A collection of stories from SmartBrief publications and around the web…
Gold? Silver? Or Bronze?: From a commodity standpoint, which type of Olympic medal would you prefer? As the medal count keeps climbing in Sochi, OpenMarkets offers an analysis of which medal … err, metal … is really most valuable.
When Wall Street helps: Great story about a former JPMorgan hedge fund banker halting his finance career to lead the charge in funding research to cure for Duchenne muscular dystrophy to save his son. Ilan Ganot did what any dad would do; and his friends in finance have stepped up to help.
Branding and fees breed breakage: Consumers have not forgotten the financial crisis. And traditional banks increasing fees for basic services like checking and ATMs equates to inviting customers to leave. So when beloved, non-financial brands like Starbucks and Google unveil financial services offerings, it is no wonder they capture market share.
Coming soon to a bank near you: Google Glass?: David Childers at Compli weighs in on the way technology like Google Glass can revolutionize corporate training. While Childers doesn’t mention financial services as a ripe testing ground, possible applications in banking are many. And if the robo-signing scandal taught us anything, it is that the thousands of staffers quickly hired and trained to keep up with the rapid ebbs and flows of the mortgage industry could probably use some “just in case and just in time” help from technology.
Building better businesses … in Ghana!: For those of you who realize small businesses in the U.S. aren’t the only ones who could use some help developing best practices, check this kid out and do what you can to help him. (Full disclosure: I used to coach Austin Cornilles when he roamed the high school soccer field. He is a stellar young man. Only question is: which soccer jersey will Austin be wearing in Ghana when Team USA plays the Black Stars at the World Cup on June 16?)