HBOS fired the crisis predictor

HBOS fired the crisis predictor


It has emerged that a senior HBOS employee who predicted the company's risky sales strategy could lead to disaster was fired four years ago
Paul Moore was dismissed for saying the bank was ignoring checks and balances.
He told a parlimentary committee yesterday that anyone who wasn't "blind with power, power and pride" would have spotted problems for the bank a long time ago.
Moore was sacked in 2005, but successfully sued the bank for unfair dismissal unthough he had to sign a gagging order.

flycke-prepares-to-take-on-bpay

flycke prepares to take on bpay



A new payments start-up using the billing system of theCentricom-owned POLi is preparing to take on BPAY.
Flycke general manager Anthony Johnston told Online Banking Review the group will launch “in the next couple of weeks” and is currently in talks will small and large billers from the Government and private sector.
“The top end like that we are substantially cheaper and the bottom end like the fact that we don’t care about volumes and there are no contracts to sign.”
The move comes as the Reserve Bank continues to put pressure on the Australian payments industry to provide alternatives that can successfully compete with the major card schemes.
The industry has begun the development of an Eftpos scheme in response to this pressure, however at its May meeting the RBA Payment Systems Board said much remained to be achieved before the Board could be comfortable that the system is a viable and competitive alternative to the international schemes.
The Payment System Board is due to meet again to discuss interchange regulation on August 21.
In the interim the Australian Payments Clearing Association has issued a discussion paper arguing the Australian consumer online payments marketplace is already competitive.
Johnston says the Australian market is wide open for the introduction of payments and billing alternatives.
Last month the drive for new payment schemes currently underway in Europe migrated to Australia with Dominique Buysschaert, head of start-up scheme PayFair, visiting Australia to talk to retailers and banks. “The European situation gave us the opportunity to start something, but as a payments scheme we have a global ambition” says Buysschaert.
Although PayFair is primarily a debit driven scheme, PayFair also has ambition in the area of online payments. We’ve got more on this in the Aug/Sep edition of Online Banking Review, out Friday.

Citizens Bank of Mukwonago

Class of 2009 Scholarship Winners

Citizens Bank of Mukwonago continued a long-standing tradition this year by awarding sixteen scholarships to graduating seniors from area schools. This year's winners were selected because of their excellent academic record and involvement in their community through volunteer work. The scholarship winners also must plan to continue their education to earn a degree in business. This year's winners are:
Catholic Memorial High School: Melissa DobrinskaEast Troy High School: Mallory Amann and Benjamin MassmanEisenhower High School: Abigail YortonKettle Moraine High School: JonCarlo VillegasMukwonago High School: Jeff Bodendorfer, Carly Budzynski, Amanda Raduenz and Stephanie SabatinelliMuskego High School: Jake HoltermanNew Berlin West High School: Kevin KoenitzerPalmyra-Eagle High School: Justin LuchtWaterford High School:Eric DinjerWaukesha North High School: Emily FrancioneWaukesha South High School: Eric UdovichWaukesha West High School: William Mitchell
Everyone at Citizens Bank of Mukwonago joins together to say congratulations to the Class of 2009!
2009 Shred It Days
Because we want to help safeguard our customers against the possibility of identity theft and fraud, we will be hosting Shred It Day events this summer at these locations:
Saturday, May 16thEast Brook Office
Saturday, June 13thVernon Office
Saturday, July 18thEagle Office
Saturday, August 1stNew Berlin Office
Click here to find the addresses of each location. Free on site shredding services will be provided from 9:00 a.m. until noon…or until the truck is full! Bring up to three paper grocery bags of old documents and have them shredded on the spot! Enjoy refreshments while you watch your documents disappear!

Introduction to the Economy

Introduction to the Economy

Learn how the economy can be influenced by the US government through fiscal and monetary policy. Understand the importance of a global economy and why individuals should make a portion of their investments overseas.
Inflation and Interest Rates
Discover how inflation works and the affect it can have on the market. Also, learn about interest rates, what causes them to rise or drop, and why you should care.
Federal Reserve and Monetary Policy
Learn the basics about the Federal Reserve, The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), and how monetary policy is used to target interest rates to avoid inflation and slow economic growth.

Currency Trading - Forex And Earning Money

Currency Units (like USD, Euro) of different countries have different values. These currency differences are very volatile in nature and they change very frequently. This volatile nature of forex markets makes them very interesting for investors to trade between foreign currencies and earn huge money margins with in short span of time.

The Main reason every one is attracted to this trading is there is a chance of making huge money with in short span of time. Easy Money earning, work from home facilitate trading Currencies a Dream Job. But this is not just like a regular business and care has to be taken in every step. There are are some issues which are to be considered for consistent Profits.

The first issue with the currency trading (forex) is the margins or the variations in currency are so minute that, one has to take decisions pretty quickly and smartly. Failure in either case might end up in huge loss of real money.So one has to be very care full in taking decisions during the trade.

Another issue is the Time effort one has to put during the Trading Session. Forex Trading consumes our valuable time, so we may miss some of our other important jobs or meetings.

