Our biggest stories of the week are ...
Banks need to radically shake up and wake up
Frank Partnoy wrote a fascinating opinion piece in yesterday’s FT about the coming world of smaller banks. In the article, he compares HSBC with Google and asks why Google generates as much, if not more, value than the bank with a tenth of the staff ...
If you think markets are crazy, they’re going to get crazier
For the past week you could be forgiven for thinking the world was going up the spout. Not only do we have our own insular riots in Britain but we’ve also had markets in turmoil, and it's going to get ...
We are Knights of the Bank Table
Sometimes, especially in the summer, it gives a time for reflection and surprise. Today's surprise is the story of how the Knights Templar invented modern banking and made the Swiss the best bankers in the world. This is prompted by the actions of the Norwegian mass murderer...
The real rip-off culture? Part One
Further to my write-up about Wonga the other day, I have been contacted by author and campaigner Steve Perry, who has been on the wrong side of the payday loans industry. Now don’t get me wrong. I am NOT against...
The real rip-off culture ... is not Wonga? Part Two
One of the more outspoken reactions to my post on payday firms came from Wonga. Not surprising as my original headline was that “Wonga will wrestle with regulators”, and they will as the markets are pretty unregulated today. A point...
The real rip-off culture? Part Three
In the final part of a three-part review of money lending and the accusation made by Vince Cable, the Business Secretary, of a “rip-off culture” in parts of the financial system, I decided to pick on the story of money lender Arran Coghlan, alternatively known as 'Teflon Don' ....
The major general news stories of the week include ...
- Bonfire of the jobless bankers - The Telegraph
- ECB's Trichet Turns 'President of Europe' - Business Week
- Lloyds bank axing 1,300 more jobs - The Independent
- Diamond queries Barclays' future in UK - Financial Times
- Barclays throws light on investigation into Libor rate setting - The Telegraph
- UK banks have low cost-to-income ratios - The Telegraph
- S&P fights to save reputation as markets hold their breath - The Independent
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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...
