There is a branch of Barclay’s Bank opposite our office in Wimbledon High Street with a lovely statue over the front door. Dating from Victorian times, it shows the Spirit of Banking.
Ms Banking (her name is carved on the globe she is standing on) has a cash tray on her lap. A cherub representing savers pours money into it, and she doles out the cash to another cherub, representing entrepreneurs. A simple model ? she gets in money, and lends it out. When the cash tray is empty, lending stops. When it fills again, loans resume. No derivatives, no securitisation, no subprime or self-certified mortgages.
Let’s hope the G20’s new world order involves a return to the old, robust model.
Posted in ASR News