Urgent cheap Easyjet, Car finance complaints - what now?, 4x free £100s bank switches, £119 Hoover, cheapest energy fix

Plus... 50% off toys, £18/mth FAST broadband, Overpaid council tax?, 'MSE helped me save £19k'

                                                           

19 March 2024 | View in browser

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

 

THE TOP TIPS IN THIS EMAIL Martin's big car finance mis-selling update, including: - Use our free complaint tool - When will your lender respond - Had a response? What next New. Free £185 bank switch, 1% bills cashback & 7% savings 'I was in dire straits, but have since saved £19k thanks to MSE' Urgent! Grab cheap winter Easyjet flights Stop press. New 1yr energy fix 18% less than Price Cap £199 Hoover upright vacuum £119 Updated 2024/25 take-home pay calc Ends Thu. Cheap broadband: 132Mb '£18/mth' & 516Mb '£27/mth' Tesco 50% off toys, incl Barbie, Paw Patrol, Hot Wheels Are you due a share of £141m in overpaid council tax? Martin's pod: Savers special, car insurance & more MSE's chocolate bunny taste test Urgent. Deadlines for tax reclaims, price hikes & ISAs Spring 'up to' sales, incl New Look 70%, Next 50%, M&S 50% Ends Thu. 50GB Sim '£4.92/mth' HMRC closing tax return helpline for six months Starts Wed. Amazon 'up to 40% off' sale FREE kids' football coaching sessions This week's best buys, including 5.27% savings, 28mth 0% debt shift, Compare+ Car Insurance tool Should I tell my friends I get tax relief from our combined charity donations? 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, with Pick Me A Tariff Best Sim-only deals

