Free gelato, Martin's Pension Boosters, FREE £175 + 7% savings + 2% cashback, Google Pixel 8a '£456', £20 with top overseas card

Plus... £280 Shark vac £170, cheap loans, £161 M&S beauty bag £30, easy Nectar points boost?

                                                           

14 May 2024 | View in browser

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THE TOP TIPS IN THIS EMAIL Martin: Add £1,000s to your Pension inc - You due share of £27bn lost pensions? - Pay £800, get £5,400 - Ensure loved ones get it if you die - Should you defer state pension? New. FREE £175 bank switch + 7% savings + 1% bills cashback + poss 2% cashback spending New. Cheapest loans from 5.9% £280 Shark cordless vacuum £170 New. Free £20 on top overseas card Totally FREE ice cream  £30 for £160 of M&S beauty Google's latest Pixel 8a '£456' Easy Nectar boost at Sainsbury's? 200 FREE museums & galleries Martin's pod: The MOST LUCRATIVE subject I've ever discussed... £50 to £300 'free' John Lewis gift card New Credit Club - wanna play? Urgent! Student loan deadline (Eng) £39,000 thank you Everest falls into administration Free mental health & debt help 'Free' childcare for kids 9mths+ This week's best buys, including 28mth 0% debt shift, 5.18% savings, Cheap Energy Club Should my son ask for another pay rise on top of his recent one? BEST BUYS & TOOLS MSE Cheap Mobile Finder Credit Club including free credit report 0% balance transfers Compare broadband deals MSE Compare+ Car Insurance 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 19 Pension Pumpers... Tips, tricks & must-knows to protect & boost savings for, and in, retirement What's the best money advice your parents gave you? I asked this on social a fortnight ago for my pod, and many replies were similar to Janice's on Facebook: "Mum told me to join the work pension scheme at 19. I thought it was too young, as retirement was decades away. 40 years on, it has meant I could retire at 60. Thanks mum." We typically work for 45ish of our 85-year lifespan. So that work-income needs to cover many fallow years (when we're ickle our parents pay for us, but most of us then must do the same for our kids). So saving for retirement is crucial. Yet pensions are ill-understood and have a bad rap. So today it's my annual attempt to whet your appetite to tool yourself up with knowledge about... - State pensions: Income from the state once you hit a set age (today 66+). - Private pensions: Tax-free savings only usable from age 55. - Company pensions: Pensions your employer also contributes to (either build up a pot of cash or a final/average salary scheme). 1. There's £27 BILLION sitting in lost, old pensions. Are you one of those with £10,000s hidden? Pensions are big money. Yet you'd be surprised how often people lose track, including old work pensions. Jodi's email explains this better than I can: "Thanks to you promoting lost pensions on your TV show, we contacted the [free] Pension Tracing Service & discovered a lost pension pot worth £82,000. Thank you Martin. We didn't know where to start looking as it was over 40 years ago & my husband could not remember who it was with as he had lost all paperwork. He was shocked to find out the amount." 2. Under 73? Can you pay £800, or far less, to gain £5,400 or more? It's all about extra national insurance (NI) years, but don't dawdle It's possibly the single MOST LUCRATIVE thing many can do with their money. In last week's email, I explained how many can pay £800 to gain £5,400 on your state pension, and for those who find it easier to listen than read, on Wed I recorded my new Can you gain £10,000s? podcast. On the same day, Dave emailed me... "Dear Martin & team, a big thanks for reminding me to top up NI. My wife had 10+ years missing. Her pension forecast was £69/wk but a (large £8,200) contribution to fill the gaps increased it to £132/wk [a £3,280/yr boost, over £60,000 if she gets it for 20yrs] - no brainer!" Can you boost your state pension for free? Carer? Had a career break? An illness? You could be due NI credits to boost your state pension. I covered claim free national insurance years last week... do read it, it means some can do what Dave did, but without even paying for the years. 3. Big Pension Boon I: It's saved from pre-tax income, so you save more than it costs you. If you save £100 into your private or company pension, it effectively comes from pre-tax income, so if you're a basic-rate taxpayer, that means you get £100 saved, but only lose £80 from your pay packet, a huge gain you don't get with other savings, so in simple terms...  4. Big Pension Boon II: Employee? If you save, your firm must contribute too. Don't throw away a hidden pay rise. This is about auto-enrolment pensions, where all those age 22 to 66ish who earn £10,000+ a year automatically save into a pension, and their employer must put in a whack too. Opting out is almost always a bad idea, as you're throwing away free cash. For a full explanation, pros, cons, and how it means you can often save £160 and it costs you £80 or less, see my Important warning to every employee explainer (including video). 5. Have you told your pension firm who should get the money if you die? Don't accidentally leave it to your ex! You CAN'T usually leave pension savings in your will. Die before taking your private or company pension and the provider / trustees decide what to do with it, so fill out an expression of wishes (EOW, or 'nomination') form to tell them your preference - it's not binding, but is important & helps. And if you filled it in years ago, check it's still up to date. If not, update it (and inform your family), as when I warned about it last year, I got messages like this: "@MartinSLewis It's just happened to us! My mother-in-law died... only for her pension firm to want her ex's details... they split 20 years ago! She'd be spitting feathers if she knew!" And Jan tweeted: "@MartinSLewis Through work I'm involved in deciding who should receive benefits if there is no EOW. It's hard to decide if there's no obvious relative/partner. Please don't burden your employer/trustees with having to guess what you'd have wanted." 