Dear listener,

Just back from having my picture taken with my Money Box colleague Samantha Washington. I wouldn’t normally mention that but the picture – with five other on-air money people – will be used for publicity about our live Money Matters Roadshow on 18 February at the Trafford Centre, Manchester. We’ll be there all day to give advice, help, and sympathy, along with some real financial experts. And for the first time for many, many years Money Box Live will be an outside broadcast – also from the Trafford Centre. So if you fancy watching the programme go out live, or turning up at any time during the day for financial advice (from a professional) or tea and sympathy (from a journalist), put Wednesday 18 February in your diary. We’ll be there all day. More details in future newsletters and on the programme.

Last week I asked for examples of good news to report in the recession. Jarka wrote from Vauxhall “people will hopefully learn again the value of everyday things…We will learn to think about how we spend our money and become less wasteful, which is going to be great for our pockets as well as our planet. It might make us self-resourceful. Also, we might start to spend a bit more time around our friends and families. My point is, we might become a bit more wholesome and all around a nicer lot. And that is definitely a good news, no?”

Thanks for that Jarka. And this week’s opportunity to share your thoughts is about self-assessment. Did you use the online service? Did you pay online? How did you find it?

*** ON MONEY BOX THIS SATURDAY ***

Payment Protection Insurance – the Competition Commission speaks. And its remedies to counteract years of mis-selling are tough. We talk to the man behind them and ask what they will mean and debate live the merits of the product with two people who both sell it – but disagree about how it should be sold.

With interest rates tumbling why are some credit card providers pushing up rates?

The Presbyterian Mutual Society has gone into administration putting at risk £300m saved by 9,500 members of the Presbyterian Church in Northern Ireland. It is not regulated by the Financial Services Authority and so there will be no compensation from the Financial Services Compensation Fund. Why?

If you have an accident will your insurance pay up? Well, maybe not if your vehicle has been modified. And what does modified mean? We find out.

And maybe more on HMRC and self-assessment.

Find out what’s in and what’s out by listening to Money Box. Saturday at noon, Sunday at nine pm or on the web anytime. And of course you can download or subscribe to the podcast through our website bbc.co.uk/moneybox where there is lots of exciting stuff including videos.

Best wishes,

Paul

PS Don’t forget the programme taster on BBC Breakfast between quarter to nine and nine o’clock. If you miss it, you can watch it on our website.

e-mail Paul Lewis