use them without compromising our security?

After the positive surprise of growth in Q3 2016 (+2% y-o-y) and the developments that took place in the final months of the year, we expect GDP for 2016, which will be disclosed in May, to close at about 1.2%, finally pulling out of the stagnation of recent years, and leaving a positive momentum for 2017.

After a years of steep deterioration, Uruguay has managed to partially recover some of the ground lost after a historic fall in productivity.  Despite this, a person working in Uruguay today reaches an average productivity slightly above 40% of the level they would achieve working in an advanced economy.  How is this possible?  What can be done?  This paper sets out a potential explanation and suggests a line of action for further progress.

The European Central Bank (ECB) yesterday has announced the outcome of the final auction of TLTRO-2 (targeted long-term refinancing operations).  These long-term financing operations aim to stimulate lending in the euro zone. The demand for additional liquidity has reached 233.47 billion euros, far above the amount from previous auctions and market expectations.

On Mar. 15, the Federal Reserve, the central bank of the United States, announced it was raising its interim benchmark interest rate by a quarter point (commonly referred to as 25 basis points), helping to stabilize the economy and influence the amount of interest increase banks and other institutions could apply to overnight lending money.

At BBVA Momentum, entrepreneurs go back to school, but this time in an innovative way that fits in their fast-paced lifestyle. Technology is the new edition’s biggest ally, allowing participants to refresh their knowledge, acquire new skills and interact with each other.

BBVA’s strategy to curb its exposure in the real estate market continues to bear fruit. The Group announced the sale of a 14 office-building portfolio in Spain, codenamed Project Boston.

The Observatorio Empresarial contra la Pobreza (Business Observatory to Combat Poverty), with the support of BBVA, has published a report entitled The road to youth employment. What can businesses do. The report addresses the problem of youth unemployment and its consequences from a number of angles.

BBVA Compass economists lay out their reasons for raising their estimate to three rate hikes in 2017 in their latest Fed Watch report, pointing to the underlying strength of the economy and a series of hawkish speeches by key Federal Open Market Committee members.