Our biggest stories of the past week are ...
What role for banks in a sharing economy of social capitalism?
I was struck yesterday, as I presented my themes around Digital Bank at a conference, that there’s one area I’ve discussed for a long time, but not blogged about much in-depth. That is the collision of community with commerce via...
The Future of SWIFT: a meeting with Gottfried Leibbrandt
Still busy in the Financial Services Club world with meetings in Stockholm, Vienna, Warsaw and London all in the past two weeks. The interesting theme of all these meetings, and those in our future plans, is the digitisation of banking....
The Future of Money (in Denmark)
One of our partners at the Financial Services Club is CFIR, the Copenhagen Finance IT Region. CFIR is an EU-funded networking group in Denmark who produce research and events around the developments in Danish banking and payments. Over the past...
Do the issues at RBS show that Fred Goodwin's era was 1000% incompetent?
I know that it’s getting nearer to Christmas and the party season has kicked in, but yes, I’m still here blogging about banking business. There were lots of headlines about the second major RBS payments glitch last week. Here are...
We had a lively meeting at the Financial Services Club the other day, talking about cloud computing in banking. I say lively because it is still clear to me that cloud is misunderstood in banking. I guess because cloud is...
The major general news stories of the past week include ...
The 12 cyber-scams of Christmas - BBC
Computer security expert Alan Woodward highlights 12 ways that cyber-scammers hope to catch you out over the festive season - and how to thwart them.
Volcker Rule: Q&A - The Telegraph
Wall Street has all but lost the battle to water down the so-called Volcker Rule, designed to de-risk banks. Here is a closer look at the legislation
US bank wants 'Bitcoin-like' scheme - BBC
US bank JP Morgan Chase files for a US patent to develop a payment system using "virtual cash", similar to emerging currency Bitcoin.
RBS finance chief Nathan Bostock quits after just 10 weeks - The Telegraph
Nathan Bostock, who was appointed finance director at RBS on October 1, is to join Santander, as deputy chief executive
Bankers face 'annual health check' under reforms - The Telegraph
Banks will have to submit employees to "annual health check" under new staff approval rules in Banking Reform Bill amendments
Why HSBC is unlikely to spin off its UK business - The Telegraph
Spinning out its UK retail business would not solve any of HSBC's regulatory problems and could create several new headaches for the country's largest bank
HSBC considers floating UK arm - The Telegraph
The bank has been reportedly sounding out investors in recent weeks to gauge support for the idea to list its £20bn UK banking operation
Bob Diamond to return to London with African venture - The Telegraph
The former Barclays chief executive is to float a cash shell on the London stock market
'Banks need to take on Amazon and Google or die', BBVA CEO - Financial Times
Some bankers and analysts think that Google, Facebook, Amazon or the like will not fully enter a highly regulated, low-margin business such as banking. I disagree. An opinion piece by Francisco González, CEO of BBVA.
All aboard for Europe's shrinking bank branch network - Reuters
Banks have shut about 20,000 branches across Europe in the last four years, including 5,500 last year and 7,200 in 2011, according to a Reuters analysis of European Central Bank data.
If you like the Finanser, check out the books of the blog: the Complete Banker Series
The Financial Services Club is sponsored by:
For details of sponsorship email us.
Chris M Skinner
Chris Skinner is best known as an independent commentator on the financial markets through his blog, TheFinanser.com, as author of the bestselling book Digital Bank, and Chair of the European networking forum the Financial Services Club. He has been voted one of the most influential people in banking by The Financial Brand (as well as one of the best blogs), a FinTech Titan (Next Bank), one of the Fintech Leaders you need to follow (City AM, Deluxe and Jax Finance), as well as one of the Top 40 most influential people in financial technology by the Wall Street Journal's Financial News. To learn more click here...
