In 2025, the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston explored how the rural health care crisis is hurting New Englanders and how the U.S. economy is adapting to increasing global volatility. We also covered how fraudsters are using AI to steal money and Boston Fed President Susan M. Collins’ visits around the region.

Our articles on those issues and more are among our Top Reads of 2025. Check out the stories below, listed in no particular order.

What stops the bleeding? Health care gets harder to find in northern New England

Proximity to health care is a common concern in rural areas. But the miles and minutes between patients and care in northern New England have been increasing for years, and the implications are troubling. This Boston Fed in Focus feature explores the problem of decreasing access to health care in these communities.

“Two days after giving birth, you’re barely able to walk. The idea of having to travel again – I just broke down. … I've heard some wild stories about people having to drive two-plus hours to get to the hospital.” – Brianna Lareau, resident of Piermont, New Hampshire

Boston Fed president visits Rhode Island, Maine, Mass. South Coast, New Hampshire, and Vermont

Boston Fed President and CEO Susan M. Collins continued her travels across New England to hear perspectives on the economy from a range of people, including community members, business and labor leaders, and public officials. She spoke with residents about their top economic concerns, such as rising costs and labor force shortages, and they also discussed opportunities for innovation.

“We’re doing a lot of thinking about how firms are meeting strong demand with fewer workers, and without hiring, and really connecting that to a couple of things – (including) all the uncertainty that’s out there.” – Susan M. Collins, Boston Fed president and CEO

Gen AI is ramping up the threat of synthetic identity fraud

Synthetic identity fraud continues to expand, and losses from it continue to increase: They crossed the $35 billion mark in 2023. Now, those working to stop it must deal with a volatile accelerant: generative artificial intelligence. Ironically, they’re finding that among the best ways to deal with Gen AI in synthetic identity fraud is … Gen AI.

“Synthetic identities are a threat that Gen AI amplifies, but the more we look for these fake identities, the better we’ll see them, and the safer the payments system will be.” – Mike Timoney, Boston Fed vice president of secure payments

Study finds large bank lending to private equity, credit funds rising fast, hits $300B

Loan commitments from large banks to private equity and private credit funds are increasing rapidly. A note from the Boston Fed’s Supervision, Regulation & Credit department estimates that these loan commitments grew nearly 30 times, from about $10 billion in 2013 to about $300 billion in 2023. Researchers say regulators need insight into these lending relationships to better monitor potential risks to banks and the broader financial system.

“We use regulatory data from large banks to examine these lending relationships, (and) we found through our analysis that they are growing and warrant continued monitoring.” – John Levin, Boston Fed senior markets specialist

Boston Fed’s 69th Economic Conference examines how U.S. is adapting to a ‘changing global landscape’

How is the U.S. economy adapting to an increasingly fragmented and volatile global environment? That was the question researchers and economists explored at the Boston Fed’s 69th Economic Research Conference, titled, “The U.S. Economy in a Changing Global Landscape.”

“The increase in global risks and the movement toward greater economic fragmentation will likely be major, transformative, and intertwined forces shaping our economic landscape in the coming years.” – Susan M. Collins, Boston Fed president and CEO