Google is cracking down on financial-scam adverts in the UK, but will it work? Campaigner Mark Taber tells us what needs to be done to stem the millions of pounds lost to bogus investment schemes each year. It was reported this week that the financial regulator has banned one of the biggest crypto currency exchanges from operating in the UK. Jannah Patchay, founder of Markets Evolution, and Jason Deane – a consultant for Luno, explain why those reports were wrong. Park Christmas Savings, one of ...
Jul 03, 2021•30 min
Would you like to generate your electricity through a local, renewable energy project rather than buying it from a big supplier? In this episode, Adam Shaw and guests consider the costs and practicalities of setting up and running community-led energy projects, do such initiatives make financial and environmental sense? Joining Adam are: Jodie Giles, head of community and local energy at Regen Tanuja Pandit, director of Power Up North London Steve Shaw, the director of Power for People If you've...
Jun 30, 2021•36 min
Should the government force banks to guarantee everyone access to cash? Age UK warns that despite the rise of digital payments, millions of people still rely on cash and the charity says it should be seen as an essential service - like electricity, water, or the post. Barclays bank is to repay millions of pounds to customers miss-sold loans to pay for a timeshare scheme in Malta, but hundreds of others say they should be getting their money back too. The UK’s biggest insurance firm and a major h...
Jun 26, 2021•25 min
Arranging your wedding or civil partnership during Covid can be very tricky, especially as rules and restrictions change. But what are your rights if your plans are disrupted? Can you cancel and get a refund if your guest numbers are cut, you're told not to dance, or people - perhaps close family - are not able to attend because of changes to rules? Should you expect to be able to postpone without penalty? Can venues hang on to part of what you've paid up front? Is there any point in getting wed...
Jun 23, 2021•29 min
Thousands of people are struggling to complete the purchase of their new home before a big rise in Stamp Duty begins on the first of July in most of the UK. High street banks are told they are wrongly denying compensation to victims of fraud and they’ve been given a timetable to change their procedures. And grieving families could be paying hundreds of pounds too much for a funeral because firms do not display their prices clearly. Presenter: Paul Lewis Reporter: Dan Whitworth Production Co-ordi...
Jun 19, 2021•26 min
Low interest rates on savings has made many people consider putting money built up during the pandemic into stocks and shares in the hope of higher returns. But what do you need to know BEFORE you make that first trade? We explore the risks, how to navigate the jargon and - most importantly - whether this type of investment is really for you. Do you have an experience you'd like to share? Email us: [email protected]. Expert panel: - Susannah Streeter, Senior investment and markets analyst, Harg...
Jun 16, 2021•28 min
Bitcoin or Britcoin? The Bank of England has published the results of its consultation on creating a new central bank digital currency – and also the prospect of regulating other commercial digital currencies – so-called “safecoin”. We hear from the Bank’s deputy governor, Sir Jon Cunliffe and from cryptocurrency expert Kate Baucherel. Four years after the Grenfell Tower fire in which 72 people died, leaseholders living in tower blocks affected by the cladding crisis have started receiving and p...
Jun 12, 2021•28 min
Pubs, bars, cafes and restaurants in England Wales, Northern Ireland and parts of Scotland are now open for indoor business. But there’s growing concern about the numbers of vacancies across the hospitality sector. According to trade body UK Hospitality there is a shortfall of almost 200,000 workers. If you run a hospitality business, how difficult are you finding it to get staff? Are you a worker who’s left the sector to look for employment elsewhere? Let us know your experience: [email protected]...
Jun 09, 2021•29 min
Children’s Commissioner for Wales Professor Sally Holland explains why she, along with the Commissioners for Scotland and Northern Ireland, want the DWP to drop a Universal Credit entitlement rule introduced by the coalition government in 2017. It only provides support for a maximum of two children with a few specific exceptions. Money Box reporter Joice Etutu hears from some of the thousands of people who have received random cheques from HSBC Banking Group. Amounts vary from tens to thousands ...
