Beat 17% April bill hikes, Clubcard triple points axed, 264Mb broadband £18/month, marriage tax-break, FREE £50 investment, Budget briefing

Plus... 4 x free £175+, 15GB Sim £5/month, extreme beauty MoneySavers, 28-month 0% + £25 back

                                                           

22 March 2023 | View in browser

Banking & Savings Household Bills Deals Insurance Cards & Loans Mortgages Income Reclaim

 

THE TOP TIPS IN THIS EMAIL Martin's 11 must-do NOWs to beat April price hikes, grab tax back & more Superfast Virgin broadband '£18/month' 15GB data Sim for '£5/month' Tesco Clubcard triple-up to be axed FREE £50 investment  Martin: 'Got a Power of Attorney? It's probably more important than a will' Important Budget briefing, including... - Martin's video reaction - Childcare support boosted - WIN. Energy Price Guarantee rise postponed - Calc: What you'll now pay for energy - Tax-free pension limits raised Ends Thu. 28 months' 0% debt shift + £25 cashback 11 extreme MoneySaving beauty tips Now FOUR banks pay £175+ FREE CASH to switch Updated. NHS, care & emergency worker staff discounts Martin's podcast: Energy, tax, childcare, pensions and Help to Save  Earn £30 Amazon doing quick surveys On key or card prepay energy? Tell us if you got £66/£67 vouchers 'Thanks to your consumer rights info, I saved £100 on a tap repair' Amex holder? Get £15 off Ikea, £5 off B&M and more  In PR & comms? Work for MSE  This week's best buys, including 3.4% savings, 4.8% loans, Car Insurance Compare+ tool Should I tell my relative about my lottery win from a ticket she got me? BEST BUYS & TOOLS MSE Cheap Mobile Finder Credit Club including free credit report 0% balance transfers Compare broadband deals MSE Car Insurance Compare+ Best bank accounts Top savings accounts Credit cards for bad credit Credit Card Eligibility Calculator Loans Eligibility Calculator Mortgage comparison Compare travel money Cheap Energy Club, with Pick Me A Tariff Best Sim-only deals

