Money Box

Automatic pensions are suggested for 18-21-year olds, the best ways to invest your money in 2022, the tax implications of cash inducements - and the rise and fall of cheques. There is growing support to reduce the age at which auto-enrolment pensions start. Currently, the limit is 22 years old, leaving younger people missing several years of contributions. We look at what those extra years could m...

Pyjamas and jumpers are the most unwanted gifts we receive and in the post-Christmas period about 10% of us return at least one gift to the shops. Since we spend about £80 billion over Christmas each year returning even a fraction of that involves a huge amount of money, both for shoppers and the shops. Adam Shaw and guests explore what are our consumer rights. What you can and can’t return? What...

Felicity Hannah and guests discuss how to make money from unwanted presents and belongings. And they hear from listeners who sell on, re-gift and rent out.

How we manage financial relationships with the people we care about. whether it be sharing money, lending it or simply having a different view about money from your partner, it can lead to friction or arguments with those closest to us. Felicity Hannah is joined in the studio with Dee Holmes, a counselor from the relationship charity Relate and Julie Flynn, an independent financial advisor & c...

Money Box listener Rebecca found herself caught between two of the UK’s biggest energy firms. After moving to a new home in the summer she changed the supplier from British Gas to EDF. Then a few weeks ago she received bills from both companies, meaning she'd have to pay twice for the gas she’d used once. Rebecca tried to resolve the situation in between her long shifts on an A&E ward but both...

Sixteen years after it appeared as the first of its kind in the world, Zopa has announced it's leaving the peer-to-peer lending business to focus on banking activities. Peer-to-peer matches people who want to lend money with individuals or businesses that need it. What will it mean for Zopa investors, borrowers and the wider industry? A new partnership is set to increase protection for people who...

Buying a home is likely to be the biggest investment of our lives and it’s no wonder that people want to spend money improving it. During lock down, many more of us have been laying our own patios, fixing shelves or employing builders to create the extension that we’ve always dreamt about. Adam Shaw , expert guests and listeners discuss the finances of home improvements. How to negotiating with bu...

A 26-year-old believes his drink was spiked on a night out and his finger print used to unlock his smart phone allowing thieves to steal £18,000 from his bank accounts. A leading anti-fraud campaigner warns that criminals appear to be adopting the "sinister" tactic of spiking drinks to get money. The Government is asking Parliament to pass a retrospective law which would make it easier to collect...

Restricting access to money, bank accounts and the right to earn an income are a few of the many and varied forms of financial abuse, often accompanied by other types of domestic violence. Sadly it’s estimated that one in six people in the UK are dealing with this deeply distressing method of coercive control. In this episode Felicity Hannah hears from some of those affected and about the organisa...

A High Street bank has refunded £145,000 to a man in his eighties after Money Box intervened. Alan was persuaded by thieves to transfer tens of thousands of pounds into what he thought were investments. The money was moved through his account at Metrobank which for many years had seen little activity. But the bank failed to notice large sums being transferred in from his savings and investments an...

What does it cost to run an online business? Small business owners share their experiences of setting up, marketing and developing their online brand with Adam Shaw and guests. If you've a story, a good tip or lesson learnt we'd love to hear from you. Tweet @Moneybox or e-mail moneybox@bbc.co.uk now and please include a phone number if you'd like to join in. Presenter: Adam Shaw Producer: Diane Ri...

We're urged to be more environmentally friendly, but one listener has found he cannot release the equity he has tied up in his specially built, and officially signed off, eco-house. Is the equity release market out of step with efforts to counter climate change? We find out, with Money Box reporter Dan Whitworth and Amanda Moore, senior adviser at the UK’s largest equity release advice firm, Key....

How do you turn a brilliant idea into a usable and saleable product, what does it cost to protect your design and how do you get the funding to start production? On Wednesday’s programme Adam Shaw speaks to independent inventors who've developed solutions to personal problems and now sell them worldwide. If you’ve an experience or question you’d like to share we’d love to hear from you too. Tweet...

