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DON'T believe the fake 'Martin Lewis' or 'MSE' ads |
News: Average credit card APR rises to highest rate since 2006 - a shocking 35.3% Spend on a credit card, and the average annual percentage rate (APR) has risen to 35.3% - a stomach-churning £353 a year for every £1,000 of debt on it. This is the highest level since 2006, when data provider Moneyfacts started tracking rates. So do check now whether you're paying interest, and what your APR is. Your core weapon to take this on is a top balance transfer - a new card that pays off debt on existing cards, so you owe it instead, but interest-free over a set period. This means your repayments clear the actual debt, not just mostly cover interest. On to what to do... 1. Don't just apply - that can hit your ability to access credit. Go via an eligibility calc. Our 0% balance transfer eligibility checker speedily shows acceptance odds for top cards (some people are pre-approved) so you can home in on those most likely to accept you without affecting your creditworthiness. 2. Go for the LOWEST FEE within a 0% time long enough to clear the debt. Longer balance transfers usually have a bigger one-off fee to transfer. So if you've a choice and can clear debt quicker, go for a shorter deal to minimise fees. Unsure? Play safe, go long. Rarely, all the top picks right now give all accepted the full 0% length, making the choice simpler...
Quick balance-transfer FAQs (click links for Martin's answers) |
Limited. £122 of No7 beauty & skincare £35. Eight items including hot cloth cleanser, mascara, moisturiser & more. Available to everyone from tomorrow, but early access NOW, in case stocks run out, via this early-access link. FREE jacket potato & beans at Morrisons Cafés (normally £4). Do spread word, especially to anyone who's struggling to afford to feed themselves (or family) at the moment... Spud-tacular Ends Wed. Free £20 if you spend 1p on top overseas spending card. Till 11.59pm Wednesday, new Halifax Clarity credit card-holders who spend a penny on it, in the UK or abroad within 90 days, get £20 cashback. Nice, especially as the card's also a top pick for spending abroad, giving near-perfect exchange rates in every country. Of course, do pay it off IN FULL every month to minimise interest. A full breakdown & comparison is in our recent top travel cards email. What'll the parties do for you? We put your key questions to the seven big party leaders in our written leaders' debate. View their answers: 1) By topic, including energy bills, renting, mortgages, WASPI, household budgets & more. 2) By leader, including videos. See MSE Leaders' Debate. Related: Do take valid photo ID with you to vote. New. How to start a pension? Should you consolidate existing pensions?... The new Not The Martin Lewis Podcast, where Martin asks specialists key questions on subjects he doesn't cover, delves this week into pensions, including: How to start a pension | Should you consolidate? | How to get free 1-on-1 help | Stakeholder vs Nest vs SIPPs | Is it ever too late? Plus far more, and it's now embedded, with transcript, in our Pension need-to-knows guide. Top big-name, straight easy-access savings pay 4.8%. We've been telling you the linked Chase 5.1%* easy-access savings account is the top payer, if you open the app-only, no-need-to-switch bank's current account, but some of you have told us you just want straight savings. Top straight accounts: Oxbury's 5.02% AER (min £20,000) is next top, or if you want a big-name account openable from £1, there's Yorkshire Building Society's 4.8% AER*. Full options in Top savings. £200 Instant Pot air fryer & multi-cooker £90 with code. MSE Blagged. 1,600 available. 11 functions, highly rated, cheapest we've ever seen it. See Lakeland code. New. What's your Credit Eligibility Rating - are you a 10 out of 10? We've a major new tool in the free MSE Credit Club (use this link if in the app) that combines your Credit Score, Affordability Score, and current market conditions to show your true credit power. It's called the Eligibility Rating - check yours out. It's a far better picture than just a Credit Score. Are you being short-measured on beer? MSE Kelvin investigates your pint rights. Our self-appointed BeerDrinkingExpert has, not entirely selflessly, been looking into how to ensure you get the most beer for your money. Read his Are you getting a fair pint? blog (and please be Drinkaware). |
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Six steps to slash your contents &/or buildings insurance costs Home insurance costs have risen 42% over the last 12 months, the highest-ever rise recorded by research firm Consumer Intelligence, and it says there's little sign of a slowdown. So even if you're not at renewal, check whether you can lock in a decent price to protect against possible future rises. Full help in Cheap home insurance, but in brief...
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Martin's new podcast: BIG savings interest boosters | Meter Reading Week | When cheap's better quality (sausage rolls to bog rolls). The new The Martin Lewis Podcast covers the five savings accounts you need know about, plus key info if you pay for energy by Direct Debit (and for some on prepay). And just to confuse you, it's separate from the Not The Martin Lewis Podcast on pensions above. All this & more via BBC Sounds | Spotify | Apple or wherever you like to get your Martin fix. From Thu. £5 full school uniform at Aldi. In stores only - go quick as these will sell out fast. Aldi school uniform 175 summer flower bulbs £11 delivered. MSE Blagged. 10,000 bundles avail. Excl NI & parts of Scot. Flower power Fri to Mon. Get BOOSTED Blue Light Card discounts if you work in the NHS or emergency services. Including 30% off Bill's, 25% off Adidas, 15% off Boohoo & more. NHS & emergency service discounts Aged 18 to 22? 50% off Amazon Prime (+ 6mths free for newbies). 1-day delivery, TV streaming, etc. Prime Warning. Scottish Power smart meter customer? If so, you're likely to pay 5% more than it shows. Check now |
AT A GLANCE BEST BUYS
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THIS WEEK'S POLL How many comparison sites do you use when getting home insurance? We always say to use more than one comparison site when getting quotes, as they can cover different insurers, and can often have different prices for the same insurer. Yet we know entering the same details on different comparison sites can be a chore, so this week, we want to know how many comparison sites you look at when searching for home insurance quotes. Vote in this week's poll. Half of MoneySavers are planning to go on holiday without travel insurance this summer. Last week, we asked if you planned to get travel insurance for your summer holiday, and more than 4,800 of you responded. MSE always urges holidaymakers to buy travel insurance ASAB (As Soon As you Book) so we were surprised to see that 51% said that they were travelling without it this summer - with a full 10% of those without saying the reason they weren't buying insurance was that they didn't expect to use it. See the full travel insurance poll results. |
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MONEY MORAL DILEMMA Should I keep the money I won playing a charity lottery? I play a number of charity lotteries, more to support them than anything else, and it's more exciting than donating by Direct Debit. I've won the odd £10 here and there, which I donate back to the charity in question, but last week I won £1,500. I know the lotteries are good fundraisers, so if I keep it I wouldn't be taking money from the charity, but it doesn't feel right. If I donate it back with Gift Aid, it'll raise even more funds. Yet I did win it fairly and it's a decent sum which I could use for a holiday or similar treat. Am I overthinking this? Enter the Money Moral Maze: Should I keep charity lottery winnings? | Suggest a Money Moral Dilemma (MMD) | View past MMDs |
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MARTIN'S APPEARANCES (TUE 2 JUL ONWARDS) Wed 3 Jul - The Martin Lewis Podcast, BBC Radio 5 Live, from 6pm (listen to previous podcasts) |
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