Martin: ‘How to be successful’, FREE Star Wars Lego, car finance payouts challenged, 24 important pre-holiday tips, easy free £50 ending, UK’s cheapest loans

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THE TOP TIPS IN THIS EMAIL → Martin: 24 important pre-holiday tips, incl: - Key document checks - Cheapest way to spend abroad - Middle East conflict impact on travel - Cheapest travel insurance - Cheap airport parking & car hire → The UK's cheapest loans → Home insurance price alert → Martin: 'How to be successful' → Easy free £50 Ends Thu → FREE Star Wars Lego → News. Car finance payouts challenged → 150Mb Sky b'band £18/mth Ends Thu → NS&I boosts fixed savings to 4.4%+ → £65 summer plant bundle just £15 → Joybuy takes on Amazon: FIGHT! → Martin pod: Do you save for your kids? → Question pod: I got £5k back after calling the pod! → EDF customer? New energy fix → FREE (£12) A Place in the Sun Live tix → Disney+ up to £15 off for 3mths → Govt is writing to 21-year-olds... → 'I helped bereaved friend get £4k help' → FREE kids' football, tennis & more → Poll: Rate your mobile network → This week's best buys: 36mth definite 0% debt shift, 4.51% cash ISA & more → Money Moral Dilemma? Should daughter return to firm that made her redundant?

