This week’s main blog headlines are …
I was thinking about this question of how to regulate global technology platforms that don’t recognise national boundaries, mainly in the context of crypto and digital currencies. How can you regulate a global currency that has no view of state or national laws? Obviously, you …
The story of George W. Bush and the two big Black Swans
I just listened to George W. Bush being interviewed by AT&T CEO and Chairman, Randall Stephenson, and it was an interesting experience. For example, I’ve heard Bill Clinton speaking and Mikhail Gorbachev (twice), but this event was clearly far more security conscious than those. I …
Will Sweden be the first cashless country?
As Sweden was the first European country to use cash for payments back in 1661, it’s unsurprising that it’s the first European country that wants to be cashless. This is why, for several years, I’ve been watching the regular speeches by Lars Nyberg, Deputy Governor …
AI in banking is all about risk management
It is the nature of finance that, at its core, is risk. Insurance is all about covering yourself for the risk of uncertainty. You don’t know if your house will be robbed but, just in case it is, you insure it. You don’t know if …
It’s intriguing to see how people react to my presentations. I am direct, some call me blunt, but my content is based upon deep research that mixes desk-based analysis, my blog, endless conversations around the world with bankers and technologists and a lot of experience. …
I’m involved in quite a lot of start-ups, ICOs and funds these days, and have decided to start a mini-series of interviews with them, as I think it will be of interest to readers of my blog. In the first of this series, I’m interviewing Tokenbox. …
The latest news headlines …
Baffled by finance? 10-year-olds explain! - BBC
We challenged some 10-year-olds to explain a financial system that baffles many adults…
UK fintechs take market share from dominant high-street banks - Financial Times
Start-ups are competing in areas such as payments and lending
Pound spikes as Michel Barnier says he's ready to speed up Brexit talks - The Telegraph
Standard Chartered rejigs top team as retail banking boss leaves - The Telegraph
Gordon Brown memoirs: Barclays' RBS bid in 2008 is a staggering revelation - The Guardian
Barclays’ appetite for blind risk and greed in the midst of financial crisis is an intriguing tale – somebody should now spill all the beans Gordon Brown is not alone in thinking errant British bankers got off lightly in the 2008 financial crisis. We should also be worried that the
Bumper payday for EY partners as Brexit drives revenue growth - The Telegraph
All hail British banks: self-absorbed, short-termist and spivvy - The Guardian
The banks are obsessed with lending to property owners and developers, at the expense of other businesses – and the government gives them its full backing When everyone around you sits on their hands, it’s tempting to take control. While companies refuse to invest and Whitehall is paralysed by Brexit,
Meet the millennial millionaires: Coutts embraces video gamers - The Guardian
Venerable bank moves beyond royals and aristocrats to target twentysomething eSport players raking in a fortune The impeccably turned out doormen at 440 Strand are used to welcoming royals, aristocrats and billionaires to the headquarters of Coutts, the 325-year-old bank famous for serving only millionaires. But on Monday the suited
Former HSBC employees fight clawback of pension income - The Guardian
Bank retirees can end up losing as much as £2,500 every year in a practice that’s legal HSBC announced profits of almost £8bn for the first half of 2017, so why is it penalising former employees by taking away some of their pension cash? That is what thousands of the
How credit cards came to dominate our wallets - BBC
From invention for "the professional man" to wallet staple - has it become too easy to spend money we might not have?
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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...
