Finally - 5%ish savings, student loan costs DOUBLE, Is solar worth it?, £19bn unclaimed benefits, 20GB Sim £4/mth

Plus 100% mortgages back, get £20 with top travel card, £1 shampoo bar, Asda 10% off + £2.50 for NHS

                                                           

09 May 2023 | View in browser

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THE TOP TIPS IN THIS EMAIL Finally... Top savings near 5% - yet many are getting under 1% - Don't earn less than 3% - Fixes near 5%, best since 2009 - Cash ISA rates are up £19bn unclaimed benefits - are you missing out? New. FREE £20 on top overseas card Are solar panels worth it? Martin: Student loan costs to DOUBLE New. Asda 10% off + £2.50 bonus & more discounts for NHS staff 100% mortgages are back 5 quick click and save MSE tools Grüum shampoo bar £1 Martin calls on Gov.uk to change 'false & misleading' info on student living loans 20GB data Sim for '£3.84/mth' Martin podcast: How my relative was scammed, and is cash king? Live in a park home or pay landlord for energy? Apply now for help worth £100s Ted Baker 30% off 'I got £400 energy credit back and am paying £170/mth less' £20 off trainers for recycling old ones This week's best buys, including free £200 bank bribe, Car Insurance Compare+ tool, 30mths' 0% debt shift Should I pay for a full funeral just because one of my children wants me to? 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

