Cheap hols, student loan hike, ½ price Shark, 35mth 0% ends, WFH tax back ends?, fix energy now? Valentine's deals

Plus... First Direct free £150, Where do tomatoes go?, 108Mb fibre £18/month, pet insurance

                                                           

02 February 2022 | View in browser

Banking & Savings Household Bills Deals Insurance Cards & Loans Mortgages Income Reclaim

 

THE TOP TIPS IN THIS EMAIL 20 travel need-to-knows, including beat roaming charges, cheap flights & hotels, Eurostar deals & more Ends today (Wed). Longest 0% balance transfer - shift card debts to 35mths 0% Cheep pet insurance deals, including £195 Amazon voucher Warning. Claim up to £280 working-from-home tax rebate while you still can Shark top-of-the-range cordless vacuum £250 via code (normally £500) New. No. 1 service bank First Direct now pays switchers a FREE £150 Where should you put your tomatoes? And 14 other food storage hacks Govt to increase student loan repayments by £110/yr from April Ends Thu. 108Mb Virgin fibre broadband & line '£18.40/mth' 1 April energy price cap rise now predicted at 49% - fix now? Hot Valentine's deals, including roses for £25, 33% off cards Ending. Top 0% spending card - 24mths + £20 cashback £93 of Lottie London beauty for £28 Bank of England to hike base rate on Thu? Puma 30% off most items code Now open. MSE Charity grants of up to £7.5k to help people with long-term challenges learn money skills This week's best buys, including 1.4% fixed savings, 5GB Sim '£4.28/mth' Should we pay for my fiancee's family's accommodation at our wedding? BEST BUYS & TOOLS Cheap Energy Club, incl Pick Me A Tariff MSE Cheap Mobile Finder Credit Club incl free credit report 0% Balance Transfers Compare Broadband deals Cheap Car Insurance Best Bank Accounts Top Savings Accounts Credit Cards for Bad Credit Credit Card Eligibility Calculator Loans Eligibility Calculator Mortgage Comparison Free online complaints tool - Resolver Compare Travel Money Best Sim Only Deals

