2.5% savings; secret shoe sale; slash mortgage, card & loan costs; flash Interrail sale; birthday freebies

Plus...Are you one of 7m missing out on benefits?; 10 grocery savers; energy direct debit doubled?

                                                           

11 May 2022 | View in browser

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THE TOP TIPS IN THIS EMAIL Martin's debt cost-cutting masterclass - save £1,000s before rates rise further Are you one of 7 million missing out on benefits help? 10 ways to cut grocery bills by £100s Extra 20% off 'secret' Office shoe outlet Savings rates up: 1.5% easy access, 2.5%+ fixed Ends today. Interrail flash 50% off Has your energy firm unfairly doubled your direct debit?  It's back. Free £170 bank bribe 40 birthday freebies, including free doughnut Booked summer hols? Martin's 18+ need-to-dos NOW 'I got £7k council tax back' Free Mental Health & Debt booklet 10GB Sim '£4.50/month' Free £100 John Lewis gift card with BIG spend Nails Inc eight-piece nail & lip set £27  Wrongly told you can't fly as passport isn't valid? You're due a refund AND compensation Come & work with us... Our response to Government's higher education funding plans This week's best buys, including '£13/month' broadband, 2.8% loans, 34 months' 0% debt shift Should I sell a dress back to the seller for the price I paid? BEST BUYS & TOOLS Cheap Energy Club, incl Pick Me A Tariff MSE Cheap Mobile Finder Credit Club incl free credit report 0% Balance Transfers Compare Broadband deals Cheap Car Insurance Best Bank Accounts Top Savings Accounts Credit Cards for Bad Credit Credit Card Eligibility Calculator Loans Eligibility Calculator Mortgage Comparison Free online complaints tool - Resolver Compare Travel Money Best Sim Only Deals