Martin: Going away this summer?  24 things to do NOW that slash cost & hassle when you go abroad  Plus help on Middle East conflict knock-on issues Summer's coming! And if you've booked - or are thinking of booking - a holiday abroad, many of the smartest ways to save money and avoid hassle need to be done before you go.  That's especially true this year, with the Middle East conflict and it's possible knock-on effect on jet fuel and travel disruption making things more uncertain. So below, the team and I have put together key need-to-knows and must-dos, including... - Key document checks: Incl passports, GHICs, pet passports. - Cheapest way to spend abroad: Incl FREE £210 & top card. - The Middle East conflict impact on travel. - The cheapest travel insurance. - Cheap airport parking & car hire: Incl new 'compare the comparisons'. - Miscellany: Incl roaming, cheap Zara, family flight sit together free. Let me explain & answer your travel questions... The Martin Lewis Money Show Live ITV1, 7.15pm (Tue) We're back tonight for a four-week Tuesday run starting with my annual travel prep special. I'll talk you through it and take your questions (send via team at martinlewis@itv.com). Plus, important News You Can Use. Missed it? Catch up after via ITVX 'Martin Lewis'. The key documents check 1. THE PASSPORT CHECK: Don't risk being turned away at boarding or border control. There are two important checks you should make. Check now that, on the day you enter the country... a) There's at least 6mths left (3mths for EU) b) Even if so, if going to the EU, will your passport be under 10 yrs old? If it's no to EITHER, check our country-by-country UK passport rules to ensure you won't be sent back. The Passport Office says you should allow "up to three weeks" to renew. Full help on how in Cheapest passport renewals. 2. GOING TO THE EU? Ensure you've a valid (free) EHIC/GHIC. Over 2m expire this year. These cards are a valuable additional to travel insurance and give access to state-run hospitals or GPs in EU countries for the same price as a local, so if they don't pay, you don't need to either.  Over two million expire this year, check yours. When it coming to renewing, beware shyster sites trying to charge you for 'fast tracks' or other fake nonsense. The new ones are called GHICs, never pay to get a GHIC, they're always free. See how to safely get a free GHIC.  New. 3. TRAVELLING TO THE EU WITH PETS? EU pet passports no longer valid for most UK residents. The use of these for most ended last week. Instead, you must get a possibly costly, single-use Animal Health Certificate (AHC) within 10 days of departure, see our updated Taking pets abroad help. 4. ALLOW MORE TIME WHEN YOU ARRIVE & LEAVE EUROPE. New entry/exit system (EES). The EES means you now need your fingerprints and face scanned as you enter and exit many European countries. It's meant some long queues and delays at border. See EES for more. PS: You don't need 'European Travel Information & Authorisation System' (ETIAS) yet, it's likely to launch in Oct 2026, so beware the 150 shyster websites trying to charge you for it. See ETIAS info. 5. USA BOUND OR PASSING THROUGH. Got an ESTA? Unless you've a visa you'll need an ESTA. It lasts two years and now costs $40.27, again beware scam sites trying to overcharge.  The cheapest ways to spend abroad...  Spend on your plastic abroad and card providers get a virtually-perfect exchange rate for that moment, but most add up to 3%-ish non-sterling exchange fees on top of what we pay. So £100 worth of euros on the day costs you £103, and others whack more fees on too.  Yet top specialist overseas cards don't add this fee, so you get the same near-perfect, bureaux-beating exchange rates as the banks meaning £100 worth of euros costs your £100 - undercutting even the best bureau de change. The most lucrative route involves switching bank, but there are simpler routes too, let's go through it... 6. GET PAID £210 TO GET A TOP OVERSEAS CARD. If you're prepared to switch bank. A couple of the top bank accounts that pay you to switch include debit cards that give you near-perfect rates abroad.  You must use the 7-working-day switch service, which closes your old account, shifts over all Direct Debits and Standing Orders, and ensures any payments to your old account are auto-forwarded. You'll usually also need pass a not too harsh credit check. Biggest bonus & top customer service First Direct FREE '£210', 7% saver, and for many a £250 interest free overdraft. Its ongoing £175 free cash on its fee-free account is currently boosted via our specific First Direct link*, which gives £35 to spend at most big supermarkets in-store/online (Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda, Aldi, Morrisons, Waitrose, M&S, Iceland). As well as a top debit card for spending abroad, other perks include: - Service 92% 'great' - topped almost every poll we've ever done - Linked 1yr 7% fixed regular saver you can put up to £300/mth in. - Most get an ongoing £250 interest-free overdraft (don't go over). - See full First Direct review for full eligibility & acceptance info. Strong perks Club Lloyds, FREE £200, 1yr Disney+. To get the free £200 for switching and perks on this fee-free Club Lloyds account though, you need to pay in £2,000/mth, which effectively means you need to be earning £29,000/yr+ to get it. You also need to switch over three Direct Debits, not the usual two. As well as a top debit card for spending overseas, other perks include: - A yearly perk, eg, choose Disney+ (with ads) OR 6 cinema tix. - Linked 1yr 6.25% fixed regular saver for up to £400/mth in. - A £100 0% overdraft buffer zone (don't go over). - See full Lloyds review for full eligibility. Top (joint) BILLS account Santander Edge FREE £180, up to £10/mth cashback on bills, 6% easy-access savings. As well as the free £180, the big sell with Santander Edge* is that while you pay £3/mth fee, you get cashback on bills paid from it by Direct Debit. For a typical home, that covers the fee and more. As well as a top debit card for overseas spending, other perks include: - 1% cashback max £10/mth on Council Tax, energy, water, mobile & home phone, paid TV & broadband bills paid from it by Direct Debit. - Linked saver paying 6% variable for 12mths on up to £4,000. - See full Santander review for full eligibility & acceptance info. 7. THE TOP CREDIT & DEBIT CARDS ABROAD. Near-perfect rates and possible cashback too. There's an increasing number of specialist overseas cards, and while nothing beats the free switching cash, for spending solely abroad these cards beat the ones above, and you needn't switch bank.  