The government has announced pension protection plans

BBC Radio 4's Money Box was broadcast on Saturday, 14 June, 2003 at 1204 BST.

Company pensions to be protected

The government has said it will introduce new rules to protect people in a company pension where the scheme is wound up.

Companies will soon have to put cash aside to meet promises and a new fund will guarantee a limited amount of pension money.

But, in future, company pensions will only have to rise by a maximum of 2.5% a year - even if inflation is higher - and the new rules may come too late for some.

We will be speaking to independent pensions consultant Ros Altman, Baroness Hollis of Heigham, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State and Mick McAteer of the Consumers Association about the news.

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Housing market reforms

Stability in the notoriously volatile housing market will be a key factor if the UK is to join the Euro.

Chancellor Gordon Brown wants more homebuyers to take out long term fixed rate mortgages to make our market more like that in the eurozone.

But what's holding back reform and what long term mortgages are available in the UK?

We spoke to Michael Coogan, director general of the Council of Mortgage Lenders.

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Credit card holiday hotline

A new service has been launched to save holidaymakers the embarrassment of having their cards refused overseas because of fraud checks.

Barclaycard customers can ring a hotline to tell them when they are going on holiday in an initiative designed to avoid problems.

But should we really have to go to such trouble and are other credit card companies thinking of offering the same service?

We talked to Ian Barber from Barclaycard.

Barclaycard hotline number: 0870 010 0578

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Stock exchanges

Mike Johnson reports on growing calls to revive local stock markets in places outside London - such as Birmingham, Manchester, Bristol, Edinburgh and Glasgow.

We spoke to John Pratt, head of Birmingham Chamber of Commerce, Mary Martin of Advantage West Midlands, and the Sparklets Investment Club in Birmingham.

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Consumer Panel

The Consumer Panel says the Financial Services Authority, which it advises, is not doing enough to help consumers with their individual finances.

Panel chairman Colin Brown came in to explain why he thinks there should be a national financial planning service.

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Other news

Malcolm Wicks, who appeared on Money Box last week, has been promoted to Pensions Minister, filling a post that had been vacant for 70 days.

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