Dear Listener,

Of course we’re looking at the cut in interest rates. Normally we would be cheering with homebuyers about how their mortgage costs would fall and commiserating with savers over the reduced income from their cash.

But not this time. Although some lenders are cutting their standard variable rate very few borrowers pay that rate. Two lenders actually put up the cost of some of their mortgages the day the Bank of England made its announcement. And many others are making no change in their popular offers. On the other hand savers are still being offered excellent returns on their cash savings as some banks have held the interest rates paid.

So has the Bank of England’s interest rate lever become disconnected from the economy it is supposed to control?

After all those questions we will be discussing a new service that protects your money against the risk of a bank going out of business. Up to £35,000 per person per bank is protected. And this new service makes sure that your money is spread among banks so that all of it is safe. Is the charge the company makes a price worth paying for peace of mind?

The pound is at its lowest level against the euro since the single currency was launched in 1999. We’ll be looking at the growing cost of holidays - and buying a home – in Europe. And the winners who sell stuff there.

And putting proposals for major changes in the Financial Ombudsman Service to the Financial Ombudsman himself.

That’s all on Saturday at noon, repeated Sunday at nine pm. Or you can hear the programme when and where it suits you by downloading the podcast for your MP3 player. Or you can listen online. www.bbc.co.uk/moneybox

Best wishes,

Paul Lewis

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

e-mail Paul Lewis