Money Box

The UK government has announced a package of reforms designed to boost pensions and increase investment in British businesses. A panel of experts explore the impact of this on your pots and what it could mean for your retirement. The experts in this podcast are Nigel Peaple, Director of Policy and Research at the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association (PLSA) and Alice Guy, Head of Pensions and...

A “staggering failure” is how one senior MP has described a government scheme designed to help nearly a million households with their energy bills last winter. Former SNP and now independent MP Angus MacNeil, who's Chair of Parliament’s Energy Security and Net Zero committee, has called on the government to reopen the scheme after a Money Box investigation reported that 750,000 eligible households...

Millions of people are booking their holidays right now, but with hundreds of flights already cancelled and the threat of air traffic control strikes looming, how do you fight for your rights if your travel plans get disrupted? What's the best way to manage your money overseas? And how is the cost of living impacting people's plans if you are lucky enough to be getting away? The experts in this po...

New data shows more than 700,000 households across Great Britain have missed out on £300 million worth of support with their energy bills. The government said in February 900,000 households were eligible to apply for a one-off £400 payment because they did not have an energy supplier that would apply it automatically. The government said it had spent more than £50m 'supporting households without a...

Bank bosses are being asked to explain why interest rates on savings aren't keeping up with the rising cost of borrowing. The heads of Lloyds, HSBC, NatWest and Barclays banks will meet the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) on Thursday. Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has already stepped in to tell banks to put up rates for savers. At the moment the Bank of England base rate is 5 per cent, following last m...

The Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has stepped in to tell banks to put up the rates paid to savers after the Bank of England raised the official Bank Rate to 5%. Many mortgage rates went up at once and more have been increased this week, but the rates paid on savings by the banks have not followed them. The gap between the two has almost doubled from December 2021. We hear from Gillian who runs a business...

Amidst a cost of living crisis, almost 9 in 10 young adults say that simply having enough money to cover their basic needs is classed as aspirational, according to a survey by the children's charity Barnardo's. We hear about some of the financial pressures burdening young people - from renting, to food costs and car expenses. In this podcast, BBC Newsbeat's Cost of Living Reporter, Sam Gruet, join...

Rising interest rates are putting pressure on those homeowners with variable mortgages, or with fixed terms due to end this year. The Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has met with the big banks to discuss the forbearance options lenders can offer to customers in difficulty. We discuss the long term financial implications of options such as payment deferrals, extending the length of the mortgage or switching...

The average interest rate charged by mortgage lenders is now much higher than many homeowners have been used to. So what can those struggling to make repayments do - and what if any help should lenders provide? The experts in this podcast are Charles Roe, Director of Mortgages at UK Finance, Andrew Wishart, Senior Economist at Capital Economist and Rita Kohli, Managing Director at The Mortgage Sto...

On June 12th, HMRC closed its self assessment tax helpline - a helpline that last summer people tried to call over a million times. Instead, it's directing people who want advice or who need help with their online self assessments to its digital services. HMRC says this is a pilot for a new seasonal model and that it will reopen in September. It says the plan will free up staff time to deal with u...

A prolific cyber crime gang has stolen personal data belonging to more than 100,000 employees. It's a mass hack which has impacted organisations globally. In the hands of criminals, your personal data can be used to make cloned credit cards, buy phone plans, falsely claim government benefits and even take out a mortgage, for which you can become liable. In this podcast, we discuss how you can try...

Changes to how families of disabled children can access UK government-backed trust funds have been announced. Currently, parents and carers of 18-year-olds who lack mental capacity have to apply to the Court of Protection to access the money. The Ministry of Justice says claims will now be dealt with in eight weeks - rather than six months. We'll hear from Mike Freer the Minister for Courts and Le...

House prices have fallen by 1% compared with a year ago – the first drop since 2012 (Halifax) and as inflation remains high, lenders are increasing the cost of mortgage borrowing. But what do these changes in the housing market mean for anyone who dreams of owning their own home, for people trying to move up the ladder or those thinking about equity release? The experts in this podcast are Tim Ban...