If you already have a specialist overseas card (see full list) switching to these is only likely to bring a small gain. The big gain of these cards is that as well as near-perfect exchange rates on the day you spend, they have no other overseas spending fees, plus they either pay cashback or easy acceptance... My 3 top-pick overseas spending cards All give near-perfect exchange rates in every country Top Cashback on Spending  (in the UK & abroad) Easy to get  (no credit score impact) Card Lloyds Ultra Visa CREDIT card Trading 212* DEBIT Mastercard (via its free Invest account, but you don't need invest) Chase* DEBIT Mastercard via bank app (but needn't switch, so can open as standalone) Cashback on almost all UK & overseas spending ✓ 1% for a year on almost all overseas & UK (0.25% after). Unlimited. ✓ 1.5% till 31 Jul (0.5% after). Max £15/mth. Plus Trading212 newbies going via our specific link using code MSE30 get £30 cashback when spending £5+ on the card the first time. No. 1% but only on UK travel, fuel & grocery costs. Max £15/mth Can you get it without a hard credit-check? No. So not all will be accepted and it will register on your credit file. ✓ Yes. (It's a soft credit-check just for ID purposes, it doesn't impact your credit file, so most can get it). ✓ Yes. (It's a soft credit-check just for ID purposes, it doesn't impact your credit file, so most can get it). Interest-free SPENDING & ATM withdrawals? ✓ Yes, if paid IN FULL monthly (avoid if not, as 13% rep APR). ✓ Yes (as it's a debit card, and there's no overdraft facility). ✓ Yes (as it's a debit card, and there's no overdraft facility). Fee-free ATM cash? (Individual ATMs may charge) ✓ Yes, up to £500/day. ✓ Yes, but far less, just £400/mth. ✓ Yes, but less, up to £1,500/mth. Does it have Section 75 protection? ✓ Yes, full Section 75 protection. No, though it has chargeback protection. No, though it has chargeback protection. 8. IF THEY ASK 'WANT TO PAY IN POUNDS OR EUROS?' Pay in the local currency. These days, buy things abroad or take cash out and the store or ATM will often pressure you to pay in pounds. That's so they can ramp up the conversion cost and pocket extra profit. Just say non/nein/no! Full help in my old but still relevant Pay in pounds? video & blog. 9. JUST WANT TO TAKE CASH? Speedily compare 15+ bureaux. If you just want a little foreign cash in your pocket for safety before you go, or more as it helps you budget, then our TravelMoneyMax comparison tool quickly compares 10+ bureaux, factoring in all rates & costs to find your best. It won't beat the top plastic, but it's far better than AAARGH getting it at the airport (terrible rates). 10. The Middle East conflict impact on travel While the conflict is localised to the Middle East, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz - one of the world's key trading routes for oil, fuel and gas - has a global impact. All of it affects travel...  Govt advises against some travel to some Middle East countries. The Foreign Office status is either against 'All travel' as it is for say Israel, Iran or Iraq; or 'All but essential travel' as it is for the UAE (Dubai) and parts of some other more common destinations.  If you travel against Foreign Office advice you risk invalidating your travel insurance so always check. Some airlines are running reduced schedules, but many also then give extra flexibility to change/cancel bookings (eg, BA, Emirates, Etihad & Qatar). Here, your travel insurance MAY cover knock-on costs (eg, hotel bookings) of cancelling if the Foreign Office warning came after you booked. Full help in Help if travelling to the Middle East. There's talk of jet fuel shortages... could flights be cancelled? The govt has said there are no current jet fuel shortages (see govt jet fuel update page), but if the conflict continues some are raising concerns over the summer.  Rules have already been changed so if there are empty flights, airlines won't face the usual airport penalties for consolidating (cancelling some and combining) them to preserve fuel. So clearly that is plausible.  We asked the UK's biggest seven airlines if they were planning any cancellations in response to fuel shortages. Easyjet, TUI, Jet2 and Virgin Atlantic all said no, and we're still awaiting responses from BA, Ryanair and Wizz Air. Full updates in our jet fuel shortage travel help. Flight cancelled rights. If your flight's cancelled due to jet fuel shortage and it's a UK or EU regulated flight, so that's: - From the UK (or EU) to anywhere - Returning to UK (or EU) either from within the UK or EU - Returning to UK (or EU) from outside on a UK or EU airline ...you're legally entitled to alternative flight or a refund if your flight gets cancelled, even if it's due to a fuel shortage. Whether you're due compensation too is a grey area at the moment, see Flight delay compensation. (If you're not on a UK/EU regulated flight it depends on the rules of the airline and its governing country.) If you've booked a package holiday, you will be covered for all costs or given an alternative holiday.  Yet if you booked say flight & hotel separately, your flight being cancelled doesn't mean the hotel has to cancel. If you've got a flexible booking, that helps. If not, and if your airline can't offer you an alternative flight, try claiming on your travel insurance as a last resort though sadly you're far from guaranteed to be covered.  