£5 flights?, urgent diesel claims, top 0% debt shift, Martin's Winter Fuel plea, 268 flower bulbs £15

Plus... Fix energy?, Keep bananas in fridge?, 2x specs £25, 5.25% savings, back to school help

                                                           

03 September 2024 | View in browser

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THE TOP TIPS IN THIS EMAIL Martin: Slash credit card interest: - Top 0% deals (29mths) - Top poor credit 0% deals - Five ways to keep costs down Urgent Winter Fuel plea for pensioners Cheap energy deals disappearing - fix fast to beat Oct price rise? Fly for a fiver? Tix to Faro/Corfu/Split £5 Nissan, Renault or Vauxhall diesel driver? Last chance to join lawsuits Ends. Sky Stream + Netflix '£18/mth' McMonopoly: Boost free food/cash odds TWO branded prescription specs £25 5.25% savings with top notice account Back to school? 3 quick tips... - School uniform £3 - Pay for childcare/after-school clubs? - Low income? Free school meals check FREE visits to 5,000+ historic buildings & heritage sites 268 spring flower bulbs £15 Don't put bananas in the fridge... Ikea £15 off £50 & FREE £3 breakfast, but there's a dress code... Got leftover holiday currency? Pay for Barclays' Blue Rewards? Today it axes a key perk Six bottles of wine £30 delivered 'I made £100 using your car boot sale tips & tricks' FREE £16 Cake & Bake Show tix This week's best buys, eg, free £100 + £15/mth, 3GB Sim £3/mth, 6.1% loan Should I split my job referral bonus with the friend I referred? BEST BUYS & TOOLS MSE Cheap Mobile Finder Credit Club including free credit report 0% balance transfers Compare broadband deals MSE Compare+ Car Insurance Best bank accounts Top savings accounts Credit cards for bad credit Credit Card Eligibility Calculator Loans Eligibility Calculator Mortgage comparison Compare travel money Cheap Energy Club Best Sim-only deals

