3658 Results from /retail
Retired Member
There are a couple of reasons why the rumoured reduction in VAT is more likely to fail than succeed. One is the fact that much of peoples' basic spending is not subject to VAT and the other is one of relative size. This change in 'price' highlights a problem that all large institutions face, and a converse benefit in some instances, in that the p...
24 November 2008 /retail Transaction Banking
Notwithstanding the complete ar*e the banks have made, at the macro level, of the world's finances, most bankers at branch level can probably still be relied upon to make sensible decisions about lending to viable businesses. Whilst of course they can be subject to diktats from senior management at the centre as to pricing policy, generally speak...
21 November 2008 /regulation /retail Transaction Banking
Elton Cane Digital product delivery at News Corp Australia
Will state involvement in bank ownership stifle innovation at those groups that have taken bail-out money? As banks step back from serving the low end of the economy, which is perceived as too risky, will governments have to step in and offer basic financial products to this sector of the economy? I had an interesting discussion over breakfast at...
19 November 2008 /retail /wholesale Innovation in Financial Services
What do you do when the bills are piling up, but you're a bit short of the government sanctioned fiat currency? Well you could try paying your bills in a more creative manner - as a man in Australia recently attempted. The email trail is what really makes this story. Who knows, if enough people believed drawings of spiders to be of value, we migh...
19 November 2008 /retail
Gary Wright Analyst at BISS Research
At last weeks EMXCo quarterly update Max Wright their CEO and mastermind leading the way in bringing STP into the investment funds announced the exciting news that they have the first firm using settlement messages. The packed audience of distributer's, brokers and fund managers almost purred with appreciation. This really is breaking new ground f...
19 November 2008 /retail /wholesale MiFID
I heard on the radio this morning that the prize fund for premium bonds has dropped. The reason given was because of the drop in interest rates, and so therefore the chances of winning money through this vehicle also had to drop. Yet again, those with money saved have seen a reduction in their return (albeit this one is a gamble, rather than a d...
19 November 2008 /retail Online Banking
FastPayments.co.uk are undertaking a survey into the current state and progression of the scheme following its public launch some months ago. We are interested in understanding an industry view of the schemes benefits, challenges, implementation progression, and likely future development. In a wider sense we expect this survey to inform industry ...
19 November 2008 /payments /retail UK Faster Payments
The recent turbulent events are clearly set to have long-lasting consequences on the global economy. But is there something we can all learn from past financial crises to determine if there is a tried and tested path for recovery? Norway, Finland and Sweden all experienced serious economic downturns in the late 1980s and early 1990s followed by a s...
18 November 2008 /regulation /retail
…at least in the format that HMG is considering. I understand they will be targeting cuts at the low-paid and indebted, which of course is a compassionate thing to do in the circumstances. To expect them to use the tax cut to increase their spending, however, is morally reprehensible. Any financial advisor worth his salt will instead advise the ...
18 November 2008 /retail Online Banking
I read Sriram's blog about having a dream - wanting to be a bank. It got me dreaming. If I wanted to be a bank who might I choose to run it? Being a bit of an alternative thinker I thought - who would go the hardest, but do it nicely and with a smile? Well, having a very bright and popular wife, I was reminded that there must be some under-appreci...
17 November 2008 /retail Innovation in Financial Services
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