Urgent ISAs use ’em or lose ’em; car finance news; free £50 shares; heating oil hell; 7 secret Amazon savers; ends: Sky + Netflix, Disney, Discovery & HBO £20/mth

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10 March 2026 | View in browser

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THE TOP TIPS IN THIS EMAIL Martin: Your use-it-or-lose-it ISA warning as top rates hit 4.68% - What is an ISA (and how does it work)? - Shares ISAs: the likely long-term winner - Top easy-access rates | Top fixes - Got cash ISAs? Boost the interest - LISAs & JISAs | Frequent ISA questions Car finance redress scheme news Seven secret Amazon savers Martin: Heating oil hell + energy bill news Stamp prices UP again... beat the hikes New. Free £50 shares for investing £100 Don't accidentally leave pension to ex! Ends. Sky, Netflix, Disney, Discovery & HBO £20/mth Inheritance Tax Masterclass £280 Vax carpet cleaner £115 via code New. TWO top 0% debt shift cards Martin: Power of Attorney more important than a will... 35p Creme Eggs, £2.50 whole chicken Question pod: Can I backclaim Child Benefit? Wait till Apr to switch b'band? Should you keep potatoes in the fridge? Boosted. M&S sale now up to 70% off 'I'm getting £6,500 back in Council Tax' £130 Instant Pot air fryer £65  The Entertainer £10 off £20 code Updated. Middle East travel chaos rights £50 Grüum home fragrance bundle £17 This week's best buys: 500Mb fibre £21/mth, free £200, 5.6% loan & more Money Moral Dilemma: Should I have to pay for hair & make-up as bridesmaid? BEST BUYS & TOOLS MSE Cheap Mobile Finder 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 Cheap Energy Club