Not booked? Prices may rise, package deals are safer. Waiting may mean prices can rise. Virgin Atlantic has already added a surcharge of £50 to new economy return flight bookings (£180 for premium economy, £360 for business class).  A package holiday gives you extra protection, as all elements of the holiday are covered if the airline cancels, see package holiday need-to-knows. If not, try booking with free or cheap cancellation. Can airlines add 'fuel surcharges' if you've already booked? Unlikely - in the past, it has generally been with package holidays, not flights only. It can only be done if airlines are very transparent about the possibility. More in jet fuel shortage, your rights. And, of course, get the right travel insurance... The cheapest travel insurance... 11. DON'T LEAVE IT TO THE LAST MINUTE. You lose vital cover. As I always say, get your travel insurance.. ASAB  As Soon As you Book My 'As Soon As You Book' rule isn't just so you don't forget later. It's because one big protection of travel insurance is to cover you in case something happens before your trip that means you can't go, such as accidents, cancer, a death in the family. All can derail trips and without insurance in place you've little protection. Yet at this time of year, my slight tweak to the rule is... Booked & don't have travel insurance yet? Do it NOW! Admittedly while ASAB is by far the safest route, it isn't 100% fool proof. Some firms may cancel cover if you're diagnosed with a severe illness before travel. Yet it's still worth doing. As for what 'having travel insurance in place' means depends on the policy... - Single-trip policies: Just get insurance to cover a specific future trip (eg, 10 to 17 Aug) and once that's paid for, you're done. If the trip's over a year ahead, see single-trip policies for over a year in advance.  - Annual policies: You need cover all the time from booking up to the end of your trip. So if you don't already have one, get an annual policy starting when you book the holiday (or as soon as possible after) - not when you go away. Already got an annual policy? Great, unless it ends before the date you return from holiday, in which case you need a new policy that runs straight on, ie starts when your existing cover ends. Most policies, including all we list, will cover you for issues that happen within the cover period for booked trips, even if the travel is after your renewal date (a few don't, do check).  12. CHEAPEST TRAVEL INSURANCE POLICIES. Cover from just £8/week. Below, the team has put together the cheapest bog-standard, no-frills, FCA-regulated options we can find that meet our minimum cover levels, judged purely on price, NOT feedback. For higher-end policies use our Travel Insurance Finder tool. Cheapest policies for under 66s. Exact price depends on age and who's travelling, yet for both single trips and annual policies, these three tend to come out cheapest: Coverwise (Bronze)* | Leisure Guard Flexi (Bronze) | Admiral* (use code MSETRAVEL20). They cost from £8 for one week in Europe, or from £79 for family worldwide annual cover. See Cheap Travel insurance for more. Over 65s cheapest policies. Prices vary widely with age, and there are many options so see our full Over 65s travel cover guide.  Got pre-existing medical conditions? It's still possible to get cover, though it may take some elbow grease, our Cheapest Travel Insurance (pre-existing conditions) guide takes you through it. 13. MIDDLE EAST FLIGHT DISRUPTION. Will travel insurance cover it? If we're talking flights cancelled - say, due to jet fuel shortages - your insurer will expect the airline to refund you or provide an alternative. And most airlines must do that (see Middle East disruption above). Yet the real concern is knock-on hotel and other costs if your flight is cancelled. We checked over 40 policies and only one standalone policy said it would cover these, as well as a couple of packaged bank accounts. At a rarefied level you may also be covered by 'travel disruption' or 'cancel for any reason' cover but usually these cost far more. See our travel cover exceptional circumstances info for more.  That will be prohibitive for many, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't get travel cover at all. It is still valuable protection even without this, as there are many other reasons it does cover you for. Drive down costs: Car hire, airport parking New. 14. AIRPORT PARKING COMPARE THE COMPARISONS (BETA). Find the cheapest parking at speed. Pull up at, say, Manchester Airport without a booking tomorrow, and it'll cost you £430/wk to park there, but we found official parking today for just £67/wk. In fact, even (the passenger) booking online on the way to the airport can be cheaper.  As for finding the best price, we're testing our new Airport Parking: Comparison of Comparisons tool, which so far includes three of the big four sites, including all the key MSE discounts we normally give you. It's only in Beta stage so we're still tweaking (please feedback), but I liked it so much I couldn't resist adding it here. Alternatively, here's our old school links, to the blagged comparison site discounts direct (the biggest discount doesn't always mean the best price): FHR 5%-55% off* | Holiday Extras 10%-50% off* | SkyParkSecure 3%-54% off* | APH 16%-20% off*. For alternatives and need-to-knows, fly over to Cheap airport parking guide. 