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Money Box: Mortgage confusion for pregnant women; Product trials that cost you dear; Don't miss topping up your ISA

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17/05/2014

Mortgage confusion for pregnant women; Product trials that cost you dear; Don't miss topping up your ISA

BBC Radio 4 - Money Box, Mortgage confusion for pregnant women; Product trials that cost you dear; Don't miss topping up your ISA

Sarah Pennells presents the latest news from the world of personal finance.

Mortgage confusion for pregnant women? Product trials that cost you dear, clarity on investment fund charges, and don't miss topping up your ISA. Sarah Pennells presents.

On Money Box with Sarah Pennells:

Moneybox has uncovered evidence that mortgage lenders may be blocking loan applications when they find out a potential borrower is pregnant. Normally, when you apply for a mortgage, a bank or building society will ask you if there are any changes in your circumstances that could affect your income or money you spend regularly. Generally a family's income will decrease while a woman is on maternity leave. However Money Box has found out that some lenders may be blocking applications when a potential borrower is pregnant.

A European consumer watchdog is warning people about the dangers of signing up to trials of slimming products and face creams online. The UK European Consumer Centre says it's received a number of complaints from people who were unaware they were signing up for a monthly subscription, rather than a free or cheap trial. Money Box hears from consumers who've been fighting to get hundreds of pounds refunded them when they unwittingly signed up to monthly deliveries of an expensive face cream and explores what consumer rights, if any, people have in those circumstances.

Cash ISA savers could lose out on the chance to shelter around £9,000 tax free in the current tax year, because of deadlines about when they can top up their ISA.
At the moment you can save up to £5,940 into a cash ISA, but from July the 1st you'll be able to save up to £15,000 - and put the whole lot in cash if you want to. The problem affects those who've taken out a fixed rate cash ISA, where normally you can only top it up for a few weeks after you've opened it. Because of the increase in ISA allowances, banks are relaxing their deadlines, but there's not much agreement about how long savers should get. Money Box unpacks the rules.

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