We hear from a new starter whose boss asked her to buy £800 of vouchers - but it turned out to be a scam. Employers’ social media could be putting staff at risk from fraudsters, but to whom can victims turn for compensation? Dr Elisabeth Carter, criminologist and forensic linguist at the University of Roehampton tells us how scammers use a technique known as "genre mapping". Many of us who are sel...

Felicity Hannah talks to parents and community groups about the challenges facing many families and asks what financial and practical support is available. We'd love to hear your views and questions. Tweet @Moneybox or e-mail moneybox@bbc.co.uk and remember to include a phone number if you'd like to take part. Presenter: Felicity Hannah Producer: Diane Richardson Editor: Emma Rippon

How much should the state pension rise by? Baroness Ros Altmann says pensioners are being short changed by a government plan to temporarily break the link with earnings. It'll save tax payers billions, but cost each pensioner hundreds of pounds. Baroness Altmann tells how she hopes to block the plan in the House of Lords next week and force a rethink. A Money Box investigation has discovered that...

What will Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s Autumn Budget mean for your personal or household finances? Paul Lewis and guests would love to hear your views and questions on Wednesday's Money Box Live. Joining Paul are: Laura Suter, Head of Personal Finance, A J Bell Heather Self, Corporate Partner, Blick Rothenberg Mike Brewer, Chief Economist, The Resolution Foundation Anita Monteith, Tax Technical Lead a...

The government has launched its new green investment bond for savers. The money raised will go to the Treasury and it says help pay for existing green priorities such as making transport cleaner and supporting energy efficiency. Individuals can put up to £100,000 into the National Savings & Investments green bond. It will pay 0.65% a year for three years. But there are dozens of similar produc...

Many financial products are labelled as green, sustainable or ethical but how can you be sure that your mortgage, investment or pension really does have a positive environmental impact? What are the options and where can you find the information you need? Why not join the conversation with Felicity Hannah and guests on Wednesday's Money Box Live. e-mail moneybox@bbc.co.uk now and please include a...

Debt advisers in England fear that government plans to change the way their service is funded will see big cuts in the amount of face-to-face advice available. We hear from a woman who says in-person debt advice helped turn her life around, in a way that online of over the phone assistance could never match. And debt adviser Amy Taylor, who is chair of the Greater Manchester Money Advice Group, te...

Joice Etutu hears about some of the financial, mentoring and marketing initiatives supporting black entrepreneurs. Can business know-how and raising consumer awareness help to bring about positive change and address economic equality? We’d love to hear from you too, e-mail moneybox@bbc.co.uk with your ideas and experiences. Presenter: Joice Etutu Producer: Diane Richardson Editor: Emma Rippon

Hundreds of thousands of small businesses are not covered by the energy price cap which sets a maximum charge for each unit of electricity and gas. The existing cap only applies to domestic customers. Many small businesses have seen their bills soar over the last few weeks. Edinburgh University is denying some students access to its healthcare service because the GP register is full. But can the s...

As temperatures drop and energy prices rise we're talking about bills, energy providers and switching on Wednesday's Money Box Live. What are your rights if your energy supplier stops trading? What happens about credits you’ve built up or money you owe? Do you have a say about the new tariff you’re moved to and is financial support available if you’re worried about paying your bills? We’d love to...

People in England and Wales who started university from September 2012 could see their student loan repayments rise by hundreds of pounds a year. Economic abuse has grown during the pandemic. We talk to one woman who was forced into debt by her husband. And one 82-year- old wants to know where his £1200 savings bond has gone which he took out in 1986. How do you trace old financial products? Prese...

The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, known as the furlough scheme is coming to an end and we'd like to hear what this means for your job or your business. Are you able to work as you did before the pandemic, or will you be facing difficult financial and personal decisions? What are the alternatives and potential solutions if staff or employers need or want to work differently? Whether you’re runn...