Finextra community home

Devil's Advocate

Archive for: February, 2009

Roger Elwell - Yes Please - Colchester | 27/02/2009 | 2552 views | 1 comment

There is mucho incompetence over the pension issue that is in the Press at present. Our politicians are jumping on the bandwagon and either don't understand the issues, or are playing dumb for their own ends, and it's not very edifying to see this happen. The truth is that, in the RBS pension scheme, anyone who leaves is entitled to claim their p... Tags: Cards, Retail bankingGroup: Transaction Banking

Roger Elwell - Yes Please - Colchester | 26/02/2009 | 2417 views

Leave Fred's Pension Alone!

Picture the scene. “Hey, Tone. Many of of us don’t like the mess you left the country in, so you’re losing your PM’s pension.” “Maggie. Loads of your humble citizens think you wrecked the country when you were in charge. Say adieu to your pension. Oh, and by the way, you’ll have to pay back half of wh... Tags: Cards, Retail bankingGroup: Online Banking

Roger Elwell - Yes Please - Colchester | 23/02/2009 | 2013 views

Lending Controls, Yes - But The Cost Will Be High

Most old-fashioned lending bankers would probably see the belated recognition that we need to reintroduce lending controls as a step in the right direction. For some time now, some of us have argued that there should be limits placed on the amount people can borrow, both from a salary and loan-to-purchase value point of view. We should never have... Tags: Risk & regulation, Retail bankingGroup: Online Banking

Roger Elwell - Yes Please - Colchester | 16/02/2009 | 2251 views

How to Pay the Bonuses

So, we have contractual issues that mean lots of people in banks need to be paid bonuses. So be it. Pay them then, but here's how it should be done. 1) The first £5,000 in bonuses should be paid in cash. That should mean that most lower-level people in the banks get the cash they deserve - i.e. those who work hard at the coal face, in br... Tags: Cards, Retail bankingGroup: Transaction Banking

Roger Elwell - Yes Please - Colchester | 11/02/2009 | 1925 views | 1 comment

Bank Bosses Let Off...Why?

Admittedly, I only saw the news reports last night, but I can’t help having the feeling that the Treasury Select Committee missed a great opportunity yesterday. What the news reports showed was our legislators behaving like little more than adolescents, asking the four big nobs pretty juvenile questions, instead of getting to the heart of th... Tags: Cards, Retail bankingGroup: Transaction Banking