Martin's debt cost-cutting masterclass The UK base rate's now 10 TIMES higher than 6mths ago Cut card, mortgage, overdraft, loan costs & more by £1,000s before it rises further The Bank of England increased UK interest rates by 0.25% points last Thursday, taking the rate to 1% - the fourth rise since last November, when the rate was just 0.1%. And the momentum is likely to continue as the committee was split - with some wanting even bigger rises. While 20 years ago, folks would've been shocked at how low rates are even today, the direction of travel means anyone with debt, or considering getting it, needs to get on top of it sooner, to make it safer, before things get more expensive.  If that's you, I want to check product-by-product if you can save £100s or £1,000s by cutting the interest (though if you're in panic about debts, jump straight to one-on-one help). This is especially important as sadly borrowing levels are ramping up due to the cost of living crisis. 1. MORTGAGES: The cheapest rates have disappeared - if your fix ends soon-ish or you're on the standard rate, check NOW if you can save The 0.25% point base rate increase will likely take a month to feed through to most standard variable rates (SVRs), though some tracker rates have already gone up. It will add roughly £12/mth per £100,000 of mortgage (use our mortgage calc to see your exact rise). Those on fixed mortgages won't see a change until their deal ends, but then many will be in for a shock. Back in October, when we warned you to sort your mortgage, there were over 50 fixed-rate mortgage deals below 1%. By January, rates were up, but there were still 600 fixed deals between 1% and 2%. Now the lowest fix is 2.1%. That means for someone with a £200,000, 30-yr mortgage, the cheapest rate today would cost c. £120/mth more than Oct's cheapest. However, with further rate rises predicted, and many lenders' default standard variable rates heading to 5%, checking if you can save by changing deal is a must-do. You may not save as much compared to a few months back, but compared to doing nowt, switching could still help you save £1,000s. Full need-to-knows in our free, detailed 62-page PDF remortgage guide, but here's a speedy summary 4-step check & switch plan...  Check your existing lender's current deals. Switching with your existing lender is called a 'product transfer'. It used to be a crap option, but these days as existing lenders can forgo affordability checks, if you're not borrowing more, and there's likely to be less paperwork and fewer fees, it's a good benchmark to start. Speedily check if other deals out there can beat that. Our Mortgage Best Buys comparison tool can do this for you in minutes. If you're currently on a fix that ends within six months, it may also be possible to lock in a rate now, to use then. Calculate how much you'll save. The Ultimate Mortgage Calculators do this for you in a host of scenarios. If it looks like switching's a winner, focus on acceptance. Lenders do both credit and affordability checks which can kibosh applications. It's tough to know who'll accept you but find a good mortgage broker and they have information on this that's very difficult for consumers to get themselves. 2. CREDIT CARD DEBT: Shift to up to 34mths 0% - with far better deals available than we'd seen A 0% balance transfer is where you get a new card to repay debt on old cards for you, so you owe it instead but at 0%. As more of your repayments then clear the debt itself rather than cover the interest, you get debt-free much quicker (as long as you don't borrow more). Credit card interest rates are so high above the base rate, its increase has little impact, yet the flow and availability of this type of debt can shift rapidly - and as balance transfer rates have improved strongly since the pandemic, if you've got credit card debt, sorting it now is sensible. The best route is via our 0% Eligibility Calculator to see your acceptance odds for top cards, without affecting your future ability to get credit. Then aim for the lowest fee (including any cashback) within a 0% time you're sure you can repay in. Unsure? Play safe and go long. Top newbies' 0% balance transfers Card Key 0% info How good is it? Virgin Money Best: check acceptance odds, or apply direct*. - 34 months 0% - 2.7% fee - 21.9% rep APR interest after 0% ends Longest 0%. The standout if you need the longest time to clear your debts. All accepted get the full time at 0%. New. HSBC Best: check acceptance odds, or apply direct*. - 33 months 0% - 2.7% fee (min £5) - £25 cashback if shifting £100+ - 21.9% rep APR after 0% ends Top long-pick as cashback slashes the fee. It's the winner for most people who want to go long. If you're transferring under £900ish the cashback's actually bigger than the fee. All accepted get 33mths 0%. Santander Best: check acceptance odds, or apply direct*. - 21mths 0% - NO FEE  - 21.9% rep APR after 0% ends Longest NO-FEE card. All accepted get 21mths at 0%, so clear your debt in time and there's no cost at all.  PS: NatWest / RBS / Ulster can beat this with an existing-customer 22mth 0% offer. The savings can be very powerful, as John emailed: "Used your site three times to gradually get all my credit card debt to 0% cards. It's now saving me £190/mth in interest, which I'm using to pay off the debt as quickly as possible. Many thanks." If you do it, follow the Balance Transfer Golden Rules: a) Never miss your min monthly repayment, or you can lose the 0%. b) Clear the card before the 0% ends, or you pay the higher APR. c) Don't spend/withdraw cash. It usually isn't at the cheap rate. d) Usually you must transfer within 1-3mths to get the 0% deal - check. e) You can't transfer between two cards from the same banking group. Full help and info in Best balance transfers (and see APR examples). 3. STORE CARDS: Shift to 0% just like credit cards Store cards are just credit cards you only use in one store chain, but usually with far costlier interest, eg, New Look is 28.9% rep APR, Argos 34.9%. If you've got them, you can usually balance-transfer store card debt too, so just follow the info in point 2. 4. OVERDRAFTS: Hideous 40% rates are standard yet you can earn £150 switching to a 0% overdraft Overdrafts are an even bigger danger than card and loan debt. Almost all major banks charge about 40% EAR for overdrafts, double the interest of many high street credit cards. That means the right thing to do for most is to pay the minimum on the credit card and focus on reducing the overdraft, not vice versa.  