Hi everyone,
It may not quite be night yet, although it has been a long day, but certainly you will think me a stranger!
I can't actually remember when I did a blog last - anyway I'm here now, with the bold Mr Downey having earlier fled to go on holiday for a week. Lucky swine! (apologies to lovers of all things porcine ).
It's all go you know at the hive of industry that is the CIOBS! No, I'm deadly serious.
What with 3,716 Chartered Banker packs being sent out this week. Hopefully these will be sent to Chartered Bankers by our distributors - that would be good.
Also, after months of trials and tribulations, we finally managed to publish our first online e-revision module, Customer Relationship Management to the web. For those members, you can find these via the Members and Students section, then going to Online Support and then Tutorials. For non-members, hard luck, really! Just join us and experience the delights!!
Also, we had the results of our most recent customer survey this week. Pretty good, albeit one member wants videos introducing the CIOBS - that would definitely be one for the horror shelf....aaaarrrggghhh!!
Next week six lucky people will have the pleasure of my company on Monday and Tuesday for the next UK Financial Services, Regulation and Ethics course. Bet they can't wait!! I can.
When I say "I can", I would hate for you to get the wrong idea, I really love course delivery!! But the weekend will soon be upon us and quite frankly, it beats working!! If you don't think so, what a saddo....
Anyway, I'm sorry, I really need to go now. Two students have just emailed in (that's true actually) looking for some urgent questions to be answered by close of play, lest they cannot sleep at night!
The life of a CIOBS employee may be a happy one, but it's quite busy too!!
Hey ho!!!
If I get time I'll be back next week.
BFN (that's bye for now for those under 69).
Raymond
Friday, 28 November 2008
Thursday, 20 November 2008
Failte Alba
Hi and welcome to the CIOBS blog.
Yes a bit of Gaelic in the heading this week and Scots Gaelic at that! Yesterday we welcomed a new group of Chartered Banker students to Drumsheugh House for an Introductory Session and two of the group had never been to Scotland before!
We gave them a guid Scots welcome. Haste ye back as they say!
Well what a week it has been never a dull moment and I am typing this before heading to a morning and early afternoon of meetings.
I can't wait!
Here's a bit of late news that was not covered in this week's news podcast.
Official figures show that UK inflation fell in October from a 16-year high,as oil and transport costs - as well as food prices - fell.
The Consumer Prices Index (CPI) measure dropped to 4.5% from 5.2% in September.
The Office for National Statistics says the month-on-month fall in the CPI figure is the biggest drop in 16 years.
The Retail Prices Index, (RPI) the alternative measure of inflation, which includes housing costs, fell from 5% to 4.2%, the biggest fall since 2003.
The RPI measure is sometimes referred to as the "headline" rate of inflation, and is often used for agreeing pay settlements,or calculating the uprating of benefits such as pensions.
Meanwhile,core inflation, which excludes volatile items such as energy, food, alcohol and tobacco, fell from the series high of 2.2% in September to 1.9%.
The CPI fall was the biggest since August last year.
"The largest downward pressure on the CPI annual rate came from transport costs where the price of fuels and lubricants fell this year but rose last year," said the ONS.
The Bank of England has said inflation could fall below its target of 2% next year - and might drop as low as 1%.
This year, the UK economy shrank for the first time since 1992 - falling by 0.5% in the third quarter of 2008.
This led the Bank of England to lower its key Bank Rate in October by 1.5 percentage points - to 3% from 4.5% - its lowest level since 1955.
With commodity prices falling and the economy shrinking fast, inflation is going to undershoot the 2% target by the middle of next year
Mervyn King, the Governor of the Bank of England, says it is now "very likely'' that the UK's retail price index will turn negative next year.
The Bank is expected to cut rates again in December, say economists, perhaps by a full percentage point to 2%, a level not seen since the 1930s.
A short period of deflation - where prices fall rather than rise - would not be a disaster, but a longer period of falling prices might be, say economists.
In prolonged periods of deflation, consumers hold off buying goods, reckoning they will be cheaper later on, according to economic theory.
