Shaping the future of finance
If you’re wondering what’s happening with SEPA (the Single Euro Payments Area) then this interview with Gilbert Lichter, Secretary General of the Euro Banking Association (EBA) and CEO of EBA Clearing, provides a good overview of the latest and greatest: Gilbert Lichter from Chris Skinner on Vimeo. The interview took place after our recent FSClub…
I don’t know if any of you read the IMF report recommending two new bank taxes: a bank levy based upon the risk banks represent, called a Financial Stability Contribution (FSC); and a straight tax on profits and bonuses called the Financial Activities Tax (FAT). If you haven't, then I can recommend it's worth a…
On April 1st, the European Commission announced their key work plans for 2010. The plans are wide-ranging and imply a fundamental restructuring of the European banking markets. If you don’t think it’s going that far, then think again as a wide range of strategic initiatives were announced including a new European supervision architecture and proposals…
Just noticed that the governors are dropping half of the new Financial Services Bill, in order to rush it through Parliament before the general election is called on May 6th. The Financial Services Act, formerly known as the Financial Services Bill, is about to be passed into Law and includes: New powers for consumers to…
Nick Ogden, CEO and founder of Voice Commerce (he previously created WorldPay, the RBS payments unit, back in 1993 and sold it to them in 2002*), recently spoke at the FSClub about using voice biometrics as part of authentication in mobile financial transactions. Who are Voice Commerce Group? Best to read what they say about…
Jamie Dimon’s letter to JPMorgan Chase’s shareholders included a whole section on the crisis and his solutions. Because Tim Geithner and Barack Obama listen to every word Jamie utters, I think it's worth reproducing the whole section here to see whether, in a year or so, his recommendations are implemented: “Banks are not fighting regulation…
I recently wrote a little piece about CESR, the EU Securities Regulator, and their update to Dark Pools regulations. It got quite a reaction, including feedback from some of the dark pools regulators themselves, who 'corrected' the view that the Best Bid-Offer had been updated by making it clear that nothing had actually changed recently….
There was a great panel session at the IPS payments show this week on the future of regulation. Here are a few choice quotes: “This is the G20-isation of regulations.”Philippe Mongars of the Banque de France “By the end of 2010, there will be an agreement of a new macroprudential supervisory structure by the G20…
I've been studying developments in the Middle East lately, and particularly the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). The GCC has been running since 1981 and comprises six core states of the Persia Gulf Region: the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman and Qatar. The GCC is a bit like the EU, which formally…
