Online Banking Report Publishes "2009 Planning Guide for Online and Mobile Banking

Online Banking Report has published its 14th annual planning issue entitled 2009 Planning Guide for Online and Mobile Banking: Doing More with Less. The focus this year is helping financial institutions navigate through the strangest business planning cycle in six decades. While much of the road to recovery is outside the control of financial institutions, this report focuses on the many opportunities for smart and nimble players to gain ground.

The 2009 Planning Guide highlights how technology and online techniques magnify the impact of shrinking budgets while supporting marketing efforts to increase brand confidence. The report includes more than 1,000 ideas, tactics and tips for increasing market share, customer engagement, and revenues from consumers and small- and micro-businesses.

Also included is a summary of 20 projects that provide the best bang for your buck next year and beyond and a 12-page section on pricing online services and transactions.

This exclusive research is available only from Online Banking Report and is a must-read for any financial institution. It can be downloaded immediately after purchase at www.onlinebankingreport.com.

SAfrican finance minister available for new govt

South Africa's Finance Minister Trevor Manuel, who resigned Tuesday along with 10 other cabinet members, is available to serve in the new administration, his spokesman told AFP.

"Manuel has always made it clear that he is available to assist in whatever capacity the new administration requires him to," said Thoraya Pandy.

"As an Mbeki appointee he is duty bound to step down out of respect for him." Pandy added.

Manuel has handled the finance portfolio since the birth of the country's democratic government in 1994 and is widely respected for applying the micro-economic policies responsible credited for South Africa's growth.

Before the announcement, the rand was trading at 7.98 to the US dollar. After the revelation that Manuel was going, it slipped to 8.16, according to SA Stock Exchange data.

"Manuel's resignation came as a shock to the markets. It is not just his resignation, but the whole lot of others who went with him," said Kevin Lings, an economist with Stanlib Asset Management.

"The fact that he has made himself available does not guarantee that he will be re-appointed.

Paulson Shorts 4 of 5 Largest U.K. Finance Companies

Paulson & Co., whose main hedge fund made a sixfold return last year betting on a collapse in U.S. subprime mortgages, said it's wagering four of the U.K.'s five largest financial-services stocks will decline.

Paulson has short positions of 0.95 percent in HBOS Plc, the U.K. largest mortgage lender, and 1.76 percent in HBOS acquirer Lloyds TSB Group Plc, the New York-based hedge fund said today in separate statements. Paulson also said it's short 1.18 percent of Barclays Plc, which is buying a portion of bankrupt Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc., and 0.87 percent of Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc.

The disclosures were required under rules pushed through by the U.K.'s Financial Services Authority last week. John Paulson, founder of the $35 billion hedge fund, in June said banks will need to write down about $1.3 trillion from the subprime crisis after more than $522 billion in losses and writedowns so far.

``Paulson & Co. empathizes with financial firms as to the difficult positions in which many find themselves,'' Paulson & Co. said in a statement distributed by PRNewswire. ``We support the FSA's desire to establish fair trading practices and to eliminate fraud and market manipulation. We will continue to comply with the FSA's requirements.''

The FSA's emergency measures were introduced after politicians and some investors blamed short sellers for a plunge in HBOS's market value last week before it agreed to a takeover by Lloyds TSB. Under the rules, no new short positions can be taken in U.K.-listed financial services companies. While existing short positions don't have to be closed, they can't be increased.

Not HSBC

``Our short positions are taken on a passive basis the success of which will be determined by the merits of the particular company,'' the statement said.

HSBC Holdings Plc, the U.K.'s largest financial services company, is the only one of the five biggest that Paulson didn't disclose it was shorting.

Short selling is when investors sell shares they have borrowed on the hope the price will fall. If it does, they buy back the shares at a lower price, return them to their owners, and pocket the difference.