Martin's Credit Card Cost-Cutting Masterclass If you pay interest on credit cards, you can't afford not to check if you can shift it to the new, longest, 29mths 0% - or special 0% deals if you've got poor credit It's my first day back at my desk after the summer break, and having seen figures just released by the Bank of England showing consumer credit borrowing soared by £300m in July, and credit card borrowing is up almost 8% over the year, I want to again focus on showing you how to cut existing card costs - especially as we're tiptoeing towards the high-spend festive season. Debt can be depressing, dangerous and debilitating, but ignoring it only makes it worse - the best time to tackle it is RIGHT NOW. In future, I'll look at existing loans (though it's tough to cut costs as rates are high) and overdrafts (no great deals on at the moment, but I hear rumours some may be due, so will wait until that). Panicked about your debt? Jump straight to debt crisis help. How EVERYONE can try to cut existing card costs The key weapon is a 0% balance transfer, where you get a new card that pays off debt on existing cards, so you owe it instead, but interest-free for a set period. This way more of your repayments clear the actual debt, not just mostly cover interest. Before I go into the best buys, I've three need-to-knows... - To AVOID REJECTION, spend two minutes on a 0% eligibility calculator. This shows which of most top cards you can likely get, listing your bespoke acceptance odds for each. That way you can minimise applications, and protect your creditworthiness. Better, do it via the free MSE Credit Club to help future credit Join the free MSE Credit Club, where you can then use the eligibility calcs as often as you like without having to re-enter details. Plus it will also show you your unique Credit Eligibility Rating - it's fab (though I did design it, so would say that) as it shows what lenders like and hate about you, so you can improve it. To show the impact, we were recently emailed by Raheem: "Due to rising costs we quickly racked up nearly £6,000 on a credit card. Our anxiety worsened on the £90+/mth interest and the feeling that we couldn't get out of a hole. Then my wife remembered about your balance transfer eligibility checker. We put the details in and within minutes were approved for a 0% balance transfer for 27 months." - Checking DOESN'T impact you. Our eligibility calc does a soft not a hard search, so you see it on your file, but lenders can't use it to assess you. - Go for lowest fee within 0% time long enough to clear debt. Longer balance transfers usually have a bigger one-off fee to transfer. So if you've a choice and can clear your debt quicker, go for a shorter deal to minimise fees. Unsure? Play safe, go long. Top new cardholder 0% balance transfers (for stronger credit scorers) New. MBNA. Link goes via our eligibility calc (1) - Up to 29mths 0% - 3.5% fee - 24.9% rep APR after the 0% ends Longest 0%, though it's 'up to' 29mths, so some get less. If you're pre-approved in our eligibility calc, you'll definitely get the full 29mths at 0%. If not, you could be accepted and offered just 14mths (so consider Tesco below). Tesco Bank. Link goes via our eligibility calc, or apply direct* - 27mths 0% - 2.95% fee - 24.9% rep APR after the 0% ends Longest DEFINITE 0%. All accepted get the full 27mths 0%, so it's worth considering if you've good acceptance odds and aren't pre-approved for a longer card. Plus the lower fee means it'll be cheaper if you can fully repay within the 0% period. NatWest. Link goes via our eligibility calc (1) - 13mths 0% - NO FEE - 24.9% rep APR after the 0% ends CAN YOU REPAY QUICKLY? If so, this wins & some get to know credit limit before applying. No fee whatsoever, so clear the debt within 13mths and it's totally free and thus unbeatable. Plus, our eligibility calc can tell those pre-approved if they'll get the credit limit they need. You can't transfer between two cards from the same banking group. (1) MBNA and NatWest asked us not to link direct to manage demand. Now, on to the deals for those with poorer credit histories. The big difference here is the 'go-to' rates - the APR they move to when the 0% ends is much higher, often around 30%, and could be higher than the cards you currently have. If it is higher than your current card, ONLY move an amount you're sure you can repay within the 0% period. If it's the same or lower, shift as much as you can. Top poorer scorer 0% balance transfers Virgin Money. Link goes via our eligibility calc (1) - 16mths 0% - 3% fee - 29.9% rep APR after the 0% ends Long 0%, accepts some past credit issues. Even if you've had a county court judgment (CCJ) against you or a default (sadly, Virgin wouldn't share more granular details with us), you may still be accepted here if you can: - Show a recent history of managing credit. - Have £15,000+/yr household income (including non-salary income). Fluid. Link goes via our eligibility calc (1) - 9mths 0% - 3% fee - 34.9% rep APR after the 0% ends Shorter 0%, but lower minimum income. Bankruptcies, CCJs or individual voluntary arrangements (IVAs) may be OK as long as they're over three years old. You also need: - A minimum annual income of £5,000. - 12mth UK address history. - A UK bank account. Capital One. Link goes via our eligibility calc (1) - 7mths 0% - 3% fee (min £3) - 34.9% rep APR after the 0% ends Another to try if you've low odds for the above cards. May also accept you if you've had CCJs or defaults, but not if you're currently registered as bankrupt. (1) All three card firms asked us not to link direct, to help them manage demand. If you do a balance transfer, follow the Golden Rules Clear all debt before the 0% ends. Pay it off or balance-transfer again before the 0% ends or you'll pay the rep APR. Never miss the minimum monthly repayment. Or you can lose the 0% rate. For safety, set up a Direct Debit for at least the minimum (and then make additional manual payments on top). Don't spend/withdraw cash on the card. It usually isn't at the 0% rate, so will be expensive and it's best not to build up more debt. Do the transfer on application. If not, check the time limit. If you don't do it as part of the application, you've normally 30 to 90 days. Doing a poor credit transfer? This should be seen as an indication to be careful with your finances. Try not to borrow any more, and do a budget. What you often ask me about balance transfers... I've been talking about this for over 20 years (I know, I look too young for that), and these are the most common questions I think I get asked... Q. Should I apply if my best eligibility score is low, say only 20%? Cutting debt costs is important (usually only trumped by a mortgage application), so go for it. While 20% odds are low, it means it's likely two in 10 who apply will succeed, and it could be you. And if you're rejected, barring a minor credit file application mark, you're no worse off. So the upside massively outweighs the downside. Q. What if the credit limit I get isn't high enough for all my debt? If you get accepted for a card but the credit limit isn't big enough, the application's already on your credit file - so shift as much of your highest APR debt as you can to the new card (usually they allow you to shift to up to 90% of the credit limit). Then once done, use our eligibility calculator to see your chances of acceptance for other providers' cards to move the rest. Q. Can a balance transfer hurt my credit score? Shifting a balance from one card to another isn't recorded on your credit file, so you're free to balance transfer as many times as you like. However, a footprint is added to your file every time you apply for a new credit card. Multiple applications, especially close together, and high outstanding debt, even at 0%, can affect your ability to get further credit. Yet don't let that put you off. This isn't a flippant application. Cutting expensive debt costs is one of the reasons you try to keep a high credit score - so you can do it. If you like, it's 'worth spending your credit score on'. See our Credit scores guide for full information. Q. What if the eligibility calculator says 'no chance' for all cards? That makes things difficult. Our calc is only an estimate based on the info we get from firms, but it likely means rejections from all those we include. There are still some things you can do to help the situation though, which conveniently (it's almost like I planned this) I'm just about to write about... Five ways to keep debt costs down i) Focus on clearing the highest-interest (APR) debt first. List all debts in APR order, and use all spare cash to clear the highest (as it's growing fastest), and just pay minimums on everything else. Once it's clear, focus on the next costliest, and so on and so forth. That'll get you debt-free quicker. This includes overdrafts, especially as they're often costlier than credit cards (but that doesn't include student loans). If you have room on your credit limit on any of your existing credit cards, they may allow you to shift debt to them either at a special rate or at the APR. If that's lower than where the debt is, try it. More help in the credit card shuffle. ii) Don't look at debt in isolation. No one gets into debt for its own sake; it's to pay for other things. So you have to look across all your expenditure... go through everything you spend money on and see if you can do it cheaper or better. Our money makeover takes you through some of that. iii) Do a budget. As well as cutting costs, get control of all your spending. The best way is to do a budget, looking across a year to see where the cash is going. Then what really counts is how you stick to it - many who have tried it swear by (or at) my piggybanking system. iv) Check your eligibility rating, to find and boost your real-world credit power. I mentioned it earlier, but our revamped free Credit Club offers a range of tools and calcs that give you a sense of how the financial world sees you. Everyone who has debt, or needs credit, should be exploring it in detail. v) Got savings? Use 'em to clear costly debts. Millions still have savings, though many are using them up. Some have an emotional attachment to them ahead of clinical financial decision-making. Yet saving is just giving your bank a loan. So if your credit card, loan or overdraft debts are at a higher rate than your savings earn, repaying the debt with the savings will likely add up. Never is this clearer than with a costly credit card, as if you clear it and that leaves you with no emergency savings, just keep the card open. That way, the worst that can happen is you use it again in an emergency - at least you saved interest in the meantime. See pay off debt with savings? Related: Should I overpay my mortgage? Struggling with debt? Get free help The solutions above all involve you being in a functional relationship with your debt. In other words, you can afford to repay and you just want to cut the cost. But for some, a different tack is better - full help in our Debt crisis help guide, but in short, I have three key questions I came up with to help you decide which route is right... - Do you struggle to meet minimum monthly payments? - Is your total debt (not mortgage/student loan) over 1yr's salary? - Do you have sleepless nights or depression/anxiety over debt? If you answer 'yes' to any of these, forget the solutions above, and instead get free, one-to-one non-profit debt-counselling help from charities like Citizens Advice, StepChange, National Debtline or CAP (which gives emotional support too). They're there to help, not judge. Just go for it, the most common thing people tell me after is: "I finally got a good night's sleep." For some inspiration, do also read stories in our Debt-free wannabe forum. And it's worth seeing our Mental Health & Debt guide too.

