Chris Skinner's blog Shaping the future of finance

As many know, I’m a great fan of science fiction and the future.  So I get an email today from Forbes where Arthur C. Clarke has given his vision of 2500 A.D.  It’s an interesting story, not a new one in some ways, about the …

  So this week I’m in Las Vegas, land of Elvis Presley impersonators.  Funnily enough, it’s a line I use in many presentations.  What line you ask?  Well, it kinda goes: "Hi, I’m Chris Skinner.  I’m not an analyst as analysts tend to talk in …

  So this week I’m in Las Vegas, land of Elvis Presley impersonators.  Funnily enough, it’s a line I use in many presentations.  What line you ask?  Well, it kinda goes: "Hi, I’m Chris Skinner.  I’m not an analyst as analysts tend to talk in …

  So this week I’m in Las Vegas, land of Elvis Presley impersonators.  Funnily enough, it’s a line I use in many presentations.  What line you ask?  Well, it kinda goes: "Hi, I’m Chris Skinner.  I’m not an analyst as analysts tend to talk in …

When I first saw Google Maps I thought at the time this would be a good thing for me and my kids to discuss the news, where everything was and what is going on where. What is happening now is to cut me out of …

When I first saw Google Maps I thought at the time this would be a good thing for me and my kids to discuss the news, where everything was and what is going on where. What is happening now is to cut me out of …

I am gradually coming to a general rule on actually reading the speeches published by the BIS – the less interesting the title is, the more likely it is that the speech is actually worth reading. This one "Some thoughts on securitization and financial turbulences" …

I am gradually coming to a general rule on actually reading the speeches published by the BIS – the less interesting the title is, the more likely it is that the speech is actually worth reading. This one "Some thoughts on securitization and financial turbulences" …

I am gradually coming to a general rule on actually reading the speeches published by the BIS – the less interesting the title is, the more likely it is that the speech is actually worth reading. This one "Some thoughts on securitization and financial turbulences" …

In the last of a risk-focused week of blog entries, I thought it worth talking about virtual worlds.  Now, we talk a lot about virtual worlds these days, after the hype cycle of Second Life and not forgetting the other worlds of Entropia, There, World …

Another subject that regularly crops up in my blog is whether banks can be innovative when they are risk averse.  My contention is that banks never lead, they only follow.  As a result, they never innovate because they never create anything.  Now I know some …

Share trading on the LSE apparently went wacky today with the wrong prices appearing and showing data higher on the day when today’s session has been lower.  Maybe it’s related to the new systems, MiFID, algo’s and hedge funds … or maybe it’s because banks …

Building on yesterday’s theme around identity, banks have a major dilemma (as do all financial firms) and it’s all to do with trust. Banks trade on trust and yet how far can we trust them and how far can they trust us?  Banks don’t trust …

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, …

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, …

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 …