BBC Money Box

Unauthorised Recurring Card Payments and Overpaying Mortgages

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The Chartered Trading Standards Institute is warning people to keep a close eye on their bank and credit card accounts after thousands of unsuspecting shoppers have said they're having money taken without their knowledge. Individual payments are usually quite low, but if not spotted, they can quickly start to add up. Trading Standards say it's "outrageous" these payments are being taken without explicit consent. How can you spot and stop these payments?

Two thirds of first time buyers are overpaying their mortgage and one in six hope to be mortgage free by the time they're 40 according to a report from TSB. Is it the same for other mortgage holders and what should you think about if you're considering overpaying on your mortgage?

More than half of adults in the UK do not have a will. So if they die they will have no say in how their money, property, and possessions are distributed. WillAid, where solicitors all over the UK make free wills and suggest a donation to charity in exchange. How does it all work and what happens if someone dies without a will?

Presenter: Paul Lewis
Reporter: Dan Whitworth
Researchers: Eimear Devlin and Jo Krasner
Producers: Robert Cave
Editor: Jess Quayle
Senior News Editor: Sara Wadeson

(First broadcast at 12pm on Saturday 18th October 2025)
14 Nov English United Kingdom Business

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