 

 

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.

 

 

 

Martin's Clarion Call...  The Govt's cut Winter Fuel Payments for millions of pensioners. Now, only the poorest, those on PENSION CREDIT, will get them. Yet 880,000 who are due it don't claim Pls spread word to ensure we reach every nook & granny (& grandad) For years, on TV, radio and here, I've shouted about Pension Credit (terrible name - it should be called 'the State Pension Top-Up'), a key payment for low-income state pensioners. Now it's even more urgent, as the up to £300 Winter Fuel Payment, which all pensioners got, will now primarily only go to those CLAIMING Pension Credit. Yet of the up to 2.2 million eligible for Pension Credit, it's thought 880,000 don't claim. This week is the Govt's 'Pension Credit Week of Action' to raise awareness, so I'm playing my part, but frankly I've done similar for years, and I doubt the dial will shift substantially. Still, even if only 10,000 extra sign up, it's worth it, as Pension Credit is worth an average £3,900/yr, to some of society's most vulnerable. Who should check if they're due Pension Credit? It's for those of state pension age (66+) & depends on TOTAL WEEKLY INCOME, here's my rule of thumb. SINGLE: Under £218/wk you're LIKELY to get it. Under £235/wk you may get it. COUPLE: Under £333/wk you're LIKELY to get it. Under £350/wk you may get it. A couple means spouse, civil partner, or someone you live with, as a couple. You must both be of state pension age. If your partner isn't yet, you may still qualify for Winter Fuel Payment via Universal Credit. What counts as income? Income from work, pension, state pension and some benefits counts. Plus, if you have over £10,000 of savings or investments, then each £500 above that counts as £1 a week income (which means they're assuming you're making a 10% return - chance'd be a fine thing). If in doubt, JUST CHECK, better to ask & not get, than not ask and miss out 1. Check Pension Credit eligibility via web or phone - don't stall, just call or click. Use www.gov.uk/pension-credit if you can, or if not call 0800 99 1234 (N. Ireland 0808 100 6165). Do check - the worst that can happen is they'll say you don't qualify. And it is complicated who's eligible, even some getting more than the full state pension may qualify - often due to its interaction with some disability-related benefits. (PS: If you don't claim a disability-related benefit, but need daily help or supervision, check out Attendance Allowance, too.) 2. Checked before? Check again. If you were just over the margin before (primarily due to a small private pension) you might be newly eligible, as in April the Pension Credit threshold was increased by 8.5%. For a few, it's worth checking again. Also, if you've got new responsibilities as a carer, it's vital to recheck. 3. Pension Credit has a superpower... While many on Pension Credit get £1,000s a year paid to them, even if it's only worth thruppence for you, it's worth claiming, as it's often a gateway to other state help. It may trigger...  Free TV licence for over-75s (normally £169.50/yr). See how to apply for your free TV licence. Housing Benefit worth £1,000s for some renters. Housing Benefit is an extra sum - the amount depends on where you live and how many people you live with. Council tax reductions. This can be worth £1,000s/yr. See how to cut council tax costs.  Energy bill reductions. This includes £25/wk Cold Weather Payments and the £150 Warm Home Discount. There's also free dental care, vouchers for glasses and more - see full Pension Credit gateway benefits. Winter fuel means-testing is too narrow... I'm due to meet the Chancellor next week... Pensioners were already due to get less this winter, as for the first time since winter 2022 they won't get the up to £300 extra cost of living top-up which was paid on top of the Winter Fuel Payment. And that's already going to be hard as from October the Energy Price Cap rises 10%. Now the end of universal Winter Fuel Payments means an estimated 10m will miss out on those, too. Of course there's a good argument for ending universality when the nation's finances are tight, but the payment is being squeezed to too narrow a group. Only the very poorest, with incomes often under £11,400, will get it. That'll likely leave many just above the threshold, who rely on it to keep the heating on during the cold months, struggling. And that's before we factor in the chronic under-claiming of Pension Credit that means many on the very lowest incomes will be in dire straits. While the 'lack of household income data' makes other targeting difficult, when I meet Rachel Reeves I'll suggest one option is to also give it to those in lower council tax bands - an imperfect but easily workable proxy for lower household incomes (that has precedent from April 2022). Whether that's the solution or there's another route, I think the means-testing needs broadening.

