Chris Skinner's blog Shaping the future of finance

I’ve blogged a few times about identity theft and its issues, but it only came home to me how easy such theft can be last week.  My challenge was related to my ageing in-laws who needed to close down a remortgage with their bank but, …

In the taxi on the way home last night after (another) too long day in the office I was listening to a re-broadcast of what sounded like a BBC program on the current market conditions. I was very pleasantly surprised to hear it actually making …

A while ago I wrote that Risk and Technology are the same thing with the theme that both need the bank’s line of business leaders to be on board.  Then, last week, I spent a few days at a risk management conference and what astounded …

All political campaigns generate their own examples of economic idiocy and this one in Australia has been no exception. Listening to the radio this morning, though, reminded me of this. I thought I was listening to some hick economic populist – then I realised it …

All political campaigns generate their own examples of economic idiocy and this one in Australia has been no exception. Listening to the radio this morning, though, reminded me of this. I thought I was listening to some hick economic populist – then I realised it …

All political campaigns generate their own examples of economic idiocy and this one in Australia has been no exception. Listening to the radio this morning, though, reminded me of this. I thought I was listening to some hick economic populist – then I realised it …

All political campaigns generate their own examples of economic idiocy and this one in Australia has been no exception. Listening to the radio this morning, though, reminded me of this. I thought I was listening to some hick economic populist – then I realised it …

I live near to the Bank of England’s printworks operated by De La Rue.  This is the paper factory that produces all the bank notes for Britain.   In fact, I quite often jog around their car park as it’s nice and flat which, in my …

Welcome to MiFID day.  Congratulations.  I’m sure this day will be remembered for a long time as the day that Heather Mills, the ex-Mrs. Paul McCartney, went insane. To be honest, it’s all a bit quiet today.  Maybe everyone is waiting for the systems to …

Welcome to MiFID day.  Congratulations.  I’m sure this day will be remembered for a long time as the day that Heather Mills, the ex-Mrs. Paul McCartney, went insane. To be honest, it’s all a bit quiet today.  Maybe everyone is waiting for the systems to …

Welcome to MiFID day.  Congratulations.  I’m sure this day will be remembered for a long time as the day that Heather Mills, the ex-Mrs. Paul McCartney, went insane. To be honest, it’s all a bit quiet today.  Maybe everyone is waiting for the systems to …

Welcome to MiFID day.  Congratulations.  I’m sure this day will be remembered for a long time as the day that Heather Mills, the ex-Mrs. Paul McCartney, went insane. To be honest, it’s all a bit quiet today.  Maybe everyone is waiting for the systems to …

Now that many of the banks with some losses in the US sub-prime area have reported it may be a good time to look back at what has happened and then look forward to what is likely to happen over the next 6 to 12 …

Try this out and see if you can figure out how it works … a special for Halloween. 

Try this out and see if you can figure out how it works … a special for Halloween. 

Try this out and see if you can figure out how it works … a special for Halloween. 

Try this out and see if you can figure out how it works … a special for Halloween. 

‘Twas the nightmare before Christmas and Halloween Jack realised that MiFID was upon us and he had not budgeted nearly enough to make it happen. So he stole $35 million and plugged the regulatory hole through one massive computer upgrade that made all of the …

There’s lots being written on MiFID this week as it’s MiFID implementation week – hurrah! – so I thought I’d try to summarise some of the key things being reported during the week.  Today, I thought it worth a very brief recap of the key …

There’s lots being written on MiFID this week as it’s MiFID implementation week – hurrah! – so I thought I’d try to summarise some of the key things being reported during the week.  Today, I thought it worth a very brief recap of the key …

There’s lots being written on MiFID this week as it’s MiFID implementation week – hurrah! – so I thought I’d try to summarise some of the key things being reported during the week.  Today, I thought it worth a very brief recap of the key …

For those of you with ten minutes to spare and access to YouTube, if  you want a good laugh or cry, then here’s the Bird & Fortune* guide to the credit crunch.  Brilliant!   * for our overseas colleagues, John Bird and John Fortune are …

As someone involved in predicting the future, it amuses me how often we get things wrong. You’ve heard all the quotes: "a worldwide market of five", Thomas Watson of IBM’s prediction for the global computer market back in 1953, or "640kb of memory is enough …

Interesting supplement in today’s Times newspaper on careers with an 8-page supplement on careers in Banking.   A few choice quotes: “Confidence in the world’s financial markets is shaky” “Lehman Brothers, UBS, Morgan Stanley and Credit Suisse have all announced redundancies” “Is now the worst time …

After the disappointing outcome over Plus Markets, various factions are coming out and poking fun at Turquoise.  Unlike BOAT, Turquoise has little to show for its efforts so far, and are still looking for a Chief Executive.  What happened? The big difference for me is …

I am struck by the sheer number of announcements over the past 12 months related to mobile payments and mobile banking.  Nothing wrong with this, but times change fast and I’m already wondering how long mobile will be in vogue. For example, just as the …

I am struck by the sheer number of announcements over the past 12 months related to mobile payments and mobile banking.  Nothing wrong with this, but times change fast and I’m already wondering how long mobile will be in vogue. For example, just as the …

I am struck by the sheer number of announcements over the past 12 months related to mobile payments and mobile banking.  Nothing wrong with this, but times change fast and I’m already wondering how long mobile will be in vogue. For example, just as the …