a) Can you switch to a 0% overdraft? Two banks currently offer newbies 0% overdrafts - and they'll even pay you to switch to them... First Direct: Free £150 & often an ongoing £250 0% overdraft.Switchers to First Direct* usually get the free cash and the 0% overdraft (40% EAR above that). So if your borrowing's under £400ish, the £150 will clear some debt and the rest is interest-free - a huge saving. Check First Direct's own eligibility criteria to see who can get it. Nationwide FlexDirect: Free £100 & a year's 0% overdraft. Switchers to Nationwide FlexDirect get £100 and a credit-assessed overdraft, which for some can be larger than First Direct's - so use its pre-application eligibility tool to get an indication. Yet the cheap rate only lasts a year, so plan to clear it within that time or it rockets to the 40% EAR. Check Nationwide's eligibility criteria to see who can get it. b) Use a 0% money transfer credit card. For larger overdrafts, a few specialist cards allow 0% money transfers for up to 18mths - where for a small fee the card pays cash directly into your bank account, clearing your overdraft, so you owe it at 0% instead. c) Treat overdraft borrowing like any other debt - repay it. Try to repay a set amount each month, eg, £50 (so you should start the next month with a £50 smaller overdraft than the month before). For more help, see our 9 overdraft cost-cutting tips. 5. PERSONAL LOANS: Can you cut interest to 2.8%? Loans are still dirt-cheap right now - but I suspect we'll soon see that change. So a simple question you should ask is... can you get a new loan to clear your existing one and pay less? It's not just about finding a cheaper APR, as there can be early repayment fees. Full help in Cut existing loan costs, but here's a brief A B C (and D)... a) Ask your current lender for a 'settlement figure'. That's how much it'll cost to clear your current loan, including any early repayment costs (so you know how big of a new loan you need to clear it). b) Compare it to the cheapest loan you can get for that amount. Full info in Cheapest loans (APR examples), but to show the range...  - £1,000 - £3,000: Novuna* 9.8% rep APR (card loans can be cheaper) - £3,000 - £5,000: AA* 8% (for members) or 8.1% rep APR - £5,000 - £7,500: MBNA* and Novuna* are 3.4% rep APR - £7,500 - £15,000: M&S*, Tesco*, Cahoot* and Santander* are 2.8% rep APR c) If the rate looks right, ALWAYS check if you'll be accepted. Apply for a loan, and it marks your credit file (even if you're rejected). So use our Loans Eligibility Calculator instead, which shows your odds of acceptance for many loans, so you can home in on the ones you're most likely to be accepted for. Yet all these loan rates are 'representative APR', meaning sadly only 51% of accepted customers need get that rate. Though we do now have a few 'real rates' now available via our calculator. d) Find out if a new loan's cheaper than your current one. Multiply your monthly repayments by how many months you have left (ask the lender if you don't know) to find how much you'll pay if you stick. Or just plug the figures into our Loan Switch Calculator. 6. BUY NOW, PAY LATER: Interest-free maybe, but it's still debt, so be careful as it's unregulated (for now) Buy now, pay later (BNPL) is interest-free, so there are no costs to be cut. Used right, it's an easy way to spread payments in the short-run if needed. Yet Klarna, Clearpay, Laybuy and other BNPL firms are DEBT firms, and they're now near-ubiquitous at many online retailers, offering to spread the cost over a few months. And like all debts, you should only do it if you absolutely need it, and can afford to repay. These firms make money because they're so good at tweaking our spending nipples to make us want to buy even more. And the ease is dangerous too, allowing people to build up wave after wave of potentially unaffordable spending. MSE and I campaigned for BNPL to be regulated, and it's happening, though far too slowly. You will have rights then to take them to the ombudsman if things go wrong; but you don't yet. Please be careful. More info in Buy now, pay later. 7. It ain't (just) what you do, it's the WAY THAT YOU DO IT I may have used this line before, but you can never have too much of Bananarama & Fun Boy Three - these sages knew what they were talking about. Getting cheaper interest rates is very important, but regardless always aim to repay as much as you can, as quickly as you can, without damaging your financial stability. A few tips... a) Focus on repaying the highest-interest debt first. It's the interest rate (APR) that counts, as the higher it is, the faster the debt grows. So list all debts in APR order, and use all spare cash to clear the highest, and just pay minimums on everything else. Once it's clear, focus on the next highest. Overdrafts are a debt and should therefore be included (but don't include student loans). b) Got savings? Use 'em to clear costly debts. In practice, saving is just you giving your bank a loan - usually at a far lower rate than it charges when you borrow from it. So if the debt interest rate is higher than you earn saving (it usually is), repay the debt with the savings as long as there are no early repayment penalties. While it's worth holding back 3-6mths' worth of bills in an emergency savings fund, with credit cards, if they're costly, as they have an open facility, you could use your emergency fund to clear them. Then if an emergency happens, borrow back so you're no worse off. Full help in Pay off debt with savings?  c) Do a budget and manage your money. Get control of your spending - do a budget to see where the cash is going. What really counts is how you stick to it - many who have tried swear by (or at) my piggybanking system. d) Boost your credit score. That way you'll be eligible for better debt cost-cutting deals in future. See my 27 ways to boost your credit score.  In debt crisis? Get free debt help and do it sooner My masterclass tips above are for those who are still in a functional relationship with their debt - being able to afford it and just wanting to cut the cost. If not, then you need a different tack. Do read our Debt crisis help guide, but briefly I've three questions for you... - Do you have sleepless nights or depression/anxiety over debt? - Do you struggle to meet minimum monthly payments? - Is your total debt (excl mortgage/student loan) over a year's salary? If you answer "yes" to any of these, forget the solutions above. Instead act as quickly as possible to get free, one-to-one debt-counselling help from Citizens Advice, StepChange or National Debtline, and if you need emotional support, try CAP and read our Mental Health & Debt guide too. All these agencies are there to help, not judge. The most common feedback I get after people go is: "I finally got a good night's sleep." Give it a try - you can do it. To inspire you, read the stories in our Debt-Free Wannabe forum.

