EBAday

EBAday is the annual event for European payments professionals organised by Finextra and the Euro Banking Association. This community has been created to deliver a forum for EBA delegates to exchange views on instant payments, open banking and new developments in payments processing and technology.

Gary Wright Analyst at BISS Research

Breaking up the Banks

Each day we hear of another bank deep in a hole of its own making. The billions and eventually trillions of tax payer's money pitched into banks is taking some time to take effect and get the business moving again. Today it's unclear how much is enough and what the long term ramifications will be. The UK and USA governments are the main protagonis...

21 January 2009 /wholesale

Gary Wright Analyst at BISS Research

SEPA; a spectacular failure of misunderstanding

Despite what you hear and read about SEPA it is a fact that it has failed to achieve any notable volume since it went live. At a recent conference chaired by yours truly a number of eminent speakers from the upper echelons of banking finally agreed in public under examination that there has only been 2.5% of possible volume of SEPA Credit Transfer...

12 December 2008 /regulation /sibos

Gary Wright Analyst at BISS Research

Online shopping hits high street stores

Over the weekend the number of deals on eBay hit record highs and this was followed by news that online spending has increased by 77% on previous records. All this is furthering the view that High Street stores may be becoming a thing of the past. The economic downturn has already been driving nails in the coffin of many stores and as the buying pu...

08 December 2008

Retired Member 

Why doesn't anybody love me?

"In it's sixth Sepa progress report, the ECB welcomes the effort made so far, but stresses that work 'urgently remains to be done' to ensure the success of the Europe-wide project." You don't say? Is anyone surprised? Talk about stating the obvious... With banks being bailed out and IT budgets across the board slashed beyond recognition...

24 November 2008 /payments /retail

Gary Wright Analyst at BISS Research

Cut up your credit cards

As the world moves to 0% interest rates and credit card companies hiking up their rates it makes no sense for anyone to keep their cards. Simply arrange a long term loan at the bank at an attractive rate and pay off all cards. Do not be tempted to use your card until your credit card company offers you a realistic and attractive offer. In this cli...

18 November 2008

Gary Wright Analyst at BISS Research

Interest cuts; a test for Banks

Today's mammoth cut of 1½% in the interest rate is enormously welcome in businesses both small and large across the land. It is an important weapon in the fight to stave off the impacts of the recession and to bring inflation under control. However, this will only be the case if the banks pass the cut on to borrowers. There must be a temptation by...

06 November 2008 /payments

Gary Wright Analyst at BISS Research

A New Era for Banking

Despite the financial crisis and the dramatic bailouts of banks it is far from the end of banking. It might be the end of banking as we have known it but as one door closes a new door opens. Now is the time to modify banking and market structures and build a financial services industry that gives its customers a genuinely, good service at a lower p...

05 November 2008 /payments

Gary Wright Analyst at BISS Research

Business Integrity

The financial services industry has been taking a bit of battering over the last few years with executives of leading institutions behaving in a way that goes way beyond greed and moral responsibility. The actions of the few have tainted the majority of people who work in financial services that operate with a high degree of ethics and work hard t...

31 October 2008 /wholesale

Gary Wright Analyst at BISS Research

Offshore Call Centres Dont Work

Now lets be totally candid about this and all admit what millions of people already know Offshore Call Centres in financial services are not working. They may be cost effective to the firms off shoring for the moment but in the medium to long term will prove disastrous. Financial services is a relationship business and as soon as the connection is...

20 October 2008 /retail

Gary Wright Analyst at BISS Research

Bank shareholders booking preference seats in the lifeboat

It's understandable that shareholders of banks are upset with the terms of the government lifeboat. The payment of dividends to shareholders is a prime reason for investment and in many cases the dividends form a vital part of pension's provisions. However, the tax payer is the innocent party in the financial crisis and the debacle of the banks ab...

16 October 2008 /payments /regulation