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Finance

Finance

The lives of businesspeople are very tough, we know. That's why BBVA makes a big effort to make their life easier: it's the revolution of small things. Imagine yourself advancing your invoices after going for a stroll in Central Park or making transfers while you wait to go up to the Eiffel Tower. With one hand you can enjoy some delicious fish and chips while with the other you browse to find out about the status of your orders.

Private industry leaders gathered at BBVA Compass Plaza in Houston for a workshop Tuesday on how businesses can push progress on the most pressing issues of our time. The workshop, hosted by BBVA Compass, the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals Fund and the BBVA Microfinance Foundation, had two goals: to help spread the word and build understanding of the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals, which revolve around issues like education, health, poverty alleviation, clean water and the climate; and to gather input from executives at some of the companies that are already focused on tackling some of those same issues.

One of the consequences of the latest financial crisis for banks has been the so-called non-performing loans or NPLs. Loans regarding which the borrower has either already failed to meet his payment obligations or is showing signs of having difficulties meeting them. Some financial systems, such as Spain’s, have already done their homework clearing their balance sheets. However, for other systems credit quality is still a matter that needs to be addressed. A recent case are Italian banks, which still bear a burden of over €300 billion in this type of assets.