Junior ISAs: time to invest for your kids?, Council Tax change made Martin cry, NO-FEE 0% debt shift, cut rental costs as no-fault evictions banned, easy free £50

And... free Kinder cake bars, M&S Sparks shake-up, are you on the Price Cap?, London Marathon freebies

                                                           

21 April 2026 | View in browser

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THE TOP TIPS IN THIS EMAIL → 16 renters' rights & cost-cutters as no-fault evictions banned... - Use rent to boost your credit score - Renters, cut energy | broadband | water - Make your home bigger without moving - Pay 60% less rent as property guardian → Top NO-FEE 0% debt shift + £20 New → Junior ISAs: time to invest for your kids? → Council Tax change made Martin cry → M&S shopper? Earn money-off vouchers → Easy FREE £50 Amazon New → ...or get up to a FREE £210 → Free Kinder bars | 50% off Lidl fruit/veg → Are you on the Energy Price Cap? → London Marathon FREEBIES → 'I saved £200/yr via car insurance tool' → Cheapest 50GB/mth Sim '£3/mth' New → Fix energy - worth it? | Best 26/27 ISAs Martin pod → Save/spend on family? | 30k stooze Question pod → Teachers in 'incredibly stressful' pension limbo News → Which meal box is best? New → 50% off PGL kids' camps & family breaks → 20k students get living loan reprieve → FREE £30 when you spend £5+ online → This week's best buys: 4.66% 1yr savings fix, 5.6% loan & more → Money Moral Dilemma: Should I return to work early from sick leave for less pay?