Finally... Top savings near 5% for lump sums. Yet many of your accounts are pants - paying under 1% Check today, ditch & switch! Martin: "Savings rates are at their highest level for 14 years. No surprise after 11 consecutive UK base rate rises. And another is highly touted this Thursday - it's predicted to jump from 4.25% to 4.5% - some of which is likely already factored in to the current rates. "Yet millions of people have money in savings and cash ISAs, earning far less than 1% - with banks taking advantage of customer inertia. Stop 'em ripping you off. Check yours now. "You may be able to get quintuple the interest in minutes as the top savings fixes now pay nearly 5% (in fact, briefly they hit 5% but only via a short-lived deal on a special savings platform) and top easy-access near 4%. The cash ISA versions of each pay a little less. Just look at how rates have moved in the last few years... "It's worth noting that the top easy-access accounts have closed the gap on the top fixed deals. Whereas back in November fixes paid nearly double easy-access, now it's just a third more. "This likely indicates that the City feels interest rates are peaking - as while top easy-access rates tend to move more with current UK rates, fixes look to future rates. The closing gap may indicate alignment. "Of course in reality, with inflation at over 10%, all savings are currently losings, as your money's purchasing power is shrinking. But that's why it is so important to maximise every penny of interest, to mitigate the loss. Yet so many people are failing to do this. "Below the team will run you through the current best buys. And with some turbulence with banks at the moment, especially in the US, it's worth noting all accounts have the full £85,000 UK safe savings protection. For more on this, see my 8 rules for safe savings from a couple of weeks ago." Don't earn less than 3% at the very minimum As top easy-access rates for lump sums pay that and more Easy-access savings are the simplest form of savings, where you can put money in and take it out when you want. - Pros: Flexibility. Access to your cash whenever it's needed, and you can ditch at speed if the rate's no longer competitive. - Cons: Lower rates than top fixes. And they're all AER variable, which means rates can and do change, so you need to monitor them. Top OPEN-TO-ALL easy-access 3.71%. App-only Chip is 3.71% with unlimited withdrawals, but can be fiddly to operate (more info via the link). If you want online access rather than an app, Shawbrook is 3.65% (min £1,000), though has minimum £500 withdrawals, or Cynergy Bank pays 3.55%, including a one-year 0.34% bonus. Top BIG NAME online easy-access 3.47%. You often tell us you want a name you know. Top is Post Office's* 3.47% with unlimited withdrawals (min £1), though 2.57% of this is a one-year bonus so the rate will plummet. Or Sainsbury's Bank* offers 3.37% (min £1,000) and Nationwide* offers 3.2% (min £1) but, both limit you to three penalty-free withdrawals a year. Top ALL-ROUNDER easy-access 3.1%. If you don't want too many accounts, Chase Bank app's* linked savings pays 3.1% on up to £500,000 (and 5% on round-ups, but that's on trivial amounts). Its debit card also pays 1% cashback on spending (max £15/mth) for 12 months, and it's a top card for spending abroad - so it's a strong package, and can work alongside your main bank account. Top 'IF YOU BANK WITH US' accounts 5%. For these easy-access accounts, you need to have a current account with the bank to open them. The rates are higher, but the amounts limited. - BARCLAYS Rainy Day Saver 5.12% on up to £5,000 - SANTANDER Edge Saver 4% up to £4,000 Get paid £5 to AUTOSAVE... Autosave apps use tech to figure out what you can afford to save, then auto-move money from your current account to savings or investments. Many find them an easy way to get into the savings habit. Currently via this Plum* link, newbies get £5 if you've at least 1p saved by day 30 (see full Plum review). Its Basic account is free, and puts money in Investec (which has full UK savings protection) at a decent but not best-buy 2.48% AER (so every so often move the savings somewhere that pays more). Chip also offers autosaving, but charges 45p each time it saves for you. Top fixes now near 5% - highest since 2009 Earn more, with a guaranteed rate, if you can lock cash away  Fixed-rate savings, also known as savings bonds (be careful, lots of riskier things are called 'bonds' too), have also risen... in fact, the last time we saw all fixed rates this high was 2009. - Pros: Higher rates than easy-access (see below), and the rates can't change during the term. - Cons: Your money is LOCKED AWAY, without access (except cash ISA fixes, see below), which also means if other rates were to rise and they no longer looked competitive, you're stuck with them. Rates change rapidly, so do check the latest top fixes. Here are the correct ones at the time of sending: Top 6mth fix: Atom 4.2% AER (min £50) via an app. Top 1yr fix: SmartSave 4.87% AER (min £10,000) or OakNorth 4.86% AER (min £1). Top 2yr fix: Isbank 4.9% AER* (min £1,000) via the savings marketplace Raisin or Charter Savings Bank 4.9% AER (min £5,000). Top 3 to 5yr fixes: Up to 4.95%, which seems a small premium for fixing that much longer. Again, this is a sign rates may be peaking. PS: Raisin is a 'savings marketplace' - a website which partners with banks to offer savings accounts and lets you manage 'em through it. All Raisin's partner banks have £85,000 UK savings protection. Is it worth fixing now? Martin: "I thought I'd answer this. With the Bank of England predicted to raise rates on Thu, in theory you may want to wait to see if things tweak up. But the last few times this has happened, there's been little/no movement as fixes tend to move more with