Martin: This is your four-week ISA deadline warning Your money's nicer in an ISA, and now it's use it or lose it time! Top cash ISAs pay 4.68%, beating normal savings, though long-term shares ISAs are likely the winner The tax year, and thus the ISA year, ends on 5 April. Though it's best not to leave it to the last minute as some providers shut their (virtual) doors early. If you don't use this year's allowance, you lose it. The good news, though, is providers, as normal, are ramping up deals this time of year while the focus is on ISAs. So let me take you through... - What is an ISA (and how does it work)? - Cash ISAs vs shares ISAs - The top cash ISAs - earn 4.68% - Already got cash ISAs? Boost the interest - Lifetime ISAs and junior ISAs - Frequently asked ISA questions Easier to watch? Let me explain & answer your questions... The Martin Lewis Money Show Live, ITV1, 7.15pm (Tue) I'm covering the ISA deadline there too - top deals, answering your questions, cash vs shares ISAs and more. Plus the usual News You Can Use. PS: Watch it after via ITVX 'Martin Lewis'. ISAs: Totally tax-free way to save or invest Each tax year, every UK adult (aged 18+) gets a £20,000 ISA allowance to put money away tax-free in a top cash (savings) ISA, or a shares (investment) ISA. You can have all £20,000 in one, or split it across both types. Understanding how ISAs work is a piece of cake... (I've been doing this analogy since 2001, and it's not stale yet - watch my why ISAs are a piece of cake video explainer) Picture a cake, let's say a chocolate cake for cash savings (though it could equally be a strawberry cake for shares). Normally it's just sitting there, so the tax collector can come and take a bite. But think of an ISA wrapper like a protective piece of clingfilm you can wrap around some of the cake. Once your cash is inside, nothing changes - the cash in savings is still cash in savings (so a cash ISA is just a savings account) and the shares are still shares (so a shares ISA is just an investment account). The only difference is... now the tax collector can't eat any. See our full ISA guide for a detailed Q&A. The key need-to-knows... Use it or lose it. You can't carry over your ISA allowance, so 5 April is the last date you can fill this year's ISA. After that, it closes. You get a new ISA allowance on 6 April. To explain, if you haven't used your ISA this tax year, and have enough money, you could put £20,000 in now, and another £20,000 in on 6 April (using next tax year's allowance). Even if you don't have enough to use next year's, if it's right for you, get the money in now, in case you have more to put away next year. Once money's in an ISA it stays tax-free year after year. The limit is on how much new money you can put in within each tax year. There's no total limit on what you can have in ISAs. Some now have £100,000s in cash ISAs, having used many years' allowances, and there are some shares ISA millionaires! From Apr 2027, the plans are that the cash ISA limit drops to £12,000/yr for under-65s. The shares ISA will remain at £20,000. The Chancellor argues this is to 'encourage young people to invest'. Cash ISAs vs shares ISAs This question is usually a proxy for 'should I save or invest?' (though if you're doing both, I'll explain below how to decide which is best to use the ISA wrapper for.) As a nation, we underinvest - we're risk averse...  If you're putting money away that you don't need to access for the long term, say over 5 years, then on the balance of probability, investing in a broad spread of investments will usually substantially outperform savings. So in that case, a shares ISA wins.  To stay less risky - best for most general investors - use that to buy funds, not individual shares (where the risks & rewards are magnified), eg, tracker funds which track the performance of indices such as the FTSE 100 (the UK's biggest shares) or the S&P 500 (biggest US shares). Cash ISAs are for storing money you may need to access in the shorter term - whether to build up an emergency fund, save for a house, or for a rainy day fund. Or, if you're older, when people tend to de-risk. Plus, let's be honest, some of you won't invest no matter what anyone says. Watch audience shock when I show investment vs savings returns... Of course, there is risk when it comes to investing. There are no guarantees. That's why it's best over a longer period (when short-term market fluctuations, like those we're seeing right now, can smooth out) and with a spread across diverse assets (which also smooths the risk), so... Investing is best if you've cleared expensive debt, have an emergency savings fund and won't need access to the money for at least five years. Of course, many people already invest via their pension, but it is also a good idea to have some general investments too, if your finances allow, and Shares ISAs are a strong option. With these you can choose an enormous range of UK and worldwide investments - shares, funds, gilts, bonds and more. After all, an ISA is just a wrapper - what you put in it dictates the returns. What tax does each ISA protect you from?  - CASH ISAs: Interest paid on savings is subject to Income Tax. Yet there are three big allowances which mean, even outside an ISA, most don't pay tax on savings interest. My how savings tax works video takes you through it, but briefly these are... The Personal Allowance: The £12,570/yr you can typically earn from any source (work, interest etc) before paying tax. The Starting Rate for Savings: This lets some lower earners have up to £18,570/yr of untaxed earnings & interest combined. The Personal Savings Allowance (PSA). Lets most earn some savings interest tax-free each year. It is £1,000/yr of interest for basic 20% taxpayers (£500/yr at the higher 40% rate, none at the additional 45% rate). So at top rates you'd could have up to £22,000 saved as a basic-rate taxpayer before you earn enough to pay tax on normal savings. A cash ISA is over and above those. The interest inside cash ISAs is never taxed and crucially doesn't count towards any of these allowances (ie, it doesn't use up your PSA).  PS: Premium Bonds are similar, but they're capped at £50,000 saved, rather than an annual allowance. - SHARES ISAs: There are three taxes on investment returns, which a shares ISA protects you from... Capital Gains: This is a tax on profits (sell shares or a fund for more than you bought it, that's a profit). It's the tax year you sell that counts, so if you bought a £1,000 fund and sold it at £10,000 this year, that's a £9,000 gain. There's no allowance for how long you've held it, so if you bought the shares 20 years ago or a month ago, it's still a £9,000 taxable gain this tax year.  