Martin's big next steps update Were you mis-sold car finance? A staggering 1.2m complaints now sent via our tool & 10,000s more daily. Some've had replies, some not. Most ask 'what do I do now?' Let me take you through it It's been a little over a month since we launched the tool and the response has been off the charts, averaging over 30,000 complaints a day. So no surprise I'm now swamped with enquires from people about what their response means. On the back of it, we've been doing some detailed work, which I'll get to in a moment. First though... New to this? There's still time... Did you buy a car, van, camper van or motorbike on PCP or Hire Purchase for personal use between April 2007 and 28 Jan 2021? If so, you may well be due £1,000s back due to excess hidden commission. All is explained in our... Car finance mis-selling guide & free tool Two updates that indicate a payout may be coming... Lloyds, which owns Black Horse, has already put a £450m 'provision' towards potential costs & payouts for this. A strong indication that it thinks it, and by inference others, will probably need to pay back money due to DCA mis-selling.  The boss of regulator the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) last week said it's improbable its investigation will find no evidence of wrongdoing. We won't know until it reports in September, but it is another strong indicator. Already put a complaint in? What next? The numbers of complaints are beyond anything I expected, and I expected far bigger numbers than most firms did. As they hadn't planned for this scale, it's unsurprising many are struggling to respond in a decent time. There's no point in going in hard if they simply don't have the capacity to do it any quicker, so below I explain when to push and when not to, to 'deliver' a result... 1. Not even had an 'acknowledgement' receipt? By this, I mean they haven't even said "thank you, we've got your email - we will reply in due time." It's obviously a frustrating situation, as you don't even know whether your complaint has got to the firm. So we've contacted the big players to find out when you should be expecting a response... DCA = "Discretionary Commission Arrangement". That's what this is all about, it's where brokers/dealers could increase interest rates to get more commission. If you had one, you may be due a payout when the FCA reports in Sept. Firm (% of the MSE complaints) Should receive acknowledgement by...  Should be told if you had a DCA by... Black Horse incl Jaguar, Land Rover & Suzuki  (16% of the MSE complaints) Within 28 days of initial email ASAP after "acknowledgement". No deadline, but promises to update you every 28 days Volkswagen Financial Services incl Audi, Seat & Skoda (14%) Immediate auto-response Within 6 weeks of initial email Santander incl Hyundai, Kia & Volvo (8%) None, as they will wait until they have an answer Within 28 days of initial email BMW Financial Services incl Mini (7%) Immediate auto-response Within 88 days of initial email MotoNovo (7%) It said "as soon as possible" - we're pushing it for clarity No solid guidance provided, we're pushing. So as it won't manage expectations, if you've had nowt within 28 days, you may want to send a follow-up email Stellantis ONLY Vauxhall (all Stellantis is 7%) Immediate auto-response No solid guidance provided, we're pushing. Yet if you've had your auto-response, it's up to you whether you follow up to check after 28 days Stellantis non-Vauxhall incl PSA Finance, Citroen & Peugeot (all Stellantis is 7%) Within 28 days of initial email No solid guidance provided, we're pushing. If you've had nowt within 28 days, you may want to send a follow-up email  Mobilize incl Renault, Nissan & Dacia (4%) It said "as soon as possible" - we're pushing it for clarity No solid guidance provided, we're pushing. So as it won't manage expectations, if you've had nowt within 28 days, you may want to send a follow-up email Mercedes-Benz Financial Services (4%) Within 5 days of initial email No solid guidance provided. Yet if you've had your auto-response, it's up to you whether you follow up to check after 28 days Barclays Partner Finance (3%) Immediate auto-response Within 28 days after initial email If you haven't had an acknowledgement and the table shows you should've done by now, a few notes: - Check your sent box: Is the email definitely in your sent messages? - Check your junk mail: Check the reply isn't in your spam/blocked list. - Check the address you sent it to: Especially if you didn't use contact details automatically filled in by our tool. Only if all of those check out, remember that you gave them 28 days to respond, so wait until that time before doing anything. But at that point, you may want to resend (remember, this is only if you haven't heard anything at all). 2. Had an acknowledgement but nothing else? The table above shows how long you should wait for. While you gave it 28 days and many are taking longer, I'm actually going to say: "chill a bit, you're already on the road that matters." The reason I've been pushing people to complain now is to minimise the risk of you being timed out if there's a time bar. After all, even the regulator's own website indicates timing may be an issue: "so, if you think you could be running out of time, you should consider complaining to your provider now". Yet you have complained and it has acknowledged it. All the firms we've checked with say they'll consider it a complaint at that point, so you're in. As nothing is then due to happen until September, you don't need to push for that much speed. You can give it a bit more time to respond. 3. Had a response? What next depends on its answer... Below is my best assessment of what you should do in all the circumstances we've heard of (thanks to all who answered our survey on this). Remember this is uncharted waters, so I'm trying to base it on my experience of PPI and bank charges. "You had a discretionary commission arrangement (DCA) & we've logged your complaint." Great. Your complaint is logged, you've done all needed for now (unless it requests further info). Now it's just a wait until the FCA reports in September and we find out what happens. "You didn't have a DCA." Good news, you weren't overcharged, though you've no payback due (that doesn't mean you weren't mis-sold car finance other ways, however). If you're thinking 'could they be lying?', that'd be a massive issue with this level of regulatory scrutiny - there could of course be data error, but overall it's unlikely. "We can't find your info." The FCA says firms should make serious endeavours, not just about finding paperwork, but also comparing you to other people in similar situations from the same time, and using any evidence available. So try to find ANY evidence, no matter how scant, to show you had an agreement (a credit report, bank statement showing payments, back page of an agreement - anything) and send it to the firm. How likely this is to work depends on how long ago you had your finance agreement. If it was still live within the last six years, they should have details. Further ago it becomes trickier, but it should try hard. If not, don't give up, just hold for now, as I suspect more rules on 'finding people' will come out in Sept. Just ensure the complaint has been logged for now. "You had a DCA but..." then a fob-off like "we don't think we've done anything wrong" or "complaint rejected, but you can go to the ombudsman." Using legalese to put people off taking things further was long a part of firms' bank charges and PPI dance, designed to put people off, and a few, especially smaller, firms may be trying similar here. Most people, especially if you're not a consumer warrior type and just want an easy life, shouldn't worry as: a) It's confirmed you've had a DCA and... b) For it to close your complaint, it has to log it, so arguably you've done all you need to until the FCA reports. Assuming it rules on systemic mis-selling, at that point it'll likely tell firms to reopen your complaint (if not, we'll remind you here). A route only for confident, consumer warrior types. There is an alternative route. If you have received a 'final response', you can now take it on to the Financial Ombudsman. It has already adjudicated on two cases and ordered payouts where people get all the money back due to the DCA, over and above the minimum interest. It is possible the FCA ruling will not be as generous as that (and unlikely, though not impossible, to be more), so if you can get it to rule before then, you may be better off. However, there's no guarantee it can be done in time as the ombudsman is busy. Yet my best guess is there's little to lose as I doubt you'll be any worse off pushing, as post-Sept new ombudsman adjudications will almost certainly be based on the FCA's ruling. Our Financial Ombudsman guide takes you through how to go to the ombudsman, but in essence you're just filling in a form online. It doesn't have to be highfalutin language, so just write explaining you had a DCA, you've only just found out, you weren't told and that you think it is unfair, and send any evidence.