As 'no-fault' evictions are about to be banned, here's our 16 renters' rights and cost-cutting tips Including... Use rent to boost your credit score | Cut energy bills | Contents cover | 60% less rent as a property guardian | Make your home bigger without moving On Friday 1 May, the Renters' Rights Act will come into force in England. It's arguably a once-in-a-generation change - ending fixed-term tenancies and no-fault evictions, and making the rental equivalent(ish) of gazumping (accepting bids over the asking price) illegal. The situation for renters has been tough, rents in England now average £1,430 - up 30% over the last five years - and there have been even bigger rises across the other UK nations.  Plus a squeeze on rental properties means even finding a place to live can be hard. It's hoped these new rights will help, though as always there is some 'wait-and-see' to discover the impact on the wider market. So here's a brief summary of the changes, then onto the cost-cutting tips, including... - Use rent to boost your credit score. - Renters' rights to cut energy bills | Broadband bills | Water bills. - Make your home bigger without moving. - Pay 60% less rent as a property guardian. How Renters' Rights are changing in England Before 1 May 2026 From 1 May 2026 EVICTIONS. Landlords can issue Section 21 eviction notices, also known as 'no-fault' evictions. Landlords will only be able to evict tenants if they have a valid reason. These include... selling a property, moving in themselves, anti-social behaviour, rent arrears. See full evictions list on Gov.uk CONTRACT TYPE Most tenants have fixed-term contracts (called Assured Shorthold Tenancies). Tenancies will become 'rolling', without a set end date (called Assured Periodic Tenancies) so you're no longer tied to a minimum term. NOTICE PERIOD May allow tenants to give one month's notice when leaving. Minimum two months' notice to end a tenancy. RENT HIKES Landlords are allowed to increase rent at any time. You can challenge it by going to a tribunal. Rises are limited to once a year. Landlords must give two months' notice. You can challenge it by going to a tribunal. OFFERS Prospective tenants can be encouraged to 'bid' for popular properties. Landlords and letting agents will not be able to ask for (or accept) an offer higher than the advertised rent. UPFRONT RENT Tenants can be asked to pay several months' rent upfront. Landlords and letting agents can't ask for more than one month's rent in advance. Further measures, including a private rented sector database of landlords and properties, and a private landlord ombudsman, will come into effect in late 2026. The renting situation works differently in other UK nations, but rules around rental discrimination will also apply in Wales and Scotland, while reforms are being looked at in N.Ireland. Far more help on the Renters' Rights Act and what it means for you, see the detailed help from charity Shelter and the Gov.uk site. 1. Renters, you have a right to switch energy tariff if you pay for it. As long as you pay the bills directly (rather than through a general 'bills included' package) and don't need to physically switch the meter, you don't need your landlord's permission to switch tariff, though for courtesy's sake, it's worth letting them know.  And for the last week, for the first time in many weeks, people can both save and protect themselves from price hikes by getting a cheap fix. As your winner depends on usage and location, do a quick full market comparison asap to find your cheapest deal. PS: If bills are getting too big, see our help if you're struggling to pay guide. 2. How to get renting to boost your ability to get credit. Your credit files - provided by Experian, Equifax and TransUnion - is key info lenders, including mortgage firms, use to assess if they want you as a customer. They use your past behaviour to predict how you'll behave in the future. Our free MSE Credit Club will examine your file, show you how strong it is, and work out how to improve it. And these days, diligently paying your rent on time can be put on your file, which may boost your ability to get credit - but it's not automatic (and if you miss payments you don't want to do this). Our rent on credit files section has full info, but in brief... Big landlords may be signed up to the Rental Exchange scheme, which means your rent payments may be reported to Experian. If you're in social or council housing, it's automatic (you can opt out), or you can opt in to it if your private landlord is part of it. If not, you can do it yourself via two schemes...  Canopy. Sign up for free and it reports your rent payment to Experian. CreditLadder*. Here, you can choose one of the three credit reference agencies - Experian, Equifax or TransUnion - for it to report to for free (so use Canopy for Experian and this for one of the others, and you've two out of three without paying a penny). Or you can pay £60/yr (and you get a £15 Amazon voucher via our link) and it will report to all three.  3. Low-cost ways to make your home 'bigger' without moving. While renting usually means you can't make permanent changes to the layout or decor, there's still plenty you can do to make a house or flat feel roomier and more like yours. See how using the likes of bed risers, tension rods, Tipp-Ex and more in our 25 low-cost ways to make the most of where you live guide. 4. Renters, you can pick your broadband provider too - many can halve costs and double speeds... Over six million households are OUT OF CONTRACT and thus free to move. And for renters, unless you don't pay the bill or your tenancy agreement explicitly bans switching broadband, you don't need the landlord's permission for a normal switch. Though if you want to fit (or get rid of) cable or fibre to the home, where physical work is done, you should check. As deals depend on area, our broadband comparison uses your postcode to find the best for you, for example, right now... – Sky 150Mb fast fibre, 24-mth contract equiv to £19.67/mth. – Sky 500Mb superfast fibre, 24-mth contract equiv to £23.67/mth. This is a fraction of what many homes are paying. Also if you're on Universal Credit or other benefits, then there are special social broadband tariffs that provide long-term cheap deals. Nearly 4m who are eligible are missing out. 5. Save 60%+ on rent by becoming a 'property guardian'. If you can be flexible about where you live and are happy to move frequently, you can baby-sit empty properties to deter squatters. These can be private homes, office blocks, fire stations, churches, pubs, schools and more. Rent's usually a fraction of what you'd normally pay - for example, this week we found a room in Nottingham for £375/mth (including bills), and a two-bed flat in North London for £800/mth. Former property guardian MSE Rosie's a big fan: "I paid £910 a month to live in a 2 bed ex-council flat (due for demolition) in London with a balcony over a park. I was also required to do 16 hours of volunteering a month. I loved it - and it would have been basically impossible for me to have a whole flat to myself in Zone 2 otherwise." See property guardians. 6. Buildings insurance isn't relevant but do consider contents cover, it can be just £5/mth. Buildings insurance is the responsibility of freehold homeowners, or for others, the landlord or management company (though do check your lease).  