government gilt rates than the UK base rate (oversimplifying, gilt rates sort-of factor in future rate rises). "In fact, as the City prediction for interest rates this time next year has now dropped to 4.3%, there's actually also a risk fix rates may drop relatively soon. Plus delaying means you're earning less meanwhile, so it looks (I've no crystal ball) much of a muchness. Therefore, if you can lock money away and earn more doing it, it's worth considering." Beware a fixed-rate interest tax trap. If you have a fix, the interest crystallises for tax when you can access it, so some may want it paid monthly so they can spread out the interest over years, rather than get it in one lump which may push you up a tax bracket. Others may want it all paid at the end as, for example, you're retiring and may be a lower taxpayer then. For more, see our fixing: a taxing question help. Cash ISA rates are up, but... ... they still pay less than normal savings, so are only best for bigger savers who pay, or may in future pay, tax on interest  The top cash ISA rates are up. Good news for the millions with money in these tax-free savings accounts, or who need to open them. So let's start with Martin's clarion call... 'Everyone with a cash ISA check what they earn now - even if they're fixed. Don't think they're locked in, millions can transfer them and up the rate.' Who are ISAs best for? The personal savings allowance (PSA) means you get a tax-free amount of interest earnable in ANY savings... - Basic (20%) taxpayers can earn £1,000/yr of interest tax-free. - Higher (40%) taxpayers cam earn £500/yr of interest tax-free. - Top (45%) taxpayers don't get a PSA. Remember, that's the INTEREST you can earn - so you need a lot of savings to generate it. For years of very low rates, few paid tax on savings interest. At one point, you needed around £250,000 in top easy-access savings to generate it. But now rates have risen... So as rates are higher, you need far less in top savings now before you pay tax on the interest... Top 2yr fix (4.9%) Top easy-access (3.71%) Basic 20% rate £20,400 £27,000 Higher 40% rate  £10,200 £13,450 And if you've got more, that's where cash ISAs come in... A cash ISA is a savings account where interest is NEVER taxed. It doesn't count towards your PSA interest allowance either. You can put £20,000 in each tax year (so until 5 April 2024), and then once in, it stays tax-free year after year (see cash ISAs explained). Yet usually CASH ISAS PAY LESS THAN NORMAL SAVINGS, so they're only a winner for those who earn enough to bust the PSA limit (or are close to doing so). Smaller savers should stick with normal savings. Top cash ISAs Top normal savings  Easy access Cynergy Bank 3.5% (min £1, new money & transfers) Chip 3.71%. Yet for those who pay tax on interest, it's equivalent to 2.97% at basic rate | 2.23% higher rate | 2.04% top rate 1yr fix Secure Trust Bank 4.3% (min £1,000, new money & transfers) SmartSave 4.87%. Yet for those who pay tax on interest, it's equivalent to 3.9% at basic rate | 2.92% higher rate | 2.68% top rate 2yr fix Newcastle BS 4.4% (min £500, new money & transfers) Isbank via Raisin 4.9%*. Yet for those who pay tax on interest, it's equivalent to 3.92% at basic rate | 2.94% higher rate | 2.7% top rate Already have cash ISAs? Transfer to a top payer. If your existing cash ISA earns less, most of the above allow you to transfer them in. To do this, just apply for a new cash ISA, and as part of the application you'll be asked if you want to transfer your existing cash ISA over (don't just withdraw cash to move it, then it loses its 'cash ISA' status). Locked in to a poorly-paying fixed cash ISA? Cash ISAs, even fixes, can't lock you in - they must allow you to withdraw money, though can charge an interest penalty for doing so. Many who locked in a year or more ago are on terrible rates and should pay the penalty to move. Our Should I ditch my fixed ISA? calc checks the maths works for you. Carol did and emailed: "Thank you Martin for your tip on fixed ISAs. Mine paid 1.5%, but only had 8 months left, so I didn't think it'd be worth paying the switch penalty. However, I found an ISA at 3.65% maturing in 10 months. Even with the short term, I'll be about £1,000 better off." Boost interest up to 50% with special accounts There are a few specialist savings options some can take which pay more. So here's my checklist of other things to look at... 1. Are you on UNIVERSAL CREDIT or Tax Credits? You may be eligible for an unbeatable 50% Help to Save bonus. Amarjit emailed: "Me and my husband got a Help to Save account 4 years ago and got our maximum £1,200 bonus. So £2,400 together on top of £4,800. Big thanks." 2. Do you have existing expensive DEBT? Paying off debt is usually more lucrative than saving. See our Should I pay off my debt? guide, the Should I overpay my mortgage? guide, and use our Mortgage Overpayment Calculator. 3. Are you a wannabe FIRST-TIME BUYER aged 18 to 39? There's a whopping 25% bonus possible via top Lifetime ISAs. It worked for Amy, who emailed: "I opened a Lifetime ISA when they were relatively new (after hearing about it through Martin) and paid in the maximum for 6 years. I bought my first home in 2022 with a £6,000 bonus, so a £30,000 deposit instead of £24,000. Thank you Martin!" 4. Save regularly each month? Earn 7% in top regular savings. 5. There's nowt wrong with investing either. With investing, you aim for higher returns, but accept the risk you could lose some or all of your initial investment. We don't talk much about it, not because we're against it, just because it's not our area of expertise. For many, over the longer run, investing is the right call. For an introduction, see Stocks & shares ISAs, but you'll need more specialised websites for help on what to invest in.

