Latest opinions that Sriram Natarajan has shared on Finextra

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Sriram Natarajan

Risk Dog

Credit Risk Fraud Cards Professional

Member since

22 Nov 2007

Location

Gurgaon

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Sriram's opinions

Rankings on financial development

The World Economic Forum has released the inaugural Financial Development Report. This report ranks the world's leading financial market-countries on where they stand across various parameters. See here - http://www.weforum.org/pdf/FinancialDevelopmentReport/2008.pdf WEF says this report will serve to "provide a comprehensive and robust fact...

21 September 2008

Let there be Internet

It is pleasing to note that the Godzilla of the Web Google Inc and banking behemoth HSBC are joining forces. Their union is for a good cause - providing high speed internet to the next 3 billion who are under the digital dividing line. The audience is mainly in Africa and other emerging markets. See news item here -http://www.theglobeandmail.com/s...

10 September 2008

Do we need another browser?

The Internet is abuzz with the news of Goliath Google preparing to unleash its net browser on the world. This seems to be an almost messianic deliverance for geeks and Net-junkies. See http://www.businessweek.com/the_thread/techbeat/archives/2008/09/google_to_relea.html?campaign_id=rss_blog_techbeat The launch strategy seems to be quite unique. In...

02 September 2008

The lopsided costs of Terror

We all know how much of money and effort it takes to manage Operational Risk for a financial institution. The thousands of 'person-hours' of Risk, Compliance, IT, Operations, ete have to put in BCP, DR and the works to protect your business. On top of all the sweat and blood, you have the regulators breathing down your necks to check your state o...

31 August 2008 /security /regulation

How to counter 'Counterfeit'? Stop printing notes!

I have been reading the news items on the volume of counterfeit notes surfacing in India. It looks like more than half a billion dollars worth of fake rupees are circulating around the country. The banking industry must be quaking in their boots on the volume of menace they carry. It is distressing to note the thumb sucking responses and comments ...

27 August 2008 /security /payments

Here lies the Net........

One of the most intriguing features of the Internet is the amount of falsehoods flying around. A large proportion of emails and 'facts' sent to you or put up on sites are to put it nicely -'very economical with the truth'. I am sure this human behavioral trait of 'net lies' merits detailed study by psychologists. Part of the reason for this phenom...

24 August 2008 /regulation

Stick them up!

I think Garanti Bank has outdone itself! This news item really set me thinking - http://www.paymentsnews.com/2008/08/garanti-bank-wi.html Garanti offers a contactless sticker that can be stuck on the back of your mobile and use it like any other contactless chip card. This sticker with a payment application chip is brilliant in concept and simplici...

19 August 2008 /payments

What a crunchy spread!

There is an intriguing news release over the weekend by American Express. The premium card issuer's subsidiary American Express Credit Corp has come out with a $ 2 billion note sale at a whopping yield of 425 basis points above comparable US Treasury securities. This yield is way above what investors have been demanding earlier. See http://www.b...

18 August 2008 /payments /regulation

Buddy, can you spare me a Billion?

It is amusing to see how the banking industry is snorting in relief that Citi Bank declared a 2Q 08 loss of 'only' $ 2.5 Billion. Things have come to such a pass that a bank like IndyMac going under has only elicited marginal interest. Just as social scientists declare '40 is the new 30', the banking gurus seem to say 'Billion is the new million'...

20 July 2008 /regulation /retail

Money laundering through digital currencies

I was reading this new report by US DOJ on how digital currencies are increasingly popular with money launderers(or is it laundries?) - http://www.usdoj.gov/ndic/pubs28/28675/index.htm The DOJ notes that digital currencies 'combine the intrinsic value of gold and other precious metals as well as the designated value of national currencies with the ...

11 July 2008 /payments /regulation