As banks search for a new operating model that utilises technology to the full, Brian Caplen looks at alternative solutions for lenders, weighing up the age-old dilemma: to pay or not to pay?

The UK and the US are taking very different regulatory stances, the former reverting to its characteristic light touch while the latter is taking a heavy-handed approach, but both regimes are driven by political considerations rather than market needs and are therefore at risk of damaging their respective banking systems.

While the likelihood of a US default remains low, banks are still having to go to great lengths to show that they are prepared for a possible default scenario.

Bonus systems encourage and reward a focus on short-term gains at the expense of the bigger, long-term picture.

The increase in unregulated and unmonitored mobile and internet payments brings with it serious risk.

The legal action that has been taken against banks since the crisis has added a whole new dimension to the way in which they go about their business.

The Securities and Exchange Commission's decision to investigate JPMorgan's hiring of so-called princelings only serves to add to the argument that regulators are being overzealous in their supervision of banks.

The unearthing of China's considerable off-balance-sheet liabilities casts a new light on the country's economic position, raising fears that its previously rapid development could stall.

The Bank of England’s new governor, Mark Carney, has adopted a 'forward guidance' policy, but just how much stability does such a strategy really provide for the economy?