 

 

DON'T believe the fake 'Martin Lewis' or 'MSE' ads Lots of scam ads litter social media and even newspaper websites - some of these lie that we or Martin promote Bitcoin, binary trading etc. See Fake ads warning.

 

 

 

As Govt restarts shifting millions on 'legacy benefits' to universal credit, are you one of 7m missing out on help? FREE TOOL to check - Alex: 'So surprised, I'm due £80/month' This week the Government restarted moving people currently claiming 'legacy benefits', such as tax credits or income support, to universal credit - and expects to move everyone over by December 2024. It estimates this will mean up to 1.4 million people are due more help - so it's worth knowing you can CHOOSE to move sooner. Yet do be aware almost one million would be due less too, so you need to know if it's right for you. Plus there are already thought to be seven million people missing out on some form of state help they're entitled to (an extra 600,000 since December on universal credit alone due to increased eligibility), so let's take you through what you need to know at speed... On legacy benefits? Find out if universal credit would pay more. If you're one of the 2.6 million people still claiming tax credits, income support, housing benefit, income-based jobseeker's allowance and income-related employment & support allowance, over the next 18 months or so you'll be moved to universal credit, which replaces them all (with payments protected if you'd be due less under universal credit). Yet you can move sooner if you choose, so the big question is which will pay you more? - Who's likely to be better off on universal credit? Those who work and pay rent, especially if they live in a city. - Who's unlikely to be better off? Those who aren't in work | Those who work but don't pay rent | Self-employed people earning under £1,200/month | Those with savings of £16,000+ | Some with disabilities or caring responsibilities. Don't just apply for it though, as if you do you'll move to the new system, even if you find out it pays less - and if you choose to move, payments aren't protected. Read our full step-by-step Should I switch to universal credit? guide to take you through it. EVERYONE with family income under £50,000 should check if you're missing out, in just 10 minutes. Don't assume you're not eligible. More than seven million households are missing out on some form of state support. In some very rare circumstances, even those with family income of £50,000 may be eligible, though £30,000 or less is more realistic for most. There's a huge host of variables (having dependent children is a big one), so we're not saying you will get anything - even if you earn much less - just that IT'S WORTH DOING A 10-MINUTE CHECK in case. Our 10-minute benefits calculator is a ready reckoner which shows what and how much you may qualify for. So spend time on that to see if it's worth investigating further. Alex emailed us after checking: "I work full-time, but having two young children means my wife only works part-time. I was very surprised you could earn £40,000 per year as a couple and still qualify for something. I've filled it all in and we do qualify for around £80 a month, so just under £1,000 a year. I'd never have thought to check / claim without your team, so thanks for helping us."

