The Financial Ombudsman Service has said the number of financial complaints received in the first half of 2024 rose by over 40%.

FOS received a total of 133,019 complaints between 1 January and 30 June, compared to 93,114 in the same period last year.

The complaints were made against 242 businesses including banks, insurance and investment firms.

Banking continues to top the tables, with 101,031 banking and credit complaints registered in the first six months of 2024.

These include disputes about credit cards, unaffordable lending and car finance, as well as fraud and scams.

FOS said over half of all banking and credit complaints were brought by professional representatives.

Other sectors that received a large number of complaints include general insurance/pure protection (22,489), decumulation life and pension (3,369), and investments (2,305).

FOS upheld 35% of complaints in favour of the consumer, compared to 37% in the first half of 2023.

FOS chief executive and chief ombudsman, Abby Thomas, said: “Businesses should put consumers at the heart of their service but the high level of complaints we receive shows that’s not always the case.

It’s vital that businesses are open and transparent with their customers, treating them with fairness and understanding.

“While professional representatives have an important role to play, they must ensure that their cases are well evidenced and have merit.

“If people don’t feel they’ve been treated fairly by their financial provider, they can come directly to our service and we’ll see if we can help.”

Lead consultant at wealth management consultancy firm Simplify Consulting, Dom House, described the complaints data as “extremely disappointing”.

“Complaint volumes across all FCA-regulated firms have continued to increase over the last 10 years but now, around 18 months into the Consumer Duty, it seems the industry is still to move the dial significantly on complaints,” he said.

“Firms should now be looking at their complaints data to understand how they can reverse this trend and consider whether the changes they’ve made for the Consumer Duty have had the impact intended.

“Consumers expectations have been raised as new technology becomes mainstream in the financial services industry, and firms need to get a grip by addressing the imbalance between prevention and cure by focusing on the root cause and prevention of complaints before they are raised.”

PENSIONERS could be owed money by HMRC as thousands have been over charged.

Anyone from the age of 55 who takes money out of a workplace or personal pension as a lump sum could be owed money back.

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New figures from HMRC today reveal that almost £44.3million was refunded to retirees between July and September 2024 alone.

This comes after the record £57million that was refunded last quarter.

In that same period, more than 12,000 claims were processed in total.

It works out that the average reclaim payment was £3,691 per person.

However, how much you overpaid could be higher or lower based on individual circumstances.

Why are pensioners overtaxed?

This is part of a long-running issue caused by emergency tax codes applied to pension withdrawals under the pension freedoms introduced in 2015.

Since the changes, anyone over 55 can access their pension flexibly, but HMRC often taxes large withdrawals as if they will be repeated monthly, resulting in overpayments.

Jon Greer, head of retirement policy at Quilter, expressed concern about the system’s flaws.

He noted that while there has been a slight drop in the number of overpayments this quarter, the issue remains significant.

John said: “The PAYE system is designed for regular income and struggles with the complexities of flexible pension withdrawals.

“As a result, many pensioners are overtaxed, and the refund process can be frustratingly slow.”

For many pensioners the tax bill can come as a unsavoury surprise.

Helen Morrissey, head of retirement analysis at Hargreaves Lansdown, said: “The tax bill can come as a nasty surprise for people expecting to access their savings without a hitch and can throw off financial plans.”

How to get your cash back

For those hit by the tax trap, the process of getting their money back involves filling out specific forms as quickly as possible.

You can wait for HMRC to review your tax code at the end of the tax year and it will process a refund, but obviously, this means you could be waiting a while.

To get the cash back faster, you can fill in one of three forms: a P55, P53Z or a P50Z which can all be found on the Government’s website.

Which form you need to fill out will depend on how you have accessed your retirement pot:

• If you’ve emptied your pot by flexibly accessing your pension and are still working or receiving benefits, you should fill out form P53Z,
• If you’ve emptied your pot by flexibly accessing your pension and aren’t working or receiving benefits, you should fill out form P50Z,
• If you’ve only flexibly accessed part of your pension pot then use form P55.