Martin's tips to steal a March on April changes  11 must-do NOWs, to beat April price hikes, grab tax back & more Urgent claims incl: Marriage, PPI & uniform tax rebates Beat price hikes incl: Council tax, stamps, broadband, mobiles Use 'em or lose 'em: ISA, JISA and LISA allowances This is set to be an April like no other. Forget fiscal showers, the raft of cost increases will make it feel like a storm peeing down on the nation's bank balances. So this is a special email focused on helping you steal a March on April's changes (geddit?). There's so much to tell you, I've put it both here, and asked the team to add two big notes below, on how to save £100s beating broadband and mobile price hikes. The 'go quick, you can only CLAIM BACK 4YRS' ones With a number of tax schemes you can backdate for four tax years (on top of the current one). The new tax year starts on 6 April, which means from that date you'll LOSE the ability to do claims relating to the 2018/19 tax year (ie, 6 Apr '18 to 5 Apr '19), so get your skates on... 1. Apply for marriage tax allowance now or lose up to £238. There are around 2.1 million couples eligible for the marriage tax allowance who don't get it. To be eligible you must... - Be married or in a civil partnership (just cohabiting doesn't count). - One must be a non-income-taxpayer, the other a basic 20% taxpayer. If so, the non-taxpayer can apply to transfer 10% of their tax-free allowance, currently £1,260, to their spouse, so they now can earn that much more without paying 20% tax, so they pay £250 less tax. If you were eligible for the whole time, this is backdateable four years so it's worth a total of £1,242, but do it now - as from 6 Apr, you'll lose the 2018/19 year, worth up to £238. Once you're signed up, it's paid automatically year after year. Full help, pros & cons in our Marriage tax guide. For most it's simple, as Andrea emailed: "Big thanks for your weekly email - my husband hasn't used all of his personal allowance in the last four years so he applied for marriage allowance one Saturday & the following one received a £1,000 cheque - and my tax code's been adjusted." 2. Did you have a PPI payout? You're likely due tax back, but go quick. August 2019 was the final deadline for PPI claims via the ombudsman - it was a hugely busy time. And now we're about to hit the deadline to reclaim the tax most needlessly paid in some of the run-up to that (6 Apr '18 to 5 Apr '19). Here's how it works: - PPI reclaims paid you back what you paid in, plus - An added 8% annual statutory interest - This statutory interest counts as savings interest for tax purposes - Yet unlike savings, with PPI, 20% tax is automatically deducted - And most people needn't pay tax on savings...  As basic-rate taxpayers can earn £1,000/year interest without paying tax (40% taxpayers £500), most paid tax on PPI claims unnecessarily and are due it back. My Reclaim PPI tax blog takes you through it - but if your payout was paid in the 2018/19 tax year, go quick. As Mandy emailed: "I've just reclaimed £834.14 from HM Revenue & Customs for PPI tax... Thank you, as I wouldn't have known without you highlighting this." 3. Deadline extended to 31 July. Aged 45 to 70? Boost state pension by buying missing national insurance (NI) years - turn £800 into £5,500+ (free for some). A special deadline for people to backfill gaps for 2006 to 2016 was due to end this tax year. So many struggled to get through to jammed govt phone lines that it's been extended (& yes some blame me for clogging them up). Yet I need to keep saying... if you're 45 to 70 you should be considering this ASAP. It's not quick to do, but it can be immensely lucrative.   To get the full state pension you'll need 35-ish (only ish, it can be more for some) complete NI years. To top up gaps, first check if you're due them free, if not you can buy back years. Easy starters: Watch TV clip | Listen to podcast (I did both before extension). Full step-by-step: Boost state pension with NI years? guide. Struggling to get through to Future Pension Centre? My quick tips. As Kelvin emailed: "Dear Martin, I owe you a pint or maybe two. Following your simple guide I found I could top my pension up from £107 to £158/week by paying a sum that pays back inside 3 years and which will yield me around £50k if I manage to live another 20 years. It only took me a morning, two calls & a bank transfer, and I'm no money saving expert. PS: Wetherspoon's beer prices, mind!" (Ta. Can I have a hot chocolate instead?) 