 

 

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.

 

 

 

Are you missing out on a share of £19 BILLION from 21 million unclaimed benefits? Check now! Even some with incomes as high as £60,000 are... We've long urged you to check to make sure you get all the benefits you're entitled to, knowing millions were due a share of billions. Now a new report from think tank Policy in Practice details the exact scale... as much as £19 BILLION in support is unclaimed EVERY YEAR. And many most in need of help, often having long paid into the system, are missing out. So with permission from Policy in Practice, we've taken its data of the numbers missing out on the main benefits, and added our own info on who can claim each of these many underclaimed benefits, to see if we can help get you what you're due... UNIVERSAL CREDIT - 1.25 MILLION miss out on an average £9,600 a year. The catch-all monthly benefit to support those of working age (both in and out of work) with living and housing costs. Who's likely missing out? Households with lower incomes, or up to roughly £40,000 a year if you've kids, high childcare costs and rent. If you've checked before, check again as Universal Credit rates went up in April. Try our free 10-minute benefits calculator to check if you're missing out Our quick benefits check-up was built in conjunction with Entitledto. Just plug your details in and it'll try to make the outrageously complex benefits system as simple as possible - showing if you're likely entitled to one of a range of benefits (and how much you might get)... Universal Credit | Council Tax Support | Pension Credit | Child Benefit | Housing Benefit | Carer's Allowance | Free School Meals and more COUNCIL TAX SUPPORT (not N Ireland) - up to 3 MILLION miss out on £1,000+ a year. Every council runs its own scheme, so what you get depends on where you live, but it can cut your council tax bill by up to 100%. Who's likely missing out? If you qualify for means-tested benefits like Universal Credit or Pension Credit, you're often due this, but it's not automatic, YOU MUST APPLY, which is why so many miss out. See our Council tax discounts guide. CARER'S ALLOWANCE - 500,000 carers miss out on up to £4,000 a year. This is a specific payment for some who act as unpaid carers - whether for a family member, spouse, child, or even someone you're not related to. Who's likely missing out? You must care for someone who gets Attendance Allowance, or some on Personal Independence Payment or Disability Living Allowance; spend 35+ hours a week helping with everyday tasks like washing, cooking and shopping; and earn less than £123/wk (after tax) or have a low state pension. Check using our benefits calc. Martin's PS: "If you care for someone for less then 35hrs a week, you may be entitled to Carer's Credit, which helps build national insurance years for your state pension (it's back-claimable too, so click the link to read more)." PENSION CREDIT - 850,000 pensioner households miss out on £3,500 a year. Pension Credit tops up your income. On average it's worth £3,500/yr, but claim even if you're only due 50p, as its SUPERPOWER is to qualify you for extra benefits like council tax reduction and free TV licences. Who's likely missing out? Tough to say, but definitely check if you're of state pension age and have a weekly income below £220ish (£320 if you're a couple, both of state pension age). See the Don't stall, just call info for those age 66+ from last week's email for more. Martin's PS: "Pension Credit claiming is URGENT. Do it by 19 May, and you also get £301 cost of living payment." CHILD BENEFIT - 750,000 families miss out on an average £2,075 a year. A monthly payment for those with parental responsibilities for children under 16 (and those under 20 if in full-time education) providing no parent earns over £60,000. Who's likely missing out? Some new parents don't realise you must register for Child Benefit. Others don't claim as they were higher earners but their circumstances have changed and are newly eligible. See our Child Benefit guide for full info. Martin's PS: "Even if you (or your partner) earn £60,000+, claim zero-rate Child Benefit, ie, register but tick the 'I don't want to be paid' box. Doing this can trigger national insurance credits protecting your state pension entitlement." HOUSING BENEFIT - 250,000 pensioners miss out on an average £5,000 a year rent help. For eligible under-66s, it's automatically part of Universal Credit, but not for those of state pension age. Who's likely missing out? Renters eligible for Pension Credit, for instance, on a relatively low income. When you apply for Pension Credit, you can usually apply for Housing Benefit at the same time. If you already get Pension Credit, apply with your local council. FREE SCHOOL MEALS - 250,000 families miss out on £500 a year worth. A cooked meal served to eligible under-18s during the school day. Who's likely missing out? Many new Universal Credit claimants (who don't realise you can only apply when you've had your first Universal Credit payment) and others who don't know they must re-register at the start of every year for each child. See Free School Meals for more info on eligibility and how to apply. WATER SOCIAL TARIFFS - 5.7 MILLION households miss out on £160 a year. Every water company (in Eng & Wales) has a social tariff scheme for those on low incomes (each with its own definition). Who's likely missing out? Fewer than 2 in 10 that are eligible are getting the help they need, with nearly £1 billion in unclaimed support. Read Water bills social tariffs for full firm-by-firm info. BROADBAND SOCIAL TARIFFS - 5.3 MILLION households miss out on a £20+ a month discount. Social tariffs are discounted broadband deals offered by some firms to people on Universal Credit, Pension Credit and sometimes other means-tested benefits. Who's likely missing out? Only 3% of those eligible have signed up, so if you're on Universal Credit especially, check it out. Our broadband comparison shows them side-by-side against mainstream cheapest deals (and if your current firm doesn't offer one, just move firm to get one, providing you're out of contract).

