Why Are Companies Hoarding Cash?

In developed countries worldwide, corporations are substantially increasing their holdings of cash assets. Pundits, regulators and governments are asking “Why?” Those asking the question posit that

Treasury Management

Regs to impact companies and banks doing business in U.S.

A provision was approved by the U.S. House and Senate financial reform conferees last week, which allows banks to pay interest on business demand deposit accounts for the first time since the Great D

Treasury Management

Capitalism, Socialism and the importance of data

I attended a conference last week, in Berlin. (where else would I be?) It was a multi-industry event sponsored by SAS, the Premier Business Leadership Series (basically it was their client conference)...

Data Management 101

Waiting for the SEPA Godot

On 7 June 2010, the newly-established SEPA Council met for the first time, and it is reported that migration end dates were discussed. No further news on that particular point has yet emerged. We all ...

Uncertainty piled on uncertainty - the SEPA story

The journey towards SEPA has been dogged by uncertainty from the start. End-users have not been sure what is on offer from the banks and at what price. Banks have been unsure whether and how to invest...

Are banks to big to change?

Reformists and regulators in the US, in the EU and in other jurisdictions are grappling with the problem of massive banks and how their financial health is tied up with the very vitality of the econom...

Innovation in Financial Services

SEPA and white elephants

If one was to take a spectator’s view of SEPA progress to date, one could be excused if the image of a white elephant flashed before one’s eyes . . . . . We had a memorable white elephant in the UK no...

A Crisis Needs a Utility?

I heard Francis Gross of the ECB speak at one of the panel events at the XTrakter Conference last week, and found that I couldn't avoid asking him whether the aims of the "Data Utility" ini...

Data Management 101

Not every Citi staff needs social media to perform their job

A while ago, soon after the news that Citi 'verified' its Twitter account, I sent a Tweet to Jamie Punishill, or @jpunishill for you Twitterers. 'How about a video interview or a 'Twitterview'?' Jamie...

Social Banks

Twitterview 3 - This time it's Citi

Ah, finallly, spring is in the air, and Finextra is, once again, embarking on another, real-time, live Twitterview. This time, it's with the big boys-global banking giant Citi. Finextra will be Q&...

Social Banks

EBAday 2010 - How far we've come and where we're going

Yesterday was the final day of EBAday and, as expected, many of the sessions focused on the challenges that banks are currently facing as they integrate SEPA with their domestic payments infrastructur...

Making Faster Payments Directly 'Accessible' to Corporates

The second birthday of the UK Faster Payments Service (FPS) is upon us. However, the scheme still has a few teething problems that need to be straightened out. On the one hand, consumers’ use of the s...