You do get a £3,000/yr tax-free Capital Gains allowance. Above that, relevant Capital Gains Tax is 18% at the basic rate (24% above that).   Dividends: These are an income payment you receive, say from the profits paid each year by a firm whose shares you own. You currently get a £500 annual Dividend Allowance. Above that, you pay 8.75% as a basic rate taxpayer (10.75% from 6 Apr), 33.75% higher rate (35.75% from 6 Apr), and 39.35% top rate (not changing from 6 Apr). Interest: If you earn interest (say on money held in savings in a shares account), it is taxed just like savings interest (see above). In a shares ISA, profits, dividends or interest earned are all tax-free, (though 0.5% Stamp Duty tax on some share purchases can still apply). Plus the returns in ISAs don't count towards your annual allowance either, you get them on top. If I've savings & investments, which ISA should I use?  First look at how likely you are to use up your other savings or investing allowances, and therefore on which you are more likely to pay tax if the money is outside an ISA. Yet if we assume you'd pay tax on both, I'd hedge towards using a shares ISA for two reasons... i) With investing you're hoping for big growth. ii) While savings interest is usually paid annually, with shares or funds Capital Gains is only triggered in the specific year you sell. So imagine you put £20,000 in a stocks & shares ISA, you were very lucky and that share went up 100 times in the next five years and it's now worth £2m. The Capital Gains Tax would be huge outside an ISA. Inside an ISA, you'd pay no tax at all.  Of course, rises of that level are unlikely. But if you have got money in shares, the hope is for it to have growth that outperforms savings, therefore have gains that outperform, so the more tax you need to be protected from. Where to find out more about investing? MSE has always been primarily focused on savings, as that's our expertise (not because we're anti-investing). We're looking to try and expand our investment help content, but it'll take time.  As well as our shares ISA guide, you can watch back my ITVx Investing for Beginners show from December (I'm aiming to do another one this summer when I go back to 1hr shows).  There are also lots of useful websites such as Boring Money that can help, as well as some of the bigger shares-buying platforms and some good investing educationalists out there. Of course, if you've more substantial funds, you can go to an Independent financial advisor and get bespoke advice. PS: See free £50 of shares when you invest £100 starter deal below. Warning. Beware any investment ads with me (Martin) in, or other well-known faces. They're probably scams! Sadly social media is an unregulated Wild West, and those big tech firms seem happy to take money from likely organised crime to publish scam get-rich-quick investment ads. My face and image are often used, but I don't do ads, so any you see with me in are always a scam - as are many others with Dragons or others in. They're often fake BBC, ITV or newspaper stories about made-up things such as Quantum AI or Bitcoin Trader, and you'll be asked to put £250 in, so they can get their claws in you and ask for more and more. Don't go near them. Don't give them contact details. Don't give them money. And generally, if in doubt, don't.  The other way they operate is clickbait pieces to draw you in. I've seen those with me in where I'm dead (clearly not true) and other made-up things such as I've been beaten up, in the Epstein files, or recently, disgustingly, a deepfake video of my wife supposedly being beaten up by an 'immigrant' because I wouldn't let him in the Quantum AI scheme. These are all just to get you to click. Don't! The top cash ISAs Savings accounts that are NEVER taxed A cash ISA is just a savings account you can put up to £20,000 in per tax year where the interest is NEVER taxed. Just like normal savings, they can be easy-access, notice or fixed accounts - the only difference is they're inside a tax wrapper. Right now, due to it being ISA season, the top cash ISA rates are beating normal savings. So even if you wouldn't pay tax on interest, if you want easy-access, you may as well save in a cash ISA as the rates are higher. PS: As I'll be working on my show Tue pm, and things change rapidly, the MSE team will kindly update the products for me before we send. Top easy-access savings (AERs) Variable rate, so it can change once you save, check regularly Top (variable) cash ISAs Top (variable) normal savings - Top 'new customers only'. Trading 212's 4.68%* including a year's 1.08% newbie bonus. Plum 4.66% and Tembo 4.55% have similar structures. No or lower-rate transfers. - Top rate for ISA transfers. Moneybox 4.52% (min £500, max 3/yr withdrawals, newbies only), Vida savings 4.16% (min £500, max 2/yr withdrawals) and Virgin Money 4.15% (min £1, max 2/yr withdrawals). - Top no bonus. Atom bank 4.25%. No transfers. - Top no caveats: Cynergy Bank 4.05% (min £1), allows transfers, unlimited withdrawals. - Top 'new customers only'. Chase 4.5%* including a year's 2.25% newbie bonus (min £1, max £3m). App only, via its no-hard-credit check current account, you don't need to switch. - Top standard rate: Coventry BS 4.25% (min £1). Max 3 penalty-free withdrawals/yr and closes after a year. - Top no caveat account: DF Capital 4.2% (min £1k) unlimited withdrawals. All accounts listed have the full UK £120,000 savings safety protection. Remember, if you pay tax on savings interest, as you've used up all your allowances, that's when cash ISAs fully come into their own.  The top easy-access cash ISA rate is 4.68%, the top normal savings 4.5%. That looks close, but if you pay tax on savings, while the ISA still gives you 4.68%, the normal savings is equivalent to just 3.6% after basic rate tax (2.7% after higher rate, 2.48% after top rate). The top cash ISA fixes have a special power. The big benefit of fixed savings is the rate is locked in, it can't move, so you know exactly what it'll pay. On pre-tax rate alone, normal savings win, though of course for those who'd pay tax on the interest, cash ISA fixes are far better. Yet unlike normal fixes, cash ISA fixes can't lock your money away, so you can always access it, normally by closing the account, though you will need to pay an interest-rate penalty (eg, 90-180 days of interest for shorter fixes, 270-360 days for longer fixes). So if there's a chance you'll need to access the money during the term, cash ISA fixes offer a get-out-of-jail-free card. Top fixed-rate savings AERs The rate is locked in, it won't drop Top fixed cash ISAs  Top fixed savings 1-year fixes Tesco Bank 4.2% (min £1) Tandem Bank 4.2% (min £1) DF Capital 4.35% (min £1k) Big Name: MBNA (part of Lloyds) 4.3% (min £1k) 2-year fixes Tandem Bank 4.16% (min £1) Furness BS 4.15% (min £1k) Big Name: Nationwide 