 

 

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.

 

 

 

New. Free £185 bank switch, 1% bills cashback & 7% savings The bank switch competition's hotted up. Now FOUR pay switchers, so unless your bank tickles your toes on request, grab some cash... A few weeks ago, we bemoaned the fact there were no bank-switch bribes. Now it's flipped like a pancake, and there's strong competition. If your bank is great, and treats you well, ask how much you'd pay to stick with it. If it's less than £200, consider moving, as that's what you can make, at speed, by switching. Switching's usually quick and easy. To get free cash, you need to go via the bank's seven-working-day switch service, which closes your old account and auto-moves your balance, standing orders & Direct Debits. Once done, any payments to your old account are auto-forwarded. You'll need to pass a not-too-harsh credit check. Full info in Best bank accounts, but in brief... New. Santander FREE £185 cash: Plus 1% bills cashback & 7% easy-access savings. It has three accounts offering the £185. The standout is Santander Edge*, which was a top-pick 'bills accounts' (good for joint bills too) even before the new £185. It costs £3/mth and requires you to pay in £500+/mth, but gives two ongoing (not time limited) sets of cashback up to a max £10/mth each: - 1% cashback on supermarket, fuel, and train and bus travel spending.  - 1% cashback on water, council tax, energy, broadband, phones, and paid-for TV bills paid via it. For households with average bills, the gain's typically £80 to £100/yr after the fee. You also get access to a year's 7% variable savings for up to £4,000 - max that out and it's £280 interest. Got bigger bills? The Santander Edge Up* account also pays the free £185, but for £5/mth the cashback cap is higher, at 2 x £15 (though you don't get the 7% saver & there's a £1,500/mth min pay-in). - How to get it: You need to pay in £1,500+ in the first 60 days (you can withdraw it immediately), always have £500+/mth going in (equivalent to a salary of £6,000/yr) & set up 2+ Direct Debits. You need to switch to it from a non-Santander Group bank (the group includes Cahoot & Cater Allen) and have never had a Santander switch payment. Just want the £185 & no monthly fee? Use the Santander Everyday* account where, within 60 days, you must pay in £1,500+ & have 2+ Direct Debits. NatWest / RBS FREE £200 cash: Plus up to £36/yr cashback & 6.17% regular savings. Switchers to the Reward account from sister banks NatWest* and RBS* get £200. You pay a £2/mth fee and get £5 cashback as long as you use the app each month and have two £2+ Direct Debits going out of it. You can also put £150/mth into a linked one-year 6.17% variable regular saver - max that out and that's £61 interest. - How to get it: Switch and pay in £1,250+, keep it there for 24hrs+ and use the app within 60 days. You need to switch to it from a non-NatWest Group bank, and have not had switcher cash from it since Jan 2020.  Lloyds FREE £175 cash: Plus perks such as Disney+ & 6.25% regular savings. Club Lloyds pays switchers £175 & you get ONE of 12mths' Disney+ with ads, 6 cinema tickets, Gourmet Society & Coffee Club membership OR a magazine subscription. You can also put £400/mth into a linked one-year fixed 6.25% regular saver - max it out & that's £161 interest. - How to get it: Switch and pay in £2,000/mth (equivalent to a salary of about £29,000/yr going in) or there's a £3/mth fee. The account you switch must have 2+ Direct Debits. You can't have had switch cash from it since Apr 2020. HSBC FREE £100: Plus jump through a few hoops to get a year's £10/mth cashback & 5% regular savings. Switchers to HSBC Advance get £100, and it also pays a year's £10/mth cashback, but the criteria to get that are a bit tricky. You can also put £250/mth into a linked one-year fixed 5% regular saver - max that out and that's £81 interest. - How to get it: To get the £100 and £10/mth cashback, each month you must pay in £1,500+ (equiv to a salary of about £21,000/yr going in), make 20+ debit card payments, have 2+ Direct Debits (having also switched 2+ from your old account), log in to mobile banking & pay £50+ into your 4% Bonus Saver account (separate to the regular saver & you get a much lower rate of interest in months you withdraw). You can't have held an HSBC/First Direct account since 1 Jan 19. Yes, you can repeatedly switch to make £1,000s. It takes work and you need to follow our make £1,000s by repeatedly switching banks guidance, yet there's a growing tribe of bank-profiteers who do it, such as Angus, who emailed to say: "Thanks to your guidance, in the past year alone, we've made £1,000 - £200 each from TSB, £125 each from Co-op, and £175 each from Barclays. It's so simple, everyone who's able should try." Can switching bank impact your ability to access credit? Switching bank can impact your short-term ability to get credit, both as it's a credit application and, more importantly, as lenders like evidence of stability. It usually isn't a big deal, but if you've an imminent, important credit application due (eg, a mortgage within the next six months), it's probably best holding off until after. More in how switching banks impacts your credit. PS: Don't have a Chase debit card? You can get it without switching to get 1% cashback (max £15/mth) on almost all spending.

