The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank has already raised more than a few eyebrows in its short life. However, rather than criticise, Western politicians should make note of its focus – oft-ignored infrastructure requirements – and ask why existing such institutions, namely the IMF and World Bank, are deemed insufficient to cope with Asia's needs.

Regulators have spent the past few years ensuring that a repeat of the last crisis will not happen. However, as JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon has highlighted in a letter to shareholders, these actions could only be serving to worsen the effects of the next crisis. And Brian Caplen thinks he may have a point...

The UK may have returned to growth, but with its budget deficit still dangerously high, the economy largely failing in its drive to develop non-banking sectors. Given the lack of political ambition to solve either of these problems, it is only a matter of time before it falls back into a recession. 

Spanish lender Sabadell intends to transfer newly acquired UK bank TSB onto its IT platform in a move that highlights the vital role that IT plays in banking strategy. 

The addition of a Russian seat on the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication's board of directors should not be interpreted as a political move by the organisation.

As the Bank of England is modernised, with clearer communications between central bank and the City of London at its core, Brian Caplen highlights the problems that a more formalised communications system may bring about.

The role of the central bank has changed since the global financial crisis, says Brian Caplen, with many concerning themselves with social and economic inclusion issues.

Many predict that banks will be the losers in the race to corner the mobile payments market but, what they may lack in innovation, these established institutions make up for in experience and scale. 

With Greece and Germany at stand off since the former elected the anti-austerity Syriza party to power, Brian Caplen looks at the actions of the Germans and the European Commission that led to this situation.

The quantitative easing package announced by the European Central Bank is unlikely to be enough to solve the problems plaguing the eurozone.