Chris Skinner's blog Shaping the future of finance

Today was a really funny day. I'm in Hong Kong and have a bit of time to walk around before my first meeting here, so I go out and about, up and down the Nathan Road, which is one of the main streets of Kowloon …

Today was a really funny day. I'm in Hong Kong and have a bit of time to walk around before my first meeting here, so I go out and about, up and down the Nathan Road, which is one of the main streets of Kowloon …

I was privileged to join a presentation today from one of the best internet banks in the world: eBANK, Japan. That’s a bold claim, but the only bank that comes close to eBANK, for me, is the Bank of America and that is because the BoA …

Over the weekend were the frightening reports of  the American mortgage industry facing collapse, as IndyMac moved into administration, followed by the departure of shareholders from Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae faster than rats from a sinking ship.  Freddie and Fannie’s share price was down …

A story picked up by various media this week is the news that a beggar, Laxmi Das, has managed to save over 30,000 rupees over a period of 44 years, begging at a busy junction in Calcutta, India. Why? For her old age of course. …

A story picked up by various media this week is the news that a beggar, Laxmi Das, has managed to save over 30,000 rupees over a period of 44 years, begging at a busy junction in Calcutta, India. Why? For her old age of course. …

I was amused to hear the comment this week that bankers aren’t paranoid enough. The comment was made in the context that bankers do not believe things change very fast, so why should they be concerned about change? The markets move in their own time, …

I’ve blogged regularly about how much I hate Vista, Office 2007, Outlook 2007 … you name it.   I thought my friends might appreciate the latest moan.   As many of you know, I make presentations for my living, or at least as a large …

I’ve blogged regularly about how much I hate Vista, Office 2007, Outlook 2007 … you name it.   I thought my friends might appreciate the latest moan.   As many of you know, I make presentations for my living, or at least as a large …

I’ve blogged regularly about how much I hate Vista, Office 2007, Outlook 2007 … you name it.   I thought my friends might appreciate the latest moan.   As many of you know, I make presentations for my living, or at least as a large …

The news was so bad in the papers yesterday about mortgages, credit crunch, banking and retailing, that I was about to stop reading when I turned the page and found slightly better news. Headlined “Is that a crunch in your pocket”, the story is all …

The news was so bad in the papers yesterday about mortgages, credit crunch, banking and retailing, that I was about to stop reading when I turned the page and found slightly better news. Headlined “Is that a crunch in your pocket”, the story is all …

At a presentation this week, someone said that computers emit more greenhouse gases than the airline industry as a whole.  About 4% of all gases are from the IT industry apparently. Cows emit more gas than computers however.  The numbers are horrific: at any time, …

At a presentation this week, someone said that computers emit more greenhouse gases than the airline industry as a whole.  About 4% of all gases are from the IT industry apparently. Cows emit more gas than computers however.  The numbers are horrific: at any time, …

At a presentation this week, someone said that computers emit more greenhouse gases than the airline industry as a whole.  About 4% of all gases are from the IT industry apparently. Cows emit more gas than computers however.  The numbers are horrific: at any time, …

Yesterday was a day full of interesting dialogue about retail banking. Much of the discussion was focused upon future revolutions in retailing bank services, thanks to technologies such as getting rid of cash through mobile payments, using RFID in branch, virtualisation and transformation of core …

Yesterday was a day full of interesting dialogue about retail banking. Much of the discussion was focused upon future revolutions in retailing bank services, thanks to technologies such as getting rid of cash through mobile payments, using RFID in branch, virtualisation and transformation of core …

Everyone knows that I’m a devil for numbers, with the series now up to #11 (last one was on eBay here).  As a result, if someone sends me some numbers and I like them, then I always put them in the blog. Today’s numbers are really …

In case any of you have missed it, I’m enjoying a knock-out discussion with Stephen Wilson. Stephen decided to take me to task over my contention that governments will force us into biometric banking. That started over here in mid-June. Over the weekend, Stephen then …

In case any of you have missed it, I’m enjoying a knock-out discussion with Stephen Wilson. Stephen decided to take me to task over my contention that governments will force us into biometric banking. That started over here in mid-June. Over the weekend, Stephen then …

Later this month, I am due to make a presentation on: "Recent and proposed changes in Europe in clearing and settlement for the equity and exchange traded derivative worlds". It’s all to do with clearing and settlement developments, in light of the announcement of Rainbow, …

Later this month, I am due to make a presentation on: "Recent and proposed changes in Europe in clearing and settlement for the equity and exchange traded derivative worlds". It’s all to do with clearing and settlement developments, in light of the announcement of Rainbow, …

Later this month, I am due to make a presentation on: "Recent and proposed changes in Europe in clearing and settlement for the equity and exchange traded derivative worlds". It’s all to do with clearing and settlement developments, in light of the announcement of Rainbow, …

I was looking through notes of a banker friend, who was making a presentation on the key trends in payments for the next two years last week,and one of the stand-out lines was: “The Implementation of SWIFT MT202 Cover Payments” It piqued my interest as …

I was looking through notes of a banker friend, who was making a presentation on the key trends in payments for the next two years last week,and one of the stand-out lines was: “The Implementation of SWIFT MT202 Cover Payments” It piqued my interest as …

I was sitting at my PC today, drafting my blog whilst skirting over the news headlines on my iGoogle homepage. There were a few other windows open on my PC. One for Wimbledon live on the BBC, which I can now watch through live streaming …

After my blog entry about Germany losing Euro 2008 due to Twitter,  Techcrunch are reporting a new service, Tipit, that allows you to make payments with Twitter.  It actually doesn’t though … it just sends you a message to send the money you promised via …

After my blog entry about Germany losing Euro 2008 due to Twitter,  Techcrunch are reporting a new service, Tipit, that allows you to make payments with Twitter.  It actually doesn’t though … it just sends you a message to send the money you promised via …