6. How much should you save in your pension - aaaaaaarrrrghhhhhh. Take a deep breath before you read this... as a very rough rule of thumb, take the age when you start putting money in your pension, halve it, and that's the % of your salary to aim to put into your pension for the rest of your working life for a strong pension income. So start at 20 and it's 10% (this includes employer's contributions), at 40 it's 20%. Don't worry, almost nobody does it! The real takeaway is how the earlier you start, the better, as you've longer for the gains to compound. And every time you get a pay rise, if possible put a chunk of that into your pension before you get used to the increase. See our beginners' guide to pensions for more. 7. Under 22? Over 66? Earn under £10,000? You can usually FORCE your employer to contribute to your pension. If you're in these categories, your firm doesn't have to opt you in to a pension, but you do have a right to make it contribute. So if you're under 22, over 66, or earn under £10,000, click the link and have a read, or watch m'video on it. 8. How the pension tax gain works for the self-employed. You get the same tax-advantage as employees, but it works differently: You automatically get 20% tax relief. So for every £80 you pay in, the Government adds £20 without you doing anything, so £100 is added to your pension (see how much can I put in my pension?). Higher 40% or top 45% rate taxpayers. You can usually claim the extra back via your tax return (which you need to do anyway as you're self-employed). This isn't added to your pension, but reduces your tax bill on other income - the net result is the same.  As for where to start, guidance or advice is always worthwhile, & as a primer see our self-employed pensions guide. The Number One Must-Know... 9. With pensions, FREE ONE-ON-ONE impartial help and guidance is available, you should use it Both with saving for and taking your pension, FREE guidance is available, online, via chat or on the phone, funded by a Govt levy on the finance industry. - Where to get free guidance: Guidance means they can give an overview about what you need to think of, talk you through choices over tax, product types and options. I usually get very good feedback about the services. - Age 50+: Pension Wise - Under 50: MoneyHelper - For full help, pay for independent financial advice: If you have a substantial amount of money (there's no firm rule, but let's say £50,000+ as a start point), then an independent pension financial adviser can advise you on specific products and investment choices - which you can't get with guidance. You have to pay for it, but as mistakes can cost £1,000s it's usually worth it. See how to find a financial adviser. 10. Defer taking your state pension and you get more - is it worth it? The state pension is boosted by 5.8% for each year you defer (you can defer part-years too), so defer one year and someone on the full 'new' state pension would gain £660/yr extra. It's actually designed to be fairly neutral for someone who lives a typical lifespan - you gain if you live longer, lose if you die sooner. So the main reasons to do it are: i) You're likely to live longer than typical, eg, are in great health and have history of longevity, ii) You are likely to pay tax at a lower rate later on than now, so deferring would help. Step-by-step help in our Should I defer taking my state pension? guide. 11. Important. Taking money out of your pension can be very taxing, if you do it the wrong way (think of a swiss roll). Never take money out of your pension for the first time without getting at the very least guidance, as get it wrong and some pay £10,000s more than they need to in tax. Don't worry, I've an easy way to talk you through it, my swiss roll 'taking your pension' video explanation (yes, the sponge cake) may help you understand it (and make you peckish). 12. State pensioner with total income under £235/wk (or couple under £350/wk)? Check if you're missing out on £1,000s for free. Nearly a million pensioners are missing out on Pension Credit, a vital benefit worth £1,000s a year for many, which tops up your income. I take you through it simply in Are you missing out on Pension Credit? Even if you're only due a few quid (most eligible are due far more) it's worth it, as Pension Credit is a 'gateway benefit' that opens the door to a whole host of other payments too, such as cost of living support, council tax reductions, free TV licences and more which can be worth thousands. 13. Annuity rates are far higher now, but NEVER just grab the one from your pension provider. Now here's a clever idea: just imagine that with your pot of money saved up in a pension (company or private) you could buy a product that gives you the security of a fixed, sometimes even inflation-linked, income each year for the rest of your life. You can, it's called an annuity. It used to be the way almost everyone had to take their pension, but then in 2015 new 'pension freedom' rules meant it all changed. And many breathed a sigh of relief they wouldn't need an annuity - not because the idea is bad, but because in practice rates were dire.  