Money Box

Inflation is the rise in the price of everything we buy. This week the Office for Budget Responsibility predicted prices would rise more than 7% this year, peaking at nearly 9% this winter. We hear from Isabel Stockton of the Institute of Fiscal Studies, on tax changes and the worst inflation most people have ever seen. Some very vulnerable people are facing an even worse cost of living crisis tha...

The chancellor, Rishi Sunak, gives an update on the health of the UK economy. What will it mean for your household finances? A panel of experts will analyse what he says and we want to hear your thoughts too. Are you cheered or concerned by the state of the nation's finances? And how will it affect the way you spend or save your hard-earned cash? Also, looking ahead to the new tax year, we'll disc...

We report on a man who was fed up with poor returns on his savings and tried to invest in cryptocurrency instead. But he ended up losing his savings, his car, and his house as thieves stripped him bare. Money Box reporter Dan Whitworth investigates. The government is about to announce changes to who is eligible to receive the Warm Home Discount in England and Wales. This £140 payment off one elect...

How do you make sure your pensions and savings and invested ethically? Do you know where your pension is invested? How much of your money is invested in Russia? How can you put pressure on your pension providers to invest ethically? Felicity Hannah chats to listeners, guests and our panel of experts about how to make your money ethical. Panel: Lucy Coutts, Investment Director at JM Finn wealth man...

Buying things online will be more difficult from Monday. A new law means that every purchase will have to be authenticated by an extra process after you have put in your card number, expiry date, and CVV code on the back. It will mean better protection against fraud, but may exclude some people from online shopping. We hear from Rob Cameron, Chief Executive of Barclaycard Payments, and Helen Saxon...

The average UK rent has broken through the £1000 barrier for the first time and inflation is starting to push up landlords costs. How do you beat the rush for viewings? Could rent controls be a short term solution? And could a good tenant and landlord relationship solve all your woes? Charmaine Cozier is joined by an expert panel for tenants and landlords to answer questions and offer advice. Ruth...

The telecoms watchdog Ofcom has drawn up proposals to make it harder for criminals to fake caller ID when they phone people. It’s called number spoofing and happens when crooks use technology to make the number that comes up on your phone appear as though the call is coming from a legitimate organisation like your bank or the police. We hear from Lindsey Fussell, Ofcom’s Group Director for Network...

As Russian military forces continue bombarding Ukrainian cities and civilians, are your investments supporting the Kremlin's regime? International companies have been pulling out of Russian investment, and pension funds and investment firms say they are reducing holdings in Russian companies. But what can ordinary investors do? Are you aware that a tracker fund or an investment bond might help sup...

As the cost of living rises, more people are facing going into debt. Whether it’s your rent, mortgage, utility bills or credit cards, breaking the cycle of debt isn’t easy. Who can you go to when you’re struggling to pay your debts? How do you prioritise your spending? Can you even negotiate your debts down? And how can you avoid debt altogether? Felicity Hannah talks to Chloe, Chris, Manga, Chris...

Looking for the latest episode? New episodes of Money Box will now be available first on BBC Sounds for four weeks before other podcast apps. If you haven’t already, you can download the BBC Sounds app to listen to the Money Box podcast first. BBC Sounds is also available in lots of other places. Find us on your voice device or smart speaker, on your connected TV, in your car, or at bbc.co.uk/soun...

A BBC investigation has found that more than 50 people were tricked into working for a design agency that turned out to be fake. They were hired during the lockdown and convinced the company was a successful business. But it had an online universe of fake profiles, stolen work and lies. Workers were all Jobfished. Charmaine Cozier talks to BBC reporter Catrin Nye who investigated this story for th...

Plans to cut back on face-to-face debt advice in favour of regional call centres have been scrapped - for now. We hear from Craig Simmons, Head of Debt Policy and Strategy at the Money and Pensions Service, and from debt adviser Amy Taylor, who is also Chair of the Greater Manchester Money Advice Group. (Debt Advice links below.) An estimated £75 million a year is stolen from people in the UK by o...