To avoid having emergency tax deducted in future, try taking smaller amounts out rather than one lump sum.

Provided you fill out the correct form HMRC says you should receive a refund of any overpaid tax within 30 days.

More than £1.3billion has been refunded since the pension freedoms began in 2015, highlighting the scale of the issue.

Experts are urging savers to proceed with caution, especially with speculation around potential changes to pension tax rules in the upcoming budget.

Financial advisers are recommending that anyone considering a withdrawal seek professional advice to avoid falling into this tax trap.

Jon said: “It is vital that those considering pension withdrawals amid these budget rumours seek professional financial advice.

“Advisers can help structure withdrawals effectively, ensuring savers do not fall foul of the tax system’s pitfalls.

“Until the system is changed, we are likely to continue seeing many savers caught out and forced to reclaim significant sums of money.”

With proper planning, pensioners can ensure they don’t face unnecessary tax bills or delay in getting their money back.

Financial planners need to get better at articulating their value to clients, Attivo regional director Louise Barraclough has insisted.

At Money Marketing Interactive in Leeds today (24 October), she said advisers should think about where the value of their advice is for clients.

“As planners, we absolutely need to believe our value,” she said, suggesting this is the “biggest thing in this profession that we lack”.

“It’s not just enough to believe value,” she added. “We need to articulate value way before the client asks us to demonstrate it.”

Barraclough said that, to some degree, she can understand why advisers tend to “hide behind regulations” because “sometimes that’s an easy thing to do”.

However, those in financial-planning roles have a great deal of power over clients’ lives.

“The decisions that you help your clients make today don’t just impact the next year, they don’t just impact the next 10 years,” she said. “The impact extends to the next generation.”

Barraclough also suggested people often do not fully understand the difference between financial advice and financial planning.

“One of the questions I’m frequently asked is, ‘Which is best?’ The truth is, both are important, and both have a place in today’s world.

“You will all act as coaches, mentors and planners for your clients, but at some point, you’ll also need to give them advice on their investments

“This is the foundation of any financial plan.”

She said the challenge arises when a client approaches a planner for a purely transactional relationship and they try to shift that client straight into a financial planning relationship. “That’s where friction can occur.”

“Demonstrating value is often about recognising where your client is on their journey, meeting them at that point, and then guiding them through financial planning done well.”

She said the planner essentially becomes the “flight attendant” in a client’s financial life, “ensuring their comfort and safety”.

“The past few weeks have proven this,” she said. “And the next few will prove it even more. With the Budget being a hot topic, you’ll be dealing with that for sure.”

During her presentation, Barraclough urged advisers to “treat every client as a human being”.

“But,” she added, “you can take it a step further and treat each one as though they are your only client.”

A MAJOR supermarket has slashed its Christmas tub prices to just £2.50.

Cheaper than Aldi or Tesco – the offer makes this the most cost-efficient place to purchase Christmas chocolate boxes.

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From October 25 to October 27, Asda customers can bag this sweet deal – but there is a catch.

Customers have to be signed up for the Asda rewards programme.

The offer is part of Asda’s Rewards Mega Event weekend, where shoppers can save more than 50% on festive favourites like Quality Street, Cadbury Heroes, Cadbury Roses, Celebrations, and Swizzels.

Normally priced at 2 for £9, Asda has cut the cost to just 2 for £5 – meaning each tub costs just £2.50, making it the best price around for stocking up on festive treats.

Shoppers will need to download the Asda Rewards app to take advantage of this offer.

Coupons for the discount will appear in the app’s ‘wallet’ section from Friday, October 25.

To claim the deal, simply scan the coupon at the till, and your discount will be applied.

But be quick – once the weekend ends on October 27, so does this massive discount.

Asda’s Rewards Mega Event isn’t just about chocolates.