Yet now interest rates have risen, annuities have become an option again for some, for some of their money. When a few years ago every £100,000 of pension savings would get you not much more than £4,000/yr of income, in the same circumstances now it'd get nearly £6,500/yr. Though do get guidance/advice to ensure it's right for you. There are some key rules if you're considering it though. DON'T just get an annuity from your pension provider without checking elsewhere (start with a quick annuity comparison), as you could be locking in many £1,000s less each year for life. DO remember if you've health issues, or are a smoker, you may be able to get a special higher rate. 14. You don't pay any inheritance tax on a pension. Most people's estates won't pay any inheritance tax (see my 5 inheritance tax need-to-knows 4min video). Yet it's worth being aware whatever the situation, if you die and there's money in your private pension, that's not part of your estate so there's normally no inheritance tax on it. If you die aged under 75, and have a money purchase pension (a pot of pension savings rather than a final salary type, even if it's now converted into a drawdown), then your beneficiaries can usually take the money out tax-free. If you're over 75, then when they take it out it usually counts as additional income for tax purposes. PS: In general, most of the state pension isn't passed on when you die, though it's more likely if you hit state pension age before 6 April 2016. Check your situation via Gov.uk. 15. It's worth getting an idea of when you'll die... You can currently take your private pension money at age 55 (rising to 57 in 2028). Yet one big question is how long you'll need it to last. - Spend it all too soon, and you'll have a poor retirement. - Be overly cautious, especially when you first retire, and you'll have a worse lifestyle at the time when you can most enjoy it. Don't underestimate your longevity - your health and genetics affect it, but your current age is the single most important factor. The Govt has a basic tool, the life expectancy calculator, as a start point. Here's the situation for someone aged 66... 16. Woman aged 70+? You may be due £10,000s back due to errors in your state pension. 100,000s of married or now divorced / widowed women on the 'old' state pension (those who hit state pension age before 6 April 2016) are due big bucks due to pension system errors, mainly as they didn't get the cut of their husbands' pensions due to them. It's often about if the wife receives under 60% of the husband's state pension. There's a full eligibility list in Are you one of 200,000+ women missing out on £1,000s of state pension? Many will now automatically be refunded, but you will still need to claim if... You got divorced AFTER reaching state pension age. Your husband turned 65 before 17 March 2008. You're a married woman on zero state pension, getting a small amount of additional state pension / SERPS. 17. Did you take time off to look after children? A state pension error could means you're due £10,000s This is about Home Responsibilities Protection (HRP) - a Govt system designed to protect the state pension for mainly mothers who chose to take time off work to look after their children or care for someone with a long-term medical condition/disability. 100,000s are likely to be owed £1,000s - if ALL the following apply: You're aged 41 to 90 (those it's most common for are 60 to 80). You took time away from paid work to look after a child (or a person with a disability/illness) at some point from 1978 to 2010. You claimed Child Benefit or Income Support for the first time BEFORE May 2000, AND didn't include your national insurance number on your claim (though most won't remember that). This is as the system was beset with errors, leaving many having gaps in their NI records that should be there. The Govt is now writing to those affected, so if you get a letter, DON'T ignore it, it can be worth £10,000s. Generally, the Govt would prefer you to wait for the letter, but if you want to contact them now (it risks clogging the system) there's help in our Home Responsibilities Protection guide. As Janet emailed me: "Dear Martin, following your show [alerting people to the letter] I applied for HRP as I stayed at home after having my children. I have received £15,000+ in backdated arrears and my pension has increased by £44/wk. I have to pay income tax on the arrears, but still have a substantial amount in my bank thanks to you." 18. Should you consolidate your private or company pensions? This is always the most asked question when I do pension shows. And indeed it's easier to manage and keep track of one pension, but I'm afraid it's not always a winner. Different financial advisers I discuss it with have different views. It depends on... - Are there any perks in your existing pension, such as boosted annuity or other rates, which you'd be missing out if giving up on? - How do the charges and investment choices of your old pension(s) compare to your new ones? - Are there any exit penalties that apply to the schemes? - How flexible are the options for taking retirement or death benefits? If that's all gobbledygook to you, that's a very good reason to - as a bare minimum - get some free guidance or advice before you do anything, as get it wrong and it can cost you. For more explanation, read our Pension need-to-knows guide. 19. On a final salary pension? Be careful cutting your hours before retiring. If you're thinking of reducing your hours, check your scheme's rules before you agree to a pay cut. A few rules state that it's literally a percentage of your final salary - in which case, dropping hours just before retirement could cost you large. Do check before making a decision. PS: Ta to independent pension advisers Robin Keyte of Keyte Financial Planners and Dennis Hall of Yellowtail Financial Planning for giving this a readthrough check.