4. Is your tax code wrong? Millions may be - check now. A tax code is a series of letters & numbers, eg, 1257L, which tells your employer/pension provider what tax to deduct. It's YOUR RESPONSIBILITY, not HM Revenue & Customs', nor your employer's, to check if it's wrong, and if it is (millions often are each year), it can mean you're overpaying, and are due cash back. You've until 5 Apr to do it for the 2018/19 year. Full help via our Free Tax Code Calc. Two week 'use it or lose it' warning Interest rates are up, so ISAs are back for many, yet sort 'em by 5 Apr  (or sooner as firms oft want money in before)  A fortnight ago I warned you of the ISA deadline, with everything you need to know. That's now updated with full help on... Cash ISAs for savers | Lifetime ISAs for first-time buyers | Junior ISAs for children 5. Wear a recognisable uniform to work? Claim a uniform tax rebate. Even if it's just a branded T-shirt, if you wash or repair it yourself, you can likely claim a tax rebate. The minimum allowance is £60/yr (so it's worth £12/yr for a basic 20% taxpayer, £24 for a higher 40% payer). As you can backdate four years, go quick or you'll lose 2018/19. Full help in Uniform tax rebate. Beat April's big price rises and hikes...  April Fool's Day is far from the month's most frustrating tradition - sadly each year there's a raft of utility and public service price hikes. And this year, often due to high inflation, it's not looking great... 6. Stamp prices to rise up to 16% on 3 Apr - beat the hike. 1st class stamp prices are set to rise to £1.10 (from 95p), 2nd class stamps to 75p (from 68p). Yet buy 1st or 2nd class now and they will still be valid after, so stock up. For more help, including what to do with non-barcoded stamps that soon become invalid, see stamp on price rises. 7. Beat April's 14% to 17% broadband and mobile price hikes. Lots to tell you, including best buys, so jump to our broadband big note and/or mobile big note which will take you through it.  8. Council tax bills UP 5% (c. £100/yr) for many on 1 Apr - are you in too high a band, or due a discount? Most English councils have signalled they'll raise bills right up to the 5% capped amount, adding a typical £100/yr for a band D property (a few have been given permission to raise it more). In Wales & Scotland changes are council by council. Little we can do about the hikes, but there are two main things to look at here... - Are you one of up to 400,000 in the wrong band? If yours is too high, you could be due a backdated payout of £1,000s plus a lower bill. Try my 10-min council tax check 'n' challenge to see. - Are you due a reduction? Many may well be... those who live alone (or with students/children) | full-time students | those on low incomes | with disabilities | a 'severe mental impairment' (often with dementia, severe strokes etc) | and carers. So check, are you due a council tax discount? 9. Water bills UP an average 7.5% from 1 Apr (Eng & Wales). The rise varies hugely depending on your water firm. While SES Water's rise is 14%, South West Water's is only 2%. You can't do much about the hikes, so look at the bills in their entirety, but here's my rule of thumb... More bedrooms in your home than people (so, eg, three bedrooms, two people), or the same number? If so, a water meter is likely to save you cash A water meter calculator can show you how much you could save. As Bronwyn emailed us: "Thanks to you I took the step to have a water meter installed and my bill has gone from £65 a month to £17 [saving £576/yr]. Thank you." If they say you can't get a water meter, ask for an 'assessed charge'. Plus, there's lots more help in our water savings guide, and some of these work for Scotland too, including...  - Over a million free water-saving gadgets - Help with water meter costs if you're on benefits - Cap for some who've certain medical conditions or 3+ children 10. Prescription charges up 30p to £9.65 on 1 Apr (Eng only). Three quick steps that can help here: a) Use the NHS prescriptions calc to see if you can get 'em free. b) If you get a lot of prescriptions, a 'prepay season ticket', where you pay a one-off fee and then don't pay for any prescriptions, could save you lots. The price of these is rising in April too so go quick. On average if you get 12+ prescriptions in 12mths or 4+ in 3mths you'll save. c) Can you buy it over the counter for less? More help in cheap drugs. 11. Energy Price Guarantee WON'T now rise, but you will pay more. The planned 20% April rise in energy bills has, thankfully, been shelved (see the Chancellor's letter to me agreeing to postpone it and my video explaining what'll now happen to bills this year). However, the £66/£67 government support (paid monthly from October to March) will end as planned, so everyone will still pay more from April. Plus, tweaks to standing charges and unit rates will also see a shift in costs - see our 'What'll I pay from April 2023?' calc for more, including the new rates. - Cut bills by cutting usage. Try our 70+ energy savers, then Heat the human not the home and Energy mythbusting. - Struggling to pay your bill? Hardship grants may help. See our full Struggling to pay energy bills help.

