Money Box

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Latest episode

Jun 2026

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About the show

All that matters about money with Paul Lewis. News of savings and investments, credit cards and loans, pensions, banking, tax, benefits and giving to charity. The UK's premier weekly round-up of personal finance from the BBC.

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8 recent

June 13, 202624 min

Lack of Wills and "Savvy Squirrel"

Millions of adults across the UK, have not told their families what they want to happen to their money and property when they die. STEP, the Society for Trust and Estate Planners, reported this week on a survey which found 8 out of 10 adults had kept their loved ones in ignorance of their wishes. A third of them did not even have a will, leaving its distribution to complex legal rules rather than what the family itself might want. What should people do to avoid this? It is nearly forty years since the government sold off British Gas and encouraged us all to Tell Sid as part of Margaret Thatcher's 1986 dream of a share owning democracy. Today, the present Labour government wants people to invest more and it has appointed the Investment Association, alongside 19 of the UK's leading financial services firms, to lead an industry wide initiative to persuade people with savings to move at least some of them into shares. This "Invest for the Future" campaign has its own mascot - Savvy Squirrel. Could this lead to cultural change in the way we invest? And when might you have to pay tax on the interest you earn on savings? We'll explain all. Presenter: Paul Lewis Reporters: Dan Whitworth and Jo Krasner Researcher: Catherine Lund Editor: Jess Quayle News Editor: Justin Bones (First broadcast at 12noon, Saturday 16th May 2026)

June 10, 202628 min

How to Live Long and Prosper

We may be living longer, but are our finances in the best of health? On today’s Money Box Live we take a stroll through the decades and examine the kind of financial challenges that living longer might throw at us. A growing number of people in the UK are reaching 100 – Sir David Attenborough among them - and there are now more than 600,000 people in their nineties, but are we sufficiently prepared for the true costs of sustaining a healthy income into later life. Felicity Hannah is joined by two expert panellists who are answering listener questions - Dr Suzy Morrissey, deputy director of the Pensions Policy Institute, and Jonathan Cribb, deputy director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies. How do you ensure your money lasts as long as you do? Presenter: Felicity Hannah Producer: Craig Henderson Editor: Jess Quayle Senior News Editor: Sara Wadeson (First broadcast at 3pm Wednesday 13th May 2026)

June 6, 202624 min

Claims management inquiry and bank account switching

Since lenders were ordered to repay billions to consumers who signed up to unfair car finance deals, millions of people have been sent adverts exhorting them to claim compensation through claims managers or law firms. But now the Financial Conduct Authority is to investigate the industry amid concerns of sharp practice and misleading marketing. Paul Lewis asks if the regulator has acted quickly enough to root out the rogue operators. And we hear from the serial switchers - those tempted by cash perks to change their bank accounts. Is it worth it? Presenter: Paul Lewis Reporters: Jo Krasner and Felicity Hannah Researcher: Catherine Lund Editor: Rob Cave Senior news editor: Sara Wadeson

June 3, 202628 min

Money Box Life: Teenagers talk money

Teenage years are formative in many different ways – and being able to handle finances is one of them. In this programme - one of our special Money Box Life episodes – presenter Felicity Hannah talks to teenagers from varied backgrounds about their early experiences of handling money. We get their views on the guiding role of parents. We hear how making mistakes can prove helpful – if you learn from them. And how jobs can shape the understanding of money and how to use it, providing of course you are able to secure some form of work in an increasingly competitive environment. Advice is on hand from Stephanie Fitzgerald, head of young people's programmes at the Money Charity, and Julia Evans from Spear, which is a charity which supports young people to find work. Presenter: Felicity Hannah Producers: Craig Henderson, James Graham Editor: Robert Cave Senior News Editor: Sarah Wadeson (First broadcast on Wednesday 6 May 2026)