 

 

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.

 

 

 

New. Quintuple threat bank-switch deal from Santander... FREE £175 + 7% savings + 1% cashback on bills + cheap spending abroad + possible 2% cashback on all spending Santander has stomped its feet and shaken up the bank-switching market with a new lucrative deal, which at its extreme could net some over £600/yr. This, plus the return of a free cash deal from First Direct, are welcome. To switch bank, they require you to pass a not-too-harsh credit-check and use their seven-working-day switching service (it'll close your old account for you, ensure any payments to it are auto-forwarded, and move the balance, standing orders & Direct Debits across). Full details in Best bank accounts, but let's run you through the two-step Santander news... New. FREE £175 to switch to Santander plus bills cashback & more. Switch to Santander's Edge current account* and it pays a free £175 within 90 days. The account costs £3/mth, but pays two sets of cashback, each up to a max £10/mth (so total £20/mth)... - 1% BILLS cashback on council tax, energy, broadband, phones, water, & paid-for TV bills paid via it. - 1% GROCERY & TRAVEL cashback on debit card spending at supermarkets and on fuel and train & bus travel. For households with average bills, we estimate that's a gain of typically £80/yr to £100/yr after the fee. Got bigger bills? The free £175 is also available on the Santander Edge Up* account, which costs £5/mth but the cashback's higher. Each category is capped at £15, so if you'll max them out it's a winner. With the Edge account, you also get access to linked 7% easy-access savings. Once it's open, you can then access a linked 7% AER easy-access savings account for up to £4,000 - easily the top-paying easy-access account. Max it out and this is around £270 interest a year. Top tip: If you open Edge as a joint account, each of you get one of these accounts, doubling the gain. PS: Bizarrely, you can't open this if you get an Edge Up account. Cheap overseas spending. The Edge and Edge Up debit cards don't add a foreign exchange fee when you spend abroad, so you get the same near-perfect exchange rate as the bank does. More info in Top cards for travelling abroad. - Who can get the Edge account? To get the free £175, you need to switch to it from a non-Santander Group bank and have never had a Santander switch payment. Then, within the first 60 days, pay in £1,500+ and set up 2+ Direct Debits. To get the cashback, the Edge account has a low £500 min monthly pay-in (Edge Up is £1,500), equivalent to a £6,000 salary going in, and you also need to have 2+ Direct Debits. New. The Edge & Edge Up also let you access a linked 2% cashback Edge credit card. The Santander Edge credit card* is only for Santander current account customers who pass a credit check. It pays 2% cashback on almost all UK and overseas spending for a year, up to a max £15/mth, though again there's a £3/mth fee, so the max total gain is £12/mth. After the first year, the cashback drops to 1%. Of course, only do this if you'll pay off the card IN FULL each month to avoid the 29.8% rep APR interest. How does it compare to Chase? The fee-free, app-based Chase* current account is easy for anyone to get, as you needn't switch to get it and it doesn't require a hard credit-check to open it. It pays 1% cashback up to £15/mth on its debit card. This can beat the Edge credit card, due to the fee, if you spend under £300/mth or over £1,200/mth on it, otherwise Edge wins due to the 2% cashback rate. Plus Edge has the advantage that, as it's a credit card, you get Section 75 protection.