 

Can you fly for under a fiver? £10 off discount means we've found one-way tickets to Faro, Split & Corfu for £5 or less. A flight booking app is giving £10 off per passenger for each of your first three app bookings. Having factored this in, we spotted a range of flights in Sept to Oct this year for £5 or less (and some for the returns too). It's trial and error, and of course there's all the usual luggage and other extras, but it's worth a look. See £10 off cheap flights trick. Nissan, Renault or Vauxhall diesel driver - decide now whether to join emissions lawsuits. This month sees the deadlines for new claims against these manufacturers. See our Should I do a diesel claim? guide. Ends Mon 11.59pm. Sky Stream + Netflix '£18/mth' (usually £31). Newbies who sign up for Sky Stream*, which plugs into your TV and works via your broadband, can stream all the basic Sky channels for £20/mth (usually £31/mth), plus via this link you can also CLAIM a £50 prepaid Mastercard (don't forget) - factored in, it's equivalent to £17.92/mth over the 2yr contract. It also includes Netflix with ads (normally £4.99/mth). See Sky Stream deal. McMonopoly tricks - boost your chances of free food or cash. McDonald's relaunches its famous McMonopoly tomorrow (Wed) - we show you how to McMax it. See McDonald's Monopoly tricks (please eat responsibly). TWO branded prescription specs £25. MSE Blagged. Aspire, Scout, Hart £25 & Puma, Levi's etc £55. Glasses Direct Top 5.25% savings - but you need give 90 days' notice to withdraw. Not easy-access, not a fix, but somewhere in between. Investec's 90-day account* (min £5,000) pays monthly interest. Its rate beats the top easy-access savings, and it's more flexible than a fix, as you can ask to withdraw whenever you want, but it takes 90 days - an option for those who may need money but won't be in a rush. See this and full options in Top savings. 3 quick back-to-school tips... 1. School uniform items from £3. See our cheap uniform help and check if you're eligible for a school uniform grant. 2. Will you pay for childcare/after-school clubs? You may be able to get up to £2,000/yr help. See our Working families' childcare top-up guide. 3. On a low income? Apply for free school meals NOW. Some need to reapply every year. See Free school meals. FREE visits to 5,000+ historic buildings & heritage sites. Many that are normally closed or usually charge are open for free on selected days in Sept, including National Trust sites, castles, TV/film locations & more. Heritage Open Days 268 spring bulbs for £15. MSE Blagged. 12,000 available, excludes NI/parts of Scot. Thompson & Morgan Don't put bananas in the fridge... It's Zero Waste Week, so see 13 ways to stop wasting food.

 

 

BLAGGED FOR MSE - Two branded prescription specs from £25 Ends 12 Sept - 268 spring bulbs for £15 12,000 available - Six bottles of wine £30 delivered 2,000 available	DID YOU MISS? - £95 L'Occitane, Nuxe etc in M&S beauty box for £30 - Top 5.05% 1yr fix + £100 cashback (if saving £10k+) - Ikea's revamped its loyalty scheme... but is it any good? - 3 months' free (or cheap) Spotify Premium

 

 