Mortgages are back in the headlines this week, with the news that hundreds of deals are being pulled from the market. Since the start of last week, the total number of mortgage products on the market has fallen by 11.3% according to new figures from Money Facts. We'll discuss this with Sonya Matharu, Senior Mortgage Broker with The Mortgage Mum. There are calls to simplify and reform the tax free...

The Financial Conduct Authority is concerned that young people in particular are turning to bloggers and influencers for investing advice - without fully understanding the risks. Scammers are also using social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and TikTok to target people, as the cost of living pushes people to look for high return investments. In this podcast, we discuss what red f...

The Chief Executive of the Association of British Credit Unions has told Money Box his members are seeing more people applying for borrowing who already have multiple buy now, pay later loans. We'll hear from a young woman who got into debt that way and get a response from the industry. Mortgage costs will go up again this week. That's going to put the squeeze on many households but it's especiall...

When your spouse dies your world changes, from admin to organising a funeral, new widows are hit with a slew of tasks amid dealing with grief. As well as those challenges, losing a husband, wife or partner can mean significant changes to your finances. In this podcast we discuss what the death of your partner can mean for your money. What challenges are there and where can you find help and suppor...

Criminals are targeting victims more effectively and exploiting banking apps on phones to steal thousands of pounds. That's the warning from one of the UK's most senior fraud officers, Detective Superintendent John Roch, who runs the Economic Crime Unit for London's Metropolitan Police. He's been speaking exclusively to Money Box - and you can hear that interview in full. The Financial Conduct Aut...

The UK is the fraud capital of the world with hundreds of thousands of victims and billions of pounds stolen every year. Every minute of 2022, thieves stole £2300 from bank and credit card accounts. They took a total of 1.2 billion from nearly 3 million people. In this podcast, we discuss these figures by the banking trade body, UK Finance, and we speak to victims of fraud about the impact it’s ha...

The banking trade body UK Finance says that every minute of 2022 thieves stole £2,300 from bank and credit card accounts. In total they took £1.2 billion from nearly 3 million people. These figures were released this week in its Annual Fraud Report. We'll discuss the figures and get reaction from Arun Chauhan, a solicitor at Tenet Law, who specialises in fraud and financial crime. There were new w...

The Bank of England is expected to hike interest rates for the 12th month in a row this week and deposit-free mortgages are back after a 15-year-long absence from the market that stretches back to the financial crisis. We find out how they’ll really work, who can benefit from them and what interest rates mean for you whether you’re a renter, homeowner or prospective new buyer. The experts in this...

To mark the Coronation of King Charles III our presenter Adam Shaw gets exclusive access to the Royal Mint to witness how new £2 commemorative coins are produced and to see its extensive archives. In this programme, we discuss how different monarchs have affected our money and what the future might hold for the physical cash that we carry in our pockets. To help explore the Crown and our currency,...

The prospects for many current employees hoping for a comfortable retirement looks "risky at best". That's the warning from the Institute for Fiscal Studies, which has started a major review of pensions together with Financial Fairness Trust, a charity funded by the investment firm Abrdn. We'll speak to the IFS and answer your questions on pensions. The listener who had to remortgage but was turne...

Small businesses represent as much as 99% of UK companies, according to government figures. They employ about half of the workforce and often contribute a vital service to local communities. The small business sector has been facing significant challenges - higher inflation, more expensive business loans and uncertain markets. In this podcast, we look at both the challenges and the opportunities f...

This week, the Office for National Statistics employment data showed that one reason behind the increase in the number of people in work is the growth in self-employment. Though the total numbers are still below pre-pandemic levels, more people are now starting a new business. We'll hear from four entrepreneurs about their experiences and have some advice for anyone thinking about doing so. Money...