This can lead to further falls in demand and output.
As firms sell less,they respond by cutting jobs or cutting wages.
Overall, consumers then have less money to spend - and demand falls yet again.
Some good stuff there for student members!
Michael (An deflated blog this week)
Yes a bit of Gaelic in the heading this week and Scots Gaelic at that! Yesterday we welcomed a new group of Chartered Banker students to Drumsheugh House for an Introductory Session and two of the group had never been to Scotland before!
We gave them a guid Scots welcome. Haste ye back as they say!
Well what a week it has been never a dull moment and I am typing this before heading to a morning and early afternoon of meetings.
I can't wait!
Here's a bit of late news that was not covered in this week's news podcast.
Official figures show that UK inflation fell in October from a 16-year high,as oil and transport costs - as well as food prices - fell.
The Consumer Prices Index (CPI) measure dropped to 4.5% from 5.2% in September.
The Office for National Statistics says the month-on-month fall in the CPI figure is the biggest drop in 16 years.
The Retail Prices Index, (RPI) the alternative measure of inflation, which includes housing costs, fell from 5% to 4.2%, the biggest fall since 2003.
The RPI measure is sometimes referred to as the "headline" rate of inflation, and is often used for agreeing pay settlements,or calculating the uprating of benefits such as pensions.
Meanwhile,core inflation, which excludes volatile items such as energy, food, alcohol and tobacco, fell from the series high of 2.2% in September to 1.9%.
The CPI fall was the biggest since August last year.
"The largest downward pressure on the CPI annual rate came from transport costs where the price of fuels and lubricants fell this year but rose last year," said the ONS.
The Bank of England has said inflation could fall below its target of 2% next year - and might drop as low as 1%.
This year, the UK economy shrank for the first time since 1992 - falling by 0.5% in the third quarter of 2008.
This led the Bank of England to lower its key Bank Rate in October by 1.5 percentage points - to 3% from 4.5% - its lowest level since 1955.
With commodity prices falling and the economy shrinking fast, inflation is going to undershoot the 2% target by the middle of next year
Mervyn King, the Governor of the Bank of England, says it is now "very likely'' that the UK's retail price index will turn negative next year.
The Bank is expected to cut rates again in December, say economists, perhaps by a full percentage point to 2%, a level not seen since the 1930s.
A short period of deflation - where prices fall rather than rise - would not be a disaster, but a longer period of falling prices might be, say economists.
In prolonged periods of deflation, consumers hold off buying goods, reckoning they will be cheaper later on, according to economic theory.
This can lead to further falls in demand and output.
As firms sell less,they respond by cutting jobs or cutting wages.
Overall, consumers then have less money to spend - and demand falls yet again.
Some good stuff there for student members!
Michael (An deflated blog this week)
Thursday, 13 November 2008
Ellan Vannin
Fastyr mie and welcome to this special blog.
Yes, you have guessed correctly I have been on my travels again and you are correct again - a bit of Manx to start us off this week.
I arrived at the offices of a well known organisation in the Isle of Man yesterday just in time to meet all the staff coming out to welcome me.
Well, in fact the fire alarm had gone off if the truth be told.
Hello to you all over there in Ellan Vannin.
As promised I have tried a bit of Manx this week!
All this after a visit to Airdrie on Monday too!
And there's more.
Saturday sees the Institute's annual graduation ceremony taking place at the Bute Hall, Glasgow University. This is a very important event in the CIOBS calendar and a time for celebration for graduands, prizewinners and fellows.
Congratulations to you all.
Next Wednesday sees a (very large) group of new students arriving at Drumsheugh House for an introductory session as they begin their Chartered Banker studies.
We look forward to welcoming you all. I cannot promise that all of the CIOBS staff will be out on the street to greet you though!
I can confirm that both the graduation and introductory sessions will be conducted in English - our Manx isn't that good!
Michael ( Well travelled)
Yes, you have guessed correctly I have been on my travels again and you are correct again - a bit of Manx to start us off this week.
I arrived at the offices of a well known organisation in the Isle of Man yesterday just in time to meet all the staff coming out to welcome me.