Yet everyone, including renters, should consider contents insurance. An easy way to think of this is it covers everything that'd fall if you turned your home upside down... Use our Compare+ Home Insurance tool, which via one questionnaire, gives you tips, shows what impacts price, gives you the cheapest price from one comparison site, then suggests if you should do more comparisons and has personalised tips. Also, read our Cheap contents insurance for tenants guide. Important: Carefully check the cover offered before you buy - for example, if you're in a house-share, the policy may specify you need a lock on the door to your room to be covered. 7. Are you due a Council Tax discount? You could have your Council Tax bill reduced by anything from 25% to 100%, so if any of the following apply to you, read our how to get a Council Tax discount guide... a) You live alone or only with those under 18 (or b, c or d below). b) You or someone you live with has a 'severe mental impairment'. c) You're a live-in carer or live with one. d) You're a full-time student. e) You're on a low income. f) You get Pension Credit or other benefits. g) You have a disability. 8. In a house or flat share? Use free apps to split the bills. Keeping track of bills can be a complete nightmare, especially if there are a few of you. Clever bill-splitting apps can help. 9. Check your home's properly licensed. If not, you could be owed £1,000s... Later this year, all landlords in England will need to register with a national database (they already do in Wales, Scot and NI). Right now, it's up to your local council to decide whether landlords need a licence. If they need one and haven't got one, you could be entitled to repayment of your rent. Renting in London? Use the property licence checker to find out. First-time buyer (or wannabe one day)? Renting can give flexibility, ease of movement and, in periods of house-price decline be financially safer too, so we shouldn't knock it. Yet many do want to get on the housing ladder, in which case understanding what you're getting into and how to cut costs is crucial. If that's you, here are some key MSE links... - Free 53-page first-time buyers' mortgage PDF booklet. - How to save for a mortgage using a Lifetime ISA. - Use our mortgage comparison to find cheap deals for you. - See how to get ready to make a mortgage application. - See special mortgages and home-buying schemes if you're struggling to save for a deposit. 10. Kit out your pad with free furniture. If you've rented unfurnished or part-furnished, online giveaway sites can help you find what you need for nowt. eBay's also worth checking for cheap stuff - see our 40 eBay buying tips. 11. If your deposit's not protected, you could get it back... plus THREE TIMES the value. With most tenancies, your landlord/letting agent MUST put your deposit into a government-backed protection scheme by law. If they don't (or haven't), you've rights to redress. See deposit protection. 12. One day, maybe, wanna own a house? Put at least £1 in a LISA - it could be worth £1,000s. If you've never owned a home and are aged 18 to 39, you can open a Lifetime ISA (LISA). Do that and the state adds 25% on top of any savings, up to £4,000 per tax year (so max it out and that's £1,000 free each year added to your account) as long as it's put towards a home costing under £450,000. What to do depends on your situation... Ready to save for a property. The LISA is the priority place to save, provided you're looking at a home that'll definitely cost under £450,000. If not, it's not for you. Plus you can't be buying within the next year (unless you've already got an LISA) as you need to have had it for a year to get the bonus. If both those work, it's important you read our top LISAs guide as there are pros and cons to LISAs, and there's step-by-step help there.  Not really thinking about buying yet? Put £1 in anyway. As you have to have it open a year before you can get the first time buyers' bonus, it's worth getting that clock ticking. You can do it with just £1, and the top-paying cash LISA is Moneybox's 4.35% so it's quite easy to do. Then when you're ready to buy you'll no longer have the 'wait a year' to worry about.  And if you don't buy a house, it's only a quid and you can withdraw at least 93p of it whenever you want.  PS: Got a Help to Buy ISA? That was LISAs' predecessor, you can have both but only get the first-time buyer bonus on one. See LISA v H2B ISA. 13. Been sharing with different flatmates in the past? Did you have a joint bills account? If you had a joint bills account with flatmates, then your credit files may be linked, meaning when you apply for credit, their files and creditworthiness can be assessed too, even if you no longer have anything to do with each other. If you no longer have any financial connection (still being friends is fine), request to delink your credit files. 14. Struggling to pay rent? Help may be available even if you're in work. Thousands on low incomes are missing out on benefits and grants because they don't believe they're eligible... a) Check if you qualify for Universal Credit (UC). If you've household income below £40,000 (potentially more if you rent in an expensive area and have children), it's worth doing a 10-min benefit check-up to see if you're eligible for UC. We're not saying you will be, just that it is worth checking. It'll show your eligibility for other benefits and social tariffs too. b) Apply for a discretionary housing payment. If you receive the housing element of Universal Credit, or Housing Benefit, you may be able to get one-off discretionary help from your council. Do read the info from charity Shelter, for England | Wales | Scotland, or info for N Ireland.  c) Speak to your landlord. If you're going to miss paying your rent, always talk to your landlord to let them know you're struggling (better to tell them rather than not pay unannounced). You may be able to agree a payment plan to ease pressure - some will, some won't, but communicating is better than just not paying. d) Apply for a charity grant. Some charities may offer help - search for grants available in your area via Turn2us or Lightning Reach. e) Facing eviction? See eviction-threat help. 15. If you're in a dispute with your landlord, help's available - and they have responsibilities, too. An ombudsman for the private rental sector is being introduced in England as part of the second phase of the Renters' Rights Act (the Govt says 'from late 2026).  Until then (or if you're elsewhere in the UK), if you think you've been unfairly treated during your tenancy - or your landlord hasn't kept the home safe and in good working order - there are official bodies to help you complain (though they have limited powers). See landlord responsibilities and your rights. 16. More bedrooms in your home than people (or the same number)? In England & Wales switching to a water meter can save you £100s. As things stand, if you pay the water bills yourself, and a longer fixed-term tenancy agreement, you DON'T need your landlord's permission to get a water meter fitted (though it's worth a conversation out of courtesy).  Martin's key rule of thumb is if you've more or the same number of bedrooms in your house than people, it's worth checking a water meter calculator. Far more help in our water saving 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.