15. EARLY BOOKED CAR HIRE USUALLY WINS. It only takes a few minutes to find the cheapest. Early booking tends to be cheapest, but we've also seen some super cheap last-minute deals in places where there's spare capacity (so if you can get free cancellation use the cancel & rebook tip below). Either way, don't leave it till you get there. Top comparison sites include: Kayak* | TravelSupermarket* | Carrentals* | Enjoy Travel* See a full list and far more help & tricks in Cheap holiday car hire. 16. BEWARE THE CAR HIRE INSURANCE HARD SELL. Get standalone insurance for 90% less. Car hire almost always includes basic insurance. Despite this, at pick-up many will try to push you to get 'excess cover insurance' at up to £42/day with scare stories of huge bills for just a scratch (or sometimes implying you have to do it). Say no - standalone car hire excess cover insurance can cut the cost by 90%... - Compare via MoneyMaxim's* car hire excess insurance comparison. - Check against MSE Blagged discounts, eg, our 20% off Leisure Guard* (with code MSE20), 20% off ReduceMyExcess* and 17% off Eversure* (code will be auto-filled when you follow these links). - If you hire cars a lot, you can buy an annual policy. Yet even if you get this, they may try to put you off, say it doesn't work, or make you jump through hoops, so be prepared. You must usually... - Leave a refundable deposit of possibly up to €1,200 on a credit card. - Have a credit card, as often debit cards aren't accepted. - Have the card in the name of the booker (though some say it needs to be the main driver). If not, they won't accept it, so check first. Don't be overly put off by these tactics. Many (including me) successfully do this with no problems. Just be prepared. 17. The REBOOK trick Is your hotel or car hire cheaper than when you booked? If your booking has low-cost or free cancellation, regularly check if you can get the same for less. Try using Skyscanner*, Kayak*, Carrentals* and Trivago*. If you find it cheaper, just rebook, then cancel your original (best to do in that order, check you can actually really get that price before cancelling). Chris emailed us his success earlier this year: "I booked 18-day car hire in June of last year for our holiday to Florida in February 2026 at a cost of £954. Checked 2 weeks before and saw the car for £487. Cancelled and rebooked saving £450+. Thank you for all the fantastic advice."  See step-by-step cancel & rebook hotels and cancel & rebook car hire help. 18. AVOID £7+ 'KISS & FLY'... though you may need to get your steps in. How to ditch the pesky charges for dropping people off at the airport - if you know where to go and can walk just a little bit. We've a newly updated airport-by-airport guide. The smart traveller's miscellany Yes, basically this is all the stuff I couldn't neatly fit into other categories, but that doesn't mean it's not important...  19. FAMILIES SIT TOGETHER FOR FREE. On BA, Virgin, Jet2 and more. A family of four could have to stump up £250+ to pre-book seats together on return flights. Yet gen up on the rules and your rights via our Airline-by-airline seating guide now, and you may be able to do it free (though even we struggle to find a way to overcome Ryanair's charges). 20. FOUR FREE AIRPORT LOUNGE PASSES. Plus a free £225 at Amazon/Sainsbury's. If you've not had an Amex credit card in the last two years, apply for its Gold card and use it right and there are serious freebies, including four lounge passes. We covered it a couple of weeks ago in this email, so see Amex Gold airport passes + £225 Amazon + Deliveroo bonus for full info. 21. ZARA, MASSIMO DUTTI OR PULL&BEAR SHOPPER? It's likely cheaper on hols... I first wrote my Zara trick blog back in 2014, and it has been a real winner for anyone going to Europe (especially Spain and Greece) - MSE Rosie's kindly updated it for me so the prices are current, so do have a read. Not booked yet & want to? Uncertainty around the impact of the Middle East crisis may mean prices are higher but it's still possible to cut costs. See our guides on Cheap flights | Cheap hotels | Cheap package holidays | Multi-destination MoneySaving. 22. DO YOU HAVE FREE EU ROAMING? Most big networks don't, many little 'uns do. Vodafone, Three and EE all now charge around £2/day to use your home phone & data package in the EU. O2 is the only 'big four' network to still be free. Yet many piggyback operators are free to EU-roam, including Lebara, Smarty and Giffgaff. With 14m of you out of contract, free to switch and often already massively overpaying, why not ditch and switch to save in both the UK and in the EU in three simple steps... Text INFO for free to 85075 to check if you're out of contract. Use our Cheap Mobile Sim Finder to do a comparison. Eg, these all include EU roaming (and some cover other countries) at no extra charge: - Lebara (via Vodafone signal) 5GB '£2.95/mth'  - iD Mobile (via Three signal) 50GB '£3.50/mth' (max 30GB abroad) - iD Mobile (via Three signal) 120GB '£4.55/mth' (max 30GB abroad) To keep your number, text PAC to 65075 to get your switch-over code. 23. AN eSIMple WAY TO CUT COSTS. Especially outside the EU. Rather than the £15/day you may face for roaming in some countries, buy cheap international eSims online (eg, £10 for 9GB USA data that lasts 30 days). These adjust your phone's settings and temporarily route it via another provider, so you get its data allowance overseas. Popular providers to try: Airalo* | Amigo* | Breeze* | EasySim* | Firsty* | GoMoWorld | Holafly | Mozillion* (get 25% off using code MSETRAVEL) | Nomad | Saily* | Vodafone*. Though be warned, provider-level feedback is limited. It has worked for me before though - read my story of trying an eSim from a couple of years ago - and many people say similar. 24. AND FINALLY... SORRY, DO A BUDGET. Though you can factor in what you're not spending at home. To avoid a financial holiday hangover when you return, it's useful to get an idea of what you can afford to spend (especially if you're out on the town - drinking and sticking to financial limits go together as well as Baileys and lime juice). As a salve, remember when you're away that some of your usual home expenditure won't be spent - no food, lower energy bills & transport - so add that into your budget. For general help, see our budgeting guide.