4.05% (min £1) Tandem Bank 4.26% (min £1) Market Harborough BS 4.25% (min £5k) Big Name: NS&I 3.98% (min £500) Already got cash ISAs? Boost the interest Many with old cash ISAs either had poor rates to begin with, or have seen the rate plummet after the first year or so. So check your rate. If it's worse than those above, ditch & switch! To do that, don't just withdraw the money, as then it's no longer within an ISA. Instead, transfer it to the top ISA transfer deals (see table above). To transfer to a higher-rate cash ISA... Open a new one. You can do this even if you don't want to add new money in (say you've already used your ISA allowance for this year) - the application form will ask you about transferring cash ISAs. You can transfer some or all of of your old cash ISAs over. This way it moves the money for you, usually within a few weeks. There's no deadline on this, your money is already in an ISA, so the tax-year end is irrelevant as you're not using any new allowance. If you already have an ISA you want to transfer it into, and it allows transfers (you'll need to check), just ask for a form to do it. As Ken emailed us last year: "Learning this week that I can switch my cash ISA to obtain a better rate of interest - every 1% point increase in interest is worth £17/mth extra for a £20k switch!! Got a fixed-rate cash ISA? Check if you can ditch, switch & gain. If your fixed rate is low compared to the best today, you still have an option. You can transfer it to a new provider and pay your current fixed ISA's interest-rate penalty for early withdrawal. Our fixed-rate cash ISA switch calculator works out if it's worth it for you. As Sharon emailed a while back: "Dear MSE Team, a few weeks ago I read about ditching a low fixed rate ISA in favour of a higher rate. I had one year left of a 1.7% fix which I transferred to a 1yr fix at 4.4%. Even after paying a hefty 180 days interest, I will still be £1,200 better off. Thanks Martin, you've made another person very happy." There are other types of ISA... Lifetime ISAs, junior ISAs With the tax year ending on 5 April, now's the time to use these other allowances - if they're right for you - before they reset... LIFETIME ISAs (LISAs): Saving for your first home? Get up to £1,000/yr on top. A LISA can be a powerful tool for first-time buyers' savings (even if you're buying with someone who's owned before). You can save up to £4,000 each tax year and the state adds 25%, so a max £1,000 free cash every tax year. If you've not filled this year's up yet, and have the cash, do it before 5 April. Yet if you're new to it, there are lots of caveats and things you need to know before you start. So please read our detailed help and best-buys in Top Lifetime ISAs. JUNIOR ISAs (JISAs): Up to £9,000 a year saved or invested tax-free for under-18s. JISAs let under-18s save or invest up to £9,000/yr tax-free, so if needed, use the allowance by 5 April or you lose it. The money's then locked away till their 18th birthday. Yet while children are eligible to pay tax mostly just like adults, most don't earn enough (yet see special rules on money given by parents). With junior ISAs there is a strong argument to invest rather than save for your child, especially if they're young. After all, the general investment rule is if you're putting money away for over five years, on the balance of probability, investing will likely significantly outperform saving - and with Junior ISAs the money is locked away for up to 18 years. See the Shares ISA section above for more. Our guide to junior ISAs has full info on shares junior ISA options and the top cash junior ISAs, as well as when the tax benefits for junior ISAs really work. PS: This is a great topic to discuss with teenage children to educate them about the markets. You could set up a dummy portfolio, where they choose the investments (without real money), and see how it does. Frequently asked ISA questions Q. Will the cut in the cash ISA limit impact existing cash ISAs? No. Once money is in an ISA, it's in - you're good. It will only impact the amount you can put in in future, not what you have in there. Q. Is the interest paid or dividends reinvested into an ISA part of your £20,000 cap? No. Any interest paid or dividends reinvested into your ISA stays within the ISA wrapper, but doesn't form part of your £20,000 limit. The limit is on what YOU put into the ISA each tax year. You didn't put the interest in, the savings provider did. So you're fine. Q. If you can choose between receiving cash ISA interest monthly or annually, which is best? Monthly is best for those who want to spend the interest regularly. If not, there's no difference. I suspect you're asking me because the same account will list different rates, eg, one 1yr fix pays 4.15% annually or 4.07% monthly.  This is a technical, not a real, difference. The annual rate includes compound interest. The monthly rate has to assume you withdraw the interest each month, so you don't get interest on the interest. If you don't withdraw it, it would compound and you'd have the same amount. Q. Is it worth opening a cash ISA even if you aren't going to use your full allowance of £20,000? It's just a savings account you don't pay tax on. So if the rate is higher than normal savings, even if you won't pay tax on interest, then put what you have in there. Another reason is in case you come into more money in future, you've got more room to protect that too. Q. Can I have multiple different cash ISAs in the same tax year? Yes. You can now open more than one in the current year too (eg, a fix and an easy-access), just as long as you're not putting in more than £20k in total. Q. Is it worth combining all my old cash ISAs into one place? Yes - then they can all be with the top payer. Plus it makes it far easier administratively, as then they're all in one place, and if the rate drops in future, it's simpler to transfer in one go. There are two main exceptions... - If you wanted different types on the go (say, easy-access and a fix). - If the total is over the £120,000 savings safety limit, in which case you may want to spread it across a couple of providers. Q. How do I combine my fixed-rate cash ISAs if they all mature on different dates? If that's your aim, for an easy life when the first fix matures, transfer it to a top-rate easy-access cash ISA, then keep transferring the others into the same one when they mature. Once they've all matured, you could transfer all into a fix. Of course, the time taken means there's a risk you might miss the best fix rates, but the current easy-access rates pay slightly more than fixes anyway, so hopefully it will work out well for you. You can't do it directly to a fixed cash ISA because you have to fund them within the first 30 to 90 days.

