Welcome to The Finanser, the portal to the knowledge base of the Financial Services Club, chaired by Chris Skinner. To make an enquiry about a speaking engagement, just contact us and, if you are interested in Chris Skinner as a speaker, here’s an illustration of his keynote presentations …
Read More »Do we rely too much on technology?
I’ve seen many people struggling during lockdown when their WiFi goes down. In fact, in the UK, Talk…
Digital is not the same
I’m a Simple guy (?), but realised the other day that the consultants, research firms and technology…
The Finanser’s Week: 18th January 2021- 24th January 2021
The main blog discussions this week include … Omniaccess is the strategic imperative for the 2020s D…
Omniaccess is the strategic imperative for the 2020s
During the summer and autumn of 2020, I ran an online survey of banks and FinTech firms around their…
Four free reports on the post-pandemic world for banks
I stumbled across a bunch of interesting reports this week, so thought it worth sharing them First, …
Banks must personalise services before others do
It strikes to my digital nerve when I see forms that ask for a FAX number. What’s a FAX? Or someone …
The world is good, bad and mad
Like all of us, I’m fed up with coronavirus coverage and Groundhog Day days. I talk to other folks, …
Jamie Dimon is scared sh*tless of FinTech
It’s a big moment when one of the most respected bankers in the world Jamie Dimon, Chairman and Chie…
The Finanser’s Week: 10th January 2021- 17th January 2021
The main blog discussions this week include … What’s going on with Crypto? A year ago, I invested $1…
An interview with the Elephant
I was really surprised how popular the Elephant became last year. In fact, he seems to have a fan fo…
How have bankers views changed pre- and post- pandemic? [Free Research]
I recently got involved in some research that Salesforce put together at the end of last year. They …
The Terminator meets FinTech
I just received this endorsement from Arnold Schwarzenegger. It’s the Terminator saying I’m a good…
Money is not about jars and pots
I saw this tweet the other day Finally set up @IFTTT and every time I like your tweet 25p goes into …
What’s going on with Crypto?
A year ago, I invested $1,000 in bitcoin. Today, that’s worth $10,000. OK, I made those figures up. …
Forget Where’s Wally, Where’s Jack?
With Jack Ma disappeared and Alibaba and Ant Group possibly nationalised, China’s government i…
The Finanser’s Week: 21st December 2020 – 10th January 2021
The main blog discussions this week include … Happy New Year 2021! Here’s what’s going to happen … A…
What will happen to bitcoin and crypto this year?
Andreesson Horowitz’s Chris Dixon shared a presentation about crypto and blockchain during the…
Five 2021 technology predictions
I was looking for any decent reports on the big tech trends for 2021 and first of all stumbled upon…
FinTech 2021 and beyond
As regular readers will know, I quite like Global Processing Services (GPS), the payments processing…
The outlook for banking in 2021
There are lots and lots and lots of reports and predictions for 2021 in banking. The one I liked the…
Happy New Year 2021! Here’s what’s going to happen …
After a year where every day felt like Groundhog day – same shit, different day (SSDD) – I’m hoping …
The 2020 Fintech Year in Review
I said I was on holiday, which I am, but noticed a very nice round up of 2020’s biggest Fintec…
Happy holidays and all that, see you in 2021
These are my favourite seasonal ecards to wish you a happy holidays, and here’s to a great nex…
2021: things can only get better
This is my last blog of 2020, so I thought I would look back at the year with a personal view. A ter…
What is the future?
I was chatting with a friend the other day, who pointed out my predictions. I don’t like to talk abo…
Featured Post
Recent Posts
Futures and Options Report from Chicago FIA F&O Expo 2006 featuring Tom Groenfeldt
View the video from The Banking Channel: here.
Read More »Futures and Options Report from Chicago FIA F&O Expo 2006 featuring Tom Groenfeldt
View the video from The Banking Channel: here.
Read More »HSBC’s view from the top
I recently went to a conference in the HSBC tower at Canary Wharf. On entering the building, there’s a few things that strike me. First, the lovely pair of lions as you walk up to the building. The lions are feng shui good fortune symbols …
Read More »HSBC’s view from the top
I recently went to a conference in the HSBC tower at Canary Wharf. On entering the building, there’s a few things that strike me. First, the lovely pair of lions as you walk up to the building. The lions are feng shui good fortune symbols …
Read More »Bankers battle over dress code
I recently encountered an interesting conversation between two CIOs of two major European banks. I won’t say anything more than one was a major French bank and the other a major Dutch bank who both share the same building. The first and second floor are …
Read More »Government scraps identity cards
The government intends to scrap the controversial national identity card program. Instead, the Home Office is working with NATO and the US Department of Homeland Security to create a globally recognised standard for identity management using the latest chip designs from VeriChip Corporation. The program …
Read More »Government scraps identity cards
The government intends to scrap the controversial national identity card program. Instead, the Home Office is working with NATO and the US Department of Homeland Security to create a globally recognised standard for identity management using the latest chip designs from VeriChip Corporation. The program …
Read More »Government scraps identity cards
The government intends to scrap the controversial national identity card program. Instead, the Home Office is working with NATO and the US Department of Homeland Security to create a globally recognised standard for identity management using the latest chip designs from VeriChip Corporation. The program …
Read More »Government scraps identity cards
The government intends to scrap the controversial national identity card program. Instead, the Home Office is working with NATO and the US Department of Homeland Security to create a globally recognised standard for identity management using the latest chip designs from VeriChip Corporation. The program …
Read More »Government scraps identity cards
The government intends to scrap the controversial national identity card program. Instead, the Home Office is working with NATO and the US Department of Homeland Security to create a globally recognised standard for identity management using the latest chip designs from VeriChip Corporation. The program …
Read More »Ha, ha, ha … April Fool … or is it?