 

 

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.

 

 

 

The UK's cheapest personal loan... 5.6% But the tide may be turning as some big names are starting to up the cost If you need to borrow soon, it may be sensible to do it now. The outlook for UK interest rates is higher than it was before the Middle East crisis, so we've started to see a couple of big names, including MBNA and Santander, lift their rates a little. If that's an indication of the direction of travel, sorting a needed loan sooner is safer. Our Cheap loans guide has full info, but here are the key need-to-knows and, of course, all the best buys... ONLY borrow if it's NEEDED, budgeted for & affordable. Loans are a big, long-term commitment - they need careful thought. They're best for a deliberate, planned, budgeted-for one-off expenditure with lasting gain (eg repairing a broken kitchen, not booking a holiday). Ask yourself whether you really need it and can afford to repay. If unsure, don't do it. Plus, aim to repay as quickly as you can, as that cuts costs too. - Doing it to consolidate other debt, eg, credit card debt? See Martin's is consolidation worth it? briefing. - Already struggling with debt? Ignore this - go straight to our debt help guide. - Looking to cut the cost of car finance? See our car refinancing guide for help. - Looking to cut the cost of an existing loan? Our cut existing loan costs guide takes you through pros & cons. The UK's cheapest fixed-rate personal loans. All these loans are unsecured - a good thing, as it means a lender can't automatically look to take away your home if you don't repay (secured means security for the lender, a bit like a mortgage). Warning. It is far better to go via the Loans Eligibility Calculator to see which loans you're most likely to be accepted for and apply there, rather than applying directly with a lender. Applying for a loan and getting rejected can hit your chance of acceptance elsewhere. This tool lets you home in on the lenders most likely to accept you, protecting your credit file by minimising applications. So our links below take you there... Cheapest personal loan eligibility check: (links take you to find which loans you're most likely to get) - £1,000 to £2,999: Zopa (via John Lewis) 9.9%. Santander 13.5%. But for this level of borrowing over a short term 0% credit card loans can work out cheaper. - £3,000 to £4,999: Zopa (via John Lewis), M&S & Tesco Bank 9.9%. - £5,000 to £6,999: M&S Bank 6.9%. Tesco Bank 7% (need free Clubcard). Santander 7.5%. - £7,000 to £7,499: People's Choice 6.5%. Santander 6.9%. Tesco Bank 7% (need free Clubcard). - £7,500 to £25,000: TSB 5.6%. M&S Bank 5.7%. Tesco Bank 6% (need free Clubcard). All these loans are 'representative APR', meaning sadly only 51% of accepted applicants must be given the advertised rate (others accepted can be charged more, without limit).  However, some lenders now offer guaranteed rates or show you the rate you'll likely get via the eligibility calc, meaning you'll know the specific rate you'd get before applying. Eg, with the AA, some will be offered a guaranteed 5.8% for larger loans. There's an occasional loophole where borrowing more saves you money. While generally you should minimise borrowing, if you're borrowing an amount just below a threshold where rates get cheaper (as the table above shows, that's currently at £3,000, £5,000, £7,000 and £7,500), nudging up the amount you borrow so it's just above the threshold can be cheaper.  For example, if you borrow £7,400 at 6.5%, your total repayments over 5 years would be £8,687, but if you borrow £7,500 at 5.6%, your total repayments over the same time would be £8,616. So you pay less in total even though you borrow more. Help on how to do this in loan rate loophole. How lenders decide who to lend to... As with all lending, when you apply you'll be credit-scored to see if you've been a good credit citizen. Each lender scores you differently based on its own wish list of what makes a profitable customer. Yet less known is that lenders also do an affordability score (using your income from your application form, so do include every penny - but don't lie) to see whether you can actually afford to repay. And with loans, affordability is far more important than with, say, credit cards, because you're applying for a specific amount. The same lender may accept you for a £3,000 loan, for example, but reject you at £10,000. MSE's free Credit Club (available via the MSE App on Apple and Android) shows your credit and affordability scores and helps diagnose any issues. Plus, a version of our eligibility calc is within the Club.

 

Martin: 'The four things it takes to succeed (the most important one isn't what you'd expect).' This has been huge on social - it's Martin's speech to postgraduates at the University of Sheffield, an inspirational must-watch. See his 'Failing doesn't make you a failure' 2-min video via his YouTube channel (do subscribe while there). Ends 1pm Thu. Last chance FREE £50 Amazon for opening (no need to switch) a new bank account. New & existing Santander customers can open its Everyday* fee-free account if you just want to grab the £50, or its £3/mth Edge* account that pays 1% cashback (max £10/mth) on household bills paid by Direct Debit - good for an extra joint bills account. How to get the voucher: Open via these links by 1pm Thu and make at least ten £5+ debit card spends each month in May, June & July. If you're just doing it for the free voucher, put the amount in you'll need to use for normal spending (or split a supermarket shop into a few separate transactions to hit the trigger). Happy to switch banks? Eight accounts will pay you up to £500 (including Santander Edge, which pays switchers a free £180). FREE Lego Star Wars: May the 4th be with you. This weekend, limited stock. See Free Lego Motor Finance Reclaim News. Regulator faces legal challenge to increase payouts... but it may delay things (still get your complaint in ASAP). Full info, including Martin's view on the legal challenge and your next steps in our Car finance legal challenge news story. Related: Free MSE Car Finance Complaint tool. Ends Thu. 150Mb Sky broadband '£18/mth'. The 150Mb Sky fibre & line deal deal is £23/mth, plus you'll be emailed a £110 prepaid Mastercard or shopping voucher within 4mths (check your spam folder). Factor that in and it's equivalent to £18.42/mth over the 2yr contract. Available to 70% of country. Want alternatives? Full broadband comparison. Govt-backed NS&I boosts fixed savings to 4.4%+. Lock in for up to 5yrs with its savings bonds - worth a look if you want a big name and won't need access, though you can earn a bit more elsewhere. NS&I boost £65 summer perennial plant bundle £15 delivered. MSE Blagged. 12,000 sets avail. Ironically, this is a short-lived perennial deal... 33 bare root plants ready to grow quickly once planted. Thompson & Morgan (excl NI & parts of Scot). Chinese giant Joybuy wants to take on Amazon: FIGHT! We assess product choice, delivery & price. Seconds out, round one, in MSE Olivia's new Joybuy vs Amazon blog. New Martin pod. Do you put money aside for your children? This is a must-listen. Including the biggest mistake people make savings for kids, and 'Do children pay tax?' Plus car finance payouts delay - Martin's view? And lots more in Martin's Big Topic podcast this week. Listen via BBC Sounds | Apple | Spotify etc. Question Time pod. I got £5,000 back after calling the pod! | Can I move loan to a 0% card? | How to claim car finance for a dead relative? | Can I fake a higher salary to get £500? The £5,000 back is a must-listen consumer rights tale, especially as the bank didn't tell him what to do, he only got the money back by calling the pod. This is the pod where you can ask anything and everything (within reason!) - some of the callers stories are fascinating, well worth a listen. Martin's Question Time podcast. Listen via BBC Sounds | Apple | Spotify etc.