 

 

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.

 

 

 

News. Car finance redress scheme WILL be announced this month  Are you one of 14m likely due a typical £700 car finance payout? Now, alongside our free complaints tool, there's an app that traces old agreements back to 2007 Back in October, financial regulator the FCA announced a consultation over the biggest consumer redress scheme since PPI - it's predicted £8.2 BILLION may be paid out. Now it's just said the result of that consultation will be announced 'after market hours' (likely 5pm) in late March. There are other developments too, including a new tool to make things easier. So whether you've already complained or think you need to, full help is in our Car finance free reclaim tool & guide. This is an in-a-nutshell summary... The 'Am I likely impacted?' checklist. Here's what counts under the regulator's proposed scheme... - Motor vehicle finance: Car, van, motorbike & campervan (not caravans). - Eligible dates: Finance from 6 Apr 2007 to 1 Nov 2024. - Finance types: Personal Contract Purchases (PCP) & Hire Purchase (HP) - not leased cars. - Vehicles for personal use. Or sole trader or small partnerships for work if finance is under £25,000. - Still applies if owner passed away, vehicle paid off or no longer owned. See claiming for deceased relative policy. - Had multiple eligible car finance deals? You may be due multiple payouts. There are THREE ways you may have been mis-sold under the likely FCA redress scheme. With all of them, the key is that what was happening wasn't disclosed to you (as it rarely was), which means...  For now, there's no way to know if you were mis-sold without complaining. The whole point is they didn't tell you what they were doing! - Discretionary Commission Arrangements (DCAs) are the big one. This is where the interest was increased to pay the dealer or broker extra commission. These were banned on 28 Jan 2021, so it only applies to agreements before that.  - Contractual ties are where a broker didn't tell you it was working primarily with one lender. - Unfairly high commission where if the commission paid to brokers or dealers was 35% or more of the total cost of credit AND 10% or more of the loan, then the regulator sees it as likely excessive. Not complained yet? It's worth doing it and now there's more free help. Under current plans, if a firm's data shows you were mis-sold, and you haven't complained, it will have to let you know. Yet that is a much slower and less certain process than complaining now...  - Tool 1: If you know who you had finance with... the FREE MSE Car Finance Complaint Tool. Our free complaint tool incorporates all three mis-selling types. You just put in your car finance details for each agreement and it builds an email based on my draft, and fills in the right address to send it to. PS: We don't data-mine or store your info. - Tool 2: New. Forgotten if you had car finance or lost the paperwork? Credit reference agency Equifax has just launched a free Car finance checker app tool with info on all the car finance records reported to it since 2007 (most but not all firms' policies), including info on any joint agreements. Though to get it you'll need to sign up to its free basic Equifax account. It won't say if you were mis-sold, but the info it gives is great to then plug into our free complaint tool. News. The timelines have been clarified (a bit)! The regulator's update included some new info...  - For those who've put in a complaint, or do it by the time the scheme starts... It now says that once the scheme's announced there'll be a 3mth implementation period (up to 5mths for older agreements), after which you'll be told how much compensation you're getting within 3mths and can then accept that and receive payment within a month. So most payouts should be in 2026. - Not complained when it starts? After the 3mth implementation period (5mths for older agreements), if the firm thinks you were mis-sold it must contact you within 6 months and ask if you want to opt-in. You'll then need to respond to the letter if you want redress, so payouts are most likely in 2027. Car Finance Redress FAQs... Far more in our Car finance mis-selling guide... Q. I've already complained and been told I had a DCA / didn't have a DCA / not been replied to? Your job's done for now. Sit tight and wait till the redress scheme launches. Even if you only complained about Discretionary Commission, lenders must investigate your agreement for the two other types of mis-selling too. See Already complained? help. Q. How much compensation will you likely get? The FCA estimated that under the redress scheme, people will get back 2/3rds or more of the commission paid, averaging £700. There have been many consultation responses on the amount paid out (including ours, especially over the low level of interest) so there's a slim chance this may change. See my old why payouts may be lower than many expected blog for more. Q. Could I go to court instead? Yes. This note's about the regulator's mass redress scheme. However, you could alternatively choose the court route. If you did, and if you won, the amount awarded would likely be higher. Though most will need to pay someone to do that, which'll likely cost 30%+ of the award - which may well equal things out. It's your call. We mainly focus on the (admittedly imperfect) mass redress scheme, as it reaches more people, including those who don't or can't complain, plus most people tell us 'just make it easy', which this does.

 

Martin: 'What'll happen to energy bills? And as home heating oil prices double, are firms playing fast and loose?' Martin spoke to the Energy Secretary at the weekend about the knock-on impact of the Middle East crisis, including whether firms are cancelling orders to reprice. We want your feedback - see his analysis of What price spike means for energy bills & heating oil in our news story. Related... there are still fixes left at 5%ish cheaper than the Price Cap: Not many (and missed off by some comparisons as they don't pay) but check if you can save via Cheap Energy Club - if you're risk-averse and want to protect from possible hikes, this is the way to do it. Beat yet another rise in stamp prices this April. See beat stamp price rise. New. Free £50 in shares if you invest £100+. 20,000 available. MSE Blagged. This is for newbies to Trading 212* (ie, you've never had any of its products before) using code MSE50 when putting £100+ in its shares ISA or investment account, both of which offer a wide range of funds or shares. You get £50-worth of shares (or a fraction of a share if it's high-priced) in a randomly selected well-known firm, eg, Apple, Google, Nvidia, Coca-Cola. The shares are added within 3 working days, you can then either keep them or sell them (but can't withdraw the proceeds for 30 days). Of course, share prices can go down as well as up. See full T212's £50 shares for £100 invested offer info. Warning. Don't accidentally leave your work or private pension to your ex! If you've got a pension (even if you don't have an ex) watch Martin's 60-sec snip via his YouTube (& do subscribe). Or better, catch up on the full Wills & Power of Attorney episode via ITVX. Last chance. Sky Stream Ultimate (incl Netflix, Disney+, Discovery+ & HBO Max) just '£20/mth'. Sky Stream allows you to stream TV using your broadband (so no dish required). If you've not had Sky TV for at least 12mths (or ever) until tomorrow (Wed) 11.59pm, it's £22/mth - plus, via this Sky Stream Ultimate* link, you get a £40 prepaid Mastercard emailed within 4mths (do check your junk). Factor that in and it's equivalent to £20.34/mth over the 2yr contract (though prices may rise mid-contract). The package has all the basic Sky channels, and Sky Max, Comedy & Documentaries. Plus you get Netflix, Discovery+ and, from later this month, Disney+ and HBO Max (all ad versions) which separately would cost £26.95/mth alone. Inheritance Tax Masterclass: How much is due and smart ways to reduce it. Includes the new 'pensions are included' rules, gift allowances & more. Martin's joined by specialists to dig into the details. All this and what the energy price spike really means for bills in Martin's new podcast episode. Listen via BBC Sounds | Apple | Spotify etc. £280 Vax carpet cleaner £115 via code. MSE Blagged. 5,000 available. Cheapest we've seen it. Vax New. TWO top new 0% balance transfer cards - shift existing debt to interest-free till 2029. A balance transfer's where you get a new card that pays off old cards for you, so you owe it instead, but interest-free for a set period - meaning more of your repayments clear the actual debt. Two cards have got a month longer this week - HSBC's 36mths 0% (3.19% fee) and Virgin's 36mths 0% (3.25% fee) - joining the existing Barclaycard 36mths 0% (3.15% fee) as the joint-longest DEFINITE 0% cards, meaning all accepted get the headline rate. Golden rules: Repay at least the monthly minimum & clear the card before the 0% ends, or they jump to 24.9% rep APR interest. Full help in Top balance transfers. Martin: 'A Power of Attorney is more important than a will. Should you get one?' Watch Martin's quick video briefing via his YouTube (do subscribe). Or better, catch up on the full Wills & Power of Attorney episode via ITVX. 35p Cadbury Creme Eggs, £2.50 whole chicken at Morrisons. Till Sun. Shell out less on shopping Question Time pod (geek edition). Can I backclaim Child Benefit? Should I wait till April to change broadband? Why does a 7% regular saver only pay 4%? Plus, what does Martin think of the impression of him on Dead Ringers (you can hear it next to him talking)? These are just some of the questions you asked in Martin's Question Time podcast this week. Listen via BBC Sounds | Apple | Spotify etc.

