Chris Skinner's blog

Shaping the future of finance

Opinion

What has McKinsey ever done for us?

I read a lot about consultancies and how they screw their clients and screw them up too. Really? If this is true, why would you hire a consultant? Answer: to blame someone externally if things go wrong internally. The main company accused of these misdemeanours appears to be McKinsey. I guess that’s because McKinsey is…

When the head of tax doesn’t pay tax

I noted to a friend the other day that, when I was young, I was quite left wing. Back then, my belief was everyone should be included; everyone was equal; no-one should be treated as lesser than me; society should ensure everyone had a minimum wage and support them. Then I grew up. I became…

I see dead people #CES

It’s pretty obvious that technology is changing how we relate to each other. From social media and trolling to creating avatars and the metaverse, our world is moving rapidly to one where we could feel more engaged with a hologram than with a real person sitting next to us. These things are illustrated by so…

I got a new credit card. Woo-hoo! Uh-oh …

I tried to make a payment … but it doesn’t work. Oh no ☹ So I called the bank. I waited … I waited … I waited … I waited … I waited … I waited … I waited … I waited … I waited … I waited … I waited … I waited ……

Dreaming of winning the lottery? … maybe not

Most of us dream of being millionaires or, these days, billionaires. Unlimited wealth = unlimited fun! However, the reality is that this is not the case. Seven our of ten lottery winners end up broke and a third go on to declare bankruptcy, according to the National Endowment for Financial Education. Runaway spending, toxic investments…

How often do you read the Ts and Cs?

Most of us don’t care. We just click. Even in the good old days of paper-printed documentation, did you read the terms and conditions? You’re sitting with the salesperson and there’s 5,000 words on a page that look like standard conditions. Do you read them? Nah, most of us don’t. I always remember a gaming…

Farewell to the Queen

I didn’t want to comment on the death of the Queen. It’s got nothing to do with FinTech, Banking, Technology or finance … but, in the last few years, I created a charity with my good friend Basia Hamilton, a world-leading portrait artist, to encourage children to paint and draw. The Portrait Foundation is now…

In space, no one can take your money

The strapline for the film Alien was that in space, no one can hear you scream. It doesn’t sound quite as scary, but I was thinking about the cashless world and realised that: In case you cannot see the words: In space, no one can take your money Do you ever see anyone paying for…

Welcome to (another) crypto meltdown

As a guy who has invested a little in cryptocurrencies, I sat back a year ago in a warm glow. The investment had risen phantasmagorically, and was now worth a good pension. Today? It’s worth almost nothing. Source: Daily Mail What’s gone wrong? Well, it started with Terra, and it’s led to Terror. The wobbles…

I just woke up to my cancelled culture

Growing up, my brother used to try hard to persuade me to attend The Motor Show. He is a petrolhead and the show would be the highlight of his year. I went once. My lasting memory is almost every stand had women who were dressed in a sexy way to entice the men onto the…