 

Are solar panels worth it? If you've spare cash and are thinking about it, full info's in Solar panels. Martin: Student loan costs to DOUBLE for many from Sept 2023 (England). This two-minute clip of Martin from his Wallet Wednesday on Good Morning Britain went viral, have a watch... Student loan shake-up vid New. Asda 10% off plus £2.50 bonus for NHS, care & emergency workers. Plus these key workers also get 20% off at McDonald's and Nando's, 40% off at Getir and more. See all 40 top NHS discounts. 100% mortgages are back. The first one for 15 years. See full analysis, including Martin's take. 5 quick click and save MSE tools... 1. Cut credit card debt costs with our 0% Balance Transfer Eligibility Checker. 2. Use our broadband comparison to find cheapest fast deals (uniquely including social tariffs). 3. Use Car Insurance Compare+ to find cheaper insurance and unique bespoke tips. 4. Mortgage Overpayment Calc to see if you should be putting any spare cash towards your mortgage. 5. The MSE app - everything on the site and more. Grüum shampoo bar £1 delivered (normally £12). MSE Blagged. Plastic-free alternative to bottled shampoo and can last up to 60 washes. 25,000 available. Grüum Martin calls on Gov.uk to change 'false & misleading' info on student living loans. STOP PRESS: It's just changed the info on the back of this. For more than two years, some in England may've got £1,000s less in support due to incorrect Gov.uk info. Martin wrote to them last Thursday, and it fixed the info just before we sent this email. We await news on how it'll help those caught out. Full details in Gov.uk wrong info for students/parents. Big 20GB data Sim for a little '£3.84/mth' - the cheapest we've seen. Newbies to iD Mobile (uses Three's network) can get a 20GB Sim with unlimited mins & texts for £8/mth, and can CLAIM a £50 Amazon or Currys voucher after 90 days. Factor that in and this is equivalent to £3.84/mth over the 12-month contract. Need more/less data or a new phone? Do a full comparison using our Cheap Mobile Finder.

 

 

BLAGGED FOR MSE - Grüum shampoo bar £1 (normally £12) 25,000 available	DID YOU MISS? - Are diesel car claims worth it? - 'I'm petrified' - homeowners trapped on 8% mortgages - MSE's cheap prosecco taste test - Got a Marcus savings account? Boost your rate to 3.3%

 

 