 

 

BLAGGED FOR MSE - Free £50 in shares if you invest £100+ 20,000 available - £280 Vax carpet cleaner £115 via code 5,000 available - £130 Instant Pot 8L air fryer £65 2,000 available - £50 Grüum home fragrance bundle £17 7,000 available	DID YOU MISS? - Blue badge holders now qualify for a Disabled Person's Railcard - Free Wills Month (for age 55+) - £130 Shark handheld cordless vacuum £70 with code - Ends 12pm Wed (tomorrow). 1p mayo, 2p crackers & more - PM Law collapse - what to do if you're one of 10,000s impacted

 

 

New. Amazon launches its 'up to 40% off' spring sale Seven Amazon 'hidden' tools & tricks to bag a bargain  'I saved £55 on a good-as-new smart speaker - marvellous!' Think of Amazon as a giant e-department store. It dominates online retail, yet often the real bargains are hidden in below ground floors most customers never visit. So, as its spring sale is on this week, we thought it a good time to walk you through its hidden recesses to show you how to separate the deals from the duds - and don't worry, like the store itself, it's not too taxing. Full help in our 30 Amazon tricks guide, but here are the headlines: New. Amazon spring sale: Including £299 Apple Watch 11, £70 cheaper than elsewhere. It's trumpeting deals of 'up to 40% off' from today (Tue) until Mon - in fact, we're seeing it list discounts ranging from 8% to 67%, with a typical reduction of 38% based on 150 random deals we checked out. The brilliant MSE Deals team will be updating our Spring Deal Days analysis throughout the week to help you focus on the best out there. And do use the tip in point 6 to check whether other items are really reduced too. A few headline deals are: - £36 Ralph Lauren Polo Red eau de toilette, was £51. Cheapest ever price at Amazon. Next cheapest elsewhere, £51 at The Perfume Shop - £39 Instant Vortex 5.7L air fryer, was £59. Cheapest ever price at Amazon. Next cheapest elsewhere, £59 at John Lewis - £299 Apple Watch Series 11 GPS, was £332. Cheapest it's been at Amazon. Next cheapest elsewhere, £369 at Currys & John Lewis Ends Mon. Amazon Resale: Extra 20% off already discounted 'as-new' returned items. This is the first of those underground departments worth knowing about. Amazon Resale sells returned items at reduced prices, and until 11.59pm on Mon there's an extra 20% off 5,000+ Resale items*. Many items are simply unwanted as-new returns, though some may have minor cosmetic marks. You have all the same statutory rights as buying new. It's good for up-to-date branded electricals, kitchen appliances, laptops, lawnmowers, jewellery and household items, as MSE Forumite Auntrice told us: "I never knew about Amazon Resale until Martin's newsletter. Just purchased a what-looks-like-new Echo Show Alexa smart speaker for £55 instead of £110. Marvellous!" To help you hunt bargains, we've built the Amazon Resale Discount Finder, which shows how much you'll save versus buying new at Amazon - though it can't factor in the current extra 20% off, so prices may be lower when you click through. Things we spotted today include: - £7 EA Sports FC25 PS5 game 'like-new' on Amazon Resale... £21 on Amazon new... £22 cheapest we can find elsewhere - £62 Tefal 7.5L air fryer 'like-new' on Resale... £100 on Amazon new... £99 cheapest we can find elsewhere - £165 Samsung Galaxy Ring 'like-new' on Resale... £293 on Amazon new... £299 cheapest we can find elsewhere Amazon Renewed: Used, previous-generation tech in top condition with a one-year warranty. While Resale focuses on returned items (often current models), its Amazon Renewed* floor sells pre-owned, slightly older tech that's been tested, refurbished and looks like new - with a one-year warranty on top of your statutory rights. This includes phones, laptops, headphones, smartwatches and cameras from brands such as Apple, Samsung and Dell. For phones, use our Refurbed Phone Finder for a wider range. Stock can be limited, but we spotted a Samsung Galaxy Watch5 Pro for £90 (£204 new), Apple AirPods 4 for £85 (£99 new) and a Eufy X8 Pro robot vacuum for £250 (£309 new). 