 

£280 Shark cordless vacuum for £170 with code. MSE Blagged. 5,000 available. Shark New. Top overseas credit card plus £20 cashback (if you spend a penny). Halifax Clarity (link via our eligibility checker) is one of our long-term top-pick travel credit cards, as it has no exchange-rate fee, no ATM fee, and low ATM interest. Currently newbies get £20 cashback on your first purchase within 90 days. So you could just grab it, buy a banana here in the UK, and bag the cashback. Yet always pay it off IN FULL or it's 23.9% rep APR (even if you fully repay there's interest on cash withdrawals, so it's better to spend on than do that). Full info and alternatives in Top travel cards. FREE Creams Café gelato scoop (normally £2.50). Here's a scoop for you - no code, no min spend - just turn up this Friday at 90+ locations in England, max one scoop per person. Full info in free gelato near you? (PS: It'll be interesting to see how it plays out - it could go wild, with big queues and stock shortages, or be as smooth as ice.) £30 M&S summer beauty bag (worth £161) if you spend £35. The 12-piece set is always popular. It'll be around from Thu. See M&S beauty bag. New. Google's latest Pixel 8a for £19/mth, including 100GB/mth data for two years. Google's selling its latest mid-range handset for £499 outright. However, newbies to iD Mobile (uses Three's signal) can get the brand new Pixel 8a (128GB) with unlimited UK mins, calls & 100GB/mth data for £18.99/mth with nowt to pay upfront, making it just £456 over the 2yr contract. Don't want the Pixel 8a, or want Sim-only? See Cheap Mobile Finder. Sainsbury's shopper? Check if you can get an easy Nectar points boost. If you're one of the millions eligible, you just need to opt in to earn a few quid's worth of extra points on spends of £1+. Full details in Nectar promo. Related: Tesco's also running a points boosting offer - see Clubcard Challenges. 200 FREE museums & galleries. Sat is International Museum Day, so check out our list of 200+ free UK museums. Martin's new podcast: The MOST LUCRATIVE subject I've ever discussed... some gain £10,000s. For each £800 or less paid, you may gain £5,400+. Some are £50,000+ better off, but the clock's ticking! It's all about extra national insurance years (under-73s only). Martin's covered it here on MSE, but it's worth having a listen too, you may find it easier to digest. All this and more via BBC Sounds | Spotify | Apple or wherever you like to get your Martin fix. See The Martin Lewis Podcast.

 

 

BLAGGED FOR MSE - £280 Shark vacuum for £170 code 5,000 available	DID YOU MISS? - Tesco Clubcard holder? Some can earn up to £50 with new offer - Brand-new clothes at second-hand prices, eg, £197 bodysuit £6 - Top savings for £10,000+, paying 5% 'easy access' plus £50 - NHS, care or emergency worker? 20% off Pizza Express & more - Ends 11.59pm tomorrow (Wed). 1p Walkers, 45p Heinz soup etc

 

 