The 10% Energy Price Cap RISE hits 1 October, but the cheapest fixes are disappearing. If you want to lock in at a lower rate (especially with a big name), faster is safer... If you're not sure what tariff you're on, you're almost certainly on one where the price is dictated by the Energy Price Cap, like 85% of homes in England, Scotland & Wales. The Price Cap sets the rates of firms' standard (non-fixed) tariffs, and last week, we told you that the regulator Ofgem had announced that it would rise by an average 10% for the three months from 1 October. Plus, it's predicted to go up AGAIN by 3% in January. One option we told you to beat this is to get a cheap fix, but even since then, some of the cheapest have been pulled from the market... 1. Today's cheapest standalone one-year FIX is 6% cheaper than the 1 October Price Cap. Sounds good, doesn't it? You can lock in a rate for a year, at far below the new price (use our Cheap Energy Club comparison to find the cheapest for your postcode & usage). And if predictions from analysts at EDF and Cornwall Insight come true (and there is some crystal-ball-gazing), if you stick on the Price Cap, you'll pay a whopping 11% more over the next year than you do now. Yet it's important to understand that 6% cheaper than the 1 Oct cap is still 3% more than the current cap, so for the next month you'll pay more. Shouldn't I wait and fix in October then? That's the problem. Many cheap fixes are disappearing, so waiting may mean you lock in at a higher rate. Of course, if world energy rates drop, prices could be cheaper by then, but there's no way of knowing. Plus, in competition terms, firms know that once October hits, more expensive fixes will look relatively better compared with the new higher Price Cap. So our best guess is if you're doing this for peace of mind, sooner is likely safer. Cheapest standalone (1) fixes - all accept NEW & EXISTING customers  Prices vary based on use & region, so links go via Cheap Energy Club to give a personal comparison. Outfox the Market Fix'd Dual Aug24 v5.0 No smart meter needed Dual fuel, monthly Direct Debit only | Online account 6% below Oct cap on average (3% more than current cap)  £50 dual-fuel early exit fees EDF Essentials 1Yr Sep25v2 Also available for those on smart prepay Dual fuel or elec-only | Need have/apply for a smart meter | Monthly Direct Debit / cash / cheque or smart prepay  4% below Oct cap on average (5% more than current cap) £25/fuel early exit fees Ovo Energy 1 Year Fixed Dual fuel or elec-only | Need have/apply for a smart meter | Monthly Direct Debit only, with online account  3% below Oct cap on average (6% more than current cap) £50/fuel early exit fees E.on Next Fixed 12 v23 - Dual fuel or elec-only | Need have/apply for a smart meter | Monthly Direct Debit / cash / cheque 3% below Oct cap on average (6% more than current cap) £50/fuel early exit fees Or go for a DISCOUNTED tariff (not fixed)  Tough to do a comparison, so links go straight to the firms E.on Next Pledge 1yr tracker* Dual fuel or elec-only | Need have/apply for a smart meter | Monthly Direct Debit only | Online account | No early exit fee Tracks about 3% under the Price Cap - good for higher users. It's essentially a price-capped tariff, where the unit rates are discounted for 12mths, so you pay less for each unit of energy. So if you're staying on the Price Cap, it's a no-brainer. EDF Ensure 1yr tracker* Also available for those on smart prepay Dual fuel or elec-only | Need have/apply for a smart meter | Monthly Direct Debit / cash / cheque or smart prepay | £25/fuel exit fees Lower standing charges tracker - good for lower users. It's a variable tariff where the unit rates stay at the Price Cap but the standing charges are £50 a year lower. Octopus Energy: Tracker & Agile Existing customers only | Dual fuel, elec-only or gas-only (Agile's elec-only) | Need have/apply for a smart meter | Monthly Direct Debit | No early exit fees Not with Octopus? If you want these, switch to its standard tariff, then switch to one of these - hopefully they're still available. Prices change daily or half-hourly - can be very cheap. The Tracker tariff changes daily, and on average it's been 31% cheaper than the Price Cap over the past year - see Octopus Tracker analysis. The Agile prices change every half hour and it's best if you're able to shift usage out of pricey peak times - see Agile Octopus analysis. (1) In other words: you needn't sign up to other products to get them. 2. Want a longer fix? There are some tariffs. They're not that cheap. And there are no predictions on what'll happen after a year. The market is so volatile it's impossible to know. So they're only for those who really value long-term price certainty. 3. Got an EV? Consider a dedicated tariff. Several suppliers have launched specific two-rate tariffs which offer cheaper electricity overnight for charging your electric vehicle (EV). See what's available in our EV tariffs guide. 4. Struggling to pay your bills or want to cut usage? If you're struggling, it's always worth talking to your energy firm. Be polite and straight with it, and make sure you explain if you're vulnerable. There can be hardship & debt grants from energy suppliers. For far more guidance, see our full What to do if you're struggling to pay energy bills guide and our Energy saving tips and Energy mythbusting guides.