'Subscribe & Save' TRICK - get 5% to 15% off, even if you only want it once. You get the discount when you sign up for repeat deliveries of toothpaste, loo roll, bin liners and many other household staples instead of just making a one-time purchase. The discount applies to your first order, but once that's arrived, simply cancel Subscribe & Save and there's no issue. We found a pack of 45 Andrex Family Soft toilet rolls for £13.77 (normally £14.49), a six-pack of Kikkoman soy sauce for £10.49 (norm £11.04) and a 24-pack of Diet Coke cans for £6.84 (norm £7.20). See how to find Subscribe & Save items. Amazon Outlet: Odds and ends, but worth a check for 15% to 70% off new overstocked items. Head to Amazon Outlet*, effectively its clearance floor for out-of-season items, such as leftover Christmas cards/gifts and lesser-known brands where it or third-party sellers have excess stock. It's a mix of funk, junk and a few things you may want to put in your trunk; we found a Tikkers kids' watch for £8, reduced from £15. Do check prices though - not everything's discounted, and even items that are may not be great deals. See our Amazon Outlet analysis. Is 63% off a good deal? Check past Amazon prices with CamelCamelCamel. Amazon can play fast and loose with what a discount actually is. Is it off the recommended retail price, the normal selling price or... something else? And if you don't know what the discount's off, how do you know if it's a good deal? Some Amazon listings now show price history over the past 30 or 90 days, but for longer‑term tracking, use CamelCamelCamel's price history tool. For example, an Oral-B iO 3 toothbrush is currently "63% off" at £60 - but the tool tells us it was £50 in December. Spending £30 to £35 and not got Prime? Check if the Super Saver Delivery tool saves you cash. Usually, Amazon charges for delivery on orders of less than £35. If you're just below it, it can be cheaper to add a small extra item than pay for delivery. The Amazon free delivery tool finds suitable extras for you. PS. Of course, the aim here is to help you buy things you'd buy anyway for less, not to buy things you wouldn't buy due to tweaking your spending impulses. Always follow Martin's Money Mantras before buying anything

 

Should you keep potatoes in the fridge? It's Food Waste Action Week - see our 15 ways to stop wasting food/drink. Boosted. M&S sale now up to 70% off. Online & in store, eg, £25 fleece for £7.50. See full M&S sales boost analysis. 'I'm getting £6,500 back in Council Tax thanks to your Check and Challenge guide.' Success of the Week. Forumite MondeyHelp1 wrote: "Many thanks to Martin for showing me how to apply for my Council Tax band to be reassessed in England. Fourteen months later, I have been told my tax band is going down and I have £6,572 on the way." If we've helped you save (on this or anything else), please tell us about it. £130 Instant Pot 8L air fryer £65. MSE Blagged. 2,000 available. 8 functions, eg, air fry, grill, roast. Instant Pot The Entertainer £10 off £20 code. If you order via Deliveroo (who knew it did toys?!) from these 44 stores. Updated. Middle East travel chaos continues - your rights. See our news story for the latest info & FAQs. £50 Grüum home fragrance bundle £17 delivered. MSE Blagged. Candle, diffuser, wax melts, room sprays. Grüum

 

 

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AT A GLANCE BEST BUYS 0% balance transfers Longest definite 0%: Barclaycard (check eligibility) 36mths 0%, 3.15% fee, 24.9% rep APR No-fee 0%: Barclaycard (check eligibility) up to 14mths 0%, 24.9% rep APR Best bank accounts Free £200 + cashback: Santander Edge Free £200 + perks: Club Lloyds New. Free £200: Barclays Bank Account Broadband top picks Fast fibre (100Mb+): Vodafone '£18.71/mth' Superfast fibre (500Mb+): Vodafone '£20.71/mth' On Universal Credit or similar? Check all discounted social tariffs Insurance Car: Use our Compare+ Car Insurance tool Home: Use our Compare+ Home Insurance tool Cheap loans £5,000 to £7,499: M&S Bank (check eligibility), 6.9% rep APR £7,500 to £15,000: TSB (check eligibility), 5.6% rep APR Top savings accounts Top easy-access savings: Chase 4.5%, min £1 Top easy-access ISA: Trading 212 4.68%, min £1 Top one-year fix: DF Capital 4.35%, min £1k Top energy deals Use our whole-of-market Cheap Energy Club Cheap Sims Up to 3GB data: Lebara, '£3.18/mth' for 3GB 10GB to 30GB data: Lebara, '£3.25/mth' for 10GB 31GB+ data: iD Mobile, '£3.92/mth' for 50GB

 

CAMPAIGN OF THE WEEK Used a private dentist? The CMA wants to hear from you. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has launched a review into private dentistry to check if the market's working well for patients. It wants to hear from people who've had private dental treatment, including what influenced your choice of dentist and how you paid for treatment. You can share your experience by completing the CMA's short survey.

