With an average GDP per capita higher than any other country in Central and South America, Trinidad and Tobago has built its economic might on the back of its oil and gas resources. However, the Caribbean country is now looking to diversify its economy, and key to this is the establishment of an IFC.
Brazil's private banking business had a wake-up call in 2013 when a stalling economy triggered a slowdown in its growth, increasing competition and forcing banks to look beyond their existing customer base. Now, armed with new strategies and a wider range of products, can Brazil's private banks finally exploit the full potential of this vast and wealthy market?
Scotiabank intends to expand its domestic credit card business, despite record levels of household debt in Canada. It also wants to push retail operations in Latin America, a region where economic growth has been largely disappointing in recent years. Chief executive Brian Porter explains the rationale behind what may sound to some like a risky plan.
Recent years have seen private banks hit by heavy regulation, fines and spiralling compliance costs, all of which have taken their toll on profits and brand value. As banking groups redefine their exposure to wealth management across the world, will private banking become a game better played by local and specialised names?
The tapering of the US Federal reserve's quantitative easing programme and a higher interest rates environment are mopping up liquidity from emerging markets, separating the top-in-class from the current-account-bingers. How does Latin America fare?