It's peak overseas holiday booking season, here are 20 need-to-knows to get more bucks for your bang Beat new roaming charges, free airport lounges, cheap euros, flights and hotels, travel insurance, Eurostar deal, school holiday hacks, Covid protection and more... With travel restrictions relaxing, bookings have taken off in recent weeks, and some predict trips abroad this summer may be back to pre-pandemic levels. So whether you want to head for paella in Palma, moussaka in Mykonos or a burger... anywhere, here are our key need-to-knows... 1. Is it financially safe to book a summer or other holiday? Martin's view... "It seems, hopefully, the pandemic's grip on our hospitals and economy is weakening. Across the UK, things are opening up and attitudes are loosening. "Yet holidays aren't just about being allowed to depart our shores, it's whether we're welcomed elsewhere. Rules vary. For example, catch Covid in the UK and the vaccinated can leave self-isolation after as early as five days. Currently, to go to Spain you must declare you've not even had close contact with a confirmed case within the last seven days - see top destinations' travel rules. "Of course uncertainty still exists, things may, and have before, changed rapidly. Yet I think with travel we can and should (and I will) proceed, with caution, to book holidays again. Caution means... - Try to get flexible bookings. Check if you have the ability to cancel (and diarise the last date it's allowed) or, as a minimum, the ability to change trip dates at will. Far more airlines (see airline-by-airline cancellation policies) and hotels allow this than they did pre-pandemic. - Pay by credit or at least debit card. Flexible booking protection is worthless if the travel firm goes bust. Credit cards have the advantage of both Section 75 and chargeback protection, while debit cards have only chargeback. Both can be a get-out-of-jail free option. - Understand you've few rights if something happens so you can't go. Many contact me irate as Covid or their child's broken arm means they can't travel and the airline or travel firm won't give them a refund. Yet much like breaking your arm doesn't give you a right to return a tennis racket as faulty, you're not legally due a travel refund because something is stopping you going. That's what travel insurance is there to protect you from, so get it ASAB (as soon as you book) so the cover's in place whatever happens. Full details on cheap travel cover and what Covid protection it provides below. - Package holidays can give extra protection. Under the Package Travel Regulations - with a package holiday - where you get a flight / hotel / car hire all together, you're legally due a refund if the travel agent or one of the firms goes bust, or your destination closes its borders to Brits. More on cheap package holidays below. "And that's it from me, all that's left is to wish you a happy, safe and cost-effective holiday. Now over to the team..." Don't just go direct to an airline - use our tricks to slash flight costs. We've a suitcase full of tips in our How to bag cheap flights guide, including the top comparison sites to try, the best time to book, how to hunt down mega-cheap bargain flights and when splitting tickets could save you £100s. Don't simply book a hotel on the first site you see. The same room is often sold at vastly different costs. There's huge variation in what you pay depending on how you book - our Cheap hotels guide will take you through it (and similar in Cheap self-catering accommodation). Nick told us: "Booked five nights for two people in a 5* Zanzibar hotel, all inclusive, for £714 via Trivago - less than half the £1,620 price booking direct." Going to the EU? Ensure you've a valid GHIC or EHIC - millions expire this year. If you plan to travel to the EU, these cards give you access to state-run hospitals or GPs at the same price as a local. So if it's free for them, it's free for you. If you've the old European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), check it is still valid. If you don't have one, since Brexit it's been replaced by the Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) [though frankly it's misnamed, as it actually covers fewer countries and all are EU - Martin], and you can get a GHIC for FREE. Never pay for either card (not even if they promise fast track - that's a scam). Eurostar sale - can you find £70 returns from London to Paris, Lille or Brussels? Eurostar's just released 48,000 cheap returns when you book by Tue 8 Feb for travel from 21 Feb to 19 May - excluding Easter. Grab cheap or FREE access to airport lounges. Airport lounges aren't just reserved for first class or elite frequent flyers. Access can be free with certain credit cards or bank accounts, or you can get it cheaply via frequent flyer schemes such as Virgin Atlantic's Flying Club. Our Free or cheap airport lounges guide has top tips, including the credit card that'll get you two free lounge visits. Warning. EU roaming charges are back. Many Vodafone customers already do, and most Three and EE customers will soon, pay £2/day to roam in Europe. So whether you're sticking within the EU or leaving, check what's the cost of roaming - and tricks to beat it. Ryanair trick to save up to 60% on seat reservations and cabin bags. It's all about booking 'Value' fares with add-ons, rather than opting for 'Regular' fares. See our 20 Ryanair tips for how it works. MoneySaver Trudy tried it, and told us: "Looked at flights to Malta - booking it this way saves around £100."  