Click here, here and especially here to find out …
Read More »Banks losing fight against money laundering
It must be that time of year, e.g. it’s quiet in the summer so let’s release our research and get the headlines. After IBM’s report yesterday, I then got KPMG’s report on Anti-Money Laundering (AML) today. This report proves interesting in that it makes it …
Read More »Get global, get specialized or get out
IBM sent me a report this morning called “Get global. Get specialized. Or get out. Unexpected lessons in global financial markets.” The report’s theme is that the financial markets will enjoy dramatic growth except that financial firms do not have strategies to capitalize on this …
Read More »Get global, get specialized or get out
IBM sent me a report this morning called “Get global. Get specialized. Or get out. Unexpected lessons in global financial markets.” The report’s theme is that the financial markets will enjoy dramatic growth except that financial firms do not have strategies to capitalize on this …
Read More »Get global, get specialized or get out
IBM sent me a report this morning called “Get global. Get specialized. Or get out. Unexpected lessons in global financial markets.” The report’s theme is that the financial markets will enjoy dramatic growth except that financial firms do not have strategies to capitalize on this …
Read More »Files
Download The Changing Face of Payments Download European Payments Survey 2012
Read More »Files
Download The Changing Face of Payments Download European Payments Survey 2012
Read More »Community Currencies, a thing of the future by Chris Skinner
Many years ago, I read a book by Bernard Lietaer on the Future of Money, which expounded the ideas of community currencies. These are currencies where you exchange time and other measures of value that are relevant to communities, rather than money which is referred …
Read More »JWG-IT TechSIG establishes reference solution working groups to fill key MiFID gaps by PJ Di Giammarino
Leveraging impartial research with over 50 financial institutions in 2007, a team of 15 technology vendors, with combined revenue of over €100 billion, has now targeted key hot spots which financial institutions face to comply with the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID). Over 60% …
Read More »JWG-IT TechSIG establishes reference solution working groups to fill key MiFID gaps by PJ Di Giammarino
Leveraging impartial research with over 50 financial institutions in 2007, a team of 15 technology vendors, with combined revenue of over €100 billion, has now targeted key hot spots which financial institutions face to comply with the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID). Over 60% …
Read More »Comparasites
I've recently been enjoying the spat between insurers and internet providers, especially as this will spill-over into banking before too long. Here's why. Direct Line – owned by Royal Bank of Scotland – is getting fed up with websites that compare insurance quotes. As a …
Read More »Technology and Risk are the same thing by Chris Skinner
Yesterday was a fascinating day full of presentations on risk in the morning from a bunch of old CRO’s (Chief Risk Officers) followed by a lunch with a crock of CIO’s (Chief Information Officers). In fact, there was even one CIO who became a CRO …
Read More »Technology and Risk are the same thing by Chris Skinner
Yesterday was a fascinating day full of presentations on risk in the morning from a bunch of old CRO’s (Chief Risk Officers) followed by a lunch with a crock of CIO’s (Chief Information Officers). In fact, there was even one CIO who became a CRO …
Read More »Prepaid’s demographics by Chris Skinner
We run regular meetings at the Financial Services Club, and launched in Ireland last year. The forthcoming event in Dublin on 14th June is talking about various things from mobile to prepaid and it prompted Kieron Guilfoyle, CEO of 3V, to send me details of …
Read More »Banker fighting to stop child abuse
One of the highlights of the year for me so far has been my recent visit to Shanghai. Shanghai is a great sprawling new City with life pouring out of every street corner, but that wasn't the reason why this was a highlight. The reason …
Read More »Numbers, Part Three: HSBC
Same bank channel and almost the same bank time … Continuing our numbers story we move to a large galaxy known as Canary Wharf on the outer limits of the London Universe, and focus upon a large, 45 floor, gleaming office block … yes, it's …
Read More »Numbers, Part Three: HSBC
Same bank channel and almost the same bank time … Continuing our numbers story we move to a large galaxy known as Canary Wharf on the outer limits of the London Universe, and focus upon a large, 45 floor, gleaming office block … yes, it's …
Read More »Numbers, Part Three: HSBC
Same bank channel and almost the same bank time … Continuing our numbers story we move to a large galaxy known as Canary Wharf on the outer limits of the London Universe, and focus upon a large, 45 floor, gleaming office block … yes, it's …
Read More »