New. Cheapest personal loans Need a loan? Rates have dipped when borrowing smaller amounts (sub £5,000). Here's how to minimise costs If you've a big one-off expenditure due, a personal loan is often the simplest and safest way to make it. Loan rates have been relatively stable in recent months, but we've just started to see the rates on smaller loans dip a little. Full details, more tips and help in our cheap loans guide, but in brief... Before we get into this, ONLY borrow if it's NEEDED, budgeted for & affordable. Be very careful with any new borrowing. Ask yourself if you really need it - if not, don't do it. If you do, then do a budget to ensure you can afford the repayments. Aim to repay as quickly as you can, as that cuts the cost too. The UK's cheapest FIXED unsecured loan rates. This is the cheapest borrowing that ISN'T 'secured' on your home (ie, so they can't just take your home if you can't repay). Don't just apply, go via our Cheap Loans Eligibility Calc, which will tell you which loans you're most likely to be accepted for, protecting your credit file, and includes some guaranteed rate loans. All the following are 'representative APR':    - £1,000 to £2,999: Santander* 13.5% rep APR interest, but 0% credit card loans are likely cheaper for many - £3,000 to £3,999: Novuna Personal Finance*, M&S Bank* & Santander* 9.9% - £4,000 to £4,999: Novuna Personal Finance* 9.7% - £5,000 to £7,499: Tesco Bank* 7.2% (need a Clubcard), Novuna Personal Finance* 7.3% & Sainsbury's Bank* 7.4% (need a Nectar card) - £7,500 to £15,000: TSB 5.9% (link via eligibility on TSB's request), Sainsbury's Bank* 6% (need a Nectar card) Lenders needn't give you the rate they list. Virtually all personal loans are 'representative APR' meaning, frustratingly, lenders only need to give 51% of accepted customers that rate - the rest can be charged more without limit. Worse still, often the only way to find the rate YOU'LL get is by applying, which leaves a mark on your credit file. A few lenders now give guaranteed rates via our eligibility check, but they're not usually the cheapest. We push for change. Used right, credit cards can beat loans. It all depends on what it is for and how you use it. Though if you don't trust yourself with a credit card, and need the self-discipline of rigid monthly payments, then stick to a loan. If not... - If you're getting a loan to cover existing credit card debts, it's far better to use a 0% balance transfer. - If you need a smaller amount over a couple of years and can pay on plastic, use a 0% spending card. - If you need a smaller amount over a couple of years, but need to pay in cash, use a 0% credit card loan. If you do get a loan, ensure you pay on time (preferably by Direct Debit) or you may be charged and get a missed payment on your credit report, which can cause real problems.

 

Get a £50 to £300 John Lewis gift card if buying big-ticket electrical item, eg, air fryer, TV. While it's often not the cheapest store, currently it has 400 items ranging from £150+ where it's giving gift cards. Factor that in if you've a planned, necessary purchase to make now, and it may be cheapest. See full £50 to £300 John Lewis gift card info. Want to try our new Credit Club to see your MSE credit Eligibility Rating? We're soon launching the new Credit Club to new users (existing ones have already been moved over). It's at final testing and we'd love some of you to play with it first & give us your feedback. We hope it's a better way to look at your credit & affordability scores. English student finance deadline is this Friday... English students starting this year need to apply by Fri 17 May to be sure of getting their student loan funding for the start of term (it's 21 June for continuing students). See English student loans (and see deadlines in N. Ireland | Scotland | Wales). Related: University parental contribution calc | How much should I save for my child to go to uni? calc Martin: 'I want to share Gary's message on bereavement support, even though it's changed' This success of the week is a bit different. Normally they encourage you to take action to save cash (do send us your successes). Yet, as we shouted from the rooftops, the deadline for unmarried parents to claim many years of backdated bereavement support was 8 Feb. However, the thanks keep coming in, and I wanted to acknowledge the kind words. Bereavement support is still available if you lost your partner in the last 21mths (& in a few cases, longer ago), but the big back payments aren't. Over now to Gary's email, thank you Gary... I got a life-changing £39,000 bereavement support payment after watching Martin's show... "Hi Martin & team, thank you. I watched your programme on widow's benefit. My partner died in 2013 and I was left a single dad with two stepsons and my son, who was a baby only just over a year old. Man I struggled and was living week by week. When I saw your programme, I thought well no harm in trying to get something, which turned out to be a life-changing sum of money. I got £39,000 backdated and also I'm now getting a monthly payment for my youngest lad, which is just over £500 a month for me to use. I can't work because of health problems so this has been a godsend. Now I can get my kids presents and don't have to worry for who I'm not gonna pay, so I can get a birthday or Xmas present. Thank you so so so much." Double glazing firm Everest falls into administration - your rights explained. See Everest administration. Free Mental Health & Debt booklet 2024. It's Mental Health Awareness Week, so a good time to remind you of our 44-page Mental Health & Debt PDF guide, which has helped so many. Please share with anyone you think may benefit. Working parent(s) with child under 2? Many can now apply for 'free' childcare for Sept (Eng). Applications have now opened for the working parent(s) (both must be working if a couple) of children who'll be 9 months+ by 31 August to get 15hrs/wk of funded childcare (ie, the state funds up to a certain amount - you may need to supplement it) from September. More in 'free' childcare hours.

