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DON'T believe the fake 'Martin Lewis' or 'MSE' ads |
The 0.1% to 0.25% rise isn't huge but the signal is - so cheap deals may disappear soon The Bank of England issued a wake-up call last week for millions of mortgage holders, as it raised the base rate - which underpins many mortgage rates - for the first time in 3yrs. The good news is rates for switchers are ultra low and had largely priced in last week's rise, but they may not stay low for long as many economists also expect further base rate rises in 2022 to combat soaring inflation. So everyone with a mortgage should at least check their situation and see if they can save £1,000s by switching. There's tons of help in our 64-page Remortgage guide, but here's the key news...
PS: The base rate rise also impacts savings. While those with fixed rates won't see a change, those on variable rates might see a small gain. Yet if you're getting less than 0.7%, it's best to switch to a better payer anyway - see Top savings accounts. |
New. Pay no interest on debt shifts for 35 MONTHS (2.94% fee) - longest in over 3 years. This new balance transfer credit card from Virgin Money* (best to check acceptance odds via our eligibility calculator) lets you move existing credit or store card debt to it for a whopping 35mths 0% (2.94% fee), smashing the previous longest of 31mths. But please always follow the Golden Rules: 1) Pay at least the monthly minimum. 2) Pay it off within the 35mths or it's 21.9% rep APR interest. 3) Don't spend/withdraw cash on it. Plus if you can clear the balance sooner, other cards are cheaper - full options in Top balance transfers (APR examples). 'Boxing Day sales' on NOW: Asos up to 70% off, H&M 50%, Kurt Geiger 50% and more. Over recent years many have started pre-Christmas, and again in 2021 some are already on, while we predict some biggies will commence this week - including Boots, John Lewis, Next and M&S. Get the lowdown in our Christmas Deals Predictor. New. Cheapest iPhone 13 contract we've EVER seen. They're not MoneySaving, but if you want the latest model, firms finally have hot deals now stock issues have eased. Three newbies can get a 128GB iPhone 13 with 100GB/mth of data, plus unlimited mins & texts via Affordable Mobiles. It's £179 upfront, then £30/mth, so £899 over the 2yr contract - £550+ cheaper than getting a similar deal from Three, and cheaper than lower-data deals. See Cheap iPhones, or for more options, MSE's Cheap Mobile Finder tool. Note: Three is responsible for the contract, Affordable Mobiles for the handset. Free streaming trials for Amazon, Apple, Now and others. Watch Joker, all Harry Potters and footie for nowt. Great for Christmas - see our TV tricks guide for full info and more cost-cutters. Ends Thu. 108Mb fibre (MEGAFAST) Virgin broadband and line '£18.40/mth'. MSE Blagged. Till 11.59pm on Thu, Virgin Media newbies can get this 108Mb deal for £23.95/mth, plus a £100 bill credit (so you pay nothing for the first 4mths). Factor that in and it's equivalent to £18.40/mth over the 18mth contract. Yet only 52% of UK homes can get Virgin, so the link goes to our Broadband Unbundled comparison tool to check your eligibility and to find other deals. Ends Sat. Martin's money can't (usually) buy charity auction. He's offering his House of Games-winning robe, plus from his ITV show, a branded cushion, piggybank and 'oil painting'. See the lots. All proceeds shared between Money and Mental Health Policy Institute and Grief Encounter. |
The MoneySaving guide to doing good this Christmas Alternative gift ideas, including feed the hungry for FREE, help elderly neighbours & donate Tis the season to exchange gifts, share food and spend time with family. But the Christmas spirit can also be about helping others and giving something back rather than just being drawn into a retail festival. Martin caught the mood with his 2018 ban unnecessary Christmas presents video - it's had 17m+ Facebook views and 300,000+ shares. So if you want to do more than just give tat, or if you're looking for last-minute gifts, we've lots of ideas to help you do good at Christmas. Here are a few to get you started...
And to wish you a Merry Christmas, we've practised what we preach and donated a sizeable sum on your behalf to the World Health Organisation to help prevent and treat Covid-19 around the world. |
HSBC customer? Beware transferring WRONG amount after app update. The bank has changed the way you enter amounts, and some say they almost sent £1,000s instead of £100s. See HSBC warning. How to give totally FREE Christmas gifts - use our gift cheques. If money's tight this year but you still want to give, then gift your time. Our printable Christmas gift cheques let you pledge to do something nice for someone - for example, breakfast in bed or cleaning someone's car. The only limit is your imagination. Track Santa as he delivers presents on Christmas Eve. Hop online or download free app to track Santa. Used buy now, pay later services such as Klarna or Clearpay? Tell us your experiences. The Government is working out how to regulate this new payment method, so take our 5min survey. We'll use answers to help us campaign for better consumer protection. |
AT A GLANCE BEST BUYS
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THIS WEEK'S POLL What have you switched in 2021? Sadly, the best deals rarely come to loyal customers. Moving to a new, hot promotional deal is often (not always) the way to slash costs or boost earnings. So tell us, what have you switched in 2021? Most would pay more for a £100 Amazon voucher than for any other store. Given vouchers are part of so many promo deals these days, last week we asked how much you'd pay for a £100 voucher from a variety of stores, to get a sense of how appealing they are to you. More than 1,400 people responded, and Amazon was typically the one people judged to have the most value: 17% said they'd pay the full £100, while 60% said they'd pay at least £80 - both more than for any other store. Tesco was a strong runner-up, closely followed by Sainsbury's and Aldi. Meanwhile, Asos, Apple and Just Eat were the least attractive. Full £100 voucher poll results. |
MONEY MORAL DILEMMA Should I rent out my house if it means my daughter has to stay elsewhere when home from uni? I live with my boyfriend, but keep my house so my daughter can stay there when she's not at university. It costs about £300 a month to keep the house running and I could earn £650 a month if I rented it out. However, I'd have to book my daughter into a hotel when she's not at uni as there's not enough room at my boyfriend's, and I also feel guilty about throwing her out of her home. What should I do? Enter the Money Moral Maze: Should I rent out my house if it means my daughter has to stay elsewhere when home from uni? | Suggest an MMD |
MSE TEAM APPEARANCES (SUBJECT TBC) Thu 23 Dec - BBC Radio Manchester, Morning with Stacey Copeland, from 9.30am |
MONEYSAVERS' TIPS FOR THE FIRST-TIME CHRISTMAS DINNER COOK That's all for this week, but before we go... MSE Rebecca will be making Christmas dinner for the first time this year and she's feeling daunted. Turning to MoneySavers on social media, she asked for tips and got more than a sackful. They told her to think about portion control (something MSE Gary doesn't know about), buy a turkey crown as it's quick, prep as much as you can and just enjoy it. If you have a Christmas dinner cooking tip, we (especially MSE Rebecca) would love to hear it, so head over to our first-time Christmas dinner tips Facebook post. We hope you save some money, stay safe, |
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