Diary of a private banker

James Whittaker, one of the power players in the UK ultra-HNW sector started his new job at Deutsche Bank this month, sparking gossip among chums about the likely future management hierarchy at its private banking arm in London.

Standard Chartered, a banking group which seems to do strategic about-turns more quickly than Boris Johnson and pals think up a new Covid policy, is considering rolling up much of its private banking business in London, writes Freddie Pooter.

What a heart-warming fairy story is the romance between the lovely Vestra and the handsome prince of a wealthy royal family.

What a dreadful bore this whole Covid-19 flu thing is becoming. For the beastly bug has now dared to infect our dear Royal Family, at least in financial terms.

What a hiring opportunity. Two distinguished wealth experts, namely Warwick Newbury and colleague James Fleming, may well shortly become available via the sits. vacant columns.

Well, what to make of the initiative by Coutts & Co to cut advice costs with a new fixed fee structure, one that takes it down nearly to those charged by the robo-advisers.

A very warm welcome to a lass from one of our dearest colonies in the tasteful form of Annabel Spring, an Aussie who had just become chief executive of HSBC global private bank.

An old City saw has it that the stock market always finds out who you really are. In other words, people who just dabble in equities and who are impetuous, don’t tend to think things through or who are basically thoughtless gamblers soon take a tumble.

Clever Goldman Sachs, always the sharpest knife in the financial drawer, is setting up a family office venture for its own wealthy partners. It will also be open to the bank’s clients as well.

I am completely in awe of the utter brilliance of UBS, which has struck upon a sure-fire winner to get its bankers back in their offices.