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15/06/2013

With Paul Lewis. Does P&O's 'price promise' deliver? Flat-rate pension: married women may lose out; comparison websites; and why NS&I is cutting the rate on three popular products.

PROMISES, PROMISES
P & O is accused of failing to keep a 'price promise' made to encourage customers to book in advance. Buy now and if the price comes down we'll refund the difference, it says. So why did two Money Box listeners find themselves in cabins next to other passengers who had paid half the price but still could not get a refund? Paul talks to Simon Calder, Travel Editor of the Independent

PENSIONS BILL
Women who are a year or so too old to get the new single-tier state pension that is due to begin in April 2016 say they are being discriminated against because men of the same age will get it. We'll hear from one of those affected, Cathe Rikby, with her solution to the problem. We'll find out why another group - married women, widows and divorcΓ©es - will get less from the flat-rate pension. And why half a million pensioners who live abroad want MPs to reject Clause 20 of the Pensions Bill when it comes before Parliament on Monday. Paul talks to John Markham and Sally West from Age UK

COMPARISON WEBSITES
Are comparison websites now fixing prices rather than just reporting them? Insurance sites in particular like to guarantee the best prices. But many of them do not cover the whole market. And they impose conditions on the insurers they allow onto their sites which can lead to a lack of competition rather than more of it. That's the accusation. Oh, and did you know that many comparison websites are owned by one of the insurance firms whose products they list? Money Box hears from Kevin Paterson, Managing Director of Source Insurance, Chris Walters, OFT's Chief Economist and Sarah Pennells, Founder and Editor of savvywoman.co.uk

RATES CUT
National Savings & Investments is cutting the rates on three of its most popular savings products after discovering, to its horror, that they are at the top of best buy tables or close to it. Retail Director John Prout explains why he doesn't want to be top of the table as his cash ISA falls down below the top 20. And we find out just where the best rates on savings can be found with Damien Fahy, Editor of moneytothemasses.com.

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30 minutes

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  • Sat 15 Jun 2013 12:00
  • Sat 15 Jun 2013 12:04
  • Sun 16 Jun 2013 21:00

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