 

EXTRA 20% off 'secret' Office shoe outlet - for example, £36 Nike trainers (normally £90). The high-street chain flogs slightly scuffed/ex-display footwear at huge discounts through its online outlet, but stock's limited. 'Secret' savings Top savings rates on the up: 1.5% easy access, 2.5%+ fixes. UK rate rises are slowly boosting top savings, but many big banks still pay diddly-squat, so ditch 'em. Top easy access: Chase 1.5% AER variable* (max £250,000 deposit) is the big winner. To get it, you open (but needn't switch to) its free app-based current account. Top fixes (highest since 2019): Here you lock money away without access, but get higher, guaranteed rates: Oxbury Bank 1 year is 2.23% AER and Hodge Bank 2 years is 2.58% AER (both min £1,000). Though it may pay to stick with easy access for a week or two and see if rates rise further. Full options in Top savings - all have the full £85,000 safe savings protection. Ends 11.59pm today (Wed). Interrail FLASH 50% off sale - unlimited travel on European trains & many ferries. Valid on one to three-month passes. Huge savings - for example, £563 adult pass £281 - and works in 32 countries (not UK). Interrail sale Has your energy firm been unnecessarily DOUBLING direct debits? We surveyed over 40,000 people, and found a quarter of those in credit and on the price cap saw their direct debits double. With the price cap going up 'just' 54%, this smells wrong. See our firm-by-firm stats and help if it's happened to you. It's back. Get £170 FREE cash for switching bank - by far the biggest. HSBC Advance* has brought back its free cash offer, after switching it off for a couple of weeks. HSBC now gives £170 in upfront cash (was £175), making it again the top payer. Though First Direct newbies can get £150 for switching to it* (or £20 just for opening an account*). It's no.1 rated for service, gives many a £250 0% overdraft, and has a linked 3.5% regular saver you can put up to £300/month in. Help, crucial eligibility info and FULL options in Best bank accounts. 40 birthday freebies, including a free doughnut, cake, £5 at The Body Shop & more. The boss (Martin not Springsteen) turned 50 on Monday [I know, none of you believes it, as I look so young - ML], so we thought we'd present you with goodies you can claim on your birthday. Birthday freebies Booked a summer holiday abroad? Act NOW to cut the cost of leaving. Martin's 18+ need-to-dos including passport renewal, GHICs, cheapest currency card for years, insurance and more urgent holiday savings.

 

 

BLAGGED FOR MSE - Nails Inc eight-piece nail & lip set £27 delivered 2,300 available	DID YOU MISS? - Martin: 'Is it time to fix your energy bill or stick on the price cap?' - Rare Pizza Express 50% off deal - not seen since 2019 - Martin: 'Got a cash ISA? You should probably ditch it' - £39 Barbour prescription specs or sunnies (normally £120) - Got first 2022/23 tax year payslip? Check your tax code

 

 

10 ways to cut grocery bills by £100s Last week the Environment Secretary George Eustice told shoppers to buy value brands to help budgets. Nowt wrong with the advice, but most on the lowest incomes are already doing it. And as Martin says, perhaps the Government needs to focus more on pulling the political levers only it can, to help with the cost of living crisis - and leave the MoneySaving to those of us who do it all the time. So with food price inflation at a record high, and grocery bills set to rise by an average £270 a year, take a look at our 29 supermarket shopping tips - here are just 10 of 'em. Play online grocery run-around to bag £90 off - including £20 off Morrisons, £15 off Sainsbury's. The best supermarket discount codes come for first-time online orders - there are currently eight big supermarket codes. So simply use all the ones you've not used before as a one-off to save. These include Morrisons £20 off £60 | Sainsbury's £15 off £60 | Iceland £5 off £45 and new 'urban' fast-delivery firms, such as Gorillas £15 off £25 or Gopuff 40% off (though items can cost more there). The food aisles where supermarkets hide top bargains. We've uncovered where to look for the best price - for example, cotton buds can be 20% cheaper in the baby aisle, plus herbs and spices under half the price in world foods. 40+ online or app-based coupons, including free £3 vegan fried chicken, free £2.50 Nuii ice cream, free £2 Dentalife dog treats. See our round-up of 40+ May coupons to save you a packet. Are you keeping the RIGHT food in the fridge? Check where you should keep bread, fruit, veg and more to prolong their lifespan and stop you throwing food away. Try Martin's Downshift Challenge – can you slash 30% off your grocery bill? For the few left who haven't changed their brands, in the noughties Martin launched the Downshift Challenge, where you drop brand levels on groceries. If you can't tell the difference - with your mouth, not your eyes, so ignore the packaging - stick with the lower level (and even if you can, if you need to cut back, do it anyway). On average it cuts 30% off bills, so even if you only switched on half of it, you'd save 15%. Free food from Tesco, bakeries, neighbours and more. The Olio app offers grub for nowt. The idea is that instead of binning surplus food, people or stores offer it to their local community. MoneySaver Lisa said on Facebook: "I love my food surprises. You can experiment with what it gives you - chocolate croissant bread & butter pudding was amazing." Cut food waste with nifty tools to use up larder leftovers. Before you shop, see how long you can go using what you already have in your cupboard. If you need inspiration, there are handy ingredients to recipes sites. Know the best times to get the biggest 'yellow sticker' reductions. We've craftily gathered insider info from supermarket staff and shoppers on when stores want to offload stock, to help you time your trip right. For example, MoneySaver Sarah tweeted: "@MSEDeals I paid 85p for £8.50 worth of sushi from M&S." Buy beyond-best-before items at huge discounts. Waste is bad for the planet and your pocket. Best-before dates are just a manufacturer's optimum quality view, though 'use-by' is a health warning. So don't chuck stuff away unnecessarily. There are even online beyond-best-before stores currently selling £9 Amoy soy sauces for £3, £5 Lindt truffles for £2, 90p Walkers for 50p, and more. Plus Lidl recently launched 'edible but not perfect' 5kg fruit and veg boxes for £1.50 (though not in Northern Ireland). Free KFC, doughnuts, coffee or even get PAID to eat. Take advantage of clever tricks, apps or cards to eat and drink for nothing (or very cheaply). Get free or cheap food.

