Last year, there was a big buzz about a book by Chris Anderson called The Long Tail, which describes the phenomenon of internet retailing. The concept is that traditional shops have a physical limit on shelf capacity so, for example, a music store can only stock as many titles as its physical space allows.

Rekha Menon reports on the ruses used by hackers to steal from online banking users and the relatively successful industry response.

Heather McKenzie reports on the factors forcing financial companies to place regulatory compliance in the risk management sphere.

Despite huge technological advances, firms still issue clunky, non-standardised activity announcements – that can be misinterpreted. Frances Maguire assesses the industry’s attempts to automate the process.

By adopting practices more akin to the retail industry, two US banks are being hailed as models for boosting cross-sales rates. Tony Gandy reports on their winning formulae.

The CEO and the UK and Ireland vice-president and head of banking and financial services, respectively, of Tata Consultancy Services discuss the company’s global strategy. Neil Tyler reports.

All the talk of dealers and brokers giving up the ghost as a result of technology, regulation and margins is pure balderdash. They will take a leaf out of IFAs’ book by working harder to justify their existence and becoming more sought after.
By Chris Skinner.

Arriving late on the modern banking scene, institutions in central and eastern Europe have not been weighed down by the baggage of complex legacy systems. Technology being implemented in the region is now finding its way west, writes Rekha Menon.

The latest global trend for businesses to issue commercial payments cards is great news for issuers. Wendy Atkins reports.

In the third of The Banker’s regular series looking at retail banking in the future, Stephen Timewell examines the huge expansion of services and channels and how banks will cope.