Chris Skinner's blog Shaping the future of finance

I was sitting and thinking that I’ve been a bit negative in my recent posts. I don’t like being negative as I’m an optimist. So I determined that today I must write a cheerful story … whoops! failed. Instead, I woke up to the news …

Things we’re reading today include … European Central Bank hands out 1.3 trillion euros in loans Wirecard shares slump over missing €1.9bn To understand the new wave of small investors, look to China The successes of the Fed’s dollar-swap lines Barclays, HSBC and Lloyds among …

I was having a bit of ding-dong over my article about the coronavirus pandemic being perfectly predictable and not a black swan. There are many who believe the reaction to the pandemic is a black swan, as in the lockdown of Planet Earth. Hmmm … …

Things we’re reading today include … Visa predicts ‘permanent’ shift in consumer spending habits Commerzbank fined £38m by UK watchdog for money-laundering failings HSBC to press on with 35,000 job cuts Coronavirus: Money printer hopes virus crisis boosts demand for fresh bank notes Dollar and …

I’m a simple guy. I don’t trade or invest much. That may seem surprising for a FinTech guy, but most of what I’ve invested in seems to lose value. As a result, I collect rare comics instead as Batman, Spiderman and Ironman are forever. That …

Things we’re reading today include … Banks ‘could share branches’ in bid to rescue access to cash Visa hails ‘permanent’ shift in consumer spending habits Banks must treat debt-laden firms fairly to avoid replay of 2008, says FCA chair New trials planned for cash-stricken communities …

Sitting at home, as usual, and thinking about life, I realised that my blogs were becoming far more personal and revealing than usual. I don’t post a lot of them, as I think they are too personal and revealing, but it made me realise that …

Things we’re reading today include … Metro Bank in talks to buy peer-to-peer lender Ratesetter Amazon And Goldman Sachs: A Small Business Lending Wake-Up Call For Banks Light on tech, heavy on banks — has Warren Buffett lost his touch? Facebook launches WhatsApp digital payment …

Like many, I’ve watched 2020 unfold with a mixture of shock and horror. It began with Australian bushfires followed rapidly by the coronavirus pandemic and now the Black Lives Matter demonstrations. My real shock was that there could be so many global demonstrations during a …

Things we’re reading today include … PagoFX — Can a bank really build its own fintech? Bank of England joins Dennis the Menace for kids project Wall Street Week Ahead: Investors bet bounce in value stocks will stick Crunch time for China’s robot startups as …

The main blog headlines are … Are banks too full of testosterone? There’s no logical reason for this, but I’ve decided the second week of June is women’s week. It’s a week to celebrate diversity, or the lack of diversity, in finance and technology. So, …

In a final perspective around women and technology and finance, I welcome the thoughts of Ron Shevlin, the snark himself. In a recent article on Forbes, Ron wrote about what women want from banking. The research his company Cornerstone produced some interesting results. Enjoy … …

Things we’re reading today include … Why are bank bosses sounding more optimistic about loan losses? Lloyds fined £64m for unfair treatment of mortgage customers Wall Street’s ‘fear gauge’ jumps on fears of coronavirus resurgence ‘First lady of Lloyd’s’ locked in £19m high court battle …

I spotted a really interesting analysis of cash and bank notes the other day. For those who follow this blog, you’ll know that I love bank notes. I collect them. Each country has different coloured bank notes with different art on its cash that reflect …

Things we’re reading today include … ECB prepares ‘bad bank’ plan for wave of coronavirus toxic debt The Looming Bank Collapse Goldman Sachs employees to start returning to U.S. offices from June 22 Goldman Sachs closes Marcus account to new UK savers Mike Pompeo criticises …

I was recently asked to respond to the idea that men are not supporting diversity enough. It was for a blog update by Darren Franks on his website talentinthecloud.io. Of course, I said yes. Here’s the result … FinTech needs more men! Yes, you read …

Things we’re reading today include … UK banks approve £35bn in state-backed loans amid heavy demand Exclusive: Banks to Berlin – Loosen coronavirus cash rules for firms Turkey joins settlement house Euroclear after 8-year talks Pompeo chides HSBC for ‘corporate kowtow’ to Beijing Amanda Staveley …

I blog about so many things. Sure, most of the time it’s FinTech, banking and technology. Sure, most of the time it’s about the future, the outlook, the ideas. But quite often I find myself returning to topics that I’m passionate about: diversity, equality, inclusion, …

Things we’re reading today include … Could you soon be paying your bank to hold your savings? The World’s Best Banks: The Future Of Banking Is Digital After Coronavirus Amanda Staveley sues Barclays for £1.5bn in high court Covid-19 pandemic risks dramatic rise in poverty, …

There’s no logical reason for this, but I’ve decided the second week of June is women’s week. It’s a week to celebrate diversity, or the lack of diversity, in finance and technology. So, this week’s blogs are all about women and finance and technology. To …

Things we’re reading today include … You may be in love, but you should always have your OWN bank account Bank boss tells lenders to be ready for no-deal Brexit Digital IDs could end the need for in-bank visits and banish passwords £36bn of government-backed …

The main blog headlines are … No one changes behaviour … unless forced to I see lots of surveys and research about the use of technology in finance. Things like 47 percent of consumers are interested in biometric payments or 80 percent of consumers would …

I see lots of surveys and research about the use of technology in finance. Things like 47 percent of consumers are interested in biometric payments or 80 percent of consumers would use mobile payments. Then you look at the adoption rates and the actual usage …

Things we’re reading today include … Can you help? (research request) Goldman Sachs executive’s email making plea for racial equality goes viral at firm Revealed: UK banks and investors’ $2bn backing of meat firms linked to Amazon deforestation Wealth management faces fallout from coronavirus ESG …

The other day, I said that I was confused about the future. Some folks said that seems strange for ‘a futurist’, but I’m not a futurist. I’m just a guy who looks to the future and tries to understand and predict what I can. We …

Things we’re reading today include … Mastercard boss: ‘Leaders must reassure staff’ Wall Street closes sharply higher on signs of economic rebound Bank of England urges lenders to bolster no-deal Brexit plans Cards made up more than half of payments ‘for first time’ last year …

I got a chart this week that made me smile. This is it … In one month, retail sales jumped massively from 16% to 27% of all sales. The end of main street is nigh. Other facts and figures that made me smile were Amazon’s …

Things we’re reading today include … Lending platforms face battle for independence Coronavirus: Debt letters ‘make money problems worse’ UK consumers repay record £7.4bn of debt in Covid-19 lockdown House prices see largest monthly fall for 11 years, says Nationwide Traders want shorter days, says …