Its loyalty program allows shoppers to earn “Asda Pounds” on their everyday purchases, which can be converted into vouchers for money off future buys.

Deals on household products and cosmetics also earn Asda Pounds, boosting savings even further.

How to get the best deal

While this weekend’s deal on Christmas tubs is unbeatable, it’s always worth comparing prices to make sure you’re getting the best deal.

Ocado is currently selling the same 600g tubs for £5, while Tesco and Sainsbury’s are listing them at £6.

Morrisons is offering 2 tubs for £6, and Aldi has dropped prices to £3.89 per tub.

However, Asda’s 2 for £5 offer blows all competitors out of the water so for those wanting to get ahead of the festive rush, now’s the perfect time to stock up and save money.

Prices listed above reflect today’s prices, October 24, and are subject to change all the time.

Just because something is on offer, or is part of a sale, it doesn’t mean it’s always a good deal.

How to save money on chocolate

We all love a bit of chocolate from now and then, but you don’t have to break the bank buying your favourite bar.

Consumer reporter Sam Walker reveals how to cut costs…

Go own brand – if you’re not too fussed about flavour and just want to supplant your chocolate cravings, you’ll save by going for the supermarket’s own brand bars.

Shop around – if you’ve spotted your favourite variety at the supermarket, make sure you check if it’s cheaper elsewhere.

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Websites like Trolley.co.uk let you compare prices on products across all the major chains to see if you’re getting the best deal.

Look out for yellow stickers – supermarket staff put yellow, and sometimes orange and red, stickers on to products to show they’ve been reduced.

They usually do this if the product is coming to the end of its best-before date or the packaging is slightly damaged.

Buy bigger bars – most of the time, but not always, chocolate is cheaper per 100g the larger the bar.

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So if you’ve got the appetite, and you were going to buy a hefty amount of chocolate anyway, you might as well go bigger.

There are plenty of comparison websites out there that’ll check prices for you – so don’t be left paying more than you have to.

Most of them work by comparing the prices across hundreds of retailers.

For example, Google Shopping is a tool that lets users search for and compare prices for products across the web. Simply type in keywords, or a product number, to bring up search results.

Another tool is Price Spy, which logs the history of how much something costs from over 3,000 different retailers, including Argos, Amazon, eBay and supermarkets.

Once you select an individual product you can quickly compare which stores have the best price and which have it in stock.

Idealo is another website that lets you compare prices between retailers.

All shoppers need to do is search for the item they need and the website will rank them from the cheapest to the most expensive one.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ first Budget on 30 October “more than ever highlights the importance of financial advice”.

This is what Triple Point regional business development manager Lucy Dolan said on a panel at the Money Marketing Interactive conference in Leeds today (24 October).

Speaking on the same panel Moran Wealth Management founder Nicola Crosbie added that there has been a lot of “panic and hysteria” surrounding the Budget.

“The need for tax planning advice will increase” as a result, Crosbie added.

She said that at the moment it is all speculation, but “we need to have a plan in place to help clients quickly following the Budget”.

Dolan, on a more positive note, said: “We have been through a lot of change before and come out of it on the other side”.

Still, her diary is packed with post budget sessions and webinars.

Syndaxi Financial Planning managing director Robert Reid also asked the audience how many had been asked about tax-free cash in the run-up to the Budget.

The majority of those attendance raised their hands.

Dolan also spoke about venture capital trusts (VCTs) and enterprise investment schemes (EIS).

EIS and VCTs enable businesses to secure equity investment and grow rapidly, with tax reliefs helping reduce investors risk, she said.

In regards to the abolition of the lifetime allowance (LTA), Crosbie said she does not believe it will be reintroduced.

Reeves initially indicated that Labour would reverse this move, which was originally announced by then chancellor Jeremy Hunt.

However, Labour dropped plans to reintroduce the pension LTA, saying it would be “too complex”.

This move was widely welcomed by the financial services industry.