 

 

 

Got debt on existing credit card(s).... you may be able to save £100s New. Longest NO-FEE balance transfer now pays you £20 to shift debt to it for up to 14mths interest free A 0% balance transfer is where you get a new card that pays off debts on existing cards for you, so you owe it instead - but interest-free for a set time. That means more of your repayments clear the actual debt, rather than servicing the interest, helping you get debt free faster. Many cards charge a one-off fee when you do the balance transfer, but if you can repay in around a year, some are NO FEE. This week the top deal there got better. First, the need-to-knows, then best buys... Don't just apply, use an eligibility checker to protect your credit score. Our Balance Transfer Eligibility Calculator shows your odds of getting each card BEFORE you apply, so you can hone in the one most likely to accept you. That minimises the 'applications' listed on your credit file, which helps protect your creditworthiness.  Go for the lowest-fee card with a 0% period long enough to clear your debt. Usually the longer the 0% the bigger the one-off fee (eg, 3% means you pay £30 per £1,000 of debt shifted). So if you can repay quicker, shorter 0% cards are cheaper, or even no fee (as some are below.) Yet, crucially, if you're unsure, play safe & go long. Usually rejected when you apply? There are poorer-credit 0% cards in the eligibility calculator. Plus the free MSE Credit Club (easiest route is via the MSE App on Apple | Android) can analyse your credit issues. Top 0% balance transfers for new customers All links via the eligibility calc so you can see if you'll be accepted The top NO FEE deals - Best if you can clear the debt quickly, as do it right and there's no cost New, but ends next Tue. Barclaycard up to 14mths 0% (NO FEE) + £20 cashback if you transfer £2,500+ within 60 days. 24.9% rep APR interest after 0% ends. Backup rate: 7mths. Does the eligibility calc tell you the 0% length you'll get before you apply? Yes, but only if pre-approved Virgin Money DEFINITE 12mths 0% (NO FEE). 24.9% rep APR after. The LONGEST 0% deals - Here you'll pay a fee, but have far longer to clear the debt. Three types... a) Definite 0% cards - all accepted get the full 0% length So if you've decent odds of acceptance, you know exactly what you'll get  HSBC 36mths 0% (3.19% fee). 24.9% rep APR after. (Existing HSBC customer? Use this eligibility link) Virgin Money 36mths 0% (3.4% fee). 24.9% rep APR after. Tesco 36mths 0% (3.45% fee). 24.9% rep APR after b) 'Up to' 0% cards - not all get the headline rate Yet via these (eligibility calculator) links you'll know before applying whether you get the headline, or back-up, rate  MBNA up to 36mths 0% (2.99% fee). 24.9% rep APR after. Backup rates: 35mths or 20mths (3.49% fee), 18mths (3.79% fee) or 16mths 0% (3.99% fee). Does the eligibility calc tell you the 0% length you'll get before you apply? Yes New, but ends next Tue. Barclaycard up to 36mths 0% (3.15% fee) + £20 cashback if you transfer £2,500+ within 60 days. 24.9% rep APR after. Backup rates: 32mths or 18mths (3.15% fee). Does the eligibility calc tell you the 0% length you'll get before you apply? Yes, but only if pre-approved Lloyds up to 35mths 0% (2.49% fee). 24.9% rep APR after. Backup rates: 34mths (3% fee), 20mths (3.49% fee), 18mths (3.79% fee) or 16mths 0% (3.99% fee). Does the eligibility calc tell you the 0% length you'll get before you apply? Yes c) 'Up to' 0% card - though it's not in our eligibility calculator Here the link takes you to apply direct, where it has its own eligibility tool. TSB up to 38mths 0% (3.49% fee). 24.9% rep APR. Backup rates: 35mths or 32mths (3.49% fee). ALWAYS follow the Balance Transfer Golden Rules: a) Never miss the minimum monthly repayment, or you could lose the 0% deal and it'll cost far more. b) Aim to clear the card (or balance-transfer again) before the 0% ends, or the rate rockets to the higher APR. c) Don't spend or withdraw cash. It usually isn't at the cheap rate & withdrawals may hit your ability to get credit. d) If you don't transfer at application, you've often only 60 to 90 days to get the 0%. Check your card's terms. Quick balance transfer FAQs (click links for the answers) Q. Is it worth applying if my eligibility odds are low? | Q. What if my credit limit isn't big enough? | Q. Can I shift debt to existing cards? | Q. Should I try to pay off my biggest debt first? SPOILER: NO. Full help and info, including options for poorer credit scorers, in Best balance transfers.

