Chris Skinner's blog

Shaping the future of finance

Humour

It’s Thursday so the banks will open

Theo Ousalotmoney: OK guys, time to open the bank. Brancho Tellerous: Oxi (no) … we have no money. Theo: Waddya mean, we have no money? We are a bank? Tellerous: Yes sir, but we are a Cypriot Bank. Theo: So? Tellerous: That means we’re broke. Theo: No we’re not as we’re not Greek.  We’re Russian….

It’s Thursday so the banks will open

Theo Ousalotmoney: OK guys, time to open the bank. Brancho Tellerous: Oxi (no) … we have no money. Theo: Waddya mean, we have no money? We are a bank? Tellerous: Yes sir, but we are a Cypriot Bank. Theo: So? Tellerous: That means we’re broke. Theo: No we’re not as we’re not Greek.  We’re Russian….

The lost cheque and join the dots

Just had one of those days after discovering that I sent my lawyer a cheque and he lost it. Shucks! Shouldn’t be a big issue, so I ring the bank to cancel the cheque. That takes time, but it’s done. I then set up an online transaction to send the money direct to his account….

The lost cheque and join the dots

Just had one of those days after discovering that I sent my lawyer a cheque and he lost it. Shucks! Shouldn’t be a big issue, so I ring the bank to cancel the cheque. That takes time, but it’s done. I then set up an online transaction to send the money direct to his account….

Talking about Berlusconi, who’s the richest politician in the world?

Having blogged previously about who is the richest royal (and it’s not our good old Queenie), I noted that French President Nicolas Sarkozy was blowing over $150 million a year on his lavish lifestyle at the time. Strange then that he claims he is only worth $4 million in total wealth.  Even his dear first…

Obama finger

Talking about Berlusconi, who’s the richest politician in the world?

Having blogged previously about who is the richest royal (and it’s not our good old Queenie), I noted that French President Nicolas Sarkozy was blowing over $150 million a year on his lavish lifestyle at the time. Strange then that he claims he is only worth $4 million in total wealth.  Even his dear first…

Obama finger

New York frickin’ City

Just spent the weekend in New York City, or New York frickin’ City as the locals say. When they say this, they are of course referring to the great industrialist and financier Henry Clay Frick who left them this wonderful museum of art. Yes, New York is so cultured and varied as you can see…

Frickin collection

Change management means change management

Walking around Davos, we stumble across a small enclave of bank chiefs sharing breakfast.  In this case, Demon, Blankfine, Jinkens and Gilliver, the CEOs of JPM, GSachs, Barcs and HBSC respectively. The conversation takes an interesting turn. Jinkins: “I disagree with you.  We have to change, we are changing, we will change and we are…

Edelman

Ten wild predictions for 2013

Next week, I’ll get back to being Mr. Boring Banking Blogger, and will focus upon the economic, financial and technological trends for 2013, as per my usual start to the year. For today, purely because it’s still the silly season (yes, 12 days of Christmas is still going strong here), I’m going to make ten…

IPooToilet

Sexist Barclaycard ad alienates customers

I've worked for American firms during my main working life, just as we saw the rise of political correctness (PC) and the PC-police. It got to the stage where you couldn't even say "I like your new hairstyle", without falling foul of the PC-police (I know, as one of my male colleagues in Chicago got…