9. The cheapest ways to spend abroad. Sort it NOW even if you're not travelling until summer. Save £100s Many like to take cash abroad. If so, our Travel money comparison tool compares 16 bureaux to show the best rates, yet that's NOT THE CHEAPEST WAY. The right plastic is the winner. Normally, spend on plastic abroad and the banks get near-perfect rates, but then add a 'non-sterling exchange rate fee' of about 3% on what they charge us, so £100 worth of euros costs you £103. Yet specialist travel cards don't add this, so we get the same near-perfect rates the banks do, smashing bureaux de change. So sort one now before you go. - Top-pick credit card: Easy to grab and just use for trips abroad, Barclaycard Rewards* (check eligibility chances) has a top exchange rate, no ATM fee plus unusually it doesn't charge interest on overseas cash withdrawals repaid in full. You also get 0.25% cashback on all spending worldwide (fail to fully repay and it's 22.9% rep APR interest). Yet ONLY get it if you'll repay IN FULL each month to avoid interest, or it defeats the purpose. See Travel credit cards for full info. - Top-pick debit card: You'll need to apply for a new bank account, yet here it's only a 'soft' credit check. You can use it as a 2nd account without switching, but unlike a credit card, you will need to pre-load your account before using it, which some find a pain. App-only Chase Bank's debit card has no overseas fees on spending and the first £700/month of cash withdrawals (be careful if you'll need more). You can also get a year's 1% cashback on most purchases. Full options in Travel debit cards, and also see the alternative similar method in Top prepaid travel cards. French and Dutch Center Parcs can halve the UK price - especially in school hols. That's even after you've factored in the cost of flights or ferries. See our Center Parcs tricks for lots more ways to save. Steve told us: "We're going to France Center Parcs in the school holidays. Longleat for four adults and four children was £3,200. France is £1,500, including crossing." Is your passport still valid? Rules have changed. Since Brexit, many EU countries now require you to have at least 3mths of passport validity still left after your visit to be allowed in. So check yours now, as there could be application delays closer to the summer. See Passport rules and renewals. Planning to park at the airport? Pay less by booking early - but prioritise flexibility. Use our discounted airport parking comparison site links, including SkyParkSecure* (5-35% off), Looking4Parking* (5-35% off, £1 booking fee), Holiday Extras* (10-30% off) and Airport Parking & Hotels* (16-20% off). For example, you can get a week's parking at Birmingham Airport for £16 via our links, compared to £92 on the day, though as these sites usually compare parking for you, do also check the provider lets you cancel or move your booking if you need to. See Cheap airport parking. 13. Cheap travel insurance... from £9/week As mentioned above, always get travel insurance ASAB (as soon as you book). Full info in our Cheap travel insurance | Over-65s' travel insurance | Pre-existing conditions travel insurance guides, but in brief, a majority of policies - even some super-cheap ones - cover the following (though do check): ✔️ Can't travel as you've tested positive for Covid ✔️ Can't travel as you/ family have been told to isolate by the NHS ✔️ Caught Covid abroad and need to stay longer to isolate (including knock-on accommodation costs) Your winner depends on age and destination, so get quotes from a few. Below are no-frills under-66s' policies which meet our minimum cover levels: Leisure Guard*, Coverwise (Bronze)* and CoverForYou (Silver)* cost from £9 a week for an individual and from £47 for a family worldwide. If you go away 2+ times a year, annual policies tend to be cheaper. Check the same firms but also, if you're fully vaccinated or medically exempt, check Staysure (Comprehensive)*. All these let you add winter sports cover too if you're hitting the pistes. For more choices, including higher-end policies for things such as airline failure, see single trip and annual policies . Alternatively, for extra Covid protection, there are polices that also cover you if you... ✔️ Can't travel due to new UK lockdown/change of travel advice These are more expensive, up to three times the cost of the cheapest cover, so you have to make a call on whether it's worth it. They include M&S Bank, Churchill, Aviva (with its travel disruption add-on) and Direct Line, and offer both single and annual policies. If you're happy to open a new current account, Nationwide's FlexPlus at £13/month (£156/year) can work out far cheaper - plus it gives mobile & breakdown cover too.  Yet do note there are no mainstream policies we know of that will cover you if you... ❌ Can't travel due to overseas lockdown or travel restrictions ❌ Won't go as you'd need to quarantine on return ❌ Won't travel as you don't feel safe going And finally, if you do get insurance and the insurer unfairly rejects your claim, you can take the provider to the free Financial Ombudsman. Beat airlines' seat reservation charges & sit together for FREE on BA, Easyjet, Virgin and others. A family of four could spend £100s to be certain they'll sit together on return flights - yet unless your heart's set on particular seats, it's usually unnecessary. See how to Beat seat reservation charges for many airlines.  Package holidays can be the cheapest route. These days, many web-savvy folk like to do DIY booking, yet if you're travelling to a traditional holiday destination, don't diss a package holiday (especially because, as mentioned above, you can get extra protection). For example, you can get Majorca flights + four nights in a 4* hotel in May from £109 per person. See Cheap package holidays. Beat school holiday travel price hikes. We've loads of tricks to help in our Beat school holiday price hikes guide, including: - Find hidden cheap booking dates (if your term differs from others). - Check other countries' holiday dates. For example, book Disney World when US kids are still in school. - Fly from Scotland in the last two weeks of August - even if you don't live there. Wendy said: "We saved thousands by flying out of Glasgow. The same hotel, board and dates flying from Gatwick was over £2,000 more." Apply for a Covid pass to show your vaccination status. Many countries require this to see proof of vaccination status or test results - see how to get a digital Covid pass for each part of the UK. Book car hire early to save up to 70% - and beware the hard sell on 'excess insurance'. Our Cheap car hire guide takes you through it, from how to find the cheapest prices (including booking via a firm's foreign website) to how to easily avoid the insurance con many firms try, which can more than double your costs once you hit the desk to pick up your car. Cheap Covid travel tests. While fewer people now need to test when returning to the UK, you may still need it to go away. See our help on what tests are needed in our Cheap Covid travel tests guide. Learn to talk like a local for free. Don't be a classic 'Brit abroad' - there are clever apps to help you learn the lingo before you go, and to translate 59 languages offline when you're there. Free language apps.

