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Last Updated: Friday, 19 May 2006, 16:35 GMT 17:35 UK
Stock market turmoil
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BBC Radio 4's Money Box
Saturday 20 May, 1204 BST
Sunday 21 May, 2102 BST
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It has been a jittery week on stock exchanges both in the UK and the US.

Wednesday saw the biggest single day fall in the value of shares in London for four years.

Should investors be concerned by the losses or are they, as some analysts say, part of an overdue market correction?

To discuss this we were joined by Barry Hyman, market strategist at investment boutique EKN Financial, and Brian Dennehy of independent financial advisers Dennehy Weller.

Further information:


Interest rate changes

Coins
Your bank may tell you about the change after it has happened
How much notice should banks and building societies give when they want to change the interest rate on their accounts?

Money Box has been contacted by a number of listeners who were shocked to be told a month after it happened to them.

But the Banking Code does allow banks 30 days to contact customers personally to tell them about any change that has taken place.

We heard from affected listeners and asked Adrian Coles, director general of the Building Societies Association, if the rules need tightening up.

Further information:


Pre-pay card

The new card is designed to help more people to shop online
A new payment card is being made available to help the eight million people who cannot get a bank account or credit card.

It is designed to allow more widespread access to buying over the phone or internet where prices are usually cheaper.

And in an extra twist, charities are set to benefit too, but by how much? Chris A'Court reported.

Further information:


Kent Reliance

Kent Reliance Chief Mike Lazenby
We speak to Mr Lazenby about the society's decision
Kent Reliance will no longer make new members sign away any future windfall to charity, potentially opening the door to "carpetbaggers".

Its charitable assignment scheme has been in place since 2000 and was brought in to deter such speculative investors.

But the Kent Reliance Board has now decided it is in the best interests of the society that the requirement is removed.

It says demutualisation would be economically unviable, so why is it doing this?

We asked Kent Reliance chief executive Mike Lazenby.

Further information:


Play Monday

Play Monday website
Play Monday gives some of the ticket price to charity
People using credit cards to play an online lottery game are paying high fees they may know nothing about.

The new Play Monday lottery lets you use credit as well as debit cards for online bets.

But Money Box listener Hugh found that when he bet £5, his credit card issuer imposed a charge of £3.

We find out why, and asked Play Monday what it is doing to warn customers of the issue.

Further information:


Standard Life

Standard Life logo
Standard Life is hoping investors will vote in favour of flotation
Some Standard Life customers will get windfalls of more than £100,000 if members vote to turn it into a stock market company later this month.

The figures emerged as the insurer tried to rally its 2.4 million members into voting for the change.

If Standard Life's bid to become a company is successful, members will need to validate their membership in order to claim any windfall.

In order to validate, members must return the form Standard Life has previously sent them or vote.

We asked the society's John Hylands why some people stand to get such large payments.

Further information:


Premium bonds

Cash
The odds of winning a prize are set to remain the same
The monthly prize fund for premium bonds is to fall by over £1 million.

From 1 June, the rate of interest used to calculate the prize fund pot will drop from 3% to 2.95%.

Further information:


Producer: Sonia Rothwell
Presenter: Paul Lewis
Reporter: Chris A'Court



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