Chris Skinner's blog

Shaping the future of finance

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You would be turning in your grave

I’ve heard some pretty dire stories about the credit crunch, but none more so than this Daily Mail effort that says folks cannot even afford to bury their dead. Apparently, "hard-up families are having to wait more than two months before receiving Government money for funerals."  This is because funeral directors used to do the…

You would be turning in your grave

I’ve heard some pretty dire stories about the credit crunch, but none more so than this Daily Mail effort that says folks cannot even afford to bury their dead. Apparently, "hard-up families are having to wait more than two months before receiving Government money for funerals."  This is because funeral directors used to do the…

The UBS Banker Mule

If you didn’t catch this story in Portfolio Magazine, it’s worth a read.  Here’s a short extract: Brad Birkenfeld, a Director for UBS Bank, "helped the very rich hide tens, if not hundreds, of millions of dollars from U.S. tax authorities. He was willing to go the extra mile for his clients, so he didn’t…

The UBS Banker Mule

If you didn’t catch this story in Portfolio Magazine, it’s worth a read.  Here’s a short extract: Brad Birkenfeld, a Director for UBS Bank, "helped the very rich hide tens, if not hundreds, of millions of dollars from U.S. tax authorities. He was willing to go the extra mile for his clients, so he didn’t…

How can you do your job in this market?

I’ve got a job to do … writing reports. Speaking about the future of the industry. Chairing meetings about banking matters. Dining with executives and dialoguing about infrastructures. The trouble is, it’s all gone to pot. Whilst the markets are moving faster than a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs, I don’t…

Blue-blooded Wall Street markets

From the Midget Quest blog, I found this photo: Apparently, someone’s painted the bull on Wall Street with blue balls.  Now we all need a bit of blue-blooded bull balls in the investment markets  if we’re to get this ship back on track!

Blue-blooded Wall Street markets

From the Midget Quest blog, I found this photo: Apparently, someone’s painted the bull on Wall Street with blue balls.  Now we all need a bit of blue-blooded bull balls in the investment markets  if we’re to get this ship back on track!

Bank advert may not be appropriate

With the media running headlines 24 hours a day, 7 days a week saying that the world is imploding and it’s all the banks fault, I kinda think that some banks should cut back their ad spending or rethink it.  By way of example Halifax, the UK banking bit of HBOS that has been forced…

Bank advert may not be appropriate

With the media running headlines 24 hours a day, 7 days a week saying that the world is imploding and it’s all the banks fault, I kinda think that some banks should cut back their ad spending or rethink it.  By way of example Halifax, the UK banking bit of HBOS that has been forced…

Bank advert may not be appropriate

With the media running headlines 24 hours a day, 7 days a week saying that the world is imploding and it’s all the banks fault, I kinda think that some banks should cut back their ad spending or rethink it.  By way of example Halifax, the UK banking bit of HBOS that has been forced…