So, many people are going for Automation of Currency trade using tools like Fap Turbo which make Trading easier with high accuracy and proved their performance. By automating the Trading Process with highly reliable automation tool, we can save our valuable time and earn money consistently.

mexican peso

Britons save at record levels

Record low interest rates are not deterring Britons spooked by the recession from saving at record levels.
According to National Savings & Investments’ (NS&I) quarterly savings report, the amount set aside by the average person rose to £92.41 per month during the first quarter of 2009, up from £90.12 in the final three months of 2008.
Furthermore, the average regularly saver put away the largest monthly amount since the survey began four-and-a-half years ago, at £209.23.
With average income falling slightly across the population, the amount saved as a percentage of income rose to 6.83%, up from 6.48% in the winter of 2008/09.
The number of people saving regularly remained constant for the fifth successive quarter with 47% of the population setting some money aside.
In an ideal world, savers questioned said they wanted to add to their deposits by an average £219.11 per month, up from £210.26 in the final quarter of 2008 and £195.67 a year earlier.
Meanwhile, over-spending was reigned in slightly, with 28% of respondents blowing their budgets during the first three months of 2009, compared with 30% in the previous three months.
NS&I’s senior savings strategist, Dax Harkins, comments: “The results show some very positive savings behaviour this spring, with the average amount held in savings up from £17,372 in winter 2008/09 to £18,443.”

Iceland nationalises biggest bank

Iceland nationalises biggest bank

Iceland has nationalised its biggest bank, Kaupthing, and suspended trade on its stock exchange in an attempt to prevent further panic in the country.
Kaupthing is the third bank to be rescued by Iceland's government.
The OMX Nordic Exchange Iceland is closed for trading for two days because of "unusual market conditions" and will reopen on Monday.
Meanwhile, Iceland's Prime Minister Geir Haarde criticised the UK's move to freeze Icelandic bank assets.
Mr Haarde said the UK used anti-terrorism legislation to freeze assets in Landsbanki in order to protect UK savings in one of its units, Icesave.
"We do not consider this to be a particularly friendly act. But we understand that the UK authorities need to act in the interests of their citizens," he said.
Over the past years, Iceland has pursued a policy of inflation targeting, similar to the UK..In the case of Iceland it was disastrous.
Jon Danielsson, EconomistLondon School of Economics

Prime Minister Gordon Brown has condemned Iceland's handling of the collapse of its banks and its failure to guarantee British savers' deposits.
Mr Brown said it was "effectively illegal" and "completely unacceptable".
Unusual conditions
Mr Haarde said Iceland had not decided whether to seek help from the International Monetary Fund to weather the crisis.
The country's Financial Supervisory Authority said it took over Kaupthing to safeguard its domestic banking system.
All domestic deposits at the bank were fully guaranteed, it added.
On Wednesday, the UK Treasury arranged for ING Direct to take over the £2.5bn of deposits of 160,000 UK customers of Kaupthing's online arm, Kaupthing Edge.
The Swedish central bank had already agreed to provide a loan to the bank's Swedish arm.
Iceland's government has now seized control of all three of the nation's major banks. Landsbanki and Glitnir were taken over earlier this week.
The country of just 300,000 people has struggled to cope with the global financial crisis.
"The action taken... was a necessary first step in achieving the objectives of the Icelandic government and parliament to ensure the continued orderly operation of domestic banking and the safety of domestic deposits," Iceland's Financial Supervisory Authority said.

Paying tax has never been easier

Very few people enjoy paying taxes but they are an integral part of our economic system. In this Center we have tried to make this process easier for you by partnering with the TurboTax, TaxCut, and Taxbrain. You can either start a new tax return, file for an extension, amend an existing tax return, or download individual tax forms. Tax returns are also ideal for electronically storing in our Document Center for either personal access or sharing with someone such as your financial advisor.

Ten US banks authorised to repay government debt

Ten US banks authorised to repay government debt

Ten of the largest banks in the US can now begin to regain their independence by paying back bail-out money to the US Treasury.
Official permission has been granted and the US taxpayer could get back $68 billion if repayments are made to the maximum.
According to a US Treasury statement: “These repayments follow a period in which many banks have successfully raised equity capital from private investors. Also, for the first time in many months, these banks have issued long-term debt that is not guaranteed by the government.”
Treasury Secretary, Tim Geithner, comments: “These repayments are an encouraging sign of financial repair, but we still have work to do.”
More than 600 banks across the US have participated in the country’s Capital Purchase Program, representing $199 billion in investments.
Banks to have received repayment permission have paid around $1.8 billion in dividends on the preferred shares held by the US Government in the past seven months.
According to a report in The Times, JP Morgan Chase, Capital One and Morgan Stanley are among those to have confirmed that they will taking up the repayment offer.

Banks not lending enough to see off recession

Banks not lending enough to see off recession

A Deputy Governor of the Bank of England has warned banks that the economic recovery is dependent on increased lending.
Speaking at the London conference of the Association of British Insurers, Paul Tucker described current lending levels as “subdued” and questioned whether they could sustain the economic recovery.
For the banks themselves, failure to lend at levels that can see off the recession is likely to increase bad debts and bankruptcies and could therefore be self-defeating.
Last week, German Chancellor Angela Merkel publicly criticised the UK Government’s quantitative easing policy, which aims to restore credit.
She warned that it could worsen the economic crisis by stoking inflation.
Her comments came as new figures from the Bank of England showed that lending to UK businesses and individuals fell during April, despite the quantitative easing strategy.
According to a report in The Times, lending to UK business other than banks and other financial institutions fell by £4.7 billion in April, representing the biggest monthly decrease since records began over ten years ago.