 

 

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.

 

 

 

Ends today (Wed). Longest 0% balance transfer since 2018 - shift existing card debts to 35 months interest-free Can't afford to clear your cards in full? You can't afford not to check if you can balance transfer If you pay interest on credit or store card debt, the window to secure long-term cheap interest is rapidly closing. A balance transfer is where you get a new card to repay old cards, so you owe it instead but with NO INTEREST. That way more of your repayments clear the actual debt, so you're debt-free quicker. Yet the market's longest 0% deal is being pulled imminently... - Always take two minutes to check YOUR best deal. Our 0% eligibility calculator shows which of most top cards you've the best chance of getting (and in some cases, being pre-approved for) without affecting your future ability to get credit, so you can minimise applications which mark your credit file. - Watch Martin's new 'how to balance transfer' video. Find it easier to watch than to read? See Martin's video briefing. Top new cardholder 0% balance transfers Go for the lowest fee in the time you're sure you can repay. Unsure? Play safe, go long CARD KEY 0% INFO HOW GOOD IS IT? Ends 11.59pm Wed Virgin Money Best: check acceptance odds (pre-approval available), or apply* direct. - 35mths 0% - 2.94% fee - 21.9% rep APR after 0% ends  Longest 0% balance transfer by far. The standout if you need the longest time to clear your debts, plus all accepted get the full time at 0%. HSBC Best: check acceptance odds, or apply* direct. - 31mths 0%  - 2.7% fee (min £5) - £25 cashback if shifting £100+ in first 60 days - 21.9% rep APR after 0% ends Good long option for smaller (say sub-£1,500) transfers. The fee's a smidgeon lower and crucially there's cashback on it, so for those shifting smaller amounts, the cashback either effectively wipes the fee or covers much of it, making it a strong option if you don't need the extra time at 0% that Virgin offers. Top open to all NO-FEE cards - for those who can repay more quickly (1) Sainsbury's Bank Best: check acceptance odds (pre-approval available), or apply* direct. - Up to 21mths 0% - NO FEE - 20.9% rep APR after the 0% Longest NO-FEE 0%, but an 'up to'. Some accepted are offered 13mths or 17mths 0% based on a credit assessment. However, our eligibility calculator can show if you're pre-approved, in which case you'll definitely get the full 21mths, and it'd be the winning no-fee card. HSBC Best: check acceptance odds, or apply* direct. - 20mths 0% - NO FEE - 21.9% rep APR after the 0% Longest NO-FEE card with definite 0% length. Here all accepted get the full time at 0%. So if you're not pre-approved for Sainsbury's and have a good chance with this card, it's a safer option as you definitely get the 20mths if accepted. (1) Existing NatWest/RBS customers may be eligible for a slightly longer 22mths 0% card.  Getting a card? Always follow the Balance Transfer Golden Rules: a) Never miss the min monthly repayment, or you could lose the 0% deal and it'll cost far more. b) Clear the card (or balance-transfer again) before the 0% ends, or the rate rockets to the higher APR. c) Don't spend/withdraw cash. It usually isn't at the cheap rate and withdrawals hit your ability to get future credit. d) The balance transfer must usually be done within 1-3mths to get the 0% - check your card. e) You can't usually balance-transfer between two cards from the same banking group. Full help and info, including options for poorer credit scorers, in Best balance transfers (APR examples).