Well, in fact the fire alarm had gone off if the truth be told.
Hello to you all over there in Ellan Vannin.
As promised I have tried a bit of Manx this week!
All this after a visit to Airdrie on Monday too!
And there's more.
Saturday sees the Institute's annual graduation ceremony taking place at the Bute Hall, Glasgow University. This is a very important event in the CIOBS calendar and a time for celebration for graduands, prizewinners and fellows.
Congratulations to you all.
Next Wednesday sees a (very large) group of new students arriving at Drumsheugh House for an introductory session as they begin their Chartered Banker studies.
We look forward to welcoming you all. I cannot promise that all of the CIOBS staff will be out on the street to greet you though!
I can confirm that both the graduation and introductory sessions will be conducted in English - our Manx isn't that good!
Michael ( Well travelled)
Friday, 7 November 2008
A Friday update
Hi Everyone.
Some news regarding the on-line examination facility.
Examination Dates – December 2008 and January 2009.
The last date for examinations is Thursday 18 December 2008
On-line examinations will begin again on Wednesday 7 January 2009.
Please Note:
There will be no siitings at Strathclyde University during January 2009. The first sitting there will be on Thursday 5 February 2009.
To accommodate this additional sittings have been made available in Edinburgh on Thursdays 8th,22nd and 29th January 2009.
This message was brought to you at the request of Peter Moir.
Kind Regards
Michael (Peter's delivery channel)
Some news regarding the on-line examination facility.
Examination Dates – December 2008 and January 2009.
The last date for examinations is Thursday 18 December 2008
On-line examinations will begin again on Wednesday 7 January 2009.
Please Note:
There will be no siitings at Strathclyde University during January 2009. The first sitting there will be on Thursday 5 February 2009.
To accommodate this additional sittings have been made available in Edinburgh on Thursdays 8th,22nd and 29th January 2009.
This message was brought to you at the request of Peter Moir.
Kind Regards
Michael (Peter's delivery channel)
Thursday, 6 November 2008
The times they are a changing (again!)
Welcome to the first CIOBS Academy blog of November. I hope you are all well.
As we move into the new month, The USA has a new president and of course here in the U.K. the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee has made a one-and-a-half percentage point cut in UK interest rates to 3%, the lowest level since 1955.
Do any of you out there remember 1955?
I can certainly remember interest rates of 13% in the middle 80's, yes, the 1980's just case you ask.
The interest rate cut today follows an emergency cut in rates last month from 5% to 4.5%.
The cut was followed by the European Central Bank lowering its eurozone interest rates from 3.75% to 3.25%.
So what is Mr. Brown saying about all these goings on then? Well Unfortunately Gordon was unavailable for comment and more importantly Raymond is on holiday this week!
The great man will return next week and Gordon's movements will be well documented in the press.
Talking of next week, I am out and about, starting in Airdrie on Monday, the Isle of Man Wednesday and Thursday and the week ends with the annual CIOBS graduation ceremony which takes place at the Bute Hall, Glasgow University on Saturday 14th November.
Michael (Forever Young)
As we move into the new month, The USA has a new president and of course here in the U.K. the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee has made a one-and-a-half percentage point cut in UK interest rates to 3%, the lowest level since 1955.
Do any of you out there remember 1955?
I can certainly remember interest rates of 13% in the middle 80's, yes, the 1980's just case you ask.
The interest rate cut today follows an emergency cut in rates last month from 5% to 4.5%.
The cut was followed by the European Central Bank lowering its eurozone interest rates from 3.75% to 3.25%.
So what is Mr. Brown saying about all these goings on then? Well Unfortunately Gordon was unavailable for comment and more importantly Raymond is on holiday this week!
The great man will return next week and Gordon's movements will be well documented in the press.
Talking of next week, I am out and about, starting in Airdrie on Monday, the Isle of Man Wednesday and Thursday and the week ends with the annual CIOBS graduation ceremony which takes place at the Bute Hall, Glasgow University on Saturday 14th November.
Michael (Forever Young)
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