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Money Box: Bundled insurance, Scottish pensions, budget lookahead, travel cancellations

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15/03/2014

Bundled insurance, Scottish pensions, budget lookahead, travel cancellations

BBC Radio 4 - Money Box, Bundled insurance, Scottish pensions, budget lookahead, travel cancellations

Paul Lewis asks if travel firms can demand the full cost of a holiday when you cancel.

Finance news. Paul Lewis asks if travel firms can demand the full cost of a holiday if you cancel, and why people buying credit reports are being forced to buy insurance.

TRAVEL WIN
Are holiday firms breaking the law if they demand the full cost of a holiday when you cancel within a few days of travelling? One Money Box listener was so convinced they were he challenged Thomson Holidays when it kept the whole cost of a cruise after he was forced to cancel because of his wife's illness. He went to court and a judge accepted his arguments in full and ordered Thomson to refund the full £2256 plus court costs. Can others follow his lead?

FORCED TO INSURE
People who join the Experian 'credit expert' service to get unlimited free access to their credit reports and scores are also insured willy-nilly against ID theft. The cost of the package is £180 a year of which the unasked for insurance accounts for £77. It is sold online so no suitability test is done. Among other things the £77 a year policy will refund the cost of letters and phone calls needed to sort out an ID theft problem.

TICKING BOXES
We will also be talking to the FCA about its latest report that says pre-ticked boxes to accept 'add-on' insurance "lead to poor consumer outcomes. Consumers can be significantly overpaying when they buy products as add-ons." Who'd a thought it?

BORDER DIVISION
If the Scottish electorate votes for independence on 14 September how will the interlocked finances of England and Scotland be teased apart? In particular what will happen to pensions - at work or personal - where the individual lives in one country but the funds are invested in the other?

BUDGET AHOY
The Chancellor's annual Budget used to tell us what taxes we would pay from the start of the tax year a few days later. No longer. Although the Budget is next Wednesday (19th) We already know all the basic tax rates and allowances that start on 6 April and most of the other changes to pension contributions and National Insurance. Our pre-Budget round up looks at what we already know about 2014/15.

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