UK banks were stunned to learn this year that they may have to pay out up to £10 billion in compensation to customers who were mendaciously sold Payment Protection Insurance (PPI) in the last few years. Indeed, Lloyds TSB had to report a quarterly loss of £3.3 billion for the 6 months leading up to June 2011 when it was revealed that £3.2 billion had been put aside to settle future compensation claims. However, the further revelation on 21 September that Consumer Focus, the publically-funded consumer champion, had lodged a complaint with the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) about the lack of transparency on credit and debit card charges on foreign exchange transactions is not likely to diminish the fierce scrutiny that has been aimed at the sector since the beginning of the 2009 world recession. With inflation now running above 5 per cent, wages rising by only 2.8 per cent, and taxes remaining resolutely high, consumers need all the information they can get about how to save money. They can start by looking at where they are being charged unnecessarily - on travel money purchases.