Valentine’s Day, this week, may have been good, bad, ugly or plain irrelevant – but for millions of people it will also have been expensive. So in today’s Money Box Live, Adam Shaw and guests look at the costs of dating. What do you spend on finding and hooking up with someone? Is it worth spending money on how you look on dating sites, plus for the date itself? And do you split the bill at the en...

You could get the best Christmas present this year, cash you thought you had lost forever! Louise Cooper and guests discuss how to trace financial assets you may have forgotten about in old bank accounts, pensions, investments and perhaps insurance policies. Joining Louise Cooper to discuss how to locate your share of an estimated £50 billion languishing unloved and unclaimed in various places are...

In April, benefits and the state pension will rise by just over three per cent. That is less than half the increase in prices which is predicted by the Bank of England. So people on benefits will be able buy less even with their increased benefits. One campaigner said it’s not so much choosing between heating and eating - more a choice between freezing or starving. What’s it like for people on the...

The recent announcement of a huge rise in energy prices comes amidst wider worries about rising prices. Everyone is facing much higher energy bills and some are faced with the choice of heat or eat. The government has stepped in, offering some financial help. In today’s Money box Live Adam Shaw hears from listeners Peter, Mary, Tessa, Jacob , Jess and Sue about the impact of such measures on their...

A 54% increase in the energy price cap means a huge rise in what your provider can charge you to heat your home, keep the lights on and cook your food. The UK Government’s stepped in to help – many households will get several hundred pounds to lessen the bill shock. But what are the details about who exactly gets that money and how people can access it, what about households on low incomes and how...

Before you have children, it’s important to think about the finances. And that’s just as true for anyone considering becoming a foster carer. So, what are the allowances, fees, rewards and tax implications for those who welcome and care for a child in their home? Felicity Hannah talks to foster carers Bryony, Walt, Dot, Phil and Jane about why they foster and their experience of the finances of fo...

Long lost, wealthy relatives who’ve sadly died but for whom you “might” be the next of kin – too good to be true or the real thing? We explain how to spot the difference and how to tell the good heir hunters from the bad. A disabled mother of two is being denied Healthy Start vouchers for her young children because she is on the wrong benefit. The vouchers provide more than a thousand pounds over...

As millions of people are paying even more for their gas and electricity, Charmaine Cozier, listeners and experts discuss why prices are set to increase further, the pressure it’s putting on household budgets and what options might be available to help cushion the financial impact. We hear from callers Catherine, Peter, Janet & Mary about their experiences and worries regarding a significant i...

From CryptoPunks to Bored Apes to original artwork and more, there has never been so much interest in them. Even big traditional art galleries are getting in on the action. Felicity Hannah looks at the financial world of NFTs, non-fungible tokens. They have a boring, slightly odd sounding name but they are generating a lot of excitement. So what are they, why do people want them and what are the r...

A Money Box investigation has discovered how a scam that saw criminals steal nearly £4m from 69 victims was barely investigated by the police – a response described by HMIC as “woeful”. Of the 69 cases, only 5 were passed on for investigation. We find out why. Twelve senior tax experts have asked the Chancellor to consider a new settlement opportunity for taxpayers facing what is called the loan c...

Would you ever consider being responsible for someone else’s mortgage? Or their rent? Or a debt? What if it was someone you loved and wanted to help? That’s exactly what guarantors agree to do. Felicity Hannah, callers & an expert panel discuss how it works, why it’s needed and what happens if something goes wrong. We hear the experience of Philippa, Clare, Peter, Tim & Geraldine alongside...

In April households are likely to see an increase of up to 50% in the cost of their energy bills. Many people already struggle to pay for gas and electricity so the upcoming price hike is expected to push many more into debt with their suppliers. What can people – and the energy industry – do to try to minimise the impact on people’s finances? Starling Bank has stopped paying for adverts on Facebo...

It takes a lot to get started in adult life - finding a flat, learning to budget, perhaps heading to university or a first job. Many new adults rely on their parents for help but more than 10 thousand young people a year leave the care system. In this edition of Money Box Live, Felicity Hannah, care leavers, a foster parent and a panel of experts discuss what support is on offer for young people l...