Canadian banks ranked soundest in the world

Canadian banks ranked soundest in the world

U.S. has fallen to No. 40 in World Economic Forum list

Canada has the world's soundest banking system, closely followed by Sweden, Luxembourg and Australia, a survey by the World Economic Forum has found as a financial crisis and bank failures shake world markets.
Britain, which once ranked in the top five, has slipped to 44th place behind El Salvador and Peru, after its government pledged the equivalent of $97 billion Cdn this week to bolster bank balance sheets.
The United States, where some of Wall Street's biggest financial names have collapsed in recent weeks, rated only 40th, just behind Germany, at 39th, and smaller states such as Barbados, Estonia and even Namibia, in southern Africa.
On Thursday, the U.S. was considering buying a slice of debt-laden banks to inject trust back into lending between financial institutions now too wary of one another to lend.
The World Economic Forum's Global Competitiveness Report based its findings on opinions of executives and assigned banks a score between 1.0 (insolvent and possibly requiring a government bailout) and 7.0 (healthy, with sound balance sheets).
Canadian banks received a score of 6.8, just ahead of Sweden (6.7), Luxembourg (6.7), Australia (6.7) and Denmark (6.7).

‘When Harper's Conservatives were in Opposition, they lobbied for de-regulation and bank mergers. As we can see, that wasn't a good idea. ’


U.K. banks collectively scored 6.0, narrowly behind the United States, Germany and Botswana, all with 6.1. France, in 19th place, scored 6.5 for soundness while Switzerland's banking system scored the same in 16th place, as did Singapore (13th).
The ranking index was released as central banks in Europe, the U.S., China, Canada, Sweden and Switzerland slashed interest rates in a bid to end panic selling on markets and restore trust in the shaken banking system.

National Bank of Canada

About National Bank of Canada

National Bank of Canada, which is celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2009, is an integrated group that provides comprehensive financial services to consumers, small and medium-sized enterprises and large corporations in its core market, while offering specialized services to its clients elsewhere in the world. National Bank offers a full array of banking services, including retail, corporate and investment banking. It is an active player on international capital markets and, through its subsidiaries, is involved in securities brokerage, insurance and wealth management as well as mutual fund and retirement plan management. National Bank has close to $138 billion in assets and, together with its subsidiaries, employs 17,343 people. The Bank’s securities are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (NA:TSX). For more information, visit the Bank’s website at http://www.bnc.ca/.

Citizens Financial Group

About Us

In 1828, Citizens Financial Group got its start as a small community bank called the High Street Bank in Providence, Rhode Island.
Citizens Financial Group, Inc. is a $167 billion commercial bank holding company. It is headquartered in Providence, R.I., and, through its subsidiaries, has more than 1,450 branches, approximately 2,650 ATMs and approximately 23,000 employees. Its two bank subsidiaries are RBS Citizens, N.A. and Citizens Bank of Pennsylvania. They operate a 12-state branch network under the Citizens Bank brand in Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont, and the Charter One brand in Illinois, Michigan and Ohio. CFG has non-branch retail and commercial offices in about 40 states. It is one of the 10 largest commercial banking companies in the United States ranked by assets. CFG is owned by RBS (The Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc).

new Commerzbank

new Commerzbank

The merging of Dresdner Bank into Commerzbank in May 2009 successfully brings together two major German banks to form one new leading bank. The new Commerzbank is a strong universal bank that combines the financial experience and high-quality advisory services of two long-established institutions. We are now a leading bank and we are building on our strengths as a relationship bank for private and corporate customers in Germany.

Commerz bank

Commerzbank is a major integrated bank. Our market success is gauged first and foremost by how well it performs this function. The yardstick is customer satisfaction, to which we at Commerzbank are wholeheartedly committed. We see ourselves as an efficient provider of financial services for demanding private customers in Germany. We are also the creative relationship bank for the successful German Mittelstand, for major corporates and institutions in Europe as well as multinationals from all over the world.In regional terms, we are concentrating on Germany, where we provide integrated financial services, operating a nationwide branch network to advise and sell our products to all customer groups. In corporate business, we also look upon Western, Central and Eastern Europe as our core market, and North America as well, where we have a long tradition.

Institution Headquarters

Institution Headquarters

1.
Bank of America Corp.
Charlotte, N.C.

2.
J. P. Morgan Chase & Company
Columbus, Ohio

3.
Citigroup
New York, N.Y

Wachovia Corp.
Charlotte, N.C.


