Dear Listener

This will be brief. Not because some readers have emailed to say ‘cut the cackle and get to the programme details’ because they are clearly marked by the asterisks below and if you don’t like my bloggy take on something-financial-that-has-happened-this-week all you have to do is skip to the asterisks.

But because time is very short and my producer, while not being so rude as to actually tell me to get on with the programme, has that look in her eye – and there is an interview to do in a moment.

I also have to write and record a script for the special TV piece on the coach fares story as well as everything else – see the PS.

So on to the main business. Though I will just pause to say that I loved my time at London’s Victoria Coach Station this week. It is an amazing operation dealing with the 30,000 people who pass through each day and making sure coaches to everywhere from Swindon to eastern Europe leave on time. Everyone in the coach business seems really nice and I met some lovely travellers who were happy to talk to us. Apologies to those who were kept waiting in the queue so our cameraman could get his perfect shot. And thanks to the drivers for their patience – though by delaying the 040 to Bristol we did allow a couple of latecomers to catch a coach they would have missed!

***IN MONEY BOX THIS WEEK***

How easy is it to steal £10,000 from someone’s Barclaycard before anyone notices? Two listeners have had just that happen. Are Barclaycard’s security procedures tight enough? Or are losses like this the price we all pay for a system that doesn’t make life too difficult?

A Government subsidy which gives the over-60s and disabled people half price coach travel in England will end on 31 October. We debate if this is a good way to save money or will lead, as critics claim, to a deterioration in health and well-being?

And up to one in three employers plan to cut back on pension spending when new rules designed to make sure all employees pay into a pension begin next year. Already more employees are choosing not to join their pension scheme because they want to spend the money now. Will auto-enrolment into a company pension scheme change that?

The state owned company which now looks after the mortgages of Bradford & Bingley and some of Northern Rock's has started a pilot scheme to call people when their finances indicate they may be beginning to struggle. Is it a good idea or an invasion of privacy?

Even though that is only four items it will be quite a job to squeeze them in to our 24 minutes as we have two live debates. Hear how lively it gets by tuning in to Radio 4 at midday, or at 9pm on Sunday or online anytime or get the podcast at www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/moneybox. Check out our website www.bbc.co.uk/moneybox to follow links, download transcripts, or send us stories or ideas you want us to look into. And Have Your Say on credit card security.

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 could join the 10,800 people who follow me on Twitter to read my random but timely thoughts on money and a few other things whenever I’m awake at twitter.com/paullewismoney.

Best wishes,

Paul

PS On Saturday my report on coach fares will run every hour on Breakfast on BBCOne and, on present plans, I will be talking about it every hour as well! I am on Breakfast in the week, usually on Thursdays and usually around 0640 and 0820 talking about a money story and answering emails and tweets. But the time, and occasionally the day, can vary.

e-mail Paul Lewis