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November 12, 2018 • Issue 18:11:01

Advisory Board

Strategizing for strength in all

economic conditions – Part 2

Editor's note: This article is the second in a two-part series in which mem- Jared Isaacman
bers of The Green Sheet Advisory Board share perspectives on the current Shift 4 Payments
economic outlook and what lies ahead for payments. Part 1 appeared in
The Green Sheet, Oct. 22, 2018, issue 18:10:02.
1. We remain very optimistic in the overall health of the
ccording to key indicators, the U.S. economic economy and our merchant base. Our primary basis
outlook is healthy. The GDP growth rate is for this view comes from two main factors: consumer
expected to remain between the ideal target sentiment and the industry verticals we support. While
A of 2 and 3 percent, unemployment is low, and we don't like to rely on third-party data alone, consumer
neither inflation nor deflation are showing signs of excess. sentiment remains at a historic high across the U.S., and
With that in mind, we asked our advisory board to answer that economic measure is consistent with what we see in
the following questions: our portfolio, which is increased spending and a high level
of new business filings.
1. How optimistic are you that prosperity will continue
through the rest of this year and beyond? Said in simplistic terms, our merchant base is experiencing
volume growth that is greater than GDP/inflation and,
2. Are the payments industry and your business therefore, is feeling good. While we are cautious to predict
experiencing the same kind of positive economic gains the length of these phenomena, we don't see any regulatory
as the overall economy? or geopolitical factors on the horizon that could impact us
in the short term.
3. What are you doing to ensure your company is taking
full advantage of our current Goldilocks economy?

4. Do you see any cautionary signs emerging now? Contributed articles inside by:

5. What one piece of advice can you offer ISOs and MLSs Steve Norell ............................................................................................42
who are making strategic decisions in today's business Jeff Fortney .............................................................................................45
climate?
Nicholas Cucci ........................................................................................48
Thank you to the industry leaders who took the time from
their packed schedules to respond to these questions.
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