How intelligent automation has become a mainstay of financial services, and what it means for private banking January 25, 2023 The increasing levels of automation in private banking reflects a need to move into the digital age, but it also brings with it challenges. City A.M. sat down with specialist Mark Bruce, chief executive of of Britannia Financial Group to find out how intelligent automation and artificial intelligence is impacting the sector. Mark, why don’t [...]
Barclays promotes Wright and brings in ex- Credit Suisse dealmaker Deasy to co-head its investment banking division January 25, 2023 Barclays has appointed Taylor Wright and Cathal Deasy as new co-heads of investment banking yesterday. Wright and Deasy will jointly manage the business and will be tasked with “deepening client relationships and dealmaking efforts around the world”. They will replace John Miller and Jean-Francois Astier and report to Paul Compton, global head of Barclays’ corporate [...]
Amazon mutiny: 300 UK staff strike over pay in historic first for the company January 25, 2023 Amazon workers are staging their first ever strike in the UK in a dispute over pay. Members of the GMB at the company’s fulfilment centre in Coventry voted to walk out on Wednesday in protest against a pay rise the union said is worth 50p an hour. Stuart Richards, GMB senior organiser, said: “Today, Amazon workers in Coventry [...]
Saga to launch new over-50s media brand to capitalise on UK’s ageing population January 24, 2023 Saga is set to launch a new over-50s media brand, the conglomerate’s chief executive told City A.M., as the company looks to capitalise on the UK’s ageing population. Saga, which sells travel, insurance, and financial services to over-50s, is seeking to exploit a “gap in the market” and build a “superbrand for older people” by [...]
Borrowers warned of rise in ‘advance fees’ scams with over £700 lost on average and Londoners more likely to fall victim – Lloyds Bank January 24, 2023 The rising cost of living has lead to 82 per cent increase in financial scams that target victims by charging fees for products and services that do not materialise, according to Lloyds bank. Victims lost £711 on average, and although the amount lost is lower than £1,194 recorded the previous year, the bank said fraudsters [...]
FTSE 100 close: London index shakes off poor week as Ocado shines again January 23, 2023 London’s premier FTSE 100 index kicked off a fresh week in positive style today after registering its first five day loss of 2023 last week. The capital’s top index jumped 0.18 per cent to 7,784.68 points, while the domestically-focused mid-cap FTSE 250 index, which is more aligned with the health of the UK economy, rose [...]
Insurers falling short in modelling cyber and natural catastrophe risks, Bank of England warns January 23, 2023 The UK’s insurance regulator has called on insurers to bolster their cyber and natural catastrophe risk modelling capabilities in preparation for a period of “high volatility and uncertainty”. In a letter sent to UK insurance companies today, the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA), which sits within the Bank of England, warned insurers models are continuing to [...]
Private finance firms have fewer women leaders than listed rivals, new research shows January 23, 2023 Financial services companies that are structured as privately-owned partnerships have significantly fewer women in leadership positions than their publicly-listed rivals, new research shows. Fewer than one-sixth (15.1 per cent) of partners in privately-owned finance firms are women, according to research from employment law firm Fox & Partners. By comparison, women account for 43 per [...]
Bankers switching firms trouser more than 20 per cent pay bump January 23, 2023 City bankers, brokers and insurers switching to a rival firm trousered a more than 20 per cent pay bump last year, new research out today shows. The Square Mile’s best and brightest are switching companies in a bid to capitalise on rapid wage inflation in the financial services sector. According to recruiter Morgan McKinley, the [...]
Westminster might quarrel with Scotland, but the City and Edinburgh get on just fine January 23, 2023 Nicola Sturgeon and Rishi Sunak's government have gone head-to-head, but the financial institutions in London and Scotland are busy keeping our relationship strong, writes Chris Hayward