Ron Delnevo's Blog

I was speaking earlier this week at the Wincor Nixdorf International Management Seminar in Madrid. My topic was “Cash: A Better Future”. I hope I convinced my audience that there could be one!  Whilst at the Seminar, I was delighted to see an excellent presentation by Mike Power of DBS Bank from Singapore. DBS probably have the busiest ATMs in the world. Just over 1000 machines....

 The Riksbank - the Swedish National Bank - last week called on the Government to take action to improve public access to convenient means for the deposit and withdrawal of cash. I applaud this courageous step by the Riksbank. It is so easy in Sweden to buy-in to the hype of those vested interests seeking to create a  so-called "cashless society". Of course, there never will be any truly c....

The UK Government has  been telling us since 2009 that austerity has been needed to restore the countries finances. I beg to differ. Some gestures towards austerity may have been needed for a year or two, to satisfy the worlds financial power brokers that the UK should not be included in the Financiers "skip" with Ireland, Greece and similar. Actually, even this gesture was probably unnec....

When you listen to George Osborne or read most British newspapers, you would be forgiven for believing the UK public - you and me - are quite spoilt by comparison to our European neighbours. That is why we have to accept austerity, in all its forms. Or so the story goes. The average UK worker has seen his or her wages fall in real terms since 2008. They have been told by George Osborne ....

There are stories on the internet that Swedes are keeping their spare cash in microwave ovens, because they face negative interest rates, if they are lucky enough to find a bank which will take their cash in the first place. Negative interest rates are being foisted on the world by come central bank gurus. They claim to be seeking to get money spent, rather than saved, to generate economic activi....

Jeremy Corbyn is the new Labour leader. Only seven words, but enough to get you committed only six months ago. So the impossible can and does happen. Thirty Five Labour MP's supported his name appearing on the ballot. The fact that many of them do not hold Mr Corbyns views is besides the point. He was given his chance and he seized it with both hands. Most commentators describe Jeremy as a mav....

The sad picture of a 3 year old boy, dead and alone on a beach, provoked a predictable outcry from politicians seeking advantage from publicity that has tugged the heartstrings of their voters.  The general reaction has been " we really MUST let more migrants into Europe from places such as Syria". Craven popularism is never a basis for sound policy. Here is the reality. Eu....

Almost three years ago, I was having what I will just call a disagreement with someone in the United States.  As the disagreement ran its course, I heard that the other party involved wasn't worried about any damage the dispute might do them in the US. Then an article mentioning me appeared in the Wall Street Journal. Actually, the article wasn't just about me.  Half a dozen senior executi....

I have always said voting should be compulsory - BUT I WILL NOT BE VOTING IN MAY. Why? Because I do not believe that any of the political parties has any solutions to the issues that they raise. Firstly, there's the UK National Debt, currently tallying up to a staggering £1.5 Trillion.  All of the parties proclaim the National Debt is a disgrace - yet none of them presents a plan to redu....

I have been involved in the UK payments industry for 15 years or more. During that time, I have worked tirelessly to improve transparency and choice in the Public Interest. I have to say that my work has not been easy. Resistance to change has been strong, with vested interests trying to preserve their own positions, at a price the public cannot afford. In trying to bring about change, I h....

I love Manchester. It is a vibrant City, with some impressive buildings and much excellent redevelopment, especially near the canals. It is also very easy to get around, whether walking, or using public transport. For those who need regular retail therapy, there are many shops to tempt them into another "fix". The only facet of Manchester which is at all disappointing is in relation to eating ....

Had I opted to have a vote in the Scottish Referendum - I could have done so, because I own an apartment in Edinburgh - I would have voted "no". So, as I write this, it is not in the spirit of being a disappointed supporter of independence. Alex Salmond has been portrayed as a broken man, a loser. He is neither. Alex Salmond has spent his life working to give Scotland the opportunity to gain i....

Everything Everywhere is a TERRIBLE name. The clown who thought it up should be painted Orange and forced to walk around the planet forever ( or until his battery runs out; so about three hours, if he talks to himself while he walks). The worst thing about the EE name, of course, is the fact that the company in reality provide Nothing Nowhere. Take the example of today. I have an international....

I travel quite extensively and everywhere I go, I witness the frantic efforts of Visa and other card schemes to persuade the public - you & me - to switch to using cards, rather than cash or any other payment method. So far they haven't succeeded. The full extent of their failure was made obvious a few months ago, when the European Central Bank revealed that 90% of all payments under 20 ....

I am still debating in my own mind whether I can give up the time required to become a member of the Monetary Policy Committee at the Bank of England. That's the group of worthies who decide on the level of interest rates in the UK. Why the doubts? Well, it is a full half day a month commitment (plus added time for travel and picnic lunches in the Governors private garden).I am a very busy man....

