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BBC Radio 4's Money Box
Saturday 31 May
at 1204 BST
On Radio 4 and Online
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Banks, building societies and insurance companies could face league tables of poor service, under proposals published by the Financial Services Authority (FSA).
Consumer groups have welcomed the plans, but the British Bankers' Association says the tables could wrongly name and shame certain banks, penalising those larger firms who do more business.
Victoria Raffe, head of regulatory policy at the FSA, told us how the tables would work and Eric Leenders, executive director of the British Bankers' Association voiced his concerns.
Further information/related stories:
The telecoms regulator, Ofcom, will issue new guidelines next month
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Automated debt calls
There is concern about banks using new computerised telephone technology, as a way of contacting customers in debt.
The technology, which encourages customers in arrears to pay what they owe, is called Interactive Voice Messaging.
Instead of a bank employee from a call centre contacting you about a missed payment, you are rung by the computerised messaging system.
But Money Box has been told by one listener that he feels he has been harassed by the high number of calls from the automated system.
Bob Howard investigated.
Further information/related stories:
Cloudy outlook - small private pensions will be taxed
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Tax on small pensions
The government has tried to defuse another tax row affecting low income people.
For more than 20 years HM Revenue and Customs has not collected tax on small private
or company pensions.
But that is all set to change from the financial year 2008/09.
The move will affect more than 400,000 people who have at least one pension of around £1000 a year or less who currently get it paid in full without any tax deducted.
Originally HMRC had wanted to backdate the tax payment to the financial year 2007/08, but has now had a change of heart.
We heard from Sally West, policy manager at Age Concern, which has been lobbying on the issue.
And John Whiting of the Low Incomes Tax Reform Group looked at the small print of the tax move.
Further information/related stories:
Walter Merricks leads the Financial Ombudsman Service
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Increase in complaints
There has been a 30% rise in the number of complaints brought to the Financial Ombudsman Service, according to figures released this week.
Formal complaints totalled 123,089 in the last financial year, reversing the decline seen during the previous year.
The Ombudsman said this was mainly due to a sharp rise in complaints about bank overdraft charges and payment protection insurance (PPI).
Most complaints made were turned down, apart from those regarding bank charges and credit cards.
Chief Financial Ombudsman, Walter Merricks, went though the numbers with us.
Further information/related stories:
Barclays says it was planning the changes before the High Court case
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Barclays charges
Barclays Bank is to cut the charge levied each time customers go beyond an
agreed overdraft limit.
The current fee is £35, but from August the penalty will be £8 for each transaction.
The change comes after an appeal by eight banks against the High Court decision, that the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) can rule on the fairness of the charges, which many customers have been trying to reclaim.
Chris A'Court looked at the bank's proposals.
Further information/related stories:
Other News
The chancellor has announced that Lord Turner will be the new chairman for the Financial Services Authority for five years from September.
Shareholders who want to apply for the Royal Bank of Scotland rights issue need to submit their cheques by 11am on 6 June.
BBC Radio 4's Money Box was broadcast on Saturday, 31 May 2008 at 1204 BST.
The programme was repeated on Sunday, 1 June 2008 at 2102 BST.
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31 May 2008
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