The main blog headlines are …
Here’s what the new normal looks like
There’s lots of talk about civil unrest, an unjust society, the need for a universal basic income, a change in attitude towards everything from capitalism to socialism to democracy to inclusion. Good discussions but hard to know how it plays out. In many countries, people …
What’s the point of an office?
There are lots of headlines and articles talking about the end of the office. You think about it, and it kind of makes sense. In a digital age, why do we have to go to a physical office? Why do we all cram ourselves into …
Unicorns and incumbents are equally challenged in this crisis
I’ve often questioned the valuations of unicorns in technology, whether it be Uber or Revolut. And here we are in lockdown world and the valuations of most unicorns are crashing overnight. Monzo’s value is down 40 percent, and FinTech funding is at a three year …
Coronavirus must lead to a more inclusive society, says Jamie Dimon
If you didn’t spot it the other day, there was a headline that caught my eye: Jamie Dimon says coronavirus crisis is ‘wake-up call’ for a more inclusive economy I smiled and seethed, as it was covered widely with the words above combined with says …
Nothing is going to be the same
I was relaxing watching a rock concert whilst self-isolating. It made me realise the way it was. 60,000 people sweating next to each other at an open venue, mingling each others juices together. Ah, those were the days. Nothing is going to be the same. …
And the main news headlines are ….
What would negative interest rates mean for mortgages and savings? - The Guardian
Variable-rate mortgages may fall a little, and it seems unlikely banks will charge to hold savings The governor of the Bank of England, Andrew Bailey, has paved the way for negative interest rates , saying officials are actively considering all options to prop up the economy. The Bank’s base rate
Bank of England paves way for negative interest rates - The Guardian
Governor says all options are open after UK sells first ever bond with negative yield
Top 1% of British earners get 17% of nation's income - Guardian
Analysis shows top of society get larger slice of income than previously thought The highest paid 1% of British earners received nearly 17% of all the country’s income ahead of the Covid-19 crisis, according to a study making allowance for the concentration of taxable capital gains among the better off.
Boom for payments companies as crisis forces shoppers online - Financial Times
The payments sector has been one of the few bright spots for investors during the pandemic
Are Britain's banks strong enough for coronavirus? - BBC
It depends on how you measure their strength, say regulators, investors and academics.
Starling Bank struggles to get Bounce Back Loans up to speed - AltFi
The digital bank has so far received over 18,000 applications for the Bounce Back Loan scheme that officially opened last Monday.
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...