 

As the war in Ukraine continues, here's how you can donate money or help. 'I got back £7,000 after challenging my council tax band.' Our success of the week comes from MSE Forum user Maz052, who used Martin's council tax check 'n' challenge system: "Delighted to say I have just been paid £6,950. I did try to challenge it a few years ago, but was told I wasn't eligible. I decided to pursue again using the steps you advised. Two weeks later - 'Yes, you have been rebanded'. You are doing such good work." If we've helped you save, please send us your MoneySaving successes on this or owt else. Free Mental Health & Debt booklet 2022. It's Mental Health Awareness Week, so a good time to remind you of our 44-page Mental Health & Debt PDF guide, which is such a help to so many. Please share with anyone you think may benefit.  10GB Sim from TalkMobile (Vodafone's no-frills arm) - just '£4.50/month'. Newbies to TalkMobile* get 10GB/month data and unlimited calls & texts. You pay £7/month, but you can CLAIM a £30 Amazon voucher (you'll get an email telling you how). Factor that in and it's equivalent to £4.50/month over the year's contract. Need more/less data? Use our powerful Cheap Mobile Finder tool. Free £100 John Lewis gift card with BIG spend. If you're planning to buy a big-ticket appliance, check if John Lewis is within £100 of the cheapest - if so, the gift card's a boon to spend later, though you must CLAIM it. £100 John Lewis Nails Inc eight-piece nail & lip set £27 delivered. MSE Blagged. Normally £85. Includes four nail polishes, two lip glosses, nail polish remover and travel bag. 2,300 available. Nails Inc Wrongly told you can't fly because your passport isn't valid? You're due a refund AND compensation. A few MoneySavers have been caught by airline errors - see wrongly denied boarding rights. Are you social media-savvy? Come & work with us. We're looking for a talented Social Media & Creative Content Manager to join the MSE team in London. See this and other MSE job opportunities.  MSE campaigns: Our response to the Government's higher education funding / lifelong learning plans. Martin and the MSE campaigns team are often hard at work in the background, working to reply to formal consultations and policy proposals. Read our short formal response to the Government's lifelong learning consultation (including highlighting issues for parents whose partners move in).

