What do you want Martin to ask Mark Hoban, Treasury Minister?

Red_sky

Can the govt. please introduce some legislation which makes automatic renewals an opt in option and not an opt out option. It should be made illegal for any insurance broker or company to take money from your bank account without your consent or authority by automatically renewing your policy without you first having to tick a box some where on your application saying you agree for them to do this. They shouldn't be allowed to assume you want to automatically renew, they should have to ask this question first. Old people are especially vulnerable to this as they very rarely can't or don't read the small print and hence have money taken from their bank accounts without any consent, knowledge or authority when they're policy comes up for renewal and usually at an inflated premium. This idea of automatically renewing policies without the person's consent should be made illegal.

A_4_Tune

The banks continue to treat customers with total cynicism offering saving interest rates which rapidly drop to near zero whilst making finding your rate without incurring repetitive strain injury from the mouse clicking near impossible. I have even phoned bank helplines where the advisor has been unable to find it!

Make publication of current interest rates MANDATORY on all statements - whether written or web-based. There is NO EXCUSE for not doing it. The cost of software changes would be trivial so - one wonders - why the reluctance? (Question strictly rhetorical. Please don't post an answer!)

Red_sky

Can the govt. introduce some legislation which makes banks transfer all money transactions via the Faster Payments System the same day without any limit being imposed on the transfer? The idea of it taking 3 'working days' to transfer money so that your money disappears for 3 days or 5 days over a weekend is ridiculous especially for large amounts.

cash-magnet

Please ask if the banks will ever be forced to reduce the amount of made-up money they "generate" from using high multiples of actual real cash deposited with them?

If they have £1000 deposited then this should not be allowed to become £10000+ of money they can lend out.

There is too much non-existent bank-created money in our systems. No wonder the banks either go bust or continue to make billions in profits each year, whilst rewarding their depositors of real hard cash with almost nothing if they have to, or with absolutely nothing if they can get away with it.

hesperus_2

Could he tell you what incentives he is proposing for those idiots like myself, who took steps to save for their retirement and are now faced with a constant ondslaught by the Government? Pensions are now linked to the CPI which excludes council tax, interest rates remain at an all time low, inflation is beginning to race away and the annual winter fuel allowance has been reduced! Yet we can still hand millions out in overseas aid! This does not and will not encourage people to bother saving.:(

Ninos

Where is the fuel stabilizer?

Why are we taxed twice on fuel?

Why are Energy companies allowed to hike prices without consequences?

That should cover the majority of the nations problems.

DrSyn

The goverment should

1.Do away with fees on both credit and debit cards when you make a purchase.

2. Make sure that banks do not keep the tax advantages of ISA's for themselves but give to the savers as was originally intended by giving them higher interest!

3. That money in ISA's should be able to be switched between shares & savings accounts as the investor/saver sees fit. Without losing the tax shelter of an ISA.

Red_sky

Can the govt please make financial education compulsory for all children. I used to get taught how to plow a field horizontally rather than vertically. What use is that to me now. Teach kids something which is useful and which they're going to need to know when they leave school and for the rest of their lives from current accounts, direct debits, savings accounts, pensions, paying bills, credit cards, mortgages, loans, debit cards, spending, debt, etc, etc. There is so much useful information they could be taught which prepares them and helps them in adult life. I really can't believe all the nonsense I was taught in school when there are so many other more relevant things I could have been taught which would help and prepare me for adult life such as financial education. The topic is so obvious really.

supremetwo

How much savers' income tax is being lost due to the low interest rates on savings accounts?

gardaboy

Carers save NHS £87bn a year, for £1.39 an hour.

Could you ask the minister why as a fulltime carer i am paid less than the minimum wage of £5.86,
Carers safe the NHS/country some £87bn per year yet we are paid only £1.39 per hour(£52.13 per week) which is more in line with what slaves would have been paid in the cotton fields of America in the days of slavary.

If this was the salary for a Nurse/Care worker we would
A) both partys on strike
NO Nurse's/Care workers in the UK.

I gave up a fulltime career of £20k to care for the person who lives in the same house and find it very hard to manage on this salary(haha!).

Many thanks
Gardaboy