Jun 05, 2021•25 min
What are you rights when making a complaint? How do you make sure you escalate your grievance to the right person? What difference can social media make in getting your grumble seen and sorted? Adam Shaw is joined by Martyn James from Resolver, a free, independent issue resolution service. and Alicia Alinia , Managing Director, Consumer Legal Services at the law firm, Slater & Gordon. Producer Smita Patel Editor Alex Lewis
Jun 02, 2021•29 min
A Money Box listener has been refused work by two employers because he was unable to provide his National Insurance Number despite the Department for Work and Pensions saying individuals can start work without one. Last year we reported that people coming to the UK with the right to work weren’t able to obtain a National Insurance Number because the government had stopped issuing them. People can now apply - but that process takes up to 16 weeks and trying to get work in the meantime can be toug...
May 29, 2021•25 min
Apprenticeships allow you to earn money as you study for qualifications and gain practical experience on the job. There's a wide range of careers and industries to choose from but a recent Ofsted report said that 10% of apprenticeships are inadequate, so how do you find a good quality scheme to help you develop the skills you need to succeed? On Wednesday's programme Adam Shaw speaks to apprentices and employers about their experiences and ambitions and we'd love to hear from you too. If you're ...
May 29, 2021•27 min
One in four of us is considering buying an electric car, according to the energy regulator Ofgem. So, what are the finances of going electric? They often cost more to buy but the claim is that they can be cheaper to run. Adam Shaw and guests discuss the cost of buying, insuring, charging an electric vehicle and the tax breaks you get if you buy or lease an electric car through a business? Adam is joined by Ginny Buckley, founder of electrifying.com, an electric car advice site & Hayley Jay, ...
May 26, 2021•29 min
Financial firms are being told they will be forced to treat their customers better under plans by the regulator for a new “Consumer Duty”. It will set down a higher level of consumer protection that firms will have to follow. The consultation on the plans has just been published and the new rules should be in force by the middle of next year. Paul Lewis talks to Nisha Arora, Director of Consumer and Retail Policy at the Financial Conduct Authority. Money Box continues to get complaints from cust...
May 22, 2021•33 min
Buying a house with a mortgage is one of the biggest commitments we make in life. The pandemic has seen households managing lower, unpredictable incomes with furlough and government grants on offer. What effect has that had on lenders and their decisions to approve or decline applications? If you’re trying to get one or switch to a better deal - how are you finding it? What new mortgage products are banks and building societies now offering borrowers? Charmaine Cozier is joined by: Runouska Dass...
May 19, 2021•29 min
Many people on Disability Living Allowance are rejected when they are assessed for the newer benefit Personal Independence Payment (PIP). Paul Lewis hears about some of the experiences of claiming PIP and discusses with Daphne Hall, vice chair of the National Association of Welfare Rights Advisers and Dr Jim McCormick, chair of the Disability and Carers Benefits Advisory Group. More than 100,000 couples in the UK divorce each year — around 40% of marriages. It is over 20 years since divorcing co...
May 15, 2021•27 min
Last year families spent nearly £7 billion on their furry friends. Pet ownership has soared and so has the number of services on offer for the modern-day pooch. Felicity Hannah and guests discuss the rising costs of buying a pet, keeping it well & safe, whether to insure it and the demand to cater for all their needs from luxury food to care day. Producer Smita Patel Editor Alex Lewis
May 12, 2021•29 min
Mortgage providers are refusing to follow new guidance intended to help hundreds of thousands of people who are unable to sell or re-mortgage their flats because of the cladding crisis. The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, RICS, issued the guidance to its members across the UK just two months ago. But Money Box has learned that despite being involved in preparing the guidance, many lenders aren’t following it - leaving people struggling to sell because buyers can’t borrow the money they...
May 08, 2021•30 min
The Covid-19 pandemic has placed a huge amount of pressure on banks and customers alike. How have you - and your bank or building society - adapted? Felicity Hannah and guests explore how the Covid-19 pandemic has reshaped the way we manage our money and whether those changes are here to stay. E-mail [email protected] with your personal banking stories, questions and experiences. Have you changed your banking habits? Has your access to support, products or services altered? What is your bank or...
May 05, 2021•32 min
9 in 10 of us use direct debits to pay some or all of our regular bills. 4.5 billion payments were processed in the UK in 2019. It’s a simple way to pay - you sign a mandate with a business or organisation and they take agreed amounts on a specified date. They come with a guarantee which protects you if payments are taken mistakenly. Or at least that’s what a Money Box listener thought when a payment for his gym membership went wrong. Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum have soared in val...
