Chris Skinner's blog Shaping the future of finance

It’s a decade since the iPhone launched.  Steve Jobs unveiled the new phone on January 9th, 2007. The first iPhones were made available to the grubby hands of the public on June 29th, 2007, exactly ten years ago today.  This was originally just for American …

I find it amusing to think about this age of self-service, where we take it for granted that it’s cheaper, easier and more personalised to your own wishes if you book it yourself.  And, for most of the time, that works well.  Except when you …

It was exactly 50 years ago today that the world’s first ATM was unveiled at a Barclays branch in Enfield, London.  As a tribute to the golden anniversary, Barclays has transformed the modern-day Enfield cash machine into gold.  Today, more than half of UK adults …

Things we’re reading today include … U.K. challenger bank Starling sets up in Ireland and clears flightpath to Europe Trump could use alternate routes to roll back bank reforms Bank of China, Tencent to Trial Blockchain in New Research Effort Blockchain technology is moving into …

I was going to blog about something different, when I spotted this article in The Financial Times about Klarna gaining a banking license over the weekend (thanks to Pascal Bouvier).  The commentary has two key sentences, which I’ve highlighted, that illustrate all the things I have been …

Things we’re reading today include … Push on with the ‘great unwinding’, BIS tells central banks RBS to cut 443 jobs in UK, move many of them to India Bank of England faces echoes of the 2007 crunch as Brits are back to their bad …

This week’s main blog headlines are … Build or Buy or Build and Die? I was having a chat with a banking buddy who was expressing his frustration with the fact that their PSD2 developments were not going the way he wanted.  He had found …

After my blog yesterday, about banks having to move from being control freaks in a proprietary operation building everything to becoming collaborative partners in an open marketplace curating everything, I was asked: “how do you make money out of curation?” It’s a good question, as …

Things we’re reading today include … House Democrats challenge Deutsche Bank over review of Trump’s accounts Luxembourg’s politicians pin economic hopes on fintech drive U.S. regulators, lawmakers support Volcker rule revamp at hearing China’s ICBC says checks of loans by big acquirers are routine Biggest …

I was having a chat with a banking buddy who was expressing his frustration with the fact that their PSD2 developments were not going the way he wanted.  He had found a nice little FinTech start-up with a really neat Open API capability which could …

Things we’re reading today include … Startup bank Atom receives £30m boost Tesco Bank customers hit by computer problems A 17-Minute Film From a Bank Just Won the Entertainment Lions Grand Prix at Cannes U.S. could ease Volcker Rule, exempt small banks New Zelle app …

I have had many, many conversations about reaching the millennial customer.  We need to be attractive to millennials?  Millennials think differently, how do we reach them?  Millennials are rejecting banks, is that right?  Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. The conversation seems to be one amongst …

I just got back from the ICEEfest in Bucharest, Romania.  It’s a fantastic expo organised by Dragos Stanca and his team, and was very enjoyable even with the master of ceremonies, Jeff Leach, taking the mickey out of me.  Jeff is an actor and comedian, …

Things we’re reading today include: Klarna gets a full banking license, gears up to go beyond financing payments Moody’s Cuts Ratings on Australia’s Banks on Housing Concern Almost 1m UK bank customers will be forced to use new sort codes A Female CEO of a …

We had a great meeting of the Financial Services Club this week with guest keynote Derek White, Global Head of Customer Solutions for BBVA reporting directly to the CEO, Carlos Torres Vila.  Derek is responsible for the drive to transform the customer value proposition, including …

This week’s main blog headlines are … The crazy world of crypto currencies and ICOs I’m boarding a flight yesterday and murfing (mobile surfing).  Flicking between Facebook apps, twitter, bank account, BBC news and more.  Suddenly I spot a new ICO – Initial Coin Offering …

I’m boarding a flight yesterday and murfing (mobile surfing).  Flicking between Facebook apps, twitter, bank account, BBC news and more.  Suddenly I spot a new ICO – Initial Coin Offering – for a new bank.  From Wikipedia: “An initial coin offering (ICO) is a means of crowdfunding the release …

Things we’re reading today include … Company directors targeted by identity fraudsters U.S. acts to seize stolen assets, Picasso in probe of Malaysian fund Surprise for markets as trio of Bank of England gurus call for interest rates to rise Booz Allen Hamilton says DOJ …

I was invited to talk to some City folks about using data analytics for trading.  It made me pause for reflection, as I’ve been talking about analytics for trading for a long, long time.  Twenty years ago in fact. Back in the 1990s, we were …

Things we’re reading today include … Andy Haldane reappointed to Bank of England monetary policy committee Zelle, the real-time Venmo competitor backed by over 30 U.S. banks, arrives this month Is buying Lloyds Banking Group plc the best way to make a million? Former Barclays …

I regularly blog about the same subject, namely CHANGE YOUR CORE SYSTEMS.  Banks do a great job of not listening to me, but that’s because they’ve caught themselves in Catch 22: screwed if I change them and screwed if I don’t.  How did they get …

Things we’re reading today include … Trump’s Wall Street game plan needs players Three UK currency traders abandon US extradition fight and agree to face charges in Manhattan court  Dodd-Frank is complex and overburdens the financial sector StanChart brings in senior talent to fuel U.S. …