What is open banking?  Open banking services for UK consumers were launched on January 13th, but what does that mean for consumers, banks and fintech startups. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has made the new rules a formal requirement for the 9 largest current account providers in the UK with the launch of the…

Artificial intelligence and machine learning is gathering pace at a much faster rate than most people imagined. If you thought it was still a few years away before any impact would be felt, think again. This technology is already embedded in our everyday lives. Marketers are having to be forward thinking and efficient if they…

With the most recent Consumer Electronics Show (CES) coming to an end in Las Vegas recently we can take a quick look at some of the latest presentations.  The CES is the largest electronics trade show. It points us towards the next tech trends that may become the norm in our homes in months or…

At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Theresa May, the UK Prime Minister addressed the issues that would face, not just Britain, but the world in the years to come. She started her speech by saying that last year she warned that the benefits of free trade were not being shared fairly and this risked…

With the new EU privacy laws, the General Data Protect Regulation (GDPR), due to come in to effect on 25th May this year, Facebook is rolling out new tools. In a recent event in Brussels, the company’s COO, Sheryl Sandberg, also confirmed they would be adding 10,000 more safety and security personnel, effectively doubling those…

Recent warnings from the world of finance say the economy is in the ‘danger zone’, meaning there are concerns that the global financial system now has more risk than at the time of the financial crisis. And now, it has been reported that family debt is close to pre-financial crisis levels. The Office for Budget…

A Senior banker has recently warned that the global financial system now has more risk than at the time of the financial crisis. After a decade of low interest rates and other emergency stimulus, emerging markets have been lured into debt dependency without looking into or addressing the structural causes of the global disorder, so…

The Prime Minster, Theresa May, set the menu for top level talks with Emmanuel Macron, the French President,  by hosting a British lunch at a pub in her constituency of Maidenhead last week. The Michelin starred pub is owned by Sir Michael Parkinson and his son Nick. In his recent visit to the UK, Emmanuel…

The Bank of England has issued a warning to banking bosses over the risks surrounding consumer debt. Its Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) has found that banking executives are not receiving adequate information about consumer debt and has written to the banks warning them to “remain vigilant” about the heightened risks around the rise of consumer…

For many of us our early morning coffee is an energy boost to help power us through the day.  Now it is being seen as a possible alternative energy source, fuel for vehicles. The waste coffee grounds hold an oil, similar to corn and soybean oil. These oils have in the past been extremely expensive…

Billionaire Investor, Warren Buffett, Chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, thinks cryptocurrencies will end badly. He told CNBC’s ‘Squawk Box’, “We’ll never have a position in them, I can say with almost certainty that they will come to a bad ending.” Ominous words, enough to stress out most investors, but then earlier this week one…

A new EU directive, The Payments Services Directive came into force on the 13th January 2018.  It makes it illegal for any businesses to charge extra for using a debit or credit card in the EU.  This new rule is being put into British law and so will not be affected by Brexit. As we…

Scientists have, for the very first time, been able to 3D print soft, squishy brain like tissue, according to a paper published in the journal, Scientific Reports in November 2017. Using a new 3D printing technique, scientists have been able to create tissues as soft as a human’s squishy brain or spongy lungs, something that…

It is surprising how easy it is to underestimate how are lives are going to change in the future. Most of us go about our daily lives without thinking about the impact social media has had and continues to have on the way we do things today. The way we socialise, and how we are…

The Bank of England announced recently that consumer credit growth had slowed.  In November last year, the annual growth rate of consumer credit slowed to 9.1%, its lowest rate since December 2015 and down from its peak in November 2016 of 10.9%.  Net unsecured consumer borrowing was at £1.4 billion in November 2017, down from…

In 2018 GRC programmes are set to evolve in numerous ways. In 2017, organisations continued to weather the regulatory uncertainties around Brexit. Whilst waiting for clarification on the new GDPR and which EU laws will continue to be enforced once the UK leaves the EU and in order to maintain security and business productivity, organisations…