 

 

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.

 

 

 

Warning. 14% broadband price hikes are coming for most in April Yet many can LOCK IN a year's superfast fibre for '£18/month' - often four times the speed and half the price Most broadband firms' contracts allow them to increase prices a few per cent above inflation even if you're mid-contract. Worse still, many base the rise on December or January's inflation figures, which were huge... meaning millions face rises of up to 14%. This would increase a typical £40 bill to almost £46 a month (for exact details see firm-by-firm rises). Yet SEVEN MILLION HOMES ARE OUT OF CONTRACT. And if you're in one of those, you're free to leave that contract. As usual, the cheapest prices come from short-lived promo deals, though right now - except for the Virgin deal - the choice isn't great. We're not sure if that'll improve or if it's a trend towards higher costs, either way, these deals are far, far cheaper than most out-of-contract prices (they aren't available direct - you need to use these links).  Top PRICE FIXED TILL APRIL 2024 switchers' broadband & line deals Deals are postcode dependent, so links go via our broadband tool which shows if you can get 'em  264Mb (superfast) fibre MSE Blagged New. Virgin Media - 264Mb fibre & line '£18.40/mth' 18-month contract No price rise until April 2024 Cheapest we've EVER seen at this speed. Apply via this Virgin 264Mb link (it's available to 55% of homes) and you'll pay £23.95/mth. But you AUTOMATICALLY get £100 bill credit added to your first bill, so there's nowt to pay for four months, unless you make calls. Factored in, that's equivalent to £18.40/mth before call costs. Virgin was rated 'OK' in our last service poll (1). 67Mb (fast) fibre New. Shell Energy - 67Mb fibre & line '£19.64/mth' 18-month contract No price rise until April 2024 Cheapest fast fibre. As Virgin's not available to 45% of homes, there's this Shell Energy 67Mb deal (available to 97% of homes). Here, you pay a £5.57 set-up fee then £23.99/mth. But you AUTOMATICALLY get £23.99 bill credit, plus you can CLAIM a £60 Amazon voucher. Factor that all in and it's equivalent to £19.64/mth before call costs. Shell Energy was rated 'poor' in our last service poll, so there's a trade-off here between service and price (1).  67Mb (fast) fibre Ends Sun. Vodafone - 67Mb fibre & line '£21.46/mth' 24-month contract No price rise until April 2024 Cheap fast fibre with 'OK' service. If you can't get Virgin and want a slightly better service record than Shell, there's this Vodafone 67Mb deal (also available to 97% of homes). Here, you pay £25/mth, but can then CLAIM (don't forget) an £85 Amazon, Tesco, Sainsbury's or M&S voucher within four months. Factor that in and this deal is equivalent to £21.46/mth before call costs. Vodafone was rated 'OK' in our last service poll (1). 500Mb (extremely FAST) fibre Ends Sun. Vodafone - 500Mb fibre & line '£25.63/mth' 24-month contract No price rise until April 2024 Cheap deal for this speed. A good price for really fast broadband. Apply through this Vodafone 500Mb link (available to about 40% of homes) and you'll pay £30/mth. But you can CLAIM (don't forget) a £105 Amazon, Tesco, Sainsbury's or M&S voucher within four months. Factor that in and it's equivalent to £25.63/mth before call costs. As above, Vodafone's rated 'OK' for service. On universal credit or similar benefits? Try a social tariff. Many providers offer special discounted social broadband tariffs which give long-term cheap prices of usually £12 to £20/mth for 30Mb+ broadband. Click the link for a full rundown. To compare, we use 'equivalent costs' - adding all costs, except calls, deducting promo credits & averaging over the contract. (1) Broadband service ratings tend to be worse than other sectors, so all scores are lower, and feedback is relative. For full results, see our broadband service poll. Don't want to switch? Haggle. If you're free to move (in other words, out of contract, nearing the end, or allowed to go within contract), you're in a powerful position to haggle, so use the price rises as a clarion call to take action. In our December poll, the vast majority of those who'd haggled with the big broadband firms were successful. So use the deals above as benchmark prices to help you get your costs down. Not sure how? Read full Broadband haggling tips. Slow broadband? Test your speed - is it the Wi-Fi or the connection? Do a broadband speed check - first when using Wi-Fi, then by plugging your device into the router (if you can). If Wi-Fi's a lot slower, try our eight speed-boosters. At least 50% of customers must get the advertised speeds at peak times. Both providers above also tell you the estimated max speed you're likely to get before you sign up. Switching usually only means about two hours' downtime. You're told the switch time, and most don't need an engineer to set it up - though some moving to or from Virgin may (you're told before applying). Members of cashback sites can sometimes undercut deals. In some cases, the cashback can mean these sites undercut promos elsewhere, though sometimes the deal differs - so check carefully. More in Top cashback sites.

