This edition of our quarterly newsletter, Points of Interest, considers two opposing views of the world. The optimistic view holds that global economic growth, while not overly strong, remains robust, underpinned by a growing US economy, cheaper energy prices and increased banking regulation. The pessimistic view of the world is based on fears of an impending financial crisis, brought out by zero percent interest rates, too much debt and policy mistakes both during and after the 2008 financial crisis.