 | BBC Radio 4's Money Box
Saturday 30 August
at 1204 BST
On Radio 4 and Online |
New guidelines been published by banks and building societies to speed up cash ISA transfers following complaints by customers angered by administrative delays. Some savers have seen their cash ISA money vanish for months as each bank or building society in the process blames the other. The guidelines will reduce the transfer time to less than five weeks. Keeping savings in cash has become a much more popular option since the start of the credit crunch. But do the new proposals have any teeth at all? We heard from Angela Knight of the British Bankers' Association. Further information/related stories:
 Nationwide says the market is likely to remain subdued |
Mortgages A raft of gloomy headlines this week on the housing market suggests that the credit crunch is still far from over. House prices in the UK have fallen on average by 10.5% compared to August last year, according to the latest survey from the Nationwide. Meanwhile, the low level of mortgage approvals by the major banks, though they rose slightly in July, is another cause for concern. Because of the current uncertainty in the market, people have been holding off getting a mortgage - put off by the lack of cheap deals. We talked to Ray Boulger from the mortgage broker John Charcol and also to Toby Wheatley of Floyd Independent Estate Agents, who told us how his business has been affected. Further information/related stories:
 The Family Rights Group is lobbying for allowances for 'informal' carers |
Kinship carers What financial help can you expect if you are caring informally for a close relative's child? It is estimated there may be as many as 300,000 such "kinship carers". Local authorities often have no knowledge of them and their only financial help can be child benefit and tax credits. Money Box spoke to two experts who say far greater financial assistance is urgently required. Further information/related stories:
 Sunny days or more rain in store Bradford and Bingley? |
Bradford & Bingley Buy-to-let loans specialist, Bradford & Bingley (B&B), has reported a loss for the six months to 30 June, with bad debt charges up sharply. The bank recently completed a �400m share rights issue in order to improve its balance sheet. We spoke to Peter Hahn from the Cass Business School and asked what the future holds for B&B. Further information/related stories:
Other news From February 2009 there will be a change to what spouses and civil partners can receive if their partner dies without making a will. The limit for surviving partners where there are no children, will rise from �200,000 to �450,000, and if there are children, the limit will rise from �125,000 to �250,000.
BBC Radio 4's Money Box was broadcast on Saturday, 30 August 2008 at 1204 BST. The programme was repeated on Sunday, 31 August 2008 at 2102 BST.
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