Chris Skinner's blog Shaping the future of finance

These are extraordinary times. No one can remember anything like this, except maybe those over the age of 80. The last time anything like today’s world happened was the Second World War but, as I said the other day, they were fighting each other. We …

Things we’re reading today include … Now the world faces two pandemics – one medical, one financial | Robert Shiller Coronavirus: Banks bow to pressure and axe shareholder payments Banks paid millions in bonuses weeks before ban on cash rewards Wall Street’s debt machine: why …

Things we’re reading today include … Citi postpones 2020 investor day due to coronavirus outbreak Big banks left hanging after ‘disaster’ in risky loan market Barclays offers triple overtime pay for staff on coronavirus frontline UK examines ways to make writing wills easier during Covid-19 …

I don’t usually share press releases, but this one is too important to hold back. PRESS RELEASE THIS RELEASE IS UNDER EMBARGO UNTIL 23:59 MARCH 31, 2020 [BASEL, SWITZERLAND, MARCH 31 2020] Banking system works out how to respond to coronavirus crisis in massive, global, …

I did a presentation to a conference via video link the other day. Slido allowed audience members to ask questions through the presentation, and the list of questions at the end was quite extensive. I didn’t get time to answer all of them, but here’s …

Things we’re reading today include … UK payday lenders start suspending new loans in Covid-19 crisis Panic buying on wane as online shopping takes over, says bank JPMorgan plans to raise up to $10 billion for alternative investments: source UN calls for $2.5tn emergency package …

I don’t know how you guys are holding up, but I’m finding myself on lots of videoconferences, even delivering a keynote in Tokyo the other day from my home office in Poland. The event was recorded and so I thought I’d share the video and …

Things we’re reading today include … Jeff Bezos sold $3.4bn of Amazon stock just before Covid-19 collapse Dozens of poorer nations seek IMF help amid coronavirus crisis ECB tells euro zone banks to skip payouts as virus hits economy ‘Hell is coming’: how Bill Ackman’s …

The main blog headlines are … WFH? WTF? NSFW and other essentials for the home office I saw a few people talking about the challenges of working from home over the last few days, particularly if you work for a bank. As a tech guy, …

In the next few weeks Doing Digital, my newest book, will be finally live on Amazon and all good book stores. It’s the result of two years primary and secondary research and, to pay it its due, has been featured in many interviews with me …

Things we’re reading today include … ABN Amro takes $200m hit from failure of a single client America’s central bank is not the only one doling out greenbacks Big banks reassure staff about potential job cuts An imaginative template for dealing with the cash crunch …

I don’t do many interviews on The Finanser, but had been planning a massive book launch over the next month, touring the world and spending $1000s on media engagement. Ah well. That’s all on hold until this coronavirus thing ends … Meantime, one of the major sponsors …

Things we’re reading today include … Credit Suisse slashes ousted CEO’s bonus by almost £2m Banks warned against profiteering from UK coronavirus crisis India’s huge outsourcing industry struggles with work-from-home scenario Banks under fire for coronavirus loan tactics Banks and business caught out by emergency …

I got into an online argument as I said that the coronavirus was God’s way of letting Extinction Rebellion and climate activists win. Seeing his creation of humanity destroying his creation of everything, it took divine intervention to force us to stop flying, stop manufacturing …

Things we’re reading today include … UK cash usage halves within days as shops close due to coronavirus Banks, regulators move to protect customers from wave of coronavirus scams in UK, U.S. Non-bank lenders will bear brunt of credit crisis Wells Fargo to pay special …

I saw a few people talking about the challenges of working from home over the last few days, particularly if you work for a bank. As a tech guy, I’ve been used to working  from home for over two decades. However, most people don’t work …

Things we’re reading today include … Dollar near three-year peak amid mad cash scramble Markets should brace for ‘full-on’ crisis, warns Waxman Global economy will suffer for years to come, says OECD The Fed is running out of options to stave off a coronavirus depression …

The travel bans across Europe hit last week, we were told to stay at home, we are advised to self-isolate, our children’s schooling is cancelled, the supermarkets are working with face masks and social distancing … the world has changed. As a result of so …

Things we’re reading today include … UK lenders banned from repossessing homes amid coronavirus crisis EU states ‘dragging their feet’ over financial transparency, report finds Advancing bank tech ‘broadens hack attack surface’ Economists told us what a pandemic could do. Who listened? | Torsten Bell …

The main blog headlines are … #Coronavirus, cash and the breakup of the Eurozone I’m sitting staring at the wall. It’s been a long time now since being in a face-to-face meeting, conference or catching a flight. I’m staring at the wall. Thinking. Thinking. Thinking …

For a while, I presented the idea that our world is a fiction. It is a fiction based upon beliefs. We have shared beliefs. We believe the world is the way the world is. But the world isn’t this way. Borders. Borders don’t exist. We …

Things we’re reading today include … Former London bankers convicted after Germany’s ‘greatest tax robbery’ Why America’s financial plumbing has seized up ECB U-turn shows it fears coronavirus could destroy eurozone project The agonies of stock-picking in a falling market School closures in the UK …

It’s very strange times. I’ve taken travel for granted. For years, I’ve been used to open borders, easy connectivity and access to airports. The internet then fuelled that ease of movement and connectivity. Suddenly, via social media, my friends are in Tokyo, Kuala Lumpur, Sydney, …

Things we’re reading today include … U.S. regulator proposes path for non-banks to gain deposit license Coronavirus: Pound plunges to its lowest level in over 30 years Cardless in the coronavirus crisis  The Federal Reserve can’t save us. Can Trump fix the impending global recession? …

I’m getting a lot of people asking questions about what I think the coronavirus will mean long-term in the financial markets, so I’ve tried to jump forward to look back. Obviously, the big thing about a pandemic is that people are being told to stop …

Things we’re reading today include … HSBC appoints insider Quinn as CEO amid growth headwinds UK banks set out details of Covid-19 mortgage holidays Coronavirus: Stocks rocked by record volatility Metro Bank hit with fresh lawsuit by Iranian customers Study: global banks ‘failing miserably’ on …

I’m sitting staring at the wall. It’s been a long time now since being in a face-to-face meeting, conference or catching a flight. I’m staring at the wall. Thinking. Thinking. Thinking … what’s the meaning of all this? What’s the meaning of life? What’s the …

Things we’re reading today include … BoE’s guv Andrew Bailey has to prove he knows what’s what Climate change: The rich are to blame, international study finds The Federal Reserve acts again, as market turmoil continues Quotes from Federal Reserve Chair Powell’s press conference Big …