 

Urgent! Super-cheap Easyjet winter flights (incl Christmas) land Thursday morning. Easyjet fares are based on demand, so if you're ready the EXACT moment flights become available, there's no demand, so serious bargains. Around 10m UK seats launch Thu for travel from 1 Dec 24 to 2 Mar 25. Full help in our Easyjet seat release trick. Stop press. 1yr energy fix undercuts Price Cap by 18% & switchers can get it too. The new EDF Essentials 1yr Mar 25v6 fix for new & existing Direct Debit customers with or willing to get smart meters is by far the market's cheapest standalone fix, averaging 18% less than the current cap (next best's only 15% cheaper) and still 6% less after it drops on 1 April. It's the first for a time that hits our 'it's worth fixing' level, as it matches how much it's predicted you'd pay if you stuck on the Price Cap over the next year, but has the benefit of price certainty. It has £50/fuel early-exit fees (waived if you switch to another EDF fix). Full info: Is it time to fix? Want to compare? Exact cost depends on region & use, it's in MoneySup* if you want an exact price (we're working on bringing MSE Cheap Energy Club back ASAP). £119 Hoover upright vacuum (normally £199). MSE Blagged. Via our special link. 5,000 available. Hoover Updated 2024/25 what'll your take-home pay be calculator. Factors in all national insurance changes. Tax calc Ends Thu. Cheap fast 132Mb Virgin broadband '£18.40/mth' OR superfast 516Mb '£27.45/mth'. MSE Blagged. Switchers in 60% of UK homes can get this Virgin 132Mb broadband & line deal for £24/mth plus an automatic £100 bill credit, so it's equiv to £18.40/mth over the 18mth contract. Even faster: Its Virgin 516Mb broadband-ONLY deal is £33/mth, plus the £100 auto-bill credit, so equiv to £27.45/mth over 18mths. Full comparison: See MSE Broadband comparison. Tesco 50% off toys, incl Barbie, Paw Patrol, Hot Wheels & more. In store for Clubcard holders. Toy sale Are you one of 808,000 households due a share of £141m in overpaid council tax? If you don't pay by Direct Debit & have moved areas, you're likely to be affected, but others should check too. What you need to know Martin's latest podcast. Savers special: Should you urgently get money in a cash ISA? | Car insurance: Do existing customers really get the same price as new? | What kids say about money | And more... All in the new The Martin Lewis Podcast. Listen via BBC Sounds, Spotify, Apple Podcasts or wherever you like to get your podcast fix.

