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Behind blue eyes: Simon Taylor's blog. Behind blue eyes: Simon Taylor's blog.

Finance sector

Bank executive pay appears rigged against women
25 Sep 2015

Bank executive pay appears rigged against women

by Simon Taylor | posted in: Economics, Finance sector | 1

Research from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York finds evidence that women’s pay in banks is not just lower than that of men but the structure is different, in a way that best be explained by the view that … Continued

women
Is a market determined exchange rate always a good thing?
21 Sep 2015

Is a market determined exchange rate always a good thing?

by Simon Taylor | posted in: China, Course material, Economics, Finance sector | 0

For years there has been pressure on China to allow its exchange rate to be determined by market forces rather than by the central bank. Now that seems closer to happening but it might mean a fall in the RMB, … Continued

exchange rates, RMB
The Chinese stock market mess may have a long term benefit
27 Aug 2015

The Chinese stock market mess may have a long term benefit

by Simon Taylor | posted in: China, Finance sector | 6

The Chinese stock market rise and fall is relatively unimportant for the Chinese and global economies but it has harmed the government’s reputation and may set back reform. But it if helps to kill the idea that the market can … Continued

China, stockmarkets
When should we forgive debts?
16 Aug 2015

When should we forgive debts?

by Simon Taylor | posted in: Course material, Finance sector, International affairs | 7

Debt is a contract but sometimes contracts must be broken, either in the mutual interests of the contracting parties or in the interests of justice. But it’s hard to come up with general rules for this. The long-running arguments about … Continued

contracts, debt, sovereigns
Can a central bank go bust?
22 Jun 2015

Can a central bank go bust?

by Simon Taylor | posted in: Course material, Finance sector | 3

Central banks have balance sheets like other banks and in theory their liabilities can exceed their assets, meaning they are insolvent. But they can always create new money so they can settle their debts. So can they really go bust? … Continued

balance sheets, central banks, QE
Too much debt? There is a better way
7 Jun 2015

Too much debt? There is a better way

by Simon Taylor | posted in: Book recommendation, Finance sector, Financial products | 0

Pretty much all financial crises involve too much debt. The global financial crisis was triggered by excessive lending for US property purchase. The slow recovery from the crisis is probably because of too much debt. China’s successful plan to insulate … Continued

debt, equity
Greece repays IMF using the IMF’s own “currency”
13 May 2015

Greece repays IMF using the IMF’s own “currency”

by Simon Taylor | posted in: China, Course material, Finance sector, International affairs | 1

Greece this week repaid €750m to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) which it funded by drawing on its SDR account at the IMF. This legitimate but unusual move caught many commentators by surprise and drew attention to the little known … Continued

debt, IMF, SDR, sovereigns
Still debating the causes of the world financial crisis
21 Apr 2015

Still debating the causes of the world financial crisis

by Simon Taylor | posted in: China, Finance sector, Financial products, International affairs | 3

Major world historical events such as the financial crisis that swept much of the world in 2007-09 typically have multiple causes. In 2014 there was an outpouring of new books about the causes of the First World War which started … Continued

banks, credit, debt, GFC, households, mortgages
How can we tell if a bank is strong?
8 Apr 2015

How can we tell if a bank is strong?

by Simon Taylor | posted in: Course material, Finance sector | 0

This week it was reported (*) that the European Commission was investigating some southern EU nations to see if they had unfairly and illegally allowed banks to count deferred tax assets towards their capital. What does this mean and what … Continued

balance sheets, banks, solvency
The accidental trillionaire
4 Dec 2014

The accidental trillionaire

by Simon Taylor | posted in: China, Economics, Finance sector, International affairs | 0

China’s $3.9 trillion foreign exchange reserves were not planned but arose as a side effect of a strategy, now ended, of keeping the RMB exchange rate lower than the market would have set it. * Last week I visited the … Continued

China, foreign reserves, SAFE, sovereigns
The changing shape of the asset management industry
10 Nov 2014

The changing shape of the asset management industry

by Simon Taylor | posted in: Finance sector, Financial products | 0

The asset management industry is huge, growing in size, especially in Asia, and increasingly dominated by a small number of giant companies. Asset management includes traditional “institutional” investors such as pension funds, insurance companies, mutual funds and money management companies, … Continued

asset management, hedge funds
Why is it so hard to finance new infrastructure?
3 Nov 2014

Why is it so hard to finance new infrastructure?

by Simon Taylor | posted in: Economics, Finance sector | 2

There is a great need for infrastructure investment in both developed and developing countries. The former need both refurbishment of old assets and additional capacity. The latter need lots of new capacity, mainly arising from rapid urbanisation. There is also … Continued

asymmetric information, infrastructure
Why MFin students are a good fit with central banks
26 Oct 2014

Why MFin students are a good fit with central banks

by Simon Taylor | posted in: Admissions, Economics, Finance sector, Financial products, MFin | 1

Central banks, which are the most important financial institutions in most countries, have typically employed lots of economcs graduates in the past. They might benefit from adding a few finance graduates in future. Central banks have responsibility for controlling inflation … Continued

The onward march of the private sector in China
5 Sep 2014

The onward march of the private sector in China

by Simon Taylor | posted in: China, Finance sector | 2

Ahead of a trip next week to Beijing to learn more about the lending business of China Minsheng Bank, I’m encouraged to see that the private sector is already flourishing in China. In December 2013, President Xi Jinping made clear the … Continued

China
Could we do without physical money?
27 Aug 2014

Could we do without physical money?

by Simon Taylor | posted in: Course material, Economics, Finance sector | 6

Physical money is becoming increasingly unnecessary in everyday life. Could it be heading for extinction and does it matter? I’ve just spent three days on holiday in the wonderful city of Copenhagen, using physical cash only once (when the ice cream … Continued

central banks, money

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About

Simon is a member of the finance faculty group at Cambridge Judge Business School. From 2008-18 he was the first Director of the University of Cambridge Master of Finance (MFin) degree, and he is now Director of the University's Global Executive MBA. An economist and former equities analyst at JPMorgan and Citigroup, he teaches on financial markets and institutions, infrastructure finance and the world financial system. He is a Fellow in Economics at St. Catharine's College, Cambridge. His book on nuclear power in the UK was published in March 2016.

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