5.
Wells Fargo & Company
Sioux Falls, S.D.)


6.
U.S. BC
Cincinnati, Ohio


7.
Suntrust Banks, Inc.
Atlanta, Ga.

8.
HSBC North America Inc.
Wilmington, Del.


9.
Keybank
Cleveland, Ohio

10.
State Street Corp.
Boston, Mass.

No further comment from the Cayman Islands

Recently the Financial Task Force website ,picked up a my blog which in turn attracted a rather barbed comment from Anthony Travers, chairman of the Cayman Islands Financial Services Authority (CIFSA).He said, among other things, that the Cayman Islands is not a tax haven. So we responded to his comments and our reply has now been drawn to his attention. In a communication with TJN which we received today, Travers has declined to comment further. We look forward to his counter-arguments in other forums, perhaps.In the meantime, please read the comments underneath the article. And before doing so, note this: the examples we gave do not even get into the zero-tax issue. Or This (Cayman's response, slinging the mud back in the direction of London and New York, is here

Challenge to the European Investment Bank

The Tax Justice Network, in partnership with Eurodad, Friends of the Earth Europe and Counter Balance, are protesting in front of the EU Council about the activities of the European Investment Bank in tax havens.

Banking Tax

Banking Tax

Andrew Jackson specialises in the placement of tax professionals in tax and tax-led positions within the banking industry.
Assignments typically included specific technical areas such as front office tax structured finance and other front office tax-led roles within the capital markets divisions of banks, plus front office tax support or middle office positions with the tax departments. In addition, group tax opportunities fulfilled include compliance and reporting, international tax planning, mergers & acquisitions, transfer pricing, VAT and withholding and custody tax.
Ewen joined Pure in 2002 to focus on recruiting tax professionals across all sectors of the commerce tax market. Ewen focuses on recruiting at tax director and head of tax level internationally, and has built strong relationships with an extensive number of FTSE-listed, financial services and overseas organisations. Ewen joined Pure as a qualified tax adviser with a wealth of corporate tax experience gained from four years at KPMG. This tax experience, coupled with his depth of market knowledge, has enabled Ewen to build an excellent reputation across all levels and disciplines of the tax arena. Ewen graduated in Civil Engineering from Herriot Watt University.Outside work Ewen is a keen tennis player and has competed nationally for Scotland. Continuing to play at county and club level, Ewen is currently a member of Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Club.

FOREX-Asian comments provide a big boost to the dollar

FOREX-Asian comments provide a big boost to the dollar

The dollar recovered from its lowest levels this year against the euro on Wednesday after monetary sources in Asia said they would keep buying U.S. Treasuries even if the U.S. credit rating were to be cut.

The remarks from sources in China, Japan, India and South Korea [ID:nSP412010], compiled by Reuters from separate interviews, helped to stem recent selling that has driven the dollar index .DXY to its lowest this year and down more than 7 percent since the start of May.

Traders viewed the comments as an expression of support for dollar-denominated assets from the nations that control about half of the world's currency reserves. Dollar weakness would erode the value of U.S. investments.

"As the dollar continues to weaken, vocal intervention of this sort will rise," said Jacob Oubina, currency strategist at Forex.com in Bedminster, New Jersey. "This at least sets some kind of ceiling on euro strength and puts a floor under dollar weakness."

The euro pulled away from a five-month high it had hit in early trade and selling accelerated after the Reuters story was published. Sterling retreated from a seven-month high against the U.S. currency.

In early New York trade, the euro traded 0.7 percent lower at $1.4210 on electronic trading platform EBS , after hitting a session low $1.4177 and falling from $1.4339 hit in early trade, its strongest since December.

The dollar index, which tracks the currency's moves against a basket of six currencies, rose as much as half a percent after the comments, keeping just above its lowest level of the year hit on Tuesday. .DXY

Some of the dollar's slide in past weeks has been attributed to speculation that the U.S. credit rating may be downgraded, a move that may prompt nations to diversify their foreign reserves away from U.S. Treasuries.

The comments by the monetary sources in Asia came after a visit by U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner to China, the world's biggest holder of Treasuries, during which he assured Beijing its U.S. investments were safe because Washington is committed to a strong dollar policy.

Analysts said that the dollar-positive comments had prompted traders to lock in profits against the suffering U.S. currency and that it might help to stem its recent selling for the time being but was unlikely to change the trend.

"The market is becoming somewhat stretched on short dollar positions as there has been decent-sized buying in euro and sterling, so traders were looking for a reason to calm things down," said Geoffrey Yu, currency strategist at UBS in London.

Forex Trading Indicators and the Ever Changing Market Conditions

Forex Trading Indicators and the Ever Changing Market Conditions

Once you enter the Forex trading world you will immediately notice the need of using technical analysis in order to find trends when looking at the forex charts and also the importance of being aware of when they first develop so you can ride the trend until it ends. The foreign exchange market is a very strong trending market, lots of ups and downs in short periods of time, and it's, therefore, a place where technical analysis can be very effective.

But you should always remember that the indicators are only giving you a high probability behavior the markets may show when you are trading, but will never tell you the behavior of the currency prices with total certainty.

If you want to become a profitable forex trader you will need to use as many technical indicators as you can, or create a personalized trading strategy based on a combination of these indicators, to recognize with the best accuracy possible the trend. In other words, a professional forex trader will try to identify the major trend, the intermediate trend, and the short-term trend and then construct his trades in that direction based on how long their rules allow him to hold a position.

