Sovereign funds - national tensions - future trends?

China, Russia, UAE and other nations buying national assets. Sovereign wealth funds size and growth. Investment policy, transparency, reaction and regulation. National interest and conflict. Controversy. Link to private equity and buyouts. Rescue of banks and financial institutions. Future fund manager decisions and government policies to hold dollar or euro reserves. Switch from dollars to euros. Oil revenues boost sovereign fund wealth. American foreign policy interests. Foreign ownership of utilities, ports, airports, stock exchanges and other national assets. Conference keynote speaker and Futurist Dr Patrick Dixon.

Global brands, mergers and demergers future

Globalisation, mega-mergers and acquisitions. Pressure to show how business units build synergy and shareholder value, or pressure by shareholders and analysts to break up global corporations. Future of large organisations. De-mergers, sell-offs, going private, superbrands. avoiding institutional shareholders. Mega brands and local culture. Conference keynote speaker and Futurist Dr Patrick Dixon.

Mobile phones and banks, banking transactions future trends

Banks will become phone companies and telecom companies will become banks. Mobile payment systems, micropayments, mobile phone credit card transactions and loans. Economic impact of remittances from foreign workers using SMS credit to avoid foreign exchange transaction costs. How biometrics fingerprint technology will allow large mobile phone payments. Commissions and interest charges on loans. Impact of revenues from American Express, Visa, Delta, Access, Mastercard moving to mobile phone transactions. Conference keynote speaker and Futurist Dr Patrick Dixon.

Future of private banking

I was recently with a group of ultra high net worth clients of a major bank, and spoke to them about their future after having had dinner with them the night before.

A question raised as a result of similar conversations with a number of them:

 

What is the wealth for?  Private banking exists to preserve wealth and is successful.  Many clients become wealthier each year – and cannot possibly in their lifetime find enough ways to burn through that wealth faster than it is created.  Much of what they spend is actually saved – for example buying another property or a work of art, both of which appreciate in value.

 

They are often concerned that wealth will wreck their children – so these assets are not being developed for them.  The same applies to the grandchildren.

 

So if the wealth is not for the parents, nor their children, nor their grandchildren – what purpose does it actually have?

 

The answer for many is to make a difference.

 

That is why the vast majority of ultra-wealthy have charitable foundations of their own.

 

Private bankers need to understand this:  their role in future should also cover philanthropic advice – or at least they should be able to offer it as part of the relationship.  This area is a deeply personal one and presents many questions.  If a client wishes to give to a cause, how do they find one that is reliable, cost-effective and so on. 

 

Watch out for many new organisations that are springing up to help fill this need.