2020: The Year In Review
Working capital survey shows digitalisation of P2P and O2C processes
Ahead of the release of a new technical paper on the optimisation of working capital, Redbridge has conducted a survey to assess whether the COVID-19 crisis has changed the dynamics of working capital within European companies. Between mid-February and mid-March 2021, 35 finance managers from major groups responded to a six-question survey, the results of which we present below.
Managing multiple bank accounts shouldn’t be this hard
Watch the live demo of our expert, Dan Gill, presenting our new bank account management solution, HawkeyeBAM, to the four Treasury Dragons.
Digitalization is vital in the monitoring of bank fees
A software package’s ability to provide relevant analysis of cash management fees depends on the vendor’s knowledge about how each bank builds its account analysis statements, says Gaëlle Parquic, Associate Director at Redbridge Analytics.
The PGE has a major role to play in a post-crisis funding structure
In January, French Treasury and the French banks agreed to offer companies that raised a PGE (prêt garanti par l’Etat — French State Guaranteed Loan) an additional one-year deferred amortization. Muriel Nahmias, Senior Director Debt Advisory at Redbridge, provides an update on this grace period and the options for extending PGEs.
The impact of Brexit on card acceptance costs
Since 2007 the EU has had a single payments market, with common rules and limits on card fees. As a result of Brexit, the UK no longer comes under EU regulations, and both card schemes and card issuers are free to increase the fees they charge on card transactions between the European Economic Area (EEA) and the UK, and on domestic transactions in the UK. Higher charges could represent a significant burden for merchants at a time when the retail sector is facing unprecedented pressure.
“We always wanted to be prepared for the worst-case scenario”, Arnaud Winkelmann – Compagnie des Alpes
On 4 March, Redbridge chatted to Arnaud Winkelmann, Director of Finance and Treasury at Compagnie des Alpes, about financing and cash management in times of crisis. On the agenda were financing strategy, state-backed loans, waivers, savings, electronic payments and cash management.
Europe sets the course for the retail payments of tomorrow
In September 2020, the European Commission identified its priorities for retail payments in Europe for the next four years. Analysis by Mélina Le Sauze, Director – Treasury Advisory.
Virtual Accounts: The Good, the Bad, and the Fuzzy
Virtual bank accounts (VBAs), or rather the idea of virtual bank accounts, has been trending for many years now, with major global banks heavily investing and preaching to convert their customers. But are virtual bank accounts really the miracle solution that treasurers across the world have been waiting for? And if so, why is the current adoption rate still so low?
LIBOR rates: transition has begun
Simon Berta details the different impacts of the LIBOR’s replacement in credit facilities, whether they are existing credit facilities with maturities spanning over 2021 and beyond, or new facilities to be implemented this year.
“We had an immediate return on investment on our bank fee monitoring software”, Frédéric Capraro – RTL Group
Frédéric Capraro, Senior Project Manager for Treasury at RTL Group, presents how our Redbridge Analytics fintech helps his organization to visualize, control and reduce bank charges on a daily basis.
Treasury Key topics in 2021
While the massive roll-out of vaccines against Covid is raising hopes that the ongoing global health crisis will soon be resolved, there’s still considerable uncertainty about the long-term consequences of the pandemic on the economy. CFOs and treasurers will need to be resilient and act with rigour, innovation and boldness to seize the opportunities to be found in 2021.
Farewell 2020: a look back at our best articles
As we bid farewell to what was a year like no other, we look back at some of our articles from last year that provided our innovative points of view on matters related to finance and treasury.
The NEU CP market: the place to be, but what’s the best way to access it?
If you use the NEU CP market, you can stop drawing on your bank lines, keep them as backstop lines, and issue commercial paper at a zero or even a negative rate and at very low cost in terms of legal documentation, writes Muriel Nahmias, senior director at Redbridge.
Transitions in the global payments market
The world often appears large and disconnected, with differences of religion, culture, language and currency that reinforce our independence. Despite these perceived differences, we are, in reality, linked closely together. Our points of connectivity expand with each technological advancement –write Justin DiCioccio, Redbridge Senior Analyst, and Constance Veron, Redbridge Associate Director.
“Switching banks was the right decision”, Olivier Bouillaud – Albéa
Packaging specialist Albéa has completely redesigned the local organization of its financing and treasury operations in the United States. Interview with the Group’s finance and treasury director, Olivier Bouillaud.