May 01, 2021•33 min
Adam Shaw looks at dementia and money. Producer Smita Patel Editor Alex Lewis
Apr 28, 2021•32 min
The regulator Ofcom tells Money Box people shouldn’t trust Caller ID. It says the spoofing of numbers can be stopped, but to do so will take years. Spoofing has been used by fraudsters to convince thousands of people they are being called by banks or HMRC and trick them into handing over tens of thousands of pounds. It's more than two years since the collapse of London Capital and Finance where investors lost £237m. This week the government announced a new scheme in which almost 9,000 people wil...
Apr 24, 2021•25 min
Have you been tempted by a quick cash win, a jackpot prize or the challenge of finding a winning betting strategy? There are many forms of gambling available online and in person to engage and entertain us but when does a gambling hobby become a personal and financial problem? On Wednesday's Money Box Live Charmaine Cozier and guests explore the enticements that lure you in, lead to compulsion and where to get help. What are the symptoms of problem gambling and the steps to recovery? Joining Cha...
Apr 21, 2021•29 min
The Loan Charge All-Party Parliamentary Group has called on the Government to take urgent action to address the exploitation of some contractors, in a new report. MPs are also demanding a government-backed independent review into how the contracting market operates, to ensure contractors are paid and taxed fairly for the work they do. Paul talks to an IT project manager who barely avoided bankruptcy after an unexpected six-figure tax bill and Ruth Cadbury, co-chair of the Loan Charge APPG Group....
Apr 17, 2021•33 min
Working from home is changing the way we think about where we base our life and careers, but how remote can we be from our business or office? Can you live and work hundreds of miles away from your employer and what could that mean for your personal life and finances or for the company you work for? Whether you’re an employee or an employer we’d love to hear from you, e-mail [email protected] now with your thoughts, questions and experiences. Joining the conversation with presenter Felicity Han...
Apr 14, 2021•37 min
More than 200 pensioners responded to a request to tell us how much their state pension was. They were nearly all different amounts. Next week the basic pension is rising to £137.60 a week and the new state pension paid to younger pensioners to £179.60. But those are amounts that hardly anyone actually gets. So why are pensions - the old and the new - so complicated? Who better to answer that than two former pensions ministers. Sir Steve Webb had that job throughout the years of the coalition go...
Apr 10, 2021•37 min
There’s been a rise in the number of divorces according to the Office for National Statistics along with predictions that even more couples will split as a result of the coronavirus crisis. Many law firms are reporting huge spikes in the number of separations during the pandemic. Plans for new “no fault” divorce rules are due to come in in the next few months and will abolish the need to blame one of the parties when pursuing a divorce. But what happens to the finances during all of this? What i...
Apr 07, 2021•34 min
Fancy earning interest on a £10,000 loan? We’ll find out about what negative interest rates mean for consumers in Denmark and what might happen if they were introduced here. Felicity Hannah talks to Niels Arne Dam, Chief Economist at Finance Denmark and Paul Pester, former CEO of TSB and currently the chair of research and ratings agency Fairer Finance. Women’s finances have been hit harder than men’s by the Covid crisis, so could that risk a widening wealth gap and how do we fix it? Maike Curri...
Apr 03, 2021•36 min
All too often we hear about fraudsters using the phone to trick victims into handing over thousands or tens of thousands of pounds and destroying lives in the process. But how often to we get to hear an actual recording of these criminals in action? We play a recording of a fraud call in progress because a criminal made the terrible mistake of calling our Money Box reporter Dan Whitworth. Paul Lewis talks to Graeme Biggar, Director General of National Economic Crime Centre for the National Crime...
Mar 27, 2021•46 min
A recent report by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) found that the coronavirus pandemic has driven more people into financial vulnerability. More adults in the UK have fallen into debt or have little capacity to ride out financial shocks, the FCA said. While furlough, other support grants and the Universal Credit uplift have helped many people avoid money problems, concerns are growing over the financial damage from multiple lockdowns, job losses, lower earnings and redundancies. How are pe...
Mar 24, 2021•34 min
