I spend a lot of time talking with my friends in Turkey, particularly since the big change in climate after the protests last year. Nevertheless, from a financial markets point of view, it’s a fascinating place. One of the first to be contactless and, more recently, one of the first to offer social retail banking….
I’ve written a column for The Banker magazine for the last 15 years and, during that time, have collected their special July edition each year. Every July The Banker publishes their analysis of the Top 1000 banks in the world. In the 1990s, the top 10 were mainly Japanese; in the 2000s, American; and today, Chinese. This…
Things we’re reading today include … 20 years on FCA links up with US regulators in car loans probe UK remains Europe’s top destination for foreign investment in financial services Haldane: UK pay has flatlined Bitcoin accepted at New York pre-school The complicated failure of two Italian lenders Kenya launches the world’s first mobile-only sovereign…
Things we’re reading today include … House Democrats challenge Deutsche Bank over review of Trump’s accounts Luxembourg’s politicians pin economic hopes on fintech drive U.S. regulators, lawmakers support Volcker rule revamp at hearing China’s ICBC says checks of loans by big acquirers are routine Biggest U.S. banks clear first hurdle in Fed’s annual stress tests…
Twenty years ago, I was working on re-engineering projects. Most of the time I was getting exasperated because the banks wouldn’t take on the big projects, like the mortgage process, as it went across too many divisions. That’s big risk in their view, as it meant disturbing the structure of the organisation. So, we would…
Things we’re reading today include … Fat chance of delaying markets reform, EU watchdog tells City Santander buys struggling Spanish bank Popular for €1 Santander rescues rival Banco Popular from collapse HSBC faces fresh suit alleging forex manipulation RBS spends £1bn battling its own shareholders over rights issue RBS shareholders to agree to £200m settlement over…
For many years, I’ve been using Michael Treacy’s The Discipline of Market Leaders to talk about the business model of banking. The book claims that all companies are comprised of three major components: a manufacturer, a processor and a retailer. The book claims that most companies are only good at one of these things, and few…
I’m being asked this a lot as the value of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies have increased ten-fold in the past few weeks. Good for those who have some. Bemusing for those who don’t. There are a range of factors driving the rise in cryptocurrency prices, particularly the craze for Initial Coin Offering (ICOs). An ICO…
I often think we need a reality check when it comes to digital finance. Many of the pundit analysts and influencers out there believe no one needs a branch visit and that everything can be done remotely on devices. I don’t. I’ve mentioned this many times and, psychologically, customers need the reassurance that they can…
I recently met a start-up bank. They were depressed. Having submitted their third proposal for the bank, the regulator was still pushing back. This felt familiar. Having seen so many new start-up banks in Britain, I was familiar with the start-up process. It involves hellishly detailed documentation showing effective plans, governance and funding. The first…