 

Sat only. £15 off £50 at Ikea and FREE £3 cooked breakfast, yet there's a big but... You have to turn up in your PJs (not your birthday suit, or it'd be a big butt). See Ikea PJ day. Got currency left over from your summer holiday? If you know you won't use it for a future trip, see if you can sell it to a friend/family member - look up the 'spot rate' (perfect rate), then you both win. Failing that, use the buyback tab in our TravelMoneyMax tool, which shows where to get the most bang for your bucks, euros etc. Pay for Barclays' Blue Rewards? Today it axes a key perk - most should now ditch. You'll no longer get £5/mth cashback for having 2+ Direct Debits, which in effect covered the fee. Full info in Barclays update. Six bottles of wine £30 delivered. MSE Blagged. 2,000 cases available. Red, white or mixed - no subscription required. Warehouse Wines. Please be Drinkaware. 'I made £100 using your car boot sale tips and tricks.' Our success of the week comes from Lorna, who said: "Long-term Martin Lewis groupie. Recently I followed the car boot tips when selling items from my mother-in-law's house and made £100, which is double my usual earnings. This was down to sorting all the costume jewellery and pricing it beforehand, which I had not done before. Thanks." If we've helped you save or make cash (on this, or owt else), send us your successes. FREE £16 Cake & Bake Show tickets for London, 27 Nov to 1 Dec. 15,000 available. Cake & Bake

 

 

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AT A GLANCE BEST BUYS 0% balance transfers Longest 0%: MBNA (check eligibility, MBNA's asked us to link only to our eligibility calc) up to 29mths 0%, 3.48% fee (24.9% rep APR) No-fee 0%: NatWest (check eligibility, NatWest has asked us to link only to our eligibility calc) - 13mths 0% (24.9% rep APR) Best bank accounts Free £100 + £15/mth cashback: TSB 1% cashback on bills and spending (£3/mth fee): Santander Broadband top picks Fast fibre (100Mb+): Virgin '£21.23/mth' Superfast fibre (500Mb+): Vodafone '£27.09/mth' On Universal Credit or similar? Check all discounted social tariffs Car insurance Try our Compare+ Car Insurance tool Cheap loans Cheapest for £5,000 to £7,499: Santander (check eligibility / apply*), 7.2% rep APR Cheapest for £7,500 to £15,000: Tesco Bank (check eligibility / apply*), 6.1% rep APR (for Clubcard holders) Top savings accounts Top easy access: Santander-owned Cahoot's 4.85%, min £1 Top cash ISA: Trading 212 5.2%, min £1 (5% from 9 Sept) Top one-year fix: Atom Bank 5%, min £50 Top energy deals Try our relaunched Cheap Energy Club Cheap Sims Up to 3GB data: Lebara, '£3.10/mth' for 3GB 4GB to 9GB data: Lebara, '£3.20/mth' for 5GB 10GB to 30GB data: Lebara, '£4.03/mth' for 15GB 31GB+ data: iD Mobile, '£4.09/mth' for 50GB

 

THIS WEEK'S POLL Do you have a will? If not, why not? If you want to dictate where your assets go when you die, you need a will - a legal document telling everyone what should happen to your money, possessions and property. So this week, we'd like to know whether you have a will, and if not, why? Vote in this week's poll. Pet owners spend more on dogs than cats. In last week's poll, we asked how much you spend each year on your pets. More than 3,400 people responded, with 91% of dog owners spending more than £500/yr, compared with 76% of cat owners. Other pets were more budget-friendly - 57% of fish owners and 50% of hamster owners spend under £100/yr. See full poll results.

 

 

MSE NEWS - Top story: Got a mortgage with Halifax or Lloyds? You'll soon have less time to lock in a new rate

 

 

MONEY MORAL DILEMMA Should I split my job referral bonus with the friend I referred? My employer recently advertised a job vacancy, and I posted it on social media in case anyone I knew was interested. A friend got in touch about it, so I referred him, and he got the job. I'm now due a referral bonus in the £1,000s. I could use the money as I'm about to move house, but it's only thanks to my friend's efforts in his application and interview that I'll be better off. Should I split the bonus with him? Enter the Money Moral Maze: Should I split my job referral bonus with my friend? | Suggest a Money Moral Dilemma (MMD) | View past MMDs

 

 

MSE TEAM BLOG - MSE Forum highlights: Songwriting, stair lifts & strawberries

 

 

MARTIN'S APPEARANCES (TUE 3 SEPT ONWARDS) Tue 10 Sept - This Morning, phone-in, ITV1, 10.30am

 

 

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