The forex markets are always changing, that's why you should always have an open criterion when using your technical indicators. Markets will be changing and different combinations of indicators may be required with time in order to have the most accurate, highest probability, prediction of future currency price behaviors.

If the action of the market shows your judgment to be correct, then you must consider staying with the market' and look for the maximum profit on each trade, according to your risk-to-reward/equity management rules. If you happen to be in a bad day and the market goes against you, the smart trader will take profits and get out of that trade. In a narrow market, when prices are not going anywhere, but move within a narrow range, there is no sense in trying to anticipate when the next big movement is going to be.

So, you must always be alert and open to use as many and as different indicators in order to stay tuned with the market and become a profitable trader at the end of the day.

Bank of Scotland

Company details and regulation

Bank of Scotland plc, The Mound Edinburgh EH1 1YZ. Registered in Scotland, Registered number SC327000. Any reference within the pages of this site to "Bank of Scotland" shall be taken to mean Bank of Scotland plc and, any reference to "we", "our" or "us" shall be taken to mean Bank of Scotland plc: Registered Office, The Mound, Edinburgh EH1 1YZ, unless otherwise indicated.
Bank of Scotland is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. The FSA Register Number is 169628 and our permitted business is lending, administering and arranging mortgages and to sell and administer general insurance contracts.
Vat number: 270 1467 76
Bank of Scotland Asset Finance and Capital Bank are trading styles of Bank of Scotland plc.
Bank of Scotland Vehicle Management is a trading style of Capital Bank Vehicle Management Limited, a Bank of Scotland plc Company.
Hill Hire plc is a Bank of Scotland Group company.

world's local bank HSBC

Who is HSBC?

We are the world's local bank.
Headquartered in London, HSBC is one of the largest banking and financial services organisations in the world. HSBC's international network comprises around 9,500 offices in 86 countries and territories in Europe, the Asia-Pacific region, the Americas, the Middle East and Africa.
With listings on the London, Hong Kong, New York, Paris and Bermuda stock exchanges, shares in HSBC Holdings plc are held by around 200,000 shareholders in some 100 countries and territories. The shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange in the form of American Depositary Receipts.
Through an international network linked by advanced technology, including a rapidly growing e-commerce capability, HSBC provides a comprehensive range of financial services: personal financial services; commercial banking; corporate, investment banking and markets; private banking; and other activities.

Business principles and values

The HSBC corporate character defines the values and principles inherent in all our everyday dealings.

Group History

The HSBC Group has an international pedigree which is unique. Many of its principal companies opened for business over a century ago and they have a history which is rich in variety and achievement. The HSBC Group is named after its founding member, The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited, which was established in 1865 to finance the growing trade between China and Europe.

Deutsche Bank

Our Bank

Deutsche Bank is a leading global investment bank with a strong and profitable private clients franchise. Its businesses are mutually reinforcing.
80,277 employees in 72 countries*Unparalleled financial services throughout the worldA leader in Germany and Europe, the bank is powerful and growing in North America, Asia and key emerging markets.

History

Founded in Berlin in 1870 to support the internationalization of business and to promote and facilitate trade relations between Germany, other European countries, and overseas markets, Deutsche Bank has developed into a leading global provider of financial services.

History of Braclay Capital

Our History
In the late 17th century the streets of the City of London were filled with goldsmith-bankers. They provided monarchs and merchants with the money they needed to fund their world-wide ventures.
One such business was founded by John Freame and his partner Thomas Gould in Lombard Street in 1690. The name Barclay became associated with the company in 1736 when James Barclay who had married John Freame's daughter became a partner.
Private banking businesses were commonplace in the 18th century. Clients’ gold deposits were kept secure and credit-worthy merchants received loans. In 1896, 20 such businesses collaborated and formed a joint-stock bank.
The leading partners of the new bank, which was named Barclay and Company, were already connected by a web of family, business and religious relationships. The company became known as the Quaker Bank reflecting the tradition of the founding families.
The new bank had 182 branches, mainly in the east and south-east of England. Deposits totalled £26 million - a substantial sum of money in those days. Barclay and Company expanded its branch network rapidly through bank acquisitions. Acquisitions included Bolithos in Cornwall and the south-west in 1905 and United Counties Bank in the Midlands in 1916.
In 1918, the bank amalgamated with the London, Provincial and South Western Bank to become one of the UK's 'big five' banks. By 1926 the bank had 1,837 branches.
The development of Barclays global business today began in earnest in 1925, with the merger of three banks - the Colonial Bank, the Anglo Egyptian Bank and the National Bank of South Africa. Barclays international operations were bourne adding businesses in much of Africa, the Middle East and the West Indies.
In 1981, Barclays became the first foreign bank to file with the US Securities and Exchange Commission and raise long-term capital on the New York market. In 1986 it became the first British bank to have its shares listed on the Tokyo and New York stock exchanges.
Barclays global expansion was given added impetus in 1986 with the creation of an investment banking operation, which today is known as Barclays Capital. In 1995, Barclays purchased the fund manager Wells Fargo Nikko Investment Advisers. The business was integrated with BZW Investment Management to form Barclays Global Investors.
In July 2003, Barclays completed the acquisition of Banco Zaragozano, one of Spain's largest private sector banking groups, which was founded in 1910.
In July 2005, Barclays Bank PLC announced the completion of a landmark deal that saw the company acquire a majority stake of Absa Group Limited. Absa is South Africa’s largest retail bank with over seven million customers.
In 2008 Barclays Capital acquired Lehman Brothers' North American investment banking and capital markets businesses. This acquisition cemented Barclays Capital position for its clients with a leading presence in all major markets and across all major lines of business including equities, credit, fixed income, mergers and acquisitions, commodities trading and foreign exchange.
Today, Barclays has grown from a group of English partnerships to a global bank represented in Europe, the USA, Latin America, Africa, the Caribbean, Asia, the Middle East and Australasia.

