Chris Skinner's blog Shaping the future of finance

A friend pointed out this video  in French to me.  I’ve no idea why, except that there’s a new dance craze sweeping the world.  The idea is to hold one leg off the floor whilst swinging your arms around.  Not a bad idea.  Apparently, it …

                    It’s been a long time since there’s been a good banking song (the last one I put out there was way back in May last year), Here is the City has come up with another new one.  Bohemian …

Oh dear … being a stockpicker is not easy and Jim Cramer, CNBC’s top stock picker, backed Bear Stearns big time on his show last Tuesday, March 11th.  In fact, as can be seen at Jim Cramer’s Mad Money website, he thought Bear Stearns was …

Oh dear … being a stockpicker is not easy and Jim Cramer, CNBC’s top stock picker, backed Bear Stearns big time on his show last Tuesday, March 11th.  In fact, as can be seen at Jim Cramer’s Mad Money website, he thought Bear Stearns was …

Oh dear … being a stockpicker is not easy and Jim Cramer, CNBC’s top stock picker, backed Bear Stearns big time on his show last Tuesday, March 11th.  In fact, as can be seen at Jim Cramer’s Mad Money website, he thought Bear Stearns was …

Oh dear … being a stockpicker is not easy and Jim Cramer, CNBC’s top stock picker, backed Bear Stearns big time on his show last Tuesday, March 11th.  In fact, as can be seen at Jim Cramer’s Mad Money website, he thought Bear Stearns was …

Oh dear … being a stockpicker is not easy and Jim Cramer, CNBC’s top stock picker, backed Bear Stearns big time on his show last Tuesday, March 11th.  In fact, as can be seen at Jim Cramer’s Mad Money website, he thought Bear Stearns was …

Technology is blamed as a major cause of the current market meltdown according to an in-depth article in today’s Financial Times entitled: "Algo trading: the dog that bit its master". These themes build upon the review of capital markets I put forward in December, as …

10. “Hey, what’s new?” 9. “It’s Barack Obama. Remember our conversation about being my running mate? Never mind.” 8. “Ralph Nader here. Glad to hear I’m not the only politician who has to pay for it.” 7. “Hi. I’m calling from the New York Post. …

10. “Hey, what’s new?” 9. “It’s Barack Obama. Remember our conversation about being my running mate? Never mind.” 8. “Ralph Nader here. Glad to hear I’m not the only politician who has to pay for it.” 7. “Hi. I’m calling from the New York Post. …

10. “Hey, what’s new?” 9. “It’s Barack Obama. Remember our conversation about being my running mate? Never mind.” 8. “Ralph Nader here. Glad to hear I’m not the only politician who has to pay for it.” 7. “Hi. I’m calling from the New York Post. …

10. “Hey, what’s new?” 9. “It’s Barack Obama. Remember our conversation about being my running mate? Never mind.” 8. “Ralph Nader here. Glad to hear I’m not the only politician who has to pay for it.” 7. “Hi. I’m calling from the New York Post. …

Most of you know that America’s fifth largest bank, Bear Stearns, was sold at bargain basement prices to JP Morgan over the weekend.  The price?  $2 a share.  That’s 90% less than the bank’s valuation last week, and a fraction of the $117 per share …

I just read the FSA publication, Market Watch 25, which focused on the systems and controls trading banks should implement in light of Societe Generale’s rogue trader incident.       Apparently, since the SocGen incident, the FSA has had cosy little chats with about fifty …

I just read the FSA publication, Market Watch 25, which focused on the systems and controls trading banks should implement in light of Societe Generale’s rogue trader incident.       Apparently, since the SocGen incident, the FSA has had cosy little chats with about fifty …

OK, OK … after all the knocking of Microsoft over their horrific Vista and Office 2007 faux pas,  I’ve found a good news story about them to balance everything. Yes, Microsoft has beaten Google’s attempt to conquer space by building the Worldwide Telescope. Debuting at …

In the world of daft inventions, here’s a great new one: the hamster shredder. No, it’s not a machine for grinding wee hammy into pulp, but a document shredder driven by hamster power. The idea is that you get rid of your sensitive documents by …

Yesterday I alluded to a bank being like a human body, with technology its lifeblood.  However, if technology is the blood of the bank, then you need a healthy heart, brain and soul to make that blood flow.  That is why the bank’s management team …

Yesterday I alluded to a bank being like a human body, with technology its lifeblood.  However, if technology is the blood of the bank, then you need a healthy heart, brain and soul to make that blood flow.  That is why the bank’s management team …

Yesterday I alluded to a bank being like a human body, with technology its lifeblood.  However, if technology is the blood of the bank, then you need a healthy heart, brain and soul to make that blood flow.  That is why the bank’s management team …

Yesterday I alluded to a bank being like a human body, with technology its lifeblood.  However, if technology is the blood of the bank, then you need a healthy heart, brain and soul to make that blood flow.  That is why the bank’s management team …

Prompted by the newsletter, Payment News from Glenbrook Partners, I had a look at The Wall Street Journal which ran a fascinating column today. The implication is that the lack of credit availability in the USA is forcing folks to go onto Proper, Zopa and …

In banks today, technology strategy is the essence of business strategy.  In capital markets, where algorithmic trading analytics can make the difference between success and failure, technology is critical to competitiveness.  If you cannot compete with another bank’s new derivatives capabilities, which are driven by …

In banks today, technology strategy is the essence of business strategy.  In capital markets, where algorithmic trading analytics can make the difference between success and failure, technology is critical to competitiveness.  If you cannot compete with another bank’s new derivatives capabilities, which are driven by …

In banks today, technology strategy is the essence of business strategy.  In capital markets, where algorithmic trading analytics can make the difference between success and failure, technology is critical to competitiveness.  If you cannot compete with another bank’s new derivatives capabilities, which are driven by …

I have had the contention for a while that Technology needs to be seen as disposable.  The day you buy it, it is out-of-date.  No sooner do you invest in new technology, than you find your investment is obsolete.    It has always been this …

I have had the contention for a while that Technology needs to be seen as disposable.  The day you buy it, it is out-of-date.  No sooner do you invest in new technology, than you find your investment is obsolete.    It has always been this …

We were debating Parallel Processing, Grids and Virutalisation in depth last week at the Tradetech Architecture conference.  Halfway through the conference, discussions of Amazon started en masse.  I have to say that until recently I thought Amazon was an online book store. Apparently not.  Amazon …