 

 

MSE NEWS - Top story: Faulty smart meter? Energy suppliers now have 90 days to fix it or face legal action - On disability benefits? You could save £100s as bill-capping scheme is expanded - Beware social media personalities promoting tax avoidance schemes - as new call for crackdown issued

 

 

MONEY MORAL DILEMMA My friend's asked me to be her bridesmaid - should I have to pay for my hair and make-up? I've been asked to be a bridesmaid at a friend's wedding, which is some distance away. On top of paying for two nights in a hotel, the other bridesmaids and I are expected to cover the cost of dresses, shoes, hair, make-up and jewellery the bride wants us to wear - plus the hen do. Should the bride at least pay for the bridesmaids' hair and make-up? I feel she should. Enter the Money Moral Maze: Should I have to pay for my own hair and make-up to be a bridesmaid? | Suggest a Money Moral Dilemma (MMD) | View past MMDs

 

QUICK DEALS - Ancestry: FREE access to 4 billion records till 18 Mar - Ikea: £1 breakfast on Saturdays - National Express: 25% to 50% off code, ends 10am Thu - Hot Diamonds: 40% off full-price code + extra 50% off outlet - Super Mario: Up to 33% off Switch games for 'Mario Day' MOTHER'S DAY DEALS - Flowers: From £1 at supermarkets - Champagne: £10 (normally £22) at Asda - Free gift cheques: Pledge to do something nice for Mum - Gifts: 'Free' £5 Costa, £14 Baileys 1L, £152 beauty for £25 - Restaurants: Beefeater mums eat 'free', Harvester 3 courses £27

 

 

MSE TEAM BLOG - MSE Forum highlights: choosing a walking holiday, crochet & council tax

 

 

MARTIN'S APPEARANCES (WED 11 MAR ONWARDS) Thu 12 Mar - Ask Martin Lewis, BBC Radio 5 Live, midday Tue 17 Mar - This Morning, ITV1, 10.20am Tue 17 Mar - The Martin Lewis Money Show Live, ITV1, 7.15pm

 

 

Important. Please read how MoneySavingExpert.com works We think it's important you understand the strengths and limitations of this email and the site. We're a journalistic website, and aim to provide the best MoneySaving guides, tips, tools and techniques - but can't promise to be perfect, so do note you use the information at your own risk and we can't accept liability if things go wrong. What you need to know This info does not constitute financial advice, always do your own research on top to ensure it's right for your specific circumstances - and remember we focus on rates not service. We don't as a general policy investigate the solvency of companies mentioned, how likely they are to go bust, but there is a risk any company can struggle and it's rarely made public until it's too late (see the Section 75 guide for protection tips). We often link to other websites, but can't be responsible for their content. Always remember anyone can post on the MSE forums, so it can be very different from our opinion. Please read the Full Terms & Conditions, Privacy Policy, How This Site is Financed and Editorial Code. Martin Lewis is a registered trade mark belonging to Martin S Lewis. More about MoneySavingExpert and Martin Lewis What is MoneySavingExpert.com? Founded in February 2003, it is now the UK's biggest consumer help website, with around 9.5 million users and 45 million page views a month, and about 9 million receiving this email. In September 2012 it became part of the MoneySupermarket Group PLC. Its focus is simple - saving cash and fighting for financial justice on anything and everything. The site has over 80 full-time staff, more than a third of whom are editorial - researching, analysing and writing to continually find ways to save money. More info: See About MSE. Who is Martin Lewis? Martin Lewis CBE is the founder and executive chair of MSE, as well as the founder of the MMHPI charity. He's an ultra-focused MoneySaving journalist and consumer campaigner with his own prime-time ITV programme The Martin Lewis Money Show, Radio 5 Live Wednesday show Ask Martin Lewis and weekly slot on This Morning, among others. More info: See Martin Lewis' biography. What do the links with an * mean? Any links with an * by them are affiliated, which means get a product via this link and a contribution may be made to MoneySavingExpert.com, which helps it stay free to use. You shouldn't notice any difference; the links don't impact the products at all and the editorial line (the things we write) isn't changed due to them. If it isn't possible to get an affiliate link for the best product, it's still included in the same way. More info: See How This Site is Financed. As we believe transparency is important, we're including the following 'un-affiliated' web-addresses for content too: Unaffiliated web-addresses for links in this email trading212.com, chase.co.uk, mbna.co.uk, sky.com, amazon.co.uk Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) Note MONY Group Financial Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA FRN: 303190). MoneySavingExpert.com Ltd is a company registered in England and Wales. Company Registration Number: 8021764. Registered office: One Dean Street, London, W1D 3RB. MoneySavingExpert.com Limited is an appointed representative of MONY Group Financial Limited. To change your email or stop receiving the weekly tips (unsubscribe): Go to: www.moneysavingexpert.com/tips.