 

Warning. Claim working-from-home tax rebate (worth up to £280) now, WHILE YOU STILL CAN. Unconfirmed reports in the Telegraph say the Treasury may close the working-from-home tax rebate microsite. If so, employees could no longer get a YEAR's rebate if they've worked from home, even for just a day, in this or the last tax year. While there are no dates attached, for safety, if you're eligible, sort it NOW. Full info in Martin's working-from-home tax back blog explains all. Shark top-of-the-range cordless vacuum - code gets it for £250 (normally £500). MSE Blagged. Includes pet hair tool, 3,800 available. Shark code New. Now no. 1 service bank First Direct pays switchers a FREE £150. If customer service counts, the good news is fee-free First Direct* has upped its switch bonus so it's now joint-highest at £150 (was £130). Other top picks: NatWest Reward* also gives £150. Its service score is lower, but pay its £2/mth fee to get up to £5/mth back (so a £36/yr net gain) for paying out two direct debits & using its app. Or Santander 123 Lite* gives £140 plus pay £2/mth and you get bills cashback, possibly worth £40-£80/yr for those with mid-sized bills. See full reviews & crucial eligibility info in Best bank accounts. Where should you put your tomatoes? And 14 other food storage hacks. The average household bins edible food worth £700 each year. This guest blog shows how best to store tomatoes, bread, wine, avocados and more. News. Govt plans to increase student loan repayments by £110/yr from April. Announced late on Fri, this big change has slipped under the radar. To understand exactly what's happening, watch Martin's student loan hike news explainer, recorded just after the announcement (and do share with anyone impacted). 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 (available to 52% of the UK) for £24/mth, plus a £100 bill credit (so you pay nothing for 4mths), making it equivalent to £18.40/mth over the 18mth contract. Or use our Broadband comparison to see alternatives. 1 April energy price cap rise now predicted at 49% (was 51%) - fix now? The 6mth assessment period for the new April price cap (announced next week) closed on Mon. Cornwall Insight analysts' updated prediction is a touch lower, but still awful, 49% rise. Martin's 'was & is DO NOTHING right?' video on this from last week is still worth a watch. Valentine's sweet(ie) spot - roses for £25, 33% off cards, free gift cheques & more. This is the week to bag the best discounts - leave it later and you'll likely pay more last minute. Plus we've tips for no-spend gifts. Valentine's deals The Martin Lewis Money Show Live, Thu, 8.30pm, ITV: BIG WEEK, MUST WATCH. Over to Martin: "There's a possible UK rate rise hours before we're on air, student loan hikes, the WFH one-year tax rebate possibly being pulled, energy price cap news and so much more. My aim's to ensure you're tooled up with everything you need to know to survive and thrive... don't miss it. And remember we're live, so watch us, and set the VHS to record the other side."

 

 

BLAGGED FOR MSE - £250 Shark cordless vacuum (normally £500) 3,800 available - Puma 30% off most items code Ends Mon - 108Mb Virgin broadband & line '£18.40/mth' Ends Thu - £93 of Lottie London beauty dupes for £28 all-in 5,000 available	DID YOU MISS? - New Tesco prepaid card scheme - is it worth it? - Beat Virgin Media's broadband, TV and phone price hike - Martin: 'Are you one of seven million missing out on benefits?' - £105 Nails Inc make-up and nails set £30 delivered - Energy prices to rise 50% - if you'll struggle, what help is there?

 

 

