As the US gears up for the 2016 elections, the policies of the candidates where investment-related issues are concerned can be highly revealing.

Thanks to the cyclical nature of the markets, there is always an upside to bad news.

Four decades ago, Washington was drowning in a sea of regulation, a situation that has only worsened in the intervening years.  

As political paralysis grips Washington, the US's private equity firms are enjoying their most active period in recent years.

The US is a country divided politically, though there is some hope for a better business environment.

Chinese investors, investment, visitors and students are flooding into the US, looking to take advantage of the favourable economic and business environment.

Business tax reforms are long overdue in the US, where businesses can actually find themselves being penalised for domiciling their operations in the country.

With many voters dissatisfied with the current economic situation, the US could be on course for a political shake up following the congressional elections in November.

The US needs to extend more of a welcome to trained talent from abroad.

Simply looking at a payroll does not tell the whole story about the jobs an up-and-coming business can provide.