What are the biggest consumer finance issues for the election?

cb76

Why are they freezing public sector workers pay, yet still claiming expenses that are often thousands of pounds more than the average nurses annual pay despite their huge salaries?!!!

And petrol prices have to come down!

OneADay

Not that I am interested in this debate lark (won't be watching as its just a media circus of the x-factor ilk).

Saying all that - some questions to ask

Why did the government fail to monitor financial institutions and why are banks alone in getting blame and no one in government taking the blame and saying sorry for this mess?

Why are savers the ones paying the price with low interest rates at post war levels? Lending money to banks to loan to other people but getting virtually nothing back.

Is it really a great idea to increase ISA allowances when the government needs tax revenue? Not against it, it serves my purpose but I am just curious to understand the logic behind raising the allowance which at the moment to me seems to be just basic panic measures. And was the early increase in allowance for over 50s age discrimination?

Why are banks allowed to run riot with current accounts with so many dubious clauses and paying zero interest?

Should banks be forced to display interest rates clearly when viewing accounts online?

Why does RBS have to pander to Europe and sell its branches, its the UK tax payer losing out because it owns those branches!

When will UK get a penny back from Iceland for Icesave and will it be worth anything by then?

Why are ISA transfers not done electronically and savers losing out with insane ISA transfer processes?

Why is there one rule for politicians and expenses and another for the ordinary person working for a company?

A levy on banks, who is going to pay the price exactly? Shareholders, they will just refuse to invest as much into the bank? The people at the top of the banks? Don't think so? The depositors in the banks.....hmmm....stealth tax by the back door anyone?

Why are train fares out of control like most of transportation costs, we get same levels of service as ever, pretty little stations where you end up paying to take a P but can't afford a cup of T !

i1189

My thoughts - I'm sure others will disagree...

Why does fuel duty go up and up, but the 40p per mile rate that HMRC allow you to claim as expenses hasn't gone up for years?

Why am I made to feel like a second class citizen financially just because I choose not to have children?

Why this obsession with taking from the rich to give to the poor? Some rich people have worked hard for their money, and some poor people haven't. Why is it OK to just take from one and give to the other? People should have to work for money, not just put their hand out (with the exception of the genuinely ill).

Why have so many schemes to help people to buy their own home - what about people who rent? Renting is a perfectly acceptable way to live.

Why the obsession with bank charges? If you don't want to pay them, don't go overdrawn. Simples. Why should people be allowed to claim them back, which will only penalise those of us who have managed to operate a bank account in the black?

Why does road tax not all get spent on roads?

Why not do away with working tax credit, child tax credit and all the other random tax credits and just increase personal allowances? This would cut out many layers of admin and bureaucracy, and therefore save money, as well as being fair to everyone.

Why does the government try to get everyone to go to university? This means that less able people spend 3 years racking up debt to get a mickey mouse degree which doesn't make them any more employable as everybody else has one too. Why not promote apprenticeships more?

Industry is dying in this country - why doesn't the government encourage Britain to actually build things any more?

Sybersal

Mortgages - thousands of people over the past few years got morgages which were more than 3 times their salary from discussions with friends and family it was common place, to be 4 or 5 times. Since the 'financial downturn' hit this has been firmed up and reverted to 3 times. The problem is that many of these people who were on trackers or fixed term that have now ended and on variable rates - are all ok for now and paying affordable amounts, but when the interest rates start to rise and these people can't remortgage there will be a new wave of people who can't meet their mortgage repayments - what is going to happen and how will then Government deal with them?

The Benefit System needs a massive overhaul - that will save billions. I know many people who play the system. I know that they have been reported and still nothing has been done!

...Yes most definately petrol prices - come on!!

AngelBadger

What exactly is going on with petrol prices? £1.20 per litre and is still going up nearly every week.

Fiver29

Petrol prices is a big one for me, how can the government justify continually adding to the exorbitant prices with added duty. Soon it's going to be so expensive a lot of people won't be able to afford to get to work. And public transport prices are ridiculously high.

amitahuja

Get more Working Population (give more work to our people)

empower the consumer..today our voices are not heard within big corporates. make them more accountable for their bad service.

banks - high rate accounts for pensioners..they should be able to defend themselfes in future recessions/rate cuts. save the savers..they are the one who give capital flow into banking system.

familiy tax allowance (irrespective of married or not )

becko1

Why is this linked to parents income, it should be available to all children as they are going to school for the same reason. Some children get £30 p/w when others get nothing. this is not fair

The_Governor

Consumer protection needs strengthening - take the example of buying a car, dealers are quite able and willing to be obstructive and difficult in the event of a problem, they force you to sign loan deals on their premises specifically to remove your rights under the Distance Selling Act. The government should disallow any and all attempts to remove rights from the consumer.

peterg1965

Guarantee not to further erode Higher Rate Tax relief on pension savings and to ensure that stability remains in pension legislation so as not to undermine the current status quo. If measures are taken to change the system, do not make wholesale changes but refine the system for the better, ie no compulsion to buy annuities at 75.