For the last six years central banks have tried to get us to spend more. One way to do this is to lower interest rates. It makes saving...

Bankers are again voicing their concerns over the cost of regulation and its potential to drive business elsewhere. Anecdotally they are...

Carry trades are frequently used to beat markets. They involve buying an asset that has a higher return than the cost of finance. Profits...

A few years ago a bank explained that it would make a market for $5m with a two point bid offer spread for a CDO should the client so...

When will interest rates rise? That’s a big question that faces markets and has the potential to upset asset prices. Past experience...

I recently carried out a straw poll using a somewhat loaded question. “Do you think that Rogue trading is more or less likely in the...

In last weekend’s FT Terry Smith wrote about a $1.9bn error he had noticed in IBM’s 2009 cash flow statement. This got me thinking. How...

As readers of this blog will know I am not an advocate of complex regulation. It leads to problems. Bonuses are no exception. In a move...

Now all eyes are focusing on tapering you could be forgiven for thinking that rates will bound up just as fast as they went down. As...

In 2013 I never expected that I would be writing this but there seem to be those employed in banking from the top to the bottom that lack...

In the run up to 2008 banks remodelled their business to take advantage of complex financing transactions and new products. This produced...

It’s now over three years since the FSA asked banks to implement funds transfer pricing. It was difficult to fault the regulator on its...

With overnight rates being 0.50% or lower how do you manage excess liquidity? A question many treasuries now face and one that’s unlikely...

In a recent letter from one of the largest UK banks to SME customers unsecured loans are offered at 8.75%. Cheap funding from the FLS...

The customer is not always right but the way you handle complaints says a lot about your business. Last May the Financial Ombudsman...

Forecasting is a major pastime in financial markets. Economic indicators are pre-estimated. Company results are projected. Macro...

On 1st April 2013 prudential regulation came under the responsibility of the PRA. This covers 1,700 firms with resources focused on...

Be careful what you wish for. Bankers have for the past five years wanted less regulatory interference. But in a badly damaged financial...

The great experiment called QE is about reducing leverage through the devaluation of money. The main thrust is to make sure that real...

The recommendation by the ONS not to alter the calculation of RPI for index linked products is common sense. This is good news for both...