Dear Listener

It’s Maundy Thursday as I write and I am allowed rather fewer words than the Monarch’s age to introduce our little treasure for Saturday when we will be broadcasting live as ever. With fewer people than usual here tomorrow, Good Friday will be quiet in the office – just me and the die-hards – so a quick newsletter tonight is all we can muster.

***IN MONEY BOX THIS WEEK***

The banks’ collective attempt, through the British Bankers’ Association, will be one of the top stories. The banks lost all seven of the points they argued before Mr Justice Ouseley in the High Court. And they did not get leave to appeal to the Court of Appeal (contrary to some news reports you may have seen). Now they must seek leave to appeal from the High Court and, if that is rejected, from the Court of Appeal itself. All that could take us to 7 June and cases could be kept on hold until then. But is that legal?

“We are arranging a visit to your house.” said the letter from HM Revenue & Customs to a widow in her seventies “We will view your possessions and list those that we will sell at auction.” She owed £368.73 and wanted to wait a few weeks until her pension arrived to pay it. Should the Revenue make these threats? And what can you do if you get a letter like this?

Gold hit a record price of $1500 per troy ounce this week. The Great Gold Debate will put the pros and cons of buying the metal as an investment.

And, long promised but not yet broadcast, a reunion with a listener who appeared on Money Box in 1999 and was given advice about his pension. Twelve years on was it good advice? (Hint: we are broadcasting it!

There may be more, less or exactly that agenda. Will the BBA come on to defend itself? Will HMRC put in a rare appearance? We don’t know. Find out by listening to Radio 4 Saturday just after noon. The repeat is on Sunday at 9pm and you can of course listen any time via the podcast page www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/moneybox. Check out our website www.bbc.co.uk/moneybox to follow links, download transcripts, send us stories or ideas you want us to look into and pass comment on any of today’s items moneybox@bbc.co.uk.

This newsletter is available at bbc.co.uk/moneybox/newsletter around the time it hits your inbox (tell your friends who don’t subscribe) and you can join a FTSE100 beating 6068 others who enjoy my random but timely thoughts on money whenever I’m awake at twitter.com/paullewismoney. (FTSE100 closed at 6018)

Best wishes,

Paul

PS don’t forget the programme trail on Breakfast on BBC 1 around 0840. And I may be back on Breakfast on Thursday morning around 0640ish and around 0820ish.

e-mail Paul Lewis