 

 

BLAGGED FOR MSE - £65 summer plants £15 12,000 available	DID YOU MISS? - Free Kinder cake bars, £8 off pizza & Häagen-Dazs & more - M&S shopper? Earn ££s off via revamped loyalty scheme - Big change to Council Tax debt collection moved Martin to tears - Which meal box is best? We analyse HelloFresh, Gousto & more - Low-cost ways to make your home 'bigger' without moving

 

 

After recent falling costs, many home insurers are again hiking prices... Don't just accept your renewal quote - even if it hasn't gone up, prices are down, so you want to try and get it cheaper. The only way to know if it's fair is to compare!  "I saved my 97-year-old aunt £450/yr using your Compare+ tool" Home insurance prices are 10% down on average versus last year, yet many larger firms have started to up their prices in recent weeks (source: Defaqto). So don't take the risk when renewing - always compare to check you're not paying £100s more than you need. It's worth five minutes of your time to see if you can lock in a lower price than last year using our Compare+ Home Insurance tool - even if you're not at renewal. The situation's similar in car insurance:  Try the Compare+ Car Insurance tool (or read more on this in our 7 April newsletter.) As Anmari emailed: "Just thought I'd share a success. I became aware my 97-year-old aunt had received a house insurance renewal letter for £722 up from £548! She just accepts them without checking. I used your Compare+ tool and found a quote (pretty much like-for-like) for £268. When I phoned her existing insurer to discuss their renewal price they would not entertain a price match, just sent a text link to go online. The online 'negotiated' price was £100 off so the policy was cancelled. I'm disgusted a 97-year-old vulnerable lady was expected to go online (she doesn't have internet access). There must be so many more people in this position who have a blind trust in companies they have used for years." 1. The easy way to do all our tricks is by filling in one questionnaire... For years, we had a huge guide full of tricks to cut costs, then we automated them into our Compare+ Home Insurance tool. With it, you just fill in the question set (we borrow MoneySupermarket's - we're part of the same group, so if you've used that before, your answers auto-fill). It'll then... - Give you a benchmark quote using the cheapest deal from MoneySupermarket's comparison. - Use our unique Price Impact Indicators to show which questions really affect cost (& any cost-cutting changes you can make). - Show you which other comparisons to add in, and in what order. - Take you through whether you're getting your quotes at the best time. - Give personalised tips - about the excess level, the best way to pay, if you should combine it with car insurance & more. 2. Are you sure you're covering the right thing?Everyone, including renters, should consider contents insurance, but buildings insurance is usually only for freehold homeowners (otherwise it's generally the management company's or landlord's responsibility - check your lease if you're not sure). - Contents insurance: Beware UNDERinsuring. Many underinsure, thinking: "I'd never claim for everything"... but insure only half your contents' value, then claim for, say, a TV, and you may only get half the TV's value once the insurer assesses whether the cover was accurate. Use a contents calculator. - Buildings insurance: Beware OVERinsuring. Many wrongly insure for their home's market value, but what counts is how much it'd cost to rebuild if it was knocked or burnt down. Use a rebuild cost calculator to find out. 3. Not at renewal? It's still worth a check. If prices do climb, getting a new policy now means you benefit from locking in the current lower prices for a year. This is only worth doing if you haven't claimed and can find a materially cheaper price than you currently pay. It's worth a few minutes on Compare+ to check. If you can save, sign up for your new policy, then cancel your old one. You should get a pro-rata refund for the rest of the year (bar a £50ish admin fee), but you usually won't earn the year's no-claims discount. Tip: When checking prices, set your policy date to start 15 days ahead. This is the sweet spot for the cheapest prices, and as the start date is irrelevant to you (you're mid-year), you may as well perfect it. 4. Make sure the policy's right for you & complain if you're unfairly treated. As with any insurance, check the policy details to ensure it's the cover you want, and that the insurer's regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority before you buy. If a claim's unfairly rejected, you've a right to take 'em to the free Financial Ombudsman.

