Bank of England interest-rate change

The Bank of England interest rate (Bank Rate) is important because it affects how much it costs you to borrow money and how much you earn on your savings.

Moneymadeclear service has launched – 11 March 2010

Following the successful pathfinder project in the North-East and North-West of England, the FSA, in partnership with Government, today launched the national money guidance service.

Banking regulation

From 1 November 2009 the FSA will regulate the way banks and building societies do business with their customers (this used to be done by the Banking Code Standards Board).

Building society mergers and compensation – July 2009

We have extended our temporary rules allowing existing customers to keep separate FSCS compensation limits if they are affected by building society mergers or transfers of deposits.

Unauthorised overdraft charges – update March 2010

The OFT, seven banks and one building society initiated a test case in the High Court about unauthorised overdraft charges. The Supreme Court has now handed down its final judgment, so find out what this means for you.

Mobile phone insurance

Be wary of any calls you receive soon after buying a mobile phone from companies offering you insurance cover. Various unauthorised providers claim they are linked to shops and mobile phone providers but they may not be who they say they are.

Mortgage payment protection insurance – October 2009

Mortgage payment protection insurance (MPPI) will cover monthly interest repayments on mortgages if you have an accident or sickness and are unable to work, or you become unemployed – but for a fixed period of time.

If you've had increases or changes made to your policy this year, you may be in line for a refund.

Payment protection insurance – March 2010

The FSA is consulting on proposed new rules and guidance to improve firms’ handling of payment protection insurance (PPI) complaints.

Settling a claim with the other side's insurer

An insurance firm may contact you directly to settle their client’s claim. This is known as third-party capture or third-party assistance.

Mortgage arrears and repossessions (including home purchase plans)

Are you having problems paying your mortgage (or home purchase plan), or do you expect to have these problems soon? Is your lender trying to repossess your home? It is best to act sooner rather than later. So here are some useful tips to help you.

Pension transfers – December 2008

We recently looked at the advice some firms have given consumers to transfer money from their pensions to a new personal pension or self-invested personal pension (SIPP). We found that in most cases people were given suitable advice, but in a small number of cases people were wrongly advised to transfer their pension.

Increase to UK compensation limit – October 2008

We have increased the compensation limit on deposits you hold with banks, building societies and credit unions that fail from £35,000 up to a total of £50,000 for each customer's claim. This increase applies from Tuesday 7 October 2008.

New ISA limits for those aged 50 and over – October 2009

The annual allowance for those aged 50 and over is going up to £10,200 from 6 October 2009. Up to £5,100 of that allowance can be saved in cash with one provider. The rest can be invested in stocks and shares with either the same or a different provider.

Landbanking – January 2007

Have you been approached to invest in land? Companies operating these schemes are looking for investors to buy plots of land in areas which have not yet been granted planning permission, and may be in Greenfield or Greenbelt zones.

Mortgage endowments

Because of stock market conditions, many endowment policies taken out in the 1980s and 1990s are unlikely to pay out the amounts originally estimated. So if you’re using your endowment policy to pay off a mortgage, it may not pay out enough to do so.

Penny shares – September 2009

Some stockbrokers are using high-pressure selling techniques to sell penny shares to consumers, despite them not being suitable for them. If you have invested in these shares and feel you were pressured or that the risks were not fully explained to you, you can make a complaint to the firm that sold them to you.

Split capital investment trusts

Splits are investment companies and most are listed on the London Stock Exchange. They were in the news a few years back as there was concern about their financial position and a lot of people lost money they had invested. An independent company, Fund Distribution Limited (FDL), was created in 2005 to administer a distribution fund and make payments to qualifying investors.

Spread betting

Spread betting can be on anything – sports, politics or reality TV. With spread betting, the more right you are, the more you can win but the more wrong you are, the more you can lose – and your loss is not limited to the amount of your stake.

Structured investment products backed by Lehman Brothers – October 2009

Following the collapse of the Lehman Brothers group in September 2008, customers who invested in structured investment plans which were backed by Lehman Brothers may have lost some or all of the money they invested.

Unregulated collective investment schemes

A collective investment scheme is a fund into which various people contribute (known as a pooled investment), and if it is not approved by us (or another European regulator) it is then known as an unregulated collective investment scheme. We believe some firms are selling these products to people for whom they may not be suitable.

Venture capital trusts

Venture capital trusts (VCTs) provide a valuable source of capital for small companies and help the UK economy to develop, but make sure you understand the risks as well as the benefits before investing.