 

It's done! It moved Martin to tears... the biggest change to Council Tax debt collection in 33yrs. A year ago, the Government agreed to Martin's Money & Mental Health Policy Institute (MMHPI) charity's call to consult on changing Council Tax debt collection - which is so rapid & aggressive it'd make banks blush. In this video, Martin's teary at the news. Then last week, consultation over, the plans were confirmed, the change starts April 2027. Full info in Council Tax Changes: debt collection, SMI, & now pay for 12 not 10mths. M&S shopper? Earn money-off vouchers via revamped Sparks loyalty scheme. See how it stacks up. New. FREE £50 Amazon voucher 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 a joint bills account. How to get the voucher: Open the account via these links and make at least ten £5+ debit card spends each month in May, June and July. If you're just doing it for the free voucher, put the amount in the account you'll need and use it for normal spending (or split a supermarket shop into a few separate transactions to hit the trigger). Full info in our Santander Edge review. ...or get up to a FREE £210 (£500 if a higher earner) to switch your current account. There are nine accounts paying up to £500 to switch right now, though the biggest cash is only for higher earners. Top of the mainstream accounts is First Direct's 1st Account* with £175 cash and a £35 supermarket voucher - it's also top for customer service. Or Santander Edge* pays you £185 to switch to it, so if you want to use that as your main account for the 1% bills cashback, it's better to switch to it than take the £50 for opening it above (you can't do both - you need to opt out of the £50 to get the £185). Free Kinder cake bars | £8 off pizza & Häagen-Dazs | 50% off Lidl fruit & veg. 40+ Supermarket coupons Are you on the Energy Price Cap? Not sure? Watch this, it could save you large... Over 60% of homes in Eng, Scot & Wales are on the Cap but many don't realise it. Watch Martin's new 'on the Cap?' 90-second video explainer. The Cap's likely to rise 12% in July, but right now there's an option to fix for 6% less than the current cap and get price certainty until mid-2027 - use our full market comparison to see what you can get now. Though things can change rapidly, especially if it gets better (or worse) in the Middle East. For more explanation, listen to Martin's Energy fixes are back - is it worth it? podcast. London Marathon runners FREEBIES... Burger King 'Whopper', Franco Manca pizza, Lush balm, etc. It's this Sunday and people are raising a fortune for charity, so we wanted to let you know what freebies are available. 'I saved £200/yr on car insurance thanks to your Compare+ tool.' Success of the Week. Bev emailed last week: "My insurance renewal came in £200 dearer than last year. At the same time my MSE weekly email arrived, warning against accepting increased car insurance premiums. I used the MSE Compare+ tool and found several much cheaper quotes offering the same level of cover. I gave my current provider the details and it then offered to match it. Without your advice, I wouldn't have saved £200, so thank you." If we've helped you save or reclaim (on anything), please tell us about it. New. Cheapest 50GB/mth mobile Sim just '£3/mth'. This 50GB TalkMobile Sim (on Vodafone's network) is £7.95/mth with unlimited calls & texts, plus you'll be emailed a £59 prepaid Mastercard/shopping voucher within 4mths (check your spam). Factor that in and it's equivalent to £3.04/mth over the 12mth contract. Want different data? See Cheap Mobile Finder. New Martin pod. Energy fixes are back - is it worth it? | Best ISAs for 2026/27 | Council Tax change. And lots more in Martin's main podcast this week. Listen via BBC Sounds | Apple | Spotify etc. Question Time pod. Keep saving hard or spend more on my family? £30k stoozing success. Top up missing NI years? 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 - 50% off PGL kids' adventure camps code 1,000 available - Free £30 cashback when you spend £5+ online 5,000 available	DID YOU MISS? - Supermarket savers: £20 off £60 at Asda & more - Grüum skin & fragrance sets £5 delivered - Up to 50% off Alton Towers, Legoland & more - Achoo! 30 hay fever tablets 69p