Foreign Currency Symbols

Foreign Currency Symbols
Currencies, like equities, have their own symbols that distinguish one from another. Since currencies are quoted in terms of the value of one against the value of another, a currency pair includes the "name" for both currencies, separated by a "/". The "name" is a three letter acronym. The first two letters are in most cases reserved for identification of the country. The last letter is the first letter of the unit of currency for that country.
For example,
USD = United States Dollar
GBP = Great Britain Pound
JPY = Japanese Yen
CAD = Canadian Dollar
CHF = Confederatio Helvetica (Latin for Swiss Confederation) Franc
NZD = New Zealand Dollar
AUD = Australian Dollar
NOK = Norwegian Krona
SEK = Swedish Krona
Since the European Euro has no specific country attached to it, it goes simply by the acronym EUR.
By combining one currency, EUR, with another USD, you create a currency pair EUR/USD.

What is Foreign Exchange?

What is Foreign Exchange?
For active traders and investors, foreign exchange should be no different than other investment products such as equities, commodities or fixed-income. Because of globalization in the economic world and consolidation of whole economic regions (i.e., the European Union), including currencies in a portfolio helps to diversify assets and can reduce risk.Just like other investment alternatives, foreign exchange offers traders/investors a market where they can buy or sell an investment product. In this case it is a specific Currency Pair. The currency pair may be the Euro versus the US Dollar, the US Dollar versus the Japanese Yen, the British Pound versus the US Dollar, the Euro versus British Pound, or a number of other currency combinations.
The different currency combinations represent nothing more than the value of one currency versus the value of another. That relationship is represented by a single price. In foreign exchange, the price of a currency pair is the market’s expectations (at that time) of the value of that currency measured against another currency given the current and expected economic and political situation in the two economies. In equity terms, it is the price of the stock.
If, for example, an economy’s inflation/interest rates are low and stable, if its output is growing strongly, or if its politics are stable and expectations are for more of the same, then one can expect (in general) for that country's currency to remain strong versus a less fundamentally favorable currency.Contrasting that with an equity, if the domestic and global economy is strong, if inflation is not rampant, if competition is not taking away market share or eating into margins, if product demand and growth are strong, of if the companies internal "politics" are such that the workers are happy and productive, and expectations are for more of the same, then you can expect that company’s stock to remain strong versus a company with less favorable fundamentals.
Similar to equities there are other factors that determine the short term value of a product including technical analysis, short term supply and demand, seasonal capital flow patterns, the current price of the instrument, etc. It is these universal dynamics that will move a currency’s value up or down. By analyzing the pricing dynamics and combining that with sound money management and discipline, the investor can ensure greater success in his or her foreign exchange trading.

Introduction of Forex

Introduction
Although the foreign exchange market is the largest traded market in the world, its reach to the retail sector pales in comparison to the Equity and Fixed Income markets. This is in large part due to a general lack of awareness of FX in the investor community, along with as a lack of understanding of how and why currencies move. Adding to the mystique of this market is the lack of a physical central exchange akin to the NYSE or the CME. It is this very lack of structure that enables the FX markets to operate on a 24-hour basis, beginning the trading day in New Zealand and continuing through the time zones.
Traditionally, access to the FX market was limited to the bank community that traded large blocks of currencies for commercial, hedging, or speculative purposes. The creation of well-capitalized firms like FXDD has opened the door of Forex trading to such institutions as funds and money managers, as well as to the individual retail trader. This sector of the market has grown exponentially over the past several years.

City Bank

ABOUT

City Bank offers you the best of both worlds. You get the one-on-one personal service of a community bank and all of the products and services offered by large national banks. Whether you're in the market for free checking or Internet banking, the employees of City Bank want to exceed your expectations.

PRINCIPLES AND VALUES

Our business principles are supported by loyal and committed employees who make lasting customer relationships.