New. FREE £20 to get the cheapest way to spend abroad A forex battle as three cards now vie to be the top overseas pick Summer's closing in. If you're going to spend in foreign currency this year, whether on holiday or just shopping on overseas websites, DON'T PAY TO PAY. Use most plastic abroad and while the banks get a near-perfect exchange rate, they charge us a 'non-sterling exchange fee', so £100 worth of euros / dollars / dong costs £103, never mind additional cash withdrawal fees, interest and even spending charges. Some bureaux de change aren't much better, and even if you use our travel cash comparison to get the best rates, there's a better route. The top specialist cards for using abroad give you the same near-perfect rates banks get, as they don't add the 'non-sterling exchange fee'. Once you grab one, you can use it holiday after holiday. And right now competition is hotting up, as a long-term top player has a temporary free cash boost... The top 3 'near-perfect exchange rate' travel cards compared Halifax Clarity Mastercard* CREDIT card Chase Mastercard* DEBIT card via the Chase app Barclaycard Rewards Visa* CREDIT card Perks ✓ New. Free £20 on 1st purchase (even 1p) within 90 days ✓ 1% cashback on most UK & overseas spending for 12 months (max £15/mth) ✓ Ongoing 0.25% cashback on most UK & overseas spending Easy credit-check? No, full credit-check (so use our quick eligibility calc to see if you'll likely be accepted) ✓ Yes, just ID check No, full credit-check (so use our quick eligibility calc to see if you'll likely be accepted) Fee-free ATM withdrawals? (1) ✓ Yes (up to £500/day) ✓ Yes (up to £1,500/mth) ✓ Yes (up to £500/day) Interest-free spending? ✓ Yes, if you repay IN FULL each month (22.9% rep APR if not, so avoid) ✓ Yes (it's a debit card) ✓ Yes, if you repay IN FULL each month (25.9% rep APR if not, so avoid) Interest-free ATM withdrawals? No, 23% to 29% even if repaid in full ✓ Yes (it's a debit card) ✓ Yes, if you repay IN FULL each month (25.9% if not, so avoid) (1) These cards won't charge you, but individual ATMs may. Which wins? It's a tough call - all are good, and far better than most cards people use to spend abroad. Which wins depends on your preference. Chase is the easiest to get, and if you spend £2,000+ over 12 months it beats Halifax's cashback. Yet it's not the best if you withdraw lots of cash, and you must load it before spending. With the credit cards, you just use them and are billed later (do pay off IN FULL each month, preferably by direct debit to avoid interest). Halifax's boon is the new £20 cashback, but its cash withdrawal interest means it's best to spend on it rather than withdraw cash. Both it and Barclaycard also give Section 75 spending protection, so if you're buying important things abroad costing over £100, this is stronger protection than Chase, which only has the lesser chargeback (which the credit cards have as well). Using plastic? If they ask at tills or ATMs abroad if you want to be billed in pounds... say NO. Choose the local currency (for example, euros) so your card does the conversion, not the costly foreign bank. See Martin's Pay in euros? blog. Want to lock in a top rate? Get cash or a top prepaid travel card. The cards above give you the top exchange rates when you spend. If you want to lock in a rate in advance (which can be a winner or a loser), then either get top travel cash, or a prepaid card. Our top pick for that is Revolut. I've got a top specialist card but not one of those you mention, so is it worth switching? It's not a big deal to stay with the card you've got. The cards above mainly have better perks or lower cash withdrawal costs, so the gain of switching is only incremental. The main top existing specialist cards include Santander Zero, Monzo, Starling, Virgin Money debit card (and its travel credit card), the NatWest credit card and Zopa, but there are others - check yours.

 

How Martin's relative was scammed, the best debit card and is cash king? This and more in this week's episode of The Martin Lewis Podcast - listen through BBC Sounds, Spotify, Apple and more. Three-week warning. Live in a park home, houseboat, or pay landlord for energy? Apply now for help worth £100s. If you pay someone for energy who's on a commercial contract, and haven't already had energy support payments, you've got until 31 May to apply for the £400 cost of living support payment (Eng, Scot & Wales) or the £600 N Ireland energy bills support payment. Ted Baker 30% off almost everything. 1,000s of items reduced for just a few days. Ted Baker sale. 'I got £400 energy credit back and am paying £170/mth less - it's much needed right now.' Our success of the week comes from Sue, who followed Martin's tip to check if you're due £100s in energy credit: "I wanted to thank Martin for his recent Good Morning Britain segment about energy direct debits. I looked at my Ovo app and after an online chat with them, I'm receiving a £400 refund, plus I've been able to reduce my direct debit by £170 for three months. Can't tell you how much I needed this right now." £20 off new running shoes when you recycle your stinky old ones. At 58 Runners Need stores, excluding Northern Ireland. £20 off trainers

