Things we're reading today include ...
Today's must read:
"For Stephen Hester, who said his experience of dealing with the European Union over the issue of state aid had left him in such a condition, the bruising possibly came from fear. Speaking to those intimately engaged in the negotiations that lead to final banking deal last week the fear was quite simple - it was a fear of zombies."
Zombies are lurking on every high street (Telegraph)
Tobin Tax
Mixed response to transaction tax idea (BBC)
Gordon Brown: worldwide snub over tax plans (Telegraph)
Row breaks out over Gordon Brown's plan to tax City profits (Guardian)
Companies
Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway profit triples (The Age, Australia)
Barclays to publish its 'best ever' profits (Telegraph)
Barclays board discusses new cuts to bonuses (Guardian)
Markets
Banks may face 'super-tax' on all their assets (Telegraph)
This financial mess isn't even the end of the beginning for UK wealth (Telegraph)
Helping the poor just got popular (Financial Times)
Emerging cities set to transform league table of world's wealthiest by 2025 (Guardian)
Quote of the Day:
"The financial system may have led us into the crisis but it will lead us out."
Lloyd Blankfein, Chairman and Chief Executive of Goldman Sachs
Goldman Sachs boss: 'bankers do God's work' (Guardian)
Chris M Skinner
Chris Skinner is best known as an independent commentator on the financial markets through his blog, TheFinanser.com, as author of the bestselling book Digital Bank, and Chair of the European networking forum the Financial Services Club. He has been voted one of the most influential people in banking by The Financial Brand (as well as one of the best blogs), a FinTech Titan (Next Bank), one of the Fintech Leaders you need to follow (City AM, Deluxe and Jax Finance), as well as one of the Top 40 most influential people in financial technology by the Wall Street Journal's Financial News. To learn more click here...