 

 

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AT A GLANCE BEST BUYS 0% balance transfers Longest 0%: Barclaycard (check eligibility / apply*) - up to 28mths 0%, 3.45% fee (24.9% rep APR interest) No-fee 0%: NatWest (check eligibility / apply*) - 13mths 0% (24.9% rep APR interest) Broadband top picks Fast fibre (100Mb+): Virgin Media '£22.34/mth' Superfast fibre (500Mb+): Vodafone '£28.21/mth' On Universal Credit or similar? Check all discounted social tariffs Top savings accounts Top easy access: Paragon 5.05%, min £1,000 Top one-year fix: SmartSave 5.18%, min £10,000 Car insurance Try our Compare+ Car Insurance tool Cheap loans Cheapest for £5,000 to £7,499: Tesco Bank (check eligibility / apply*), 7.2% rep APR (for Clubcard holders) Cheapest for £7,500 to £15,000: TSB (check eligibility, TSB has asked us to link only to our calculator), 5.9% rep APR Top energy deals Try our relaunched Cheap Energy Club Best bank accounts New. £175 to switch + cashback: Santander Edge £175 to switch + top service: First Direct Cheap Sims Up to 3GB data: Lebara, '£3.36/mth' for 3GB 4GB to 9GB data: Lebara, '£3.65/mth' for 5GB 10GB to 30GB data: iD Mobile, '£4.50/mth' for 30GB 31GB+ data: iD Mobile, '£7.50/mth' for 100GB

 

CAMPAIGN OF THE WEEK Help protect yourself (or your loved ones) from online scams. BT Group and charity AbilityNet are offering free in-person digital skills sessions for people aged 65+ living in or near Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow, London and Manchester. The sessions cover everything from staying safe online to getting to grips with a smartphone. Don't need help? Do you have a friend or family member who does? Find out more and book a session.

 

THIS WEEK'S POLL Do you (or did you) contribute to your child(ren)'s uni costs? A new report suggests that parents might need to give their child up to £15,000 a year in order for them to have a minimum acceptable standard of living at university. So this week, we want to know how much (if anything) you contribute(d) to your children's uni costs. Vote now in this week's poll. One in 10 cat owners not prepared for microchip law change. Last week we asked whether you had a cat, and if so, whether it was microchipped, following the law change that from 10 June all cats aged 20 weeks+ will need to be. Almost 90% had already done it, leaving the remaining 11% needing to make a speedy appointment at the vets. See the full poll results.

 

 

MSE NEWS - Top story: Cheap energy deals for switchers could be back soon after Ofgem ends ban - Santander to cut rate on popular 5.2% easy-access savings account next week - Bank of England holds base rate at 5.25% again - Parents in England expected to contribute up to £15k a year towards children's university living costs - TSB to close 36 branches in 2024/25

 

 

MONEY MORAL DILEMMA Should my son ask for another pay rise on top of his recent one? My son's 22 and works in a salaried role. His pay began just above the national minimum wage. Following his last performance review, he was given a percentage pay increase as recognition for his efforts. But with the minimum wage increase last month, and the top rate now being paid from the age of 21 instead of 23, the pay increase he worked hard for has effectively been cancelled out. Should he ask for a further pay rise to compensate for this? Enter the Money Moral Maze: Should my son ask for another pay rise? | Suggest a Money Moral Dilemma (MMD) | View past MMDs

 

 

MSE TEAM BLOG - MSE Forum highlights: Paris, pensions & raffle prizes - Five ways to manage the stress of budgeting - Can you make your own soy yogurt (and is it MoneySaving)?

 

 

MARTIN'S APPEARANCES (TUE 14 MAY ONWARDS) Wed 15 May - Ask Martin Lewis, BBC Radio 5 Live, 1pm Tue 21 May - This Morning, phone-in, ITV1, 10.20am

 

KITCHEN ROLL, FABRIC SOFTENER AND AUTO-RENEWALS - WHAT ARE YOUR ANTI-MONEYSAVING 'ICKS'? That's all for this week, but before we go... we asked what your big MoneySaving no-nos are (these are the things you see other people doing and wonder why they're wasting all that money). Common themes included takeaway coffees, fabric conditioner and using kitchen roll instead of a cloth to wipe up spills. Another theme was waste not, want not, with many railing against those who let a fridge full of food go off rather than cooking or freezing it. And many followed the MSE mantra of not letting insurance auto-renew, amazed that others weren't willing to take a few minutes to potentially save £100s. Finally, we particularly commend the MoneySaver who'd happily walk a mile to find an ATM that didn't charge him to take cash out - good for the pocket, and your health . Let us know your MoneySaving no-nos in our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram conversations. We hope you save some money, The MSE team

 

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