 

 

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AT A GLANCE BEST BUYS 0% balance transfers Longest 0%: NatWest - 30 months 0% 2.99% fee (23.9% rep APR) No-fee 0%: NatWest - 19 months 0% (23.9% rep APR) Best bank accounts £200 to switch + £36/yr cashback: NatWest / RBS £200 to switch + 5% regular saver: HSBC Top savings accounts Top easy access: Chip 3.71%, min £1 Top one-year fix: SmartSave 4.87%, 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: HSBC (check eligibility - existing customers only / apply*), 4.8% rep APR Broadband top picks Standard (10Mb+): Shell Energy '£16.88/mth' Fibre (30Mb+): Shell Energy '£19.38/mth' Fast fibre (55Mb+): Shell Energy '£19.44/mth' On Universal Credit or similar? Check all discounted social tariffs Cheap Sims 4GB to 9GB data: Lycamobile, '£3.35/mth' for 5GB 10GB+ data: iD Mobile, '£3.84/mth' for 20GB

 

THIS WEEK'S POLL When did you last switch your bank account? Competition remains fierce, with 'bribes' of up to £200 offered to those willing to switch (see Best bank accounts). So whether you wanted better service, interest on your savings or just free cash - tell us when you last switched. And if it's been a while or you've never done it, tell us why. Vote in this week's poll. Over two-thirds of MoneySavers who've ever asked for a pay rise got one. Last week, we asked if you'd ever asked for a pay rise, and of the 2,500 people who responded, 61% said they'd asked for a rise at least once. Of those, 69% said they'd had success. Of those who said they'd never asked, the most common reasons were being too nervous or not knowing how to go about asking. See the full poll results.

 

 

MSE NEWS - Top story: New fraud prevention measures 'step in the right direction' - here's what's been announced

 

 

MONEY MORAL DILEMMA Should I pay for a full funeral just because one of my children wants me to? I'm planning for the future and have been looking to buy a non-attended cremation for when I die, as post-life events don't hold any particular significance for me. I have three grown-up children, and two of them are fine with it, but the third gets very upset at the idea of not having a traditional funeral to say goodbye to me. Should I pay for the funeral to make them feel better, or stick with my original plan? Enter the Money Moral Maze: Should I pay for a full funeral just because one of my children wants me to? | Suggest a Money Moral Dilemma

 

 

MSE TEAM BLOG - MSE Forum highlights: Nikes, new wave & nemeses

 

 

MARTIN'S APPEARANCES (WED 10 MAY ONWARDS) Wed 10 May - Ask Martin Lewis, BBC Radio 5 Live, 1pm Wed 10 May - Peston, ITV1, 10.50pm Tue 16 May - This Morning, phone-in, ITV1, 10.20am MSE TEAM APPEARANCES (SUBJECTS TBC) Thu 11 May - BBC Radio Leicester, Mid-morning with Summaya Mughal, from 11.30am Tue 16 May - BBC Radio Cambridgeshire, Mid-morning with Jeremy Sallis, from 10.45am

 

WOOL, WAX MELTS & FETCHING STATIONERY... WHAT UNNECESSARY THINGS DO YOU KEEP BUYING? That's all for this week, but before we go... MSE Forumites have been sharing the things they always find themselves buying even though they don't need them, after MSE Laura F shared her weakness for buying pretty notebooks. For one, it's dry herbs and spices despite having a double cupboard full, for others, it's candles and wax melts. We also heard from a frustrated crafter who buys lots of wool, patterns and needles but already has a bag full of PhDs... that's how they refer to their "projects half done". If you've a similar habit, see MSE's Demotivator tool, then join the Things you buy too often and don't need MSE Forum discussion. We hope you save some money, The MSE team

 

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