Have a pet BUT no pet insurance? Hot deals to get a cheep and purrfect policy, including an up to £195 Amazon voucher There are already 13 million uninsured cats and dogs in the UK, and with the cost of living crisis starting to hit, many may be tempted to cut or forgo pet insurance. Yet there is no pet NHS and if your pet needs treatment, it can lead to difficult choices - for example, a dog's broken leg can cost up to £1,500 to fix, and an operation to remove something from your cat's stomach can be £850. So weighing up the risk of that versus getting insurance is important. Our Cheap pet insurance guide has a litter of tips, but here's a miniature version... CAT OR DOG: Combine comparison sites, then check hot deals they miss. Like most types of insurance, prices are bespoke, so the key is to get as many quotes as possible in the shortest time. - Step 1. Combine comparison sites. Try as many as you've time for, as they search different insurers and sometimes have different prices for them, and most let you get multi-pet quotes. Try MoneySupermarket*, Compare TM* (single pet quotes only), Gocompare* and then Confused.com*. - Step 2. Check deals comparison sites miss. Get a Waggel* policy via this special link and you get a £25-£195 Amazon voucher after 60 days depending on the policy. So factor that in and see if it wins. Plus check biggies Direct Line* and Petplan*, as you won't find them on comparison sites. More options in deals comparisons miss, plus if there's time, check cashback sites too. OTHER PETS (including horses, parrots, rabbits and reptiles): Comparisons don't usually work. It's a little trickier, as you'll need to hop to it and manually compare quotes directly with specialist insurers. - For horses and ponies: Try SEIB, Petplan Equine* and NFU Mutual. - For rabbits, budgies, guinea pigs, parrots, chinchillas, lizards etc: Try Exotic Direct*. Or Sainsbury's Bank and Petplan* for rabbits only. BEWARE switching insurance if your pet has a pre-existing condition. This is a tricky part of pet insurance, as most new firms won't cover any past issues, whether you've claimed for them or not. Yet if you stay with your old insurer, you're likely to pay more to cover that condition in future. So it's usually a choice between switching to a cheaper policy with no cover for the condition, or sticking and likely paying more. Full help in pre-existing problems. Pet insurance top tips when choosing a policy... 1) Pet insurance generally covers big issues, such as broken bones and cancer, not check-ups. See what's covered. 2) Need cover but can't afford it? If you're on certain benefits, charities such as the PDSA may help with vet bills. 3) Cats are seen as free spirits, dogs aren't. You're liable for your dog's behaviour if it causes damage or injury to other people or property. So check third-party cover (you can get this standalone from Dogs Trust). 4) Could you self-insure? For smaller animals, you could put cash in savings to cover fees. See self-insuring help. 5) Don't forget routine jabs. If you forget, it could invalidate your insurance, and leave your pet vulnerable. Always check the policy is right for you. And when claiming, if unhappy, you can go to the ombudsman. It's not easy, as insurance is about protection from unknown future events, but do check you're happy with the policy details and what's excluded. Plus, ensure the firm you're buying from is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, as that way, if a claim is unfairly rejected you've a right to take 'em to the free Financial Ombudsman. PS: The lovely pets pictured are MSE Editor-in-Chief Marcus's dog Luna, MSE Daniel's cat George, MSE Kelvin's friend's horse Patch (we couldn't find any horse owners in MSE Towers) and MSE Chris K's guinea pig Peppa.

 

Ends Tue 8 Feb. Top 0% spending (new borrowing) card - 24mths interest-free and £20 cashback. If you need to buy something and spread the cost, a 0% credit card is THE cheapest way, though only do it for planned, one-off, budgeted-for purchases. The longest card, Barclaycard's up to 24mths 0%*, gives accepted newbies £20 cashback if spending £250+ within 90 days (though it's best to use our eligibility calculator to see if you'll be accepted). Golden rules: 1) Always pay at least the minimum monthly payment. 2) Clear the debt before the 0% ends or you pay 21.9% rep APR. Full help & more options in 0% spending cards (APR examples). £93 of Lottie London beauty dupes for £28 all-in. MSE Blagged. 16-piece bundle including 'dupes' for Fenty highlighter, Ciaté lip gloss and more. 5,000 available. Save a Lottie Bank of England announces UK base rate on Thu - a rise is predicted. If it happens, we'll update our Base rates - what it means for your mortgage, savings and more guide straightaway. Puma code gets 30% off most items - eg, £70 footie boots £15. MSE Blagged. Includes sale items. Puma Now open. MSE Charity grants of up to £7,500 to help people with long-term challenges learn money skills. Our charity opened its latest grant round this week, for non-profit groups assisting people living with long-term challenges, such as dementia, disabilities and caring responsibilities. If you have a project that could benefit, check if it qualifies, then apply online. But go quick - the round closes once the charity accepts 40 applications, or on Fri 25 Feb.