CITY BANK is committed to five core business principles:
Outstanding customer service
Effective and efficient operations
Strong capital and liquidity
Prudent lending policy
Strict expense discipline

CITY BANK also operates according to certain key business values:
The highest personal standards of integrity at all levels
A minimum of bureaucracy
Hands-on management at all levels
Fast decisions and implementation
Commitment to truth and fair dealing
Commitment to quality and competence
The appropriate delegation of authority with accountability
The goal of being a fair and objective employer
A commitment to complying with the spirit and letter of all laws and regulations wherever we conduct our business
The exercise of social responsibility through detailed assessments of lending proposals and investments, the promotion of good environmental practice and sustainable development, and commitment to the welfare and development of each local community

Forex

How does a Forex Expert Advisor work ?
The program works by calculating the different indicators that it was designed to use and take actions when the market conditions meet the correct criteria as described in the source code of the Expert Advisor. Fore Example. A simple expert advisor may say something like this: "If the 9 and 20 day moving averages cross with the 9 day MA above the 20 MA and the RSI is higher than 50 then open a long position (buy)" That is just an example. You can assign countless conditions for entering and exiting the market as well as managing trades for trailing stops and multiple take profit levels. An MT-4 Expert Advisor is usually divided into three parts: A startup or ‘init’ function, a main function and a ‘deinit’ or cleanup function. The Expert Advisor will run through its startup function once upon startup and will run through its ‘deinit’ or clean-up function once at the end. In the mean time, the MT-4 Expert Advisor program runs through a cycle of its main function over and over with every incoming tick while it is attached to a chart and active. Once running, the Expert Advisor will not start another cycle for a new tick if it is still in the middle of processing the previous one. Here is a simple outline of what a simple expert advisor could be programmed to do. (This would be the 'main' part of the EA and takes place every time a tick comes in.) 1- Check my account. Is there enough equity to open a trade? if so, continue. If not, end. 2- Are there any open trades right now? 2a- If there are, do they need to be closed or do they need their trailing stop adjusted? (do so if needed and exit.) 2b- If there are no open trades, are the market conditions right to open one? (do so if needed and exit. ) 3- End.

GCI FINANCIAL

GCI Financial

GCI Financial Ltd ("GCI") is a regulated securities and commodities trading firm, specializing in online Foreign Exchange ("Forex") brokerage. In addition to Forex, GCI is a primary market maker in Contracts for Difference ("CFDs") on shares, indices and futures, and offers one of the fastest growing online CFD trading services. GCI has over 10,000 clients worldwide, including individual traders, institutions, and money managers. GCI provides an advanced, secure, and comprehensive online trading system. Client funds are insured and held in a separate customer account. In addition, GCI Financial Ltd maintains Net Capital in excess of minimum regulatory requirements.
Recommend by Top Industry Participants

GCI is recommended by top industry participants and has had its market analysis featured in leading publications, including the Financial Times. Click here for a partial list of company websites that recommend GCI Financial Ltd.

GCI's analysis also appears regularly on Multex.com and Reuters, and is subscribed to by major institutions including J.P. Morgan, HSBC Asset Management, and Goldman Sachs. Click here for a partial list of articles and publications featuring GCI.
Regulation

GCI Financial Ltd is regulated by the International Financial Services Commission (IFSC) for trading in financial and commodity-based derivatives and other securities, including foreign exchange. The IFSC's strict requirements include capital adequacy, reporting and record keeping, and proper disclosure and conduct with clients.
Leaders in Forex Trading

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Trade over 20 currencies, Gold, and S&P 500 - all with zero commissions and 0.5% margin requirement...

Trade Shares on 2% Margin

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Trade North American, European, and Asia/Pacific shares and indices online, commission free...

mobile trading
© 2006 GCI Financial Ltd. All righ

The State of the Economy

In a speech today at the Institute of Economic Affairs, Rachel Lomax - Deputy Governor for Monetary Policy - says that the outlook for 2008 and beyond has changed dramatically from forecasts made a year ago, even though both inflation and output growth have so far turned out broadly as expected. This change in view reflects two main factors: the possible future impact of the continuing financial crisis in financial markets; and the renewed build up in global inflationary pressures associated, with soaring energy and food prices.
On the first, Rachel Lomax says the MPC's central judgement "is that financial stress will act as a significant drag on demand over the next two years. But there is a high level of uncertainty about this and .the risks, as they affect output, are tilted to the downside". These are that the financial crisis will persist and possibly intensify, and that over time tighter credit conditions and asset price weakness will combine to sap the strength of overall demand, putting downward pressure on inflation in the medium term.
She emphasises that history does not give a clear steer. The 'accident waiting to happen' characterisation of the current financial crisis lends itself to a wide range of predictions, from the relatively benign to the apocalyptic. And while it seems highly likely that growth has been supported by easier credit over the last few years, conventional economic models do not help very much when it comes to quantifying the effect of change in credit conditions.
On the second, Rachel notes that the most recent build up of global cost pressures is just the latest episode in a remarkable period of soaring commodity prices. These have not yet fully fed through into consumer prices, but from next month CPI inflation is likely to rise more sharply. She stresses that there is essentially nothing the MPC can do about this, and its remit does not require it to raise interest rates sharply to counteract this rise in inflation - it can decide what is appropriate in the light of all the circumstances.
Rachel Lomax says that "the real risk facing the Committee is that a further period of above target inflation, prompted by a cost shock over which it has no immediate control, will lead people to revise their expectations about future inflation, and to act accordingly. This will make it more costly to bring inflation back to target".
Given this, she says "it is a matter of intense interest to understand how people form their expectations about inflation". If the credibility of the monetary policy framework itself has been the key to keeping expectations well-anchored in the past, then inflation expectations may prove rather resilient to short term shocks. But if maintaining an excellent track record has been crucial, the situation may be more fragile.
Finally, Rachel Lomax notes that the increased level of uncertainty surrounding the Committee's forecasts implies an increase in the perceived risk of two rather unattractive outcomes - either that growth slows too sharply, or that inflation does not return to target following an upward spike. In this situation she argues that ".it is not unreasonable that the Committee will be more sensitive than usual to changes in the balance of risk".
To conclude, she argues that "a temporary pick-up in inflation - by itself - does not mean that the Committee needs to tolerate a significant weakening in demand. But if inflation expectations appear to be persistently elevated, the Committee will need to tolerate more slack to keep inflation on target. And that means it will have less scope to respond to slowing demand - the risk posed by the current turmoil in financial markets".

