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Things worth reading: 7th June 2017

Things we’re reading today include … Fat chance of delaying markets reform, EU watchdog tells City Santander buys struggling Spanish bank Popular for €1 Santander rescues rival Banco Popular from collapse HSBC faces fresh suit alleging forex manipulation RBS spends £1bn battling its own shareholders over rights issue RBS shareholders to agree to £200m settlement over…

The future business model is clear

For many years, I’ve been using Michael Treacy’s The Discipline of Market Leaders to talk about the business model of banking.  The book claims that all companies are comprised of three major components: a manufacturer, a processor and a retailer.  The book claims that most companies are only good at one of these things, and few…

Should I buy some bitcoin now?

I’m being asked this a lot as the value of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies have increased ten-fold in the past few weeks.  Good for those who have some.  Bemusing for those who don’t.  There are a range of factors driving the rise in cryptocurrency prices, particularly the craze for Initial Coin Offering (ICOs).  An ICO…

We need some education (but no thought control)

I often think we need a reality check when it comes to digital finance.  Many of the pundit analysts and influencers out there believe no one needs a branch visit and that everything can be done remotely on devices.  I don’t.  I’ve mentioned this many times and, psychologically, customers need the reassurance that they can…

The challenge of being a challenger bank

I recently met a start-up bank.  They were depressed.  Having submitted their third proposal for the bank, the regulator was still pushing back.  This felt familiar.   Having seen so many new start-up banks in Britain, I was familiar with the start-up process.  It involves hellishly detailed documentation showing effective plans, governance and funding.  The first…

This Town is coming like a Ghost Town

I grew up in an era of Ska music with the Specials, Madness and The Selector being regulars on the University circuit.  One song that brought back memories of this era played on the radio the other day: Ghost Town. The main line repeated throughout the song is This town … is coming like a…

Things worth reading: 8th May 2017

Things we’re reading today include … Is your money safe? Why are analysts so bullish on Lloyds Banking Group plc? Australia to hold new inquiry into ‘Big Four’ banks Goldman Sachs wins largest concessions on Volcker rule Upstart challenger banks eye consolidation Debit card control lets you ‘turn off’ card to beat scams Rich List…

Things worth reading: 2nd May 2017

Things we’re reading today include … Trump is considering new Glass-Steagall-style bank rules Former Wells Fargo CEO says breaking up big banks would be a mistake JPMorgan’s Dimon says biggest fear is bad public policy Infosys plans to hire 10,000 U.S. workers after Trump targets outsourcing firms RBS lawsuit set to draw Fred Goodwin into…

The Semantic bank

I have a keynote coming up on May 19 in Amsterdam with The Next Web, who I regularly write a column for now.  Here’s my latest one: I’m delighted to be speaking at TNW on May 19 in Amsterdam.  I wanted to talk about Digital Human, the theme of my next book, but the guys want me…

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