May 30, 202624 min

NS&I Delays and Youth Unemployment

Some bereaved listeners whose relatives had money put away with National Savings and Investments are facing weeks and months of delay in getting their own money. It comes as NS&I works to track down the accounts of tens of thousands of people who had died, after it admitted keeping nearly half a billion pounds in its coffers that should have been passed to their estates. The state-owned bank has apologised and says its working hard on its plan to ensure those affected are paid what is owed to them, along with returning the processing of current and new bereavement claims to their normal time-frame. The cost of borrowing has been held steady by the Bank of England. On Thursday its Monetary Policy Committee held the Bank Rate at 3.75%. How is that affecting mortgage deals? And, how can young people, who’re out of work, find a job? Dan Whitworth reports on a scheme run by the charity Spear to address barriers to work. It comes as University College London publishes research which finds being out of work and education between ages 16 and 24 has long-term consequences for people’s employment and finances in midlife. Presenter: Paul Lewis Reporters: Dan Whitworth and Jo Krasner Researcher: Catherine Lund Editor: Jess Quayle Senior News Editor: Sara Wadeson (First broadcast 12pm, Saturday 2nd May 2026)

May 27, 202629 min

Renters and Landlords: Your Questions Answered

A huge amount is about to change for anyone who rents their home or who owns a rental property in England. The Renters' Rights Act comes into force on May 1 and there's a lot in it, from ending so-called 'no fault' evictions to limits on rent increases. It will make a big difference to 11 million private renters and their 2.3 million landlords. After all, for tenants it involves their homes while for landlords it concerns their financial security. Felicity Hannah is joined by Rachael Williamson, director of policy at the Chartered Institute of Housing; Ben Beadle, chief executive of the National Residential Landlords Association; and Tarun Bhakta, policy manager at the housing charity Shelter. Together they address listeners' questions on how the new law will affect different aspects of the rental market, including tenancies, evictions and how anti-discrimination measures will work. Presenter: Felicity Hannah Producer: James Graham Editor: Jess Quayle Senior News Editor: Sarah Wadeson (First broadcast 3pm Wednesday 29nd April 2026)

May 23, 202625 min

Renters Rights, Energy Fixing and the £5k Typo

In just a few days time the biggest shake up to renters rights in a generation will come into force in England. It will mean no more than one rent increase a year, an end to bidding wars an end to no fault evictions. The Renters' Rights Act will significantly change the current system not just for 11 million private renters in England but also their 2.3 million landlords. How will it work in practice? There's a call for urgent reform of recently introduced fraud regulations to better protect victims of push payment scams - when people are tricked, groomed or manipulated into transferring money to criminals. National Trading Standards says a 13 month time limit on how long people have to tell their banks they've been scammed means some victims aren't being refunded because it often takes much longer than that before they even realise their money's been stolen. The Payment Systems Regulator, which introduced the rules, says they provide a minimum standard for banks to meet. UK Finance says only a small number of cases ever fall outside the 13 month deadline and victims can always complain to the Financial Ombudsman Service. We'll ask if you should fix your energy bill now. And, how a disabled man lost £5,000 he'd raised for a new wheelchair after paying it into the wrong bank account. Presenter: Felicity Hannah Reporters: Dan Whitworth and Niamh McDermott Researcher: Jo Krasner Editor: Jess Quayle Senior News Editor: Sara Wadeson (First broadcast 12pm on Saturday 25th April 2026)

May 20, 202628 min

Money Box Live: Your Summer Holidays

Are you worried about whether the global disruption could affect your global travel plans? Whether you've booked a foreign trip, are planning a staycation or simply unsure of what to do, this is the programme for you. Holidays may not be the most important thing in the world, especially when you consider what's happening in Iran that's causing all the uncertainty, but that doesn't mean they don't matter and they are definitely a big expense. Maybe you're wondering if a jet fuel shortage could ground your flights or don't really know if you have the right insurance cover. With the inflation rate rising, perhaps you’re worried about the pressure on your holiday budget. Felicity Hannah is joined by Emma Brennan from ABTA, the trade association for travel agents and tour operators, and Lisa Minot, head of travel at the Sun newspaper to answer your questions. Presenter: Felicity Hannah Producer: James Graham Editor: Jess Quayle Senior News Editor: Sarah Wadeson (First broadcast 3pm Wednesday 22nd April 2026)