 

 

BLAGGED FOR MSE - £80 off Hoover vacuums 5,000 available - 132Mb Virgin broadband '£18.40/mth' Ends Thu - 516Mb Virgin broadband '£27.45/mth' Ends Thu	DID YOU MISS? - Free £3 vegan chicken, free Warburtons & more via coupons - Big-name 1yr fixed savings 5.27% - £37 Barbour specs or sunnies (normally £135) - Santander slashes rate on popular 5.2% easy-access saver - £190 of Lottie London make-up 'dupes' for £34

 

 

The BIG SUCCESS of the week - take hope, things can get better '20 years ago, my husband left & I was in dire financial straits. You've saved my sanity. I've saved £19,000, and in four months' time I will be mortgage and debt-free!' One of the joys about working at MoneySavingExpert.com is reading the many successes that you, our users, send us. We try to sprinkle some on specific topics in this email each week as inspiration that action can pay off. Yet Angela's is in a different league, so we wanted to go large. Thanks to Angela and everyone who reports successes, it put a real spring in our steps (well, typing fingers). Here it is in full... To: successes@moneysavingexpert.com Subject: 20 years with MSE 20 years ago, my husband left and I found myself in dire financial straits. A friend told me about MSE and I've been using the site ever since. The first thing I did was a budget. I set up savings accounts and planned for every eventuality including a small emergency fund. I review my budget every year. This system is now called piggybanking and I'm still using it. I did a 0% balance transfer. I still have a credit card with a nil balance for occasional one-off purchases over £100 where I want the protection by paying this way. I needed certainty and found a 10-year mortgage fix. This didn't save me any money in the long run, but it did give me peace of mind and I could sleep at night. I used the MSE mortgage site to find another five-year fix, and did it again two years ago, when I fixed at 1.2% so that I could overpay every month. In four months' time, I'll be mortgage and debt-free, three years earlier than originally planned! I saved a bit every year on insurance and breakdown cover, and used a cashback website. I've switched bank accounts five times, and broadband and energy supplier most years. In total, I've saved £18,858.95 over the last 20 years. That doesn't include the savings from shopping at the right time of day, using a cheap meal forum, the Christmas cheque book (my daughter loved this, and it appeared on her letter to Father Christmas three years in a row), and reduced Christmas gift giving, instead making a charity donation. I could go on and on. My daughter is now using the budgeting and piggybank system herself, so she has skills she wouldn't have had without MSE, and I feel financially secure. Thank you Martin, your website saved my sanity, I couldn't have done it without you. Angela A relationships & money warning from Martin: Thank you Angela. I loved reading this and know it'll inspire many. This is why I keep going, 21 years after I set up the site. Yet I also think there's a salient warning to many hidden in there... In relationships, there's usually a 'dominant financial doer' who sorts out the finances. There's nowt wrong with that, but if it steps over the line to 'I just do it all, so they needn't worry' it may feel generous, but it can be disastrous, especially if one of the three Ds hit (death, divorce, dementia - jolly isn't it?). In a shared financial relationship, both partners should know enough to be able to take over if needed. Communication & a financial factsheet are crucial. See financial relationships for more.

 

MSE's chocolate bunny taste test. We see if the supermarkets can give Lindt a run for its money. Hop to it Warning: Urgent deadlines fast approaching for tax reclaims, price hikes & ISA allowances. A reminder of Martin's steal a March on April warning from last week, including: Urgent tax reclaims: Marriage tax | PPI tax | Tax (er, tax). Beat price hikes, incl: Council tax | Stamps | Mobiles. Savers - use or lose: Top cash ISAs | LISAs (for 1st-time buyers), plus a briefing on how will Child Benefit changes impact your pocket? Spring 'up to' sales: New Look 70%, Next 50%, M&S 50% and more. See full sales round-up. Ends Thu. 50GB/mth iD Mobile Sim '£4.92/mth'. Newbies to iD Mobile (uses Three's network) can get unlimited mins & texts, plus 50GB/mth of data for £4/mth for the first three months, then £8/mth. And you can CLAIM a £25 Amazon/Currys voucher - factored in, it's equiv to £4.92/mth over the 12mth contract. Need more / less data? Use our Cheap Mobile Finder. HMRC closing tax return helpline for six months - how to get in touch if you need support. Full info and options in HMRC helpline. Starts Wed. Amazon 'up to 40% off' sale. The retail giant's pumping out 1,000s of deals from 12.01am on Wed till 25 March - it's keeping schtum on what's on offer till then, but when it launches we'll have analysis of the Amazon deals & duds. FREE kids' football sessions with FA-qualified coaches. Book now for ages 5 to 11 at 1,500+ locations on selected dates from 6 April to 14 July. See how to register for free footie.

