Improve Money Rules In 50 Words. Suggest easy changes for our politicians

FayeCW

Allow us to DIY - Why should we pay to understand our financial position? Why not demystify the credit rating and show us what it is, where we are going wrong and what we can do to improve - for free?

suzannej

Ban the CITB quango
Small companies involved in building are struggling to survive yet have to pay to subsidise training that is irrelevant to them and for the administration of the CITB. Ban this blood-sucking quango and let the people doing the actual work keep their hard-earned money.

pemills

I would like to call the government into doing something about the spiralling cost of LPG gas, there doesn't seem to be any regulation of this essential commodity, where I live there no chance of main line gas so LPG is the only option, prices are going through the roof.:mad:

Rafter

End the debit card lottery! No fees or charges for payment made with any debit card or cash. Only cheques or credit cards where the retailers have higher risk and/or costs and then only the costs and not a rip off profit margin.

Rafter

Any company that does not use tax havens or complex tax structures would be allowed to display a 'kite mark' so consumers can avoid giving business to companies where the profits end up not be fairly taxed for the benefit of the society where the company made that profit.

Rafter

Prices and charges should be aligned closely with the cost of providing the costs or services without excessive subsidy. So fair mobile phone call charges and real prices for phones. Fair bank charges. No hard to avoid 'optional extras' on air fairs. No loss leading or selling below costs to drive out competition by supermarkets.

Spot_on_2

With the on-coming changes to pension annuities in 2011, it is hoped that the government would also allow to cancel small, under £5,000 annuities which are forced upon us, but which pay a negligent annuity over exceedingly long period, for example £19/annually over 40 years. Beneficiary looses out here.

dotviolet

XRAT wrote: »

Allow overpayments! Redemption penalty free.
For many students this will be their first loan. A £27K is daunting, not being able to stop compound inflation is torture. An inheritance may mean they could repay it early.., providing funds for another students loan.

Completely right! The proposals to raise interest rates are insidious. Including a full maintenance loan, a 3yr degree at 6Kpa fees = £32K+ debt , 4yrs at £9K fees is £55K+ debt. If commercial rates are applied - say just 7% - the 3yr student above has to earn over £46K just to repay the interest for a year, and the 4yr student above has to earn over £64K. It's not going to happen - the interest will compound and their debts will grow. To make moneylenders' profits from kids who are trying to build a future for themselves - and the country - is so wrong. Then, to charge extra redemption fees so they can't escape the profiteering is a complete financial scandal!

Reaper

Calls charges should be at a low rate until you actually get through. Only then could the higher rates begin. That prevents companies being rewarded for poor customer service.

(May be tricky to implement. Perhaps it could be done by having the carriers providing the queuing machanism rather than the end company)

calypso_rhapsody

The step from 1% to 3% stamp duty at £250,000 creates an artificial discontinuity in the housing market and places an unfair penalty on those who want to sell a house in the £250-270k band. In the south east, this affects average family homes not mansions!