Dear Listener

Sorry about the non-appearance of a newsletter last week. It wasn’t gremlins that stole it but something far more sinister. Anyway we hope it is working this week. And I will steal some of the top paragraphs from last week and send them again because it is relevant…

After six glorious weeks of freedom (from the BBC) I celebrated my return the week before last by going inside. Into Her Majesty’s prison Ranby to be precise. There I spent a fascinating afternoon talking to the prisoners about money and bank accounts and how they would cope with both on their release. More on that later – it is featuring in this week’s programme (having been delayed last week).

Over the summer I was trying really really hard to have a rest from finance and money (though when you holiday in France as I did you certainly cannot avoid going ‘How much?!’ whenever you get the bill at a bar, café, restaurant, hotel, toll road, or beach). Some things though filtered through and we will be returning to them.

Pension schemes – they seem to be in worse trouble than ever as deficits soar, contributions are raised, and schemes close. And of course this last week French people have been on strike to protect their retirement age of 60. Spending cuts – we warned on Money Box around the time of the election that cuts of 25% would be needed whoever won the election. But now those numbers are being translated into services, jobs, and benefits that will be cut the effects are becoming clear. Though of course we won’t get the full picture until the Spending review on 20 October. And, in case you are wondering, yes we will be covering that in great detail.

Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose. Or perhaps it’s déjà vu. Well, I have been in France. Though this week that all seems a very very long time ago.

***ON MONEY BOX THIS WEEK

Story one is the Great Tax Debacle. We did it last week of course – though it wasn’t in the lost newsletter as it broke late on Friday night. But this week we have an exclusive interview with the man in charge of tax at HM Revenue & Customs – Dave Hartnett. And we have found out more of those fiddly bits which we will be clarifying.

Then you will hear from me in prison talking to inmates and officers about the importance of getting a bank account for prisoners when they are released. It helps them join in with normal society. One bank is working hard on this, but the others….not a lot really. But can a bank account really keep you out of jail?

Then we are looking at CPI vs RPI – which is the better index of price rises when it comes to putting things up with inflation? The Royal Statistical Society is worried about the move to CPI. Their top number cruncher tells us why.

Then…well we’re working on that now.

So the number of stories can go down as well as up. However, in our case past performance generally IS a good guide to the future. So you can tune in knowing it will be worthwhile and listen live at noon on Saturday, or repeated at nine pm on Sunday, or at any time on the website www.bbc.co.uk/moneybox. There you can also read web pieces, download transcripts, follow links, and send us stories or ideas you want us to look into. And Have Your Say on financial advice from banks.

Best wishes,

Paul

PS don’t forget the programme trail on Breakfast on BBC 1 between 0845 and 0900 on Saturday.

e-mail Paul Lewis