Main content

Card charges, Thatcher's finance legacy, bank customers unable to run their account

Excessive card charges continue despite a ban, Lady Thatcher's personal finance legacy, bank faults when a customer loses mental capacity to run their account and cash ISA roundup.

From this week excessive charges for using a credit or debit card will be outlawed. 'Excessive' meaning more than the actual cost to the vendor of accepting that payment method. That cost, subject to some argument this week, is probably 20p-50p for a debit card and around 2% or 2.5% for a credit card. Money Box finds examples of firms overcharging this week and one says they will stop it. And if you find a firm not obeying this new law what can you do? Executive director of Which? Richard Lloyd joins the programme.

The death of Lady Thatcher this week has led to much examination of her impact on the UK. Pensions, investments, mortgages, financial advice, and industry were all changed beyond recognition in little more than a decade. Julie Wilson, IFA at Penlife Associates; Justin Urquhart Stewart, Seven Investment Management and Malcolm McLean, Pensions Consultant, Barnett Waddingham, debate Lady Thatcher's personal finance legacy.

New guidance was issued this week to tell banks how they should deal with people who have the legal right to run a bank account for a relative who has lost their mental capacity. Some banks are very bad at understanding the way the law works and their obligations under it to people acting under a Power of Attorney or an order of the Court of Protection. We look at what the banks should do - and how it works in practice. Experts include: Chair of Solicitors for the Elderly, Chris Belcher; and Alan Eccles, chief executive, Office of the Public Guardian.

And: If you're one of thousands of Nationwide customers with a Flexclusive ISA, you could benefit from a mistake by the Building Society. But only if you act quickly. Plus a Cash ISA roundup of the best deals.

Available now

30 minutes

Broadcasts

  • Sat 13 Apr 2013 12:00
  • Sat 13 Apr 2013 12:04
  • Sun 14 Apr 2013 21:00

The Death of Retirement

The Death of Retirement

Money Box explores what retirement might look like in the future,

Download this programme

Subscribe to this programme or download individual episodes.

Podcast