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If you thought Lloyds Bank's ads were a bit weird and wacky … … have a look at this one from Umpqua Bank: It's quite nice and dreamy but, urm, what's the message? Community banking apparently. Ah well, I guess the dreamy sort of ads are better than just playing for laughs …    …

Finovate Europe takes place in London on 1st February 2011. Organised by Net Banker, in partnership with the Financial Services Club, and hosted by Club chair Chris Skinner, this first financial innovation showcase event is now less than two months away. Finovate is designed to showcase the most innovative new financial technology products and ideas from…

I had a fun day in Brussels this week. Well, it was fun for me anyway, although I’m not so sure about the conference folks attending as we were discussing the PSD and SEPA … again … as usual. After seven years of gestation, full SEPA was finally born last year when SEPA Direct Debits…

I just received a copy of a new Aite Group report by good friend of all, Ron Shevlin, a guy with an 11-year old Volvo that has a tape deck in it, not even CD ready! (strange things you pick up on Twitter) The report surveyed 166 financial services executives in the United States and…

I’m regularly asked the question as to when the government will get rid of their stake in Lloyds and RBS, return them to the private sector, give a profit to the taxpayer and butt out of banking. I always give the same answer: “when the government needs votes”. The reason for this is the government…

We are pleased to provide our eighth month of monitoring the MTF performances in European Equities trading, in partnership with Thomson Reuters Equity Market Share Reporter (EMSR).  Market Share based upon Euro Value November 2010   October 2010 Source: Thomson Reuters Equity Market Share Reporter   Market Share based upon Volume of Trading November 2010 October 2010  …

OK, it’s time to build a new way of measuring anger with the banks, so today sees the launch of the Finanser’s Rage Gauge. Why do this today? Because the heat of anger on the industry varies day-by-day, month-by-month. There was shock and awe back in September 2008, then shock and anger in January 2009…

I was just watching this ten minute debate in Australia about bank advertising. It starts with the line: “I would have thought banks were tough clients for two reasons. One, they’re bastards. Two, we hate them.” This is interesting stuff, and reminds me of the psychology of money debate. The psychology of money debate is…

It’s a funny old world. One minute we’re all talking about the great European plan, the Lisbon agenda, the Directives are rolled out, SEPA and MTFs are spawned, the level playing field of the Eurozone is harmonised and so on and so forth. The next is OMG, it’s all doom and gloom. What about Greece?…