 

 

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AT A GLANCE BEST BUYS 0% balance transfers Ends 11.59pm Wed. Longest 0%: Virgin Money (check eligibility / apply*) 35 months 0%, 2.94% fee (21.9% rep APR) No-fee 0%: Sainsbury's Bank (check eligibility / apply*) up to 21 months 0% (20.9% rep APR) or 22 months 0% if you're a NatWest/RBS customer (21.9% rep APR) Top savings accounts Top standard easy access: Investec 0.71%, min £5,000 Top one-year fix: Union Bank of India 1.4%, min £5,000 Car insurance Get comparison site quotes in this order: Compare The Market* Confused.com* MoneySupermarket.com* Gocompare* Cheap loans Cheapest, £5k-£7.5k: Hastings Direct (apply - not in our eligibility calculator) - 2.8% rep APR Cheapest, £7.5k-£15k: M&S Bank (check eligibility / apply*) - 2.8% rep APR Broadband top picks Standard (10Mb+): Plusnet '£13.14/mth' Fibre (30Mb+): Vodafone '£15.50/mth' Superfast fibre (55Mb+): TalkTalk '£15.56/mth' Best bank accounts New. £150 to switch + TOP service: First Direct £150 to switch, plus £3/month cashback: NatWest Cheap Sims 4GB-9GB: Lebara '£4.28/mth' for 5GB, unlimited mins & texts 10GB+: TalkMobile '£4.50/mth' for 10GB, unlimited mins & texts

 

THIS WEEK'S POLL How do you rate your broadband provider? We can tell you which are the cheapest broadband providers, but to keep our customer service ratings updated, we need your help. Please rate your broadband provider on customer service (not price) over the past six months. Vote in this week's poll. Two-thirds of MoneySavers use less than 2GB of mobile data each month. Last week, we asked how much mobile data you use - over 4,500 of you responded. Overall, 67% said they use less than 2GB per month, although younger MoneySavers were more data-hungry, with 41% of under-35s using 5GB+ each month. See full mobile data poll results.

 

 

MONEYSAVING NEWS - Top story: Airline passengers to be compensated for UK domestic flight delays of 1hr+ under new plans - Probate fees rise up to 76% after Government introduces £273 flat fee - Ignore requests from the state trying to claw back pension overpayments after someone has died - Post Office banking and cash services to continue until 2026

 

 

MONEY MORAL DILEMMA Should we pay for my fiancee's family's accommodation at our wedding? Our wedding venue has eight rooms to stay in, three of which are being used by my fiancee and I, and our parents. We've offered the remaining five to my fiancee's family as they have the furthest to travel. My family's quite large, so we're paying more for all of them to attend the wedding - should we pay for accommodation for my fiancee's family to 'even things up'? Enter the Money Moral Maze: Should we pay for my fiancee's family's accommodation at our wedding? | Suggest a Money Moral Dilemma

 

 

MARTIN'S APPEARANCES (WED 2 FEB ONWARDS) Wed 2 Feb - Ask Martin Lewis, BBC Radio 5 Live, 1pm. Listen to past episodes Thu 3 Feb - This Morning, phone-in, ITV, 10.55am Thu 3 Feb - The Martin Lewis Money Show Live, ITV, 8.30pm MSE TEAM APPEARANCES (SUBJECTS TBC) Thu 3 Feb - BBC Radio Leicester, Mid-morning with Aminata Kamara, from 11.30am Tue 8 Feb - BBC Radio Cambridgeshire, Mid-morning with Jeremy Sallis, from 12.40am

 

'A WELCOME CALL FROM MY BUILDING SOCIETY EVEN THOUGH I'D ONLY SAVED £1' - YOUR CUSTOMER SERVICE WINS That's all for this week, but before we go... Off the back of MSE Petar's building society experience, we asked for your tales of customer service that went above and beyond. One MoneySaver told us about exceptional grocery delivery service when her family had Covid, topped off by the delivery drivers wishing them all a speedy recovery through the window. And another told us of the time her bank sent flowers when she was going through a tough time. Have a scroll through MoneySavers' memorable customer service moments and tell us yours on our great service Facebook post. We hope you save some money, stay safe, The MSE team

 

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