Britain’s Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) has promised to ‘significantly’ reduce waiting times for complaints in 2020, but has warned the necessary recruitment could be affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
Blog Category: Money Saving


Fear over how the coronavirus will affect outstanding loans to companies struggling with the coronavirus pandemic could cost UK banks billions of pounds, claims a new report.

A Welsh MP is calling on the government to investigate thousands of complaints about cavity wall insulation in a scandal that ‘could be as big as PPI’.

Britain’s high street banks are being asked to explain how they calculated their new 40% overdraft rates by the country’s financial watchdog.

The Lloyds Banking Group (LBG) has joined the 40% overdraft club, but some customers could be charged as much as 49.9% when their account goes into the red.

Santander has become the latest bank to set a single overdraft rate of 40%.

Our penultimate charity of the month for 2019 is the mental health charity MIND, nominated by Nikki Glover who is currently on maternity leave, but told us before she went that she has known people suffering from mental health issues and wanted to support the charity that helped them.
Accepting our cheque for £400, Kayleigh Hancox said: “I manage our charity shop in Stockton Heath because we need every penny we can get to help provide the advice and support for anyone experiencing a mental health problem.
I can’t thank Gladstone Brookes enough for such a generous gift and can assure you it will be put to good use.”
One in three
One in three people will suffer a mental health problem in their lifetime. It could be something as simple as temporary stress brought on by working conditions nor a difficult home life, through to depression and ultimately the desire to commit suicide and the mind set to carry it out.
Said Kayleigh: “MIND wants to ensure the people who need support in understanding their condition get it and then receive the help they need to educate them about the resources available and help them move forward.
Donations such as this from Gladstone Brookes help us to raise awareness of mental health in society.”
A year of giving
The £400 donation to MIND almost brings to an end a year of giving for the company with another group of charities all benefiting from donations raised by dress down money contributed by members of staff who also nominate which charities will get a payout.
Other donations this year were:
- Our final charity for 2019 will be the now traditional trolley dash around Smyths Toy Superstore to buy £1,000 worth of toys for underprivileged children at Christmas.

Britain’s financial regulator has demanded an explanation from Lloyds Banking Group (LBG) for the findings of a report into the £245 million HBOS Reading fraud case.

Lloyds Banking Group (LBG) is to pay 200,000 customers around £6 million for denying them seven years of interest payments.

A lot is due to happen in 2019 – not least the PPI claims deadline on August 29th – covering everything from how much tax you’re charged, what you’re paid in benefits and how to switch mobile phone providers.
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