Money Box

It's been a turbulent week for the mortgage market - as lenders adjusted their rates amid fears of a rise in inflation and what that will mean for interest rates. Average mortgage rates for a 2 and 5 year fix tipped above 5% for the first time since the summer this week, and they've been climbing since. In just a few days time the Bank of England will make its next interest rate decision, but a cut which had been widely anticipated two weeks ago, is now incredibly unlikely. Around 1.8 million people are to come off a fixed mortgage this year, and have some difficult decisions to make - what should they do?Victims' charities have criticised a long awaited and much delayed fraud strategy published earlier this week by the government. Ministers have described it as a "major upgrade to Britain's defences" with £250mn pounds to be invested over the next three years. On Thursday a £100 cap on contactless card payments in the UK is being scrapped. The Financial Conduct Authority is giving banks the freedom to set their own limits, and in theory they could even remove the cap altogether. But it turns out many banks are not planning to change the limit at all, at least for now - why?This week the Bank of England announced that British wildlife will replace historical figures on the next series of Bank of England banknotes. We asked Wildlife TV Presenter & Campaigner Chris Packham to tell us his ideas - from lapwings to foxes.Presenter: Paul Lewis Reporters: Dan Whitworth and Bisi Adebayo Researcher: Jo Krasner Editor: Jess Quayle Senior News Editor: Sara Wadeson(First broadcast 12pm Sat 14th March 2026)

Just seven days has passed since the USA and Israel began their attacks on Iran. As the attacks become heavier and more destructive, the ripples of war are already spreading around the globe. There was an immediate jump in the price of oil and gas, now worsening, as processing plants and facilities are attacked and transport routes disrupted. Petrol prices at the pump have been creeping up too and are expected to rise further. Money Box listeners have been asking what it could mean for the price of gas, electricity, heating oil and filling up their car. A listener had more than £300,000 stolen from her in an investment scam. What can be done to catch the criminals who robbed her? And by the end of the month there should be an official free scheme to claim compensation for missold car finance. How will it work?Presenter: Paul Lewis Reporter: Dan Whitworth Researcher: Amber Mehmood Editor: Jess Quayle Senior News Editor: Sara Wadeson(First broadcast 12pm Saturday 7th March 2026)

The number of emergency hardship loans issued to former civil servants who are facing long delays for pension payments is "pitiful" according to a senior MP. Clive Betts, the deputy chair of Parliament's Public Accounts Committee, has told Money Box the loan system is "not adequate" after figures published for the first time earlier this week show fewer than 600 have been issued - compared to many thousands of people who are missing money. The Cabinet Office says an urgent recovery plan is underway and its immediate priority is to stabilise the service. Capita have previously apologised for the delays.Nearly one in five adults now use Buy Now, Pay Later - instead of paying the whole cost upfront with a debit or credit card you can spread the cost interest free over three or four monthly payments. At one time it was young people driving the rise. But some new research from the Personal Finance Research Centre at the University of Bristol (commissioned by the Aberdeen Group Charitable Trust) suggests Buy Now, Pay Later is now spreading to older people. The number using it in their forties and sixties has grown by a third, with the biggest rise in the last two years among people in their fifties with the number using it up by half.And, as a rare Pokémon card sells for 12 million pounds at auction - what's the appeal for collectors - and what should you think about when buying them?Presenter: Paul Lewis Reporter: Dan Whitworth Researcher: Jo Krasner and Niamh McDermott Editor: Jess Quayle Senior News Editor: Sara Wadeson(First broadcast Saturday 28th February 2026)