The professionalism and ethics of individual bankers is too important to be left to each bank on its own: the industry as a whole needs to come together to set new standards, says Simon Thompson.
The Bracken column
The Bracken column is named after Brendan Bracken, the founding editor of The Banker in 1926 and chairman of the modern-day Financial Times from 1945 to 1958.
Latest articles from Bracken
Turkey's FX risk and how to manage it
April 24, 2016Turkey's banks face an increased credit risk due to the foreign exchange positions of their debtors. Gürcan Avci and Arif Esen look at ways the banks can manage this risk at times of volatility.
Bonus clawbacks and the buy-out dilemma
April 1, 2016The UK regulator has proposed rules that would enable a former employer to refuse deferred bonus payments or claw back the bonuses of former employees accused of misconduct or mismanagement. Gary Freer of law firm Bryan Cave looks at the hurdles these rules will have to clear.
EU strikes latest blow to terrorist funds
February 29, 2016Accelerating the EU's fourth anti-money laundering directive will place additional burden on compliance professionals, but the rewards are clear given the need to combat the threat of terrorism, writes Kieran Beer of the Association for Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists.
What all regulators must do to promote financial inclusion
January 25, 2016The annual Microscope global report on financial inclusion provides a kind of open-source regulation for fostering the right environment to give everyone access to banking and credit services, wherever they are, writes Michael Schlein, president and chief executive of Accion.
Getting eurozone deposit insurance right promises benefits
January 4, 2016The knee-jerk reaction from Germany overlooks the potential benefits of an EU-wide deposit insurance scheme for the whole European banking system.
Professionalism in banking: time for a race to the top
November 23, 2015Improvements in professional culture in banking must come from within, not just from regulatory pressure.
How to address the financial market liquidity challenge
October 26, 2015Understanding the behaviour of different participants during a shock is an essential first step to improving the resilience of financial markets to sudden periods of illiquidity.
Risk models must have a regulatory role
September 27, 2015Banks and regulators should not depend too much on risk models, but overruling them altogether can be illogical and economically damaging.
Europe needs a proportionate rethink on bank regulation
August 24, 2015EU bank regulation should be applied consistently on a proportionate basis that reflects the size and business model of the banks being regulated.