 

Tesco axes triple value Clubcard deals - only 3 months left to max gains. From 14 June, it'll only double your points. Tesco Clubcard cut It's back! Invest £50, get a FREE £50 back. 3,000 available. This frankly ridiculous Wealthify deal was so popular last time, we've got 'em to bring it back. Newbies putting £50+ into Wealthify's robo-investments get £50 cashback after a year. So invest £50, wait, and then you get your money back, so whatever the investment's worth in a year is a win. Even if they flop, at worst you break even. For full details, including up to £700 back if you've more to invest, see Robo-investing cashback. Martin: 'Do you have a Power of Attorney? It's probably more important than a will.' Watch Martin's Power of Attorney: crucial financial protection video briefing on why it's so important, how to get one and more. Related: Free Wills Month ends 31 March. Important Budget briefing... Martin's Budget video summary. Done just as the Chancellor sat down... a quick round-up. Childcare support boosted. Funded childcare hours for all 9 months to school age, but only from 2025 (link has details of the gradual roll-out) plus universal credit changes. A win! 20% Energy Price Guarantee rise postponed. Our campaign, backed by 131 charities, succeeded in persuading the Chancellor to ditch the planned rise (Hunt even name-checked Martin). New. 'What'll you pay for energy from April?' calculator. Updated calc, plus full region-by-region details of the new unit rates and standing charges for direct debit, prepay and payment on receipt of bills. Tax-free pension limits raised. What it means for your retirement savings. Ends Thu. Shift credit card debt to 28 months 0% (2.99% fee) + get £25 cashback. A balance transfer's where you get a new card that clears old cards for you, so you owe it instead, but with no interest for a set time. M&S's 28-month 0% (2.99% fee, min £5)* is one of the longest 0% cards, yet it's especially competitive if you're transferring £2,500+ as then it gives £25 cashback, essentially reducing the transfer fee. Don't just apply: Use our 0% eligibility calc to see if you'll likely be accepted for this (and other cards). Key rules: Always repay at least the monthly minimum, and clear the card before the 0% ends, or it's 23.9% rep APR. Full help and more options in Top balance transfers. 11 extreme MoneySaving beauty tips, including how to make lip balm from kitchen oil. MSE Rhiannon's updated her tips, but would you take MoneySaving this far? Beauty hacks Now FOUR banks pay you FREE CASH (min £175) to switch. Both NatWest* and RBS* Reward pay a FREE £200, and £3/month cashback if you meet certain criteria. First Direct* gives a FREE £175 and is rated 90% 'great' for service, plus has 7% linked regular savings and a £250 0% overdraft. Halifax Reward pays a FREE £175, plus jump through hoops and you can get monthly rewards. Full reviews and who qualifies info in Best bank accounts. Related: Martin's perfect couples' bank switches, in case you missed it last week. Updated. NHS, care and emergency worker staff discounts, including FREE 3 months' Joe Wicks, Asda 10% off, Toby Carvery 20% off. See all 40 NHS discounts. It's the SERIES FINALE... ITV, The Martin Lewis Money Show Live, Tue 8pm. Over to Martin: "It's the last in the series, we're in Liverpool, with a shiny floor, huge crowd special, and I've an hour to tool you up on everything you need to know before I go, how to beat price hikes, the end of the tax year and much more. So please don't miss it, or at least set the Betamax."

 

 

BLAGGED FOR MSE - 264Mb Virgin Media fibre '£18.40/month' Ends Thu 30 Mar - Lebara 5GB Sim '£3.70/month' Ends Fri 31 Mar - Smarty 50GB Sim £8/month Ends Sun 26 Mar - Earn £30 Amazon voucher for online surveys Ongoing	DID YOU MISS? - Supermarket coupons: free Evian, Sainsbury's £4 off frozen food - £37 Ted Baker prescription specs or sunglasses (normally £135) - Can you save on energy by switching to Octopus Agile? - Got an old mobile? You may soon lose internet access - Car insurance costs set to rocket - check if you can save £100s

 

 

