Dear Listener

I hope you had a good summer. Money Box is back properly now after our one-off special a couple of weeks ago. And goodness what a lot has happened while we’ve been away.

This week we will be looking at new fears that the global economic problems (see my last newsletter) could affect mortgages – making them harder to get and, if you do get one, more expensive. Already lenders are changing their terms. Is the era of cheap and easy home loans over?

And talking of banks, where are we on reclaiming your overdraft charges? Just after we went off for the summer the banks did a deal with the Office of Fair Trading to let the courts decide whether their charges for unauthorised overdrafts are legal or not. As part of the deal, the banks can put all refund requests from customers in the pending tray until the judges give their verdict. We hear from Angela Knight, Chief Executive of the British Bankers’ Association and consumer representatives.

Did you stay in a hotel this summer? If so your credit card will have been swiped as you checked in, before you actually owe them a penny. Did you know that can slash your available credit by far more than your whole stay will cost? One listener explains what problems that caused him. We investigate what is going on.

If you are a customer of Portman Building Society you should soon be getting a cheque in the post now that the takeover by Nationwide has finally happened. Nationwide’s boss tells us how much and when.

And – small fanfare and roll of drums – you can now subscribe to Money Box to play on your MP3 player. It’s called a podcast (I only say this because I’m new to it too!) so you can listen to Money Box at any time in your car, on the train, or while doing the dusting. Click on the box now at www.bbc.co.uk/moneybox where you can also be old-fashioned enough to listen to the programme on your computer or e-mail us to say what you would like to see in the new series.

Best wishes

Paul Lewis

P.S. Don’t forget the live preview of Money Box on Saturday on BBC1 Breakfast between 8.45 and 9.

e-mail Paul Lewis