 

 

Martin: Is it better to invest or save for your children's future? The new tax year means a new Junior ISA (JISA) £9,000 allowance for all under-18s, letting you invest or save tax-free for children. What are the best deals?  The new tax year started on 6 April, and that means it's a new ISA year. An ISA is just a way to save or invest where the income or gains aren't taxable. So not only is it tax-free (see do children pay tax? below), but the interest, capital gains or dividends earned in an ISA don't use up your other allowances, nor need reporting to HMRC (the tax office) - they are yours... all yours. We've covered top cash ISAs and top shares ISAs already, now I want to focus on the ickle ISAs for under-18s, the top Junior ISAs (JISAs). In brief... PS: Those age 15 to 23 may have a Child Trust Fund, the JISA's predecessor. If so, it can be transferred into a JISA. If you don't know where your (or your child's) CTF is, see how to find a Child Trust Fund. A JISA lets you put away up to £9,000 per child per tax year. So if you're lucky enough to have enough to fill it, you could've put £9,000 in two years ago, £9,000 in last year, £9,000 in now - and all that and any growth in it is all tax free. A JISA must be opened by a parent or legal guardian (not eg, a grandparent) though once open, anyone can pay in. The money's locked away until your child's 18th birthday. So it's an easy way to put money aside for their future without them (or in some cases, their parents) getting their hands on it before. Yet on the day your child turns 18, it's theirs, so if you planned to use it to save for their uni deposit, be aware they could choose to buy a Harry Styles-themed campervan instead. Is it better use a JISA to save or invest? The vast majority of people who come to our JISA page are looking for the best cash JISA saving rates. Yet, on the balance of probabilities, if you invest in a broad spread of assets over the long run, investments are likely to grow significantly faster than savings. And JISAs are ripe for investing, because investing should be for...  - Money you don't need access to at the moment - Money you are putting away for the long term (eg, a minimum of five years) So as money in a JISA is locked away until your child is 18, and - unless you're only starting in their late teens - the money is put aside for the long term, so it sits sweetly in the "when investing's good" category. Yet the choice isn't binary... you can open both a top shares JISA and top cash JISA, as long as you don't put in more than £9,000 in total per tax year.  Top cash JISAs for savings. The highest payer overall is Leek BS's 3.85% AER (open by post or in branch). The top openable online is NS&I's 3.55% AER. Both allow transfers, so if your existing cash JISA pays less, simply apply for this, fill in the 'transfer' part of the application form and they'll move your money across so this is your new JISA. Do also check out our top children's savings guide for more traditional savings accounts, where your children can access the money when its needed. Rates there are often higher. Top Junior Shares ISAs... You invest in the hope of far higher growth, at the risk you could end up with less than you put in. Yet spreading your money over many investments reduces the risk. An easy beginner's route would be a tracker fund (which tracks a market's performance), eg, the S&P 500 (top US companies) or the FTSE 100 (top UK companies) etc. Ed Marshall, Financial Planner at Deans Wealth Management, told me on my investing for beginners podcast... "That's right, and you want to be in more than the FTSE 100 or S&P 500. If you look at the MSCI world index, you've got the world's largest 2,500 companies, but then you can buy global tracker funds that will buy even more than those 2,500 shares, so instead of just 2 different companies, try and aim for 5,000+ different companies. Try and buy the world. That diversification will help to take risk off the table." - Investment savvy? You can use a provider that lets you pick individual funds and shares yourself. I'm talking the likes of Hargreaves Lansdown*, AJ Bell* and Fidelity*, which all offer a huge choice within their Junior ISAs.  - New to investing? Robo-investors, eg, Aviva's Wealthify* and Moneyfarm*, pick funds automatically for you after asking you a few questions about your attitudes to risk and your investment goals. Better still, if you already have a financial adviser, speak to them. More info in Top JISAs. Children are eligible to pay tax, but most don't. Children are, mostly, taxed just like adults. So, the first £12,570 per tax year they earn is tax-free. Yet most children (at least those who aren't in the new Harry Potter TV show) don't earn enough to pay tax. That means the fact JISAs are tax-free isn't the biggest deal (though many like the 'lock it away til they're 18 factor). Yet there is one exception to this... - It's different for under-18s on money given by parents... If they earn £100+/yr interest or income from investments on money given to them by a parent / step-parent (not grandparents, aunties, uncles or others), then all of it is taxable as if it was the parent's savings / investments. This is designed to stop parents stashing their own cash in their child's name to avoid tax.  So, if a child earns £100+/yr in interest from a parent AND that parent pays tax on savings interest because they've used up their personal savings & ISA allowances, then a Junior ISA works because if the money's in a JISA it isn't ever taxable.

