Main content

Pensioner bond rates, Bank of Scotland mortgage ruling, Annuities market, VAT helpline

A court has found that Bank of Scotland has been 'unconscionable' in its treatment of some borrowers. The Northern Ireland attorney general thinks it may be 'criminal fraud'.

As the Government announces the rates for the new NS&I 65 Plus Bonds that it promises will be a "market leader", Money Box looks how you can apply and whether there will be enough of them to satisfy demand.

The Financial Conduct Authority has found that there has not been widespread misselling of annuities, but says that it wants to "clean up" how firms present the options to customers. Independent pensions expert, Ros Altman, tells us why the FCA hasn't been nearly tough enough.

A judge in Northern Ireland has found that the Bank of Scotland has been "unconscionable" in "double-billing" some of its borrowers in arrears on their mortgages. Now, the Attorney General there has called on the police to investigate whether the bank has committed "criminal fraud". We'll look at what it could mean for those struggling with mortgage repayments across the UK.

Lloyds Banking Group, the parent company of Bank of Scotland, told us: "In the light of a criminal complaint being made we do not consider it appropriate for us to comment at this time. Our position remains that repossession is always a last resort. We work hard to ensure that we are providing customers facing financial difficulty with the right support for their individual circumstances and ultimately help to resolve the situation in what we appreciate is an extremely sensitive time."

The VAT Mini One Stop Shop is designed to allow those selling digital products to pay sales taxes across all 28 EU countries. But some of those engaging with the new system, coming in on 1st January, think it may be a lot more complicated than the "one stop" billing suggests.

Available now

30 minutes

Broadcasts

  • Sat 13 Dec 2014 12:04
  • Sun 14 Dec 2014 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