people of national city

For more than 150 years the letters PNC have stood for strength, confidence, and stability. Now, they stand for the people of National City as well. We’re one of the nation’s top 5 banks by deposits and branches, with $291 billion in assets. But numbers tell only a part of the story.

STATE BANK OF INDIA (CANADA)

State Bank of India (Canada) (“SBIC”), was established in 1982 as a wholly owned subsidiary of State Bank of India , the largest Bank in India with more than 200 years of reputation for customer’s trust and service. SBIC is rendering yeoman service to Canada in Ontario and British Columbia for the last 25 years, through its 7 branches: 4 branches viz., Toronto, Mississauga, Scarborough, and Brampton are in GTA and 3 branches viz., Vancouver, Surrey and Abbotsford are established in British Columbia. SBIC Branches offer excellent service to the customers with its able staff drawn from diverse communities and origin fluent also in different Indian languages besides officials from the Parent Bank.

American State Bank

Since it was chartered in 1987, American State Bank has always strived to fill the needs of our customers and communities with high-quality professional financial products and excellent customer service while maintaining the values established for the bank at its beginning. Our slogan, "What a Bank Should Be: is exemplified by these values.Honesty and Integrity: American State Bank performs its work with the highest sense of integrity. Integrity requires, among other attributes, honesty and fairness. It can accommodate a difference of opinion, but it cannot accommodate the compromise of principle. Integrity is measured in terms of what is right and just. Our many loyal, lifetime customers rely upon our bank's integrity. We appreciate their trust and loyalty, and we constantly work hard to deserve both.Importance of Our Customers: American State Bank strives to constantly provide the highest level of quality service and customer satisfaction. Our bank prides itself on the friendly, personal service our customers receive. At American State Bank we customize our bank products into a banking program that will meet the individual customer's financial needs. We want all our customers to succeed in obtaining their financial goals.Importance of Our Employees: American State Bank's goal is the development of a quality, motivated, professional bank staff. Each employee is encouraged to work to maximize his or her professional potential. Our bank staff is known for its friendly, personal service - "their eagerness to serve" the customer. We provide a challenging and pleasant work environment and competitive salaries and benefits. We know that our greatest asset is our employees.Importance of Sound Banking: The primary purpose in the operation of American State Bank is to manage and allocate the bank's capital through sound banking practices with the integrity and values of the bank being maintained. We take pride that our bank has grown from $8 million dollars to over $80 million dollars in assets in the past 15 years. We know our banking practices and values work and we know our customers to believe that "we take care of their money as though it was our own."Commitment to our Community: American State Bank strives to provide a meaningful contribution to the communities we serve by leadership and participation in community activities. We believe that our greatest contribution to our communities is having financially successful customers. When our customers succeed, our communities prosper.A bank should be about more than the bricks and mortar, the money, the products and services, and the people, it should be a banking business built upon solid values and integrity. This is what the American State Bank is - "What A Bank Should Be."

Bank of America Retirement Solutions

Bank of America understands that retirement planning is complex. Retirement today may offer greater opportunities, but it also may come with greater uncertainty. While each individual and family’s personal financial situations are unique, the common challenge and opportunity is to address their needs in a smart and straightforward approach. Thoughtful planning is essential for a successful retirement, which is why Bank of America is committed to making retirement planning as effortless as possible. With its breadth of financial services, geographic scale and financial stability, Bank of America is uniquely positioned to help consumers realize the opportunity that retirement represents. Taking a comprehensive, advice-based approach, Bank of America offers holistic planning and management of consumers’ finances at every stage of life. Bank of America Retirement Survey and Press Release In March 2008, Bank of America conducted a survey to gain insight and increase awareness around the challenges individuals face in trying to plan for a secure retirement. The survey, conducted by Braun Research, sampled the general public ad “affluent Americans,” identified as individuals with investable assets between $100,000 and $3 million. The survey confirmed that a significant number of Americans encounter roadblocks when planning for retirement.

Bank of America

Bank of America is one of the world's largest financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small- and middle-market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk management products and services. The company provides unmatched convenience in the United States, serving approximately 55 million consumer and small business relationships with more than 6,100 retail banking offices, more than 18,500 ATMs and award-winning online banking with nearly 30 million active users. Bank of America is among the world's leading wealth management companies and is a global leader in corporate and investment banking and trading across a broad range of asset classes serving corporations, governments, institutions and individuals around the world. Bank of America offers industry-leading support to more than 4 million small business owners through a suite of innovative, easy-to-use online products and services. The company serves clients in more than 150 countries. Bank of America Corporation stock is a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average and is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.