 

 

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AT A GLANCE BEST BUYS 0% balance transfers Longest 0%: Virgin Money (check eligibility / apply*) - 34 months 0%, 2.7% fee (21.9% rep APR interest) No-fee 0%: Santander (check eligibility / apply*) - 21 months 0% (21.9% rep APR) or NatWest - 22 months 0% if you're a NatWest/RBS customer (21.9% rep APR) Broadband top picks Standard (10Mb+): Plusnet '£12.74/month' Fibre (30Mb+): Shell Energy '£16.58/month' Superfast fibre (55Mb+): Shell Energy '£16.91/month' Top savings accounts Top easy-access: Chase 1.5%, no min Top one-year fix: Oxbury Bank 2.23%, min £1,000 Car insurance Get comparison site quotes in this order: MoneySupermarket.com* Confused.com* Compare The Market* Cheap loans Cheapest, £5k-£7.5k: MBNA (check eligibility / apply*) - 3.4% rep APR interest Cheapest, £7.5k-£15k: M&S Bank (check eligibility / apply*) - 2.8% rep APR interest Best bank accounts New. £170 to switch: HSBC £150 to switch + TOP service: First Direct Cheap Sims Up to 3GB data: Lebara, '£4.29/month' for 3GB, unlimited mins & texts 4GB-9GB data: Plusnet, '£4.34/month' for 5GB, unlimited mins & texts 10GB+ data: TalkMobile, '£4.50/month' for 10GB, unlimited mins & texts

 

THIS WEEK'S POLL How much do you spend on birthdays each year? Martin celebrated his landmark 50th birthday this week, and naturally we celebrated by updating our Birthday freebies guide - a round-up of the best goodies you can claim on your birthday. While another trip around the sun is a perfect excuse to treat yourself and others, the cost can really add up, so we were left wondering how much do you spend on birthdays each year? Almost 40% of you have NEVER switched banks. Last week, we asked when you last switched banks and more than 4,000 people responded. Almost 10% said they'd switched in the past three months, likely driven by fierce competition from banks paying newbies £100+ to join. Yet this was dwarfed by the just under 40% who said they'd never switched. The most common reason? They're happy with their current bank. See full bank switch poll results.

 

 

MSE NEWS - Top story: Warm home discount shake-up in Scotland could see 50,000 more households benefit - Ignore 'British Airways' emails related to a fixed-rate investment - it's a scam - Plusnet and John Lewis broadband customers to get automatic compensation for service issues - Paramount to launch UK streaming service this June - Klarna will share your 'buy now, pay later' borrowing data with Experian and TransUnion from June

 

 

MONEY MORAL DILEMMA Should I sell a dress back to the seller for the same price I paid? I bought a second-hand dress online for £25. After it arrived, the seller messaged me saying she missed the dress and that she'd buy it back if I didn't like it. After wearing it a few times, I've now decided to sell it, but I've seen this dress can fetch up to £120. I've listed it back on the same site I got it from for that price, but the original seller has now messaged, asking if it's "her" dress and saying she wants it back, and if I'd do it for the £25 that I paid her. Enter the Money Moral Maze: Should I sell a dress back to the seller for the same price? | Suggest a Money Moral Dilemma

 

 

MSE TEAM BLOG - Selfies, stamps and sandwich makers - last week's MSE Forum highlights

 

 

MARTIN'S APPEARANCES (WED 11 MAY ONWARDS) Wed 11 May - This Morning, phone-in, ITV, 10.30am Wed 11 May - Ask Martin Lewis, BBC Radio 5 Live, 1pm. Listen to past episodes MSE TEAM APPEARANCES (SUBJECT TBC) Tue 17 May - BBC Radio Cambridgeshire, Mid-morning with Jeremy Sallis, from 10.45am

 

AS MARTIN TURNS 50, TELL US HOW YOU CELEBRATED THIS LANDMARK BIRTHDAY That's all for this week, but before we go... after Martin celebrated his milestone birthday on Monday by presenting Good Morning Britain then running 10km home to start work on this email, his social followers also shared the ways they marked reaching the big 5-0. Trips away were popular, from Edinburgh to Las Vegas, while one dancing queen enjoyed partying with an Abba tribute band. Another had a bouncy castle disco - the idea being that they should do it before such exuberance would land them with broken bones. But we had to smile at the MoneySavers living in denial after turning 50 during lockdown, saying that it doesn't count so they're still 49... Let us know how you celebrated and read more on Martin's Happy Birthday Facebook post.  We hope you save some money, stay safe, The MSE team

 

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