 

Existing EDF customer on its Price Cap? It's launched a fix an avg 0.4% cheaper incl MSE cashback. It's for both new & existing customers (incl smart prepay). If you're on its EDF Standard Variable (Price Capped) tariff and want to stay with EDF, you can lock in and guarantee no price rises for a year. This is a good move if you're risk averse, as the Price Cap is currently predicted to rise 12% in July and stay at roughly that level after too - at least this way you know what you'll pay. Prices vary depending on region & use so check how it is for you, and how it compares to others, via our Cheap Energy Club. 2,000 FREE (£12) A Place in the Sun Live tickets. London Excel, 8-10 May. A Place in the Sun Live Disney+ up to £15 off three months for both new & returning subscribers. See Disney+ deals. Govt writing to 21-year-olds telling them where their Child Trust Funds are (could be worth £2,000). Yet make sure the letter's genuine, see how to check in lost CTF news. 'I've helped my friend apply for £4,300 in bereavement support thanks to you.' Success of the Week. Carly emailed: "A thank you on behalf of my wonderful friend, who very sadly lost her dear husband in Feb. Thanks to you, I applied on her behalf (with her consent) for bereavement support payments, worth a one-off £2,500 and monthly £100 payments for 18mths. This has made a huge difference at this very difficult time, and without having read about this in your weekly email, we wouldn't have known and she would've had to return to work well before she was emotionally and physically ready to. So thank you very, very much MSE Team. If we've helped you save or reclaim (on anything), please tell us about it. FREE kids' football sessions, tennis lessons & more. MSE Georgia-May explains how to get fit for free. How do you rate your mobile network? We want to know how each provider rates for service (how it treats you) and coverage (how strong the signal is when you need it). Please vote in this week's poll.

 

 

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AT A GLANCE BEST BUYS 0% balance transfers Longest definite 0%: HSBC (check eligibility; existing customers use this link), 36mths 0%, 3.19% fee, 24.9% rep APR No-fee 0%: Barclaycard (check eligibility) up to 14mths 0%, 24.9% rep APR Best bank accounts Free '£210' + top service: First Direct Free £200: Barclays Free £200 + perks (eg, free Disney+): Club Lloyds Top savings accounts Top easy-access savings: Chase 4.5%, min £1 Top easy-access ISA: Trading 212 4.51%, min £1 Top one-year fix: MBNA (part of Lloyds) 4.66%, min £1,000 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 energy deals Use our whole-of-market Cheap Energy Club Broadband top picks Fast fibre (100Mb+): Sky '£18.42/mth' Superfast fibre (500Mb+): Vodafone '£23.84/mth' On Universal Credit or similar? Check all discounted social tariffs Cheap Sims Up to 3GB data: Lebara, '£2.90/mth' for 3GB 4GB to 9GB data: Lebara, '£2.95/mth' for 5GB 10GB to 30GB data: Lebara, '£2.98/mth' for 15GB 31GB+ data: iD Mobile, '£3.50/mth' for 50GB

 

THIS WEEK'S POLL How do you rate your mobile network's service and coverage? We want to find out how each provider rates for service (how it treats you) and coverage (how strong the signal is when you need it). In truth, there are only four main networks providing signals - the rest use these, but under their own brands (see our mobile networks guide for who piggybacks on who). Please rate the firm that sends your mobile phone bill. Vote in this week's poll.

 

 

MSE NEWS - Top story: Scottish Power of Attorney process to improve - here's how - Octopus Go customers frustrated after being given little notice of price rises

 

 

MONEY MORAL DILEMMA Should my daughter return to work for the company that made her redundant? My daughter was made redundant days before her probation ended - the company was in financial crisis and let go of all the trainees. She was devastated, but has since landed a better-paying job and is very settled there. Now her old company, which has new owners and says it's "doing very well", wants her back - and will match her current salary. She's still sore from the redundancy, but loved the job and has friends there. Should she accept the offer? And if she does and the same happens again, would she have any recourse? Enter the Money Moral Maze: Should my daughter take a job with a firm that laid her off? | Suggest a Money Moral Dilemma (MMD) | View past MMDs

 

QUICK DEALS - Tesco: Up to 250 FREE Clubcard points when you vote on Britain's Got Talent - Ikea: 50% off restaurant meals for Ikea Family members on Wednesdays - Ideal Home Show Scotland: FREE tickets for 22-25 May at SEC Glasgow - Coffee#1: Free £3.50 slice of cake when you buy a drink on Thu 30 Apr only

 

 

MARTIN'S APPEARANCES (WED 29 APR ONWARDS) Thu 30 Apri - Ask Martin Lewis, BBC Radio 5 Live, 12 noon Tue 5 May - This Morning, ITV1, 10:20am Tue 5 May - The Martin Lewis Money Show Live, ITV1, 9pm

 

 

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 firstdirect.com, trading212.com, chase.co.uk, coverwise.co.uk, admiral.com, fhr-net.co.uk, holidayextras.com, skyparksecure.com, aph.com, travelsupermarket.com, carrentals.co.uk, enjoytravel.com, moneymaxim.co.uk, leisureguard.com, reducemyexcess.co.uk, eversure.com, airalo.com, amigo.com, breeze.com, easysim.global, firsty.app, saily.com, vodafone.co.uk, skyscanner.net, kayak.co.uk, trivago.co.uk, santander.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.