 

 

Tell your friends about us They can get this email free every week

 

 

AT A GLANCE BEST BUYS 0% balance transfers Longest 0%: Barclaycard (check eligibility / apply*) - up to 28mths 0%, 3.45% fee (24.9% rep APR interest) No-fee 0%: NatWest (check eligibility / apply*) - 13mths 0% (24.9% rep APR interest) Best bank accounts £200 to switch + £3/mth cashback: NatWest Reward £185 to switch + 1% cashback: Santander Edge Top savings accounts Top easy-access: Cynergy Bank 5.1%, min £1 Top one-year fix: MBNA (owned by Lloyds) 5.27%, min £1,000 Car insurance Try our Compare+ Car Insurance tool Cheap loans Cheapest for £5,000 to £7,499: Santander (check eligibility / apply*), 7.3% rep APR Cheapest for £7,500 to £15,000: TSB (check eligibility - TSB has asked us to link only to our eligibility calculator), 5.9% rep APR Broadband top picks Fibre (30Mb+): Vodafone '£22.88/mth' Fast fibre (100Mb+): Virgin Media '£18.40/mth' On Universal Credit or similar? Check all discounted social tariffs Cheap Sims Up to 3GB data: Lebara, '£3.20/mth' for 3GB 4GB to 9GB data: Lebara, '£3.45/mth' for 5GB 10GB to 30GB data: iD Mobile, '£4.50/mth' for 30GB 31GB+ data: iD Mobile, '£4.92/mth' for 50GB

 

THIS WEEK'S POLL How long have you been with your bank? While some people switch bank account every time there's free cash available, others have loyally stuck with their bank for decades. So this week we want to know how long you've had your main current account for. Vote in this week's poll.

 

 

MSE NEWS - Top story: Bank of Scotland, Halifax and Lloyds to shut 176 branches in 2024/25

 

 

MONEY MORAL DILEMMA Should I tell my friends I get tax relief from our combined charity donations? Seven friends and I give to a different charity each week, donating up to £5 each. As my employer matches any charity donations employees make, I collect the money and donate it to our chosen charity each week. However, by doing this through my pay I get tax relief, which is often more than my individual contribution. Should I explain this to my friends and donate more to charity? Or leave it be, as the charities wouldn't be getting double the donation without my (and my employer's) input? Enter the Money Moral Maze: Should I tell my friends I get tax relief from our charity donations? | Suggest a Money Moral Dilemma (MMD) | View past MMDs

 

 

MSE TEAM BLOG - MSE Forum Highlights: Hens, hobs & housewarming gifts

 

 

MARTIN'S APPEARANCES (TUE 19 MAR ONWARDS) Wed 20 Mar - Good Morning Britain, co-presenting, ITV1, 6am Wed 20 Mar - Ask Martin Lewis, BBC Radio 5 Live, 1pm Tue 26 Mar - This Morning, phone-in, ITV1, 10.15am

 

SHATTERED SINKS AND BROKEN BACKDOORS - WHAT DAMAGE HAVE YOUR PETS CAUSED? That's all for this week, but before we go... a major insurer has revealed it paid out on over 6,000 home insurance claims for damage caused by pets - so we've asked our followers to tell us about the cat-astrophic damage their furry friends have caused. Dogs, it seems, will chew through most things - including rugs, remote controls and sofas. One ripped up his owner's living room carpet to chew through the underlay, ingesting an internet cable on the way. Another tore a new kitchen lino chasing shadows, while two pups teamed up to rip the door from their owner's washing machine. It's not just calamitous canines - a cat's attempt to sit on a wall-mounted TV led to its destruction (the TV's, not the cat's), and another managed to crack a window trying to catch a bird behind the glass. The messiest mishap was the dog who'd left a 'deposit' in the living room - which the owner's robot vacuum dutifully collected and smeared across the house. Let us know your pawful stories in our Facebook and Twitter conversations. We hope you save some money, The MSE team

 

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 more than 12 million users each month and about 8.5 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 santander.co.uk, natwest.com, moneysupermarket.com, barclaycard.co.uk, rbs.co.uk Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) Note MoneySupermarket.com Financial Group Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (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 MoneySupermarket.com Financial Group Limited. To change your email or stop receiving the weekly tips (unsubscribe): Go to: www.moneysavingexpert.com/tips.