Warning. 17% mobile price hikes coming for many in April Lock in '£5/month' for 15GB data or '£9/month' for 100GB, both with unlimited calls & texts, just by switching Sim Just like broadband, most mobile firms' contracts allow them to increase prices a few per cent above inflation even if you're mid-contract, which again means that millions are facing rises of up to 17.3% this April (for exact details see firm-by-firm rises). There's little you can do mid-contract, but if you're one of nine million out of contract, it's easy to sway away from the rises. As long as you're happy with your handset (if not, check hot handset deals), you can save £100s with a cheap Sim (the chip in your phone that dictates your data, calls & texts allowance). Just use our Cheap Sim comparison - and here's a few to start... Top newbies' Sim-only deals All have UNLIMITED calls & texts. Data is the differentiator - use our Data Calculator if you're unsure how much you use MSE Blagged  Lebara (on Vodafone's signal) Service poll result: 4/5 5GB for '£3.70/mth': It's £1.49/mth for six months, then £5.90/mth, so an average of £3.70/mth over a year, on a rolling one-month contract (which you can cancel any time). No-frills firm Lycamobile has a slightly cheaper deal (see it in our comparison), but we've little service feedback, so decided to play safer with this. iD Mobile (on Three's signal) Service poll result: 3.6/5 15GB for '£4.67/mth': The £8/mth price is locked in for the 12-month contract, but you can CLAIM a £40 Amazon or Currys voucher. Factor that in and it's equivalent to £4.67/mth. A strong price for this much data. Ends 11.59pm Sun MSE Blagged Smarty (on Three's signal) Service poll result: 4/5 50GB for £8/mth: A straight £8/mth and it's a rolling one-month contract, so you can cancel at any time. MSE Blagged Three (on Three's signal, obvs) Service poll result: 2.5/5 100GB for '£8.75/mth': The £15/mth price is locked in for the 12-month contract, and you'll automatically get £75 cashback, making it equivalent to £8.75/mth. On a different network and don't want to switch signal?  Smaller networks 'piggyback' on the big four's signals (Vodafone, Three, O2, EE), so you can move provider and keep the same signal. Our Cheap Sims tool lets you filter by network, though not all smaller firms offer 5G, Wi-Fi calling or 4G calling. The tool will show you this. More Sim-switching need-to-knows... - You can keep your number. Text 'PAC' to 65075 then give the code you're sent to your new provider, who'll transfer it. - Unlock your phone for free. If you're out of contract, your network must let you do this at no cost. See Mobile unlocking. - Don't want to switch? Haggle. Mobile firms are among the easiest to haggle with. Full info in Mobile haggling. - Need roaming help? See our Cheap mobile roaming guide.

 

Budget special: energy, tax, childcare, pensions and Help to Save. This and more in the new The Martin Lewis Podcast - listen through BBC Sounds, Spotify, Apple and more. Earn a £30 Amazon voucher for doing quick online surveys. MSE Blagged. Newbies to survey site Swagbucks can get an extra £20 Amazon voucher when they earn £10 through our Swagbucks deal. On key or card prepay energy? Tell us if you got your £66/£67 a month vouchers. We want to know how you found the process of getting and redeeming them. Take our quick survey. 'Thanks to your SAD FART consumer rights info, I saved £100 on a faulty tap repair.' Our success of the week is from Susan, who used our consumer rights checklist info - she emailed: "Had a new kitchen tap 2 years ago, and a drip fixed in the first year. Same problem now. I'm out of guarantee and they wanted £99 to fix. Quoted Consumer Rights Act (reasonable length of time) - my previous tap lasted 12 years, so 2 years (including repair) was NOT reasonable. Result - free repair! Thank you Martin and team." If we've helped you save (on this, or anything else), please send us your successes. Amex cardholder? Get £15 off Ikea, £5 off B&M, 15% off Disney+ and much more. See Amex's latest cashback offers, plus more ways to boost rewards, in American Express tips & tricks. Work in communications? Come and work at MSE. We've a new press officer role open. See MSE jobs.

