Dear listener

I love the Houses of Parliament – or the Palace of Westminster as it is properly called. I was there on Wednesday in the wonderful gothic splendour of Committee Room 9 where more than 100 people had gathered to protest about the charges imposed on leaseholders of retirement homes. Hosted by Liberal Democrat Ed Davey the meeting was addressed by people who had successfully challenged charges and others who had taken over the management of their homes and, they said, cut the costs. The mood in the room was angry, determined and lively. “Just because we are old does not mean we are senile” said one angry leaseholder. Quite. The companies being complained about were not allowed to attend. More on this story – with the companies’ responses – hopefully next week.

Another splendid building is occupied by The London Library at one corner of St. James’s Square, London SW1. Founded in 1841 this unique institution has more than a million volumes. Best of all it’s a lending library so can take home even the old, rare and valuable ones – most of them anyway. And its online resources make the – wait for it, breathe deeply, and sit down – £395 a year membership fee worthwhile if you are into the kind of research that needs such a library. I went to the AGM this year, not to rub shoulders with the literary luminaries who are a big chunk of its members but to ask about its investment policies which have been, ahem, not very successful. A bit like the Church of England pension fund – also in the news this week – too much reliance on shares. Nevertheless its finances are sound and the fee was frozen this year for the credit crunch.

A postscript to my paragraph last week on whether you could spend a gold sovereign in a shop at its nominal face value of £1. The Royal Mint finally came back to me to confirm “Sovereigns technically are legal tender and have a face value of £1.” Adding confusingly "Retailers are not obliged to accept Sovereigns as payment". But at £150 for the gold alone, as I said last week, they should! It would be an interesting experiment. But would BBC accounts pay the £1,990 needed to buy ten sovereigns to see if they were accepted at newsagents to buy copies of The Daily Telegraph and The Guardian?

And talking of which, do you groan when you hear Money Box on Radio 4? The Guardian’s blogger Camilla Redmond does.

“Like Money Box, it's easy to groan when it comes on, but when they're tackling topics such as negotiating the mortgages market, as Money Box Live did on Wednesday, don't you find it reassuring that they're around?” Indeed.

FINALLY (get on with it, Ed.) IN THE BEST RADIO PROGRAMME (Voice of the Listener and Viewer) AND FINANCIAL PROGRAMME OF THE YEAR (ABI Media Awards).….

We will return to the story we dropped last week – about new rules on how banks should behave towards their customers. In particular will the new rules change the way that they deal with us when our debit or credit card is stolen and the thief somehow knows our PIN? Yes, yes, yes says the Financial Services Authority which will be policing the new rules.

And talking of banks, as you do, what does the new zillion pound prop from taxpayers mean? And should you be tempted by Lloyds Banking Group offer of cut price shares? After all, the Treasury was!

Child Trust Funds – don’tcha love ‘em? Lots of parents do. But almost a third do not even seem to know about them. The Conservatives and the Lib Dems would axe this popular savings scheme – at least in part – if they win the General Election. We hear from a firm that has hitched itself pretty firmly to the CTF wagon. What will it do if the wheels come off?

Competing for the fourth place in a packed-as-usual agenda are a story on pensions and another on misleading adverts. And while the producer judges their dance off for style, precision, and entertainment I have to write the newsletter.

The only way to find out who makes it through to the next round and who is left on the floor in tears is to tune in to Radio 4 Saturday at noon, listen to the repeat on Sunday at 9pm, or log on to the website bbc.co.uk/moneybox where you can listen 24/7 or subscribe to the podcast, as well as read stuff, watch videos, follow up items, download transcripts and documents, and send us things you want us to look into.

Best wishes,

Paul

PS Don’t forget the programme taster on BBC Breakfast between quarter to nine and nine o’clock.

e-mail Paul Lewis