 

News. 'It's incredibly stressful' - teachers left in limbo over £10,000s in missing pension payments. Scores of MoneySavers have contacted us about the delays; the firm responsible is also behind big delays to Civil Service Pension payouts. See Teachers' Pensions problems. New. Which meal box is best? MSE Rob tucks into HelloFresh, Gousto & more, comparing everything from portion sizes and nutrition to discounts and hacks. See his analysis in his new meal box blog. Code gets 50% off PGL kids' camps & UK family adventure breaks. MSE Blagged. 1,000 available. Eg, 2-night kids' camp £104.50 (normally £209). Plus you can use it with the Tax-Free Childcare scheme. PGL Update. 20,000 weekend students to repay living loans as normal after Govt reprieve. But future funding will still be stopped unless they change course. See Weekend students latest.  Pocket a FREE £30 when you spend £5+ online. MSE Blagged. Never used Topcashback? Nab an extra £30 cashback by signing up via our special link and spending a fiver or more through it. Topcashback bonus

 

 

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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 Boosted. No-fee 0%: Barclaycard (check eligibility) up to 14mths 0% + £20 cashback, 24.9% rep APR Best bank accounts Free '£210' + top service: First Direct Free £200: Barclays Free £200 + perks (eg, free Disney+): Club Lloyds Broadband top picks Fast fibre (100Mb+): Sky '£19.67/mth' Superfast fibre (500Mb+): Sky '£23.67/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 4.51%, min £1 Top one-year fix: MBNA (part of Lloyds) 4.66%, min £1,000 Top energy deals Use our whole-of-market Cheap Energy Club Cheap Sims Up to 3GB data: Lebara, '£2.89/mth' for 3GB 4GB to 9GB data: Lebara, '£3/mth' for 5GB 10GB to 30GB data: Lebara, '£3.01/mth' for 15GB 31GB+ data: TalkMobile, '£3.04/mth' for 50GB

 

 

MSE NEWS - Top story: Have, or cared for, a child born in 2001 or later? Check your State Pension is correct

 

 

MONEY MORAL DILEMMA Should I return to work early from sick leave, given I'd be paid less? I've been given a fit note signing me off work for four weeks, during which time I'll be on full pay, not statutory sick pay. From past experience of this medical issue, I know I'll be able to work part time after two weeks - but if I do, I'll only get paid for the hours I actually work for those two weeks, whereas if I take the full four weeks off, I'll get full pay. What should I do? Enter the Money Moral Maze: Should I return to work early even though I'll be paid less? | Suggest a Money Moral Dilemma (MMD) | View past MMDs

 

 

MSE TEAM BLOG - Buying Tesco Free From products? Time it right and it'll donate 10p per item to The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation

 

 

MARTIN'S APPEARANCES (WED 22 APR ONWARDS) Thu 23 Apr - Ask Martin Lewis, BBC Radio 5 Live, 12 noon Tue 28 Apr - This Morning, ITV1, 10.20am Tue 28 Apr - 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 creditladder.co.uk, santander.co.uk, firstdirect.com, hl.co.uk, ajbell.co.uk, fidelity.co.uk, wealthify.com, moneyfarm.com 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.