 

 

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AT A GLANCE BEST BUYS 0% balance transfers Longest 0%: MBNA (check eligibility / apply*) - up to 31 months 0%, 3.49% fee (22.9% rep APR interest) No-fee 0%: NatWest - 19 months 0% (23.9% rep APR) Best bank accounts £200 to switch + £36/year cashback: NatWest / RBS £175 to switch + TOP service: First Direct   Top savings accounts Top easy access: Chip 3.4%, min £1 Top one-year fix: Cynergy Bank 4.42%, min £10,000   Car insurance Try our Car Insurance Compare+ tool Cheap loans Cheapest for £5,000 to £7,499: AIB (NI) (apply), 5.6% rep APR Cheapest for £7,500 to £15,000: Sainsbury's Bank (check eligibility / apply*), 4.8% rep APR (must have Nectar card) Broadband top picks Fast fibre (55Mb+): Shell Energy '£19.64/month' Superfast fibre (100Mb+): Virgin Media '£18.40/month' On universal credit or similar? Check discounted social tariffs Cheap Sims Up to 3GB data: Lebara, '£2.94/month' for 3GB 4GB to 9GB data: Lebara, '£3.70/month' for 5GB 10GB+ data: iD Mobile, '£4.67/month' for 15GB

 

CAMPAIGN OF THE WEEK If you're struggling with debt, help is available. It's Debt Awareness Week, and with more people struggling due to the rising cost of living, charity StepChange is raising awareness of free and impartial debt advice. No debt problem is unsolvable - it might not be easy or quick, but the earlier you tackle your debts, the easier they are to deal with. Our guide shows you where to start and how to get free one-on-one help. And if you want further info before getting help, read StepChange's page on how debt advice works.

 

THIS WEEK'S POLL Do you have an ISA? With only two weeks left to use up this year's ISA allowance, we want to know whether you have an ISA, and if so, what kind? Vote now. (It's also worth checking whether you actually need an ISA.) Almost a third of those self-employed don't contribute to a pension. Last week we asked you how much of your pre-tax income you contribute to your pension each month. Over 9,000 MoneySavers voted, with a quarter saying they pay in between 5% and 8% - the most common amount. But of those who are self-employed, 29% said they don't pay in to a pension at all. See full results.

 

MONEY MORAL DILEMMA Should I tell my relative about my lottery win from a ticket she got me? For my birthday, a close relative always gives me two lottery tickets, and I do the same for her. This year, I won a significant amount of money, and I'm not sure whether she might expect me to split it with her, given the reciprocal nature of the exchange. I've considered keeping quiet for six months, then saying the money came from another ticket, so I can share it around the family as I choose. But when I give her tickets, I make a note of the numbers so I can check if she's won, so there's a chance she's done the same. Should I tell her? Enter the Money Moral Maze: Should I tell my relative about my lottery win? | Suggest a Money Moral Dilemma

 

 

MSE TEAM BLOG - MSE Forum highlights: Creaky floors, chatty solicitors and chicken tikka

 

 

MARTIN'S APPEARANCES (WED 22 MAR ONWARDS) Wed 22 Mar - Ask Martin Lewis, BBC Radio 5 Live, 1pm Tue 28 Mar - This Morning, phone-in, ITV, 10.20am MSE TEAM APPEARANCES (SUBJECT TBC) Tue 28 Mar - BBC Radio Cambridgeshire, Mid-morning with Jeremy Sallis, from 10.45am

 

BAGS, BLANKETS & BREATHING NEW LIFE INTO FURNITURE - WHAT DO YOU USE YOUR OLD DENIM FOR? That's all for this week, but before we go... MoneySavers on our social channels have been sharing their top tips for reusing the denim from old jeans. Making handbags was a popular option, as was turning them into blankets, cushions, or draught excluders. Using 'em to reupholster sofas and armchairs was another popular tip, while we were impressed with the creativity shown by the user who shared an image of old jeans being used as... plant pots. For more examples and to add yours, see our How do you reuse old denim? Facebook post. We hope you save some money, The MSE team

 

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