It seems that all over the EC, in almost every one of the 28 Member States, there are large sections of the population who seemingly believe their little bit of rock would be better off if it was chiseled away from the European Mountain. Listening to some of the disenchanted speaking is illuminating. Many seem to "blame" Germany for their misfortunes, as if Germans are doing well at the expens....

Even I, a great lover of cash, was somewhat surprised to learn last week from the European Central Bank that over 90% of all retail payments in the EC under 20 Euros are still made using cash. So all of the hundreds of millions of dollars Visa & MasterCard have spent on hyping payment by card has lead to less than a 10% share of this crucial segment of the payments market.  For "spent", should....

The shocking fact and management of the sacking of David Moyes give a stark insight into the modus operandi of the main shareholders, the Glazer family. It, of course, goes without saying that the Glazers have no interest in the sporting values of one of the Worlds greatest football clubs. They bought what they would simply characterise as a strong "franchise", in the same way that less well-fina....

The search is on for the person who will head up the new Payment Systems Regulator. This is a crucial role. The public interest dictates that this is not an "inside" appointment. It will be a disaster if someone gets the job who has made a career of doing the rounds in the payments sector, attending to the needs of  vested interests as required to secure well-paid personal development.  ....

Some people have had bad experiences in their dealings with UK banks in recent years.Then again,many millions of bank customers have had nothing at all to complain about.They have been quietly content with the service they have received. Complaints are noisy -especally when the media take an interest -whereas satisfaction is normally very quiet.When did you ever see a headline " Millions Happy....

Some years ago, I mounted a campaign to save the Portman Building Society from takeover. I did so because I both admired the Building Society Movement and valued the quality of service provided by the team at the Portman. I failed in my attempt to save the Portman.Over 400,000 members of the Building Society opted to receive a few hundred £s as a pay-off for voting "Yes" to the takeover.I, alo....

The 2014 Budget is a landmark for all of us who hold freedom of choice and independence dear. For many years, pensioners in the UK have been forced to purchase annuities on retirement. With the average pension pot little more than £30,000, annual guaranteed income from an annuity has been pitiful for many pensioners. On the other hand, the companies providing the annuities have been enjoying a....

Business Rates have been a nonsense from the outset. Valuations based on the notional rental values of Hereditaments might have appealed to the scribes of the Domesday Book, but they are now  strangling the life out of local enterprises and the communities which depend on them. The latest body to highlight the inequities of Business Rates is the House of Commons Business,Innovation and Skil....

Looking out of my window this morning,I can see a large body of water. In the UK at the moment,such a view would not be a cause for celebration.More likely,it would bring with it the anxiety that the water might soon be rising and threatening to inundate the viewing platform. Today,however,I have no such concerns.The water in question is a well-contained artificial lake,a threat to no one and cu....

Very good news from the Post Office in the last few days-they will not be closing any more branches. The importance of  Post Offices can hardly be over-stressed.There are 11,500 around the UK, often acting as the beating hearts of the communities which cluster around them. There have of course been many Post Office closures in the last 15 years. There were once nearly 20,000, so about 8000....

The year has started well as far as good news is concerned. First, retailers announced that Christmas 2013 had been the strongest sales-wise for a number of years.The Public-you & me-have got a bit of confidence back and nothing opens a wallet faster than confidence! The next piece of good news to hit the headlines was that the Consumer Price Index only rose by 2% in December.This is the smalles....

I have made the point many times recently that the UK needs a strong, healthy banking sector to play a full role in the growth of our economy. Clearly, mistakes have been made at a senior level in several UK banks.Such mistakes took one or two of the banks to the edge of ruin,whilst at the same time rocking the foundations of the entire economy. It is doubtful if banks have ever been really p....

More stories in the newspapers yesterday about how banks have managed loans/bad debt. Some of the alleged practices have seemingly left a number of bank customers very unhappy as to how they have been treated. Any bank customer with a complaint to pursue has a number of potential routes that can be followed,including legal action.Those customers whose stories featured in the press yesterday a....

Another week, another banking "scandal". The story in sundays UK newspapers was of alleged drug purchases by a former bank chairman. Banks have been made the fall-guys for all the ills of our society. THIS IS BOTH WRONG-HEADED AND DANGEROUS. We need our existing banks-in fact we need more! Banks were not solely responsible for the economic crisis that hit the World 5 years ago.They were a ....

All those years ago when Governments started to sell off UK Utilities, the dangers were easy to see. Wanting the money from the sales and to be free of potential Trade Union action, it all seemed perfect from the Governments viewpoint.Short term gains were the order of the day. The problem of course is that the Public-you and me-have to use the Utilities every day of our lives.We breath ; we dri....