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Martin's analysis: "For most of the last year, apart from the usual competitive flick-flacks, top balance transfer deals - which let you cut the cost of existing debt - have barely budged. Yet that could soon change, with markets pricing in that the Bank of England may increase the UK base rate up to four times over the next 12 months, starting next month.

"When UK rates rise, the change to balance transfer and credit card deals in general can be subtle. 0% lengths may shorten, fees and standard APRs can climb, but most difficult to spot is when lenders keep headline deals the same but tighten their acceptance criteria. I don't know what'll happen, but if you're paying interest on credit card debt, my hunch is it's safest to sort sooner, especially as there are some strong deals this week. To help, the team and I have put this together..."

Jump to: Balance transfers for beginners | Top 0% balance transfers | Top deals if you're rejected | FAQs

A balance transfer is where you get a new credit card that pays off your existing credit or store cards for you, so you now owe it instead, but now it's interest-free. If you know what you're doing, jump to balance transfer best buys, otherwise...

How do you do it? Once you've been accepted, you get a credit limit - the max debt you can put on the card - and can usually balance-transfer up to 95% of that amount. The process is simple: just fill in the 'do a balance transfer' or similar section on the new card's app or website, or in some cases call up and request a 'balance transfer'. It'll sort it from there.
I'm worried I'll be rejected? Our eligibility calculator shows your odds of getting each card (including cards for poorer credit scorers) so you can hone in and apply via it for the one most likely to accept you, minimising 'applications' on your credit file. Also, our free Credit Club (best via MSE App on Apple | Android) can help analyse why you're rejected too.
How do I pick the right card for me? If the eligibility calc shows you've got a choice of cards, go for the lowest-fee card with a 0% term long enough to clear your debt. The longer the 0% period, the bigger the one-off fee (eg, 3% = £30 per £1,000 of debt shifted), so shorter 0% cards are cheaper. Unsure? Play safe & go long.
Will it help? Massively. It means your repayments reduce the actual debt, rather than just cover the interest, getting you debt-free quicker (just don't borrow more). As Mr Ahmed emailed us a while ago... "We had to use our credit card due to rising costs on everything. We quickly racked up nearly £6,000 in a short time. Our anxiety worsened on the £90+/mth interest we were being charged and feeling we couldn't get out of a hole. Then my wife remembered about your eligibility checker. Within minutes we got approved for 0% balance transfer for 27 MONTHS." [Saving over £2,000 interest]

Top new cardholder 0% balance transfers Links via eligibility calc to show if you'll be accepted
LONGEST 0% deals - you pay a fee but have longer to clear.
DEFINITE long 0% cards, so ALL accepted get the full 0% length. If you've decent acceptance odds, this means you know exactly what you'll get, making 'em the top choice.
HSBC Definite 36mths 0% (3.09% fee). 25.9% rep APR after. Existing HSBC Customer? Use this link.
Virgin Money Definite 36mths 0% (3.1% fee). 24.9% rep APR after.
'UP TO' long 0% card (so some get a shorter deal) but with LOWER FEE or ADDED PERK.
New. Capital One Up to 36mths 0% (2.9% fee). 28.9% rep APR after. Our eligibility calc will show the length you'll get before applying. It can be 18mth to 36mths, yet if it's on the long side, the lower fee often makes it a winner.
Perk ending. Barclaycard Up to 36mths 0% (3.15% fee) + free Apple TV. 24.9% rep APR after. Our eligibility calc will tell you if you are pre-approved for the full 36mths 0%. If not, it may be 36, 32 or 18mths 0%, you can only find out by applying. Apply before 10am next Tue, and if you're accepted you'll get free Apple TV for a year too. Barclays current account customers applying via its app also get £20 cashback when shifting £2,500 debt within 60 days.
Longest 0% but it's an 'up to' so not all get it and it's not in our eligibility calc.
TSB Up to 38mths 0% (higher 3.49% fee). 24.9% rep APR after. NOT in our eligibility calc, the link goes direct. Some accepted customers get 32 or 35mths 0%.
Top LOW-FEE 0% deals, cheaper if you can clear the debt more quickly.
Virgin Money Definite 24mths 0% (1.95% fee). 24.9% rep APR after.
New. Tesco Bank Definite 20mths 0% (1.25% fee). 24.9% rep APR after. A good sweet spot of length and fee.
Top NO-FEE 0% deals, cheapest if you can clear the debt rapidly.
Barclaycard Up to 12mths 0% NO FEE. 24.9% rep APR after. Via our eligibility calc you'll be told whether you're pre-approved for the full 12mth 0%. If not, you could get 12 or 6mths 0%, which you can only then find out by applying.
Virgin Money Up to 11mths 0% NO FEE. 24.9% rep APR after. Our eligibility calc will tell you the 0% deal you'll get before you apply if accepted – it could be 11mths or 9mths.

And getting the right card is just the start. Follow Martin's four balance transfer golden rules to protect yourself...

Clear debt before the 0% ends. Pay it off or balance-transfer again before the 0% ends or you'll pay the higher rep APR.
Never miss the minimum monthly repayment. Or you can lose the 0% rate. Best to set up a Direct Debit.
Don't spend / withdraw cash on the card. It usually isn't at 0%, so will be expensive.
Try to avoid further borrowing. Think carefully before borrowing any more. Do a money makeover and a budget.

There are a number of cards which still accept those who've had past credit problems. Each card's published acceptance criteria tends to be quite limited, so by far the best thing to do is use our Balance Transfer Eligibility Calculator as it will show you first if you can get any standard deals - and if not, those cards you've the best chances of acceptance for, including these...

New. Vanquis Up to 24mths 0% (3.9% fee). Yet 33.9% rep APR after. Our eligibility calc will tell you the 0% deal you'll get before you apply – it could be 24 or 20mths. Who can get it? Some with past CCJs or defaults, but you can't currently be bankrupt or have an active individual voluntary arrangement (IVA).
Capital One Definite 22mths 0% (2.9% fee). Yet 26.9% rep APR after. This card is only available via our eligibility calc. Who can get it? Some with a history of past defaults, county court judgments (CCJs) and bankruptcies.
Fluid Up to 15mths 0% (3% fee). Yet 34.9% rep APR after. Our eligibility calc will tell you the 0% deal you'll get before you apply – it could be anywhere up to 15 months. Who can get it? It has a low min income requirement of £5,000/yr and accepts some with past CCJs, IVAs, or bankruptcies (if they're 3+yrs old). You need a year's UK address history & a UK bank account.

Poor credit-scorer cards WARNING! The APR (interest rate) after the 0% ends is often higher than you'll find on standard balance transfer deals (which are usually around 24.9%). So always compare that rate to the card(s) you're shifting debt from...

Current card(s) APR is lower? ONLY shift debt you're certain you can clear within the 0% period.
Current card(s) APR the same or higher? Shift as much as is allowed.

Plus always follow the Balance transfer golden rules.

We get many questions about how balance transfers work. These are the most common....

Should I apply if my best eligibility score's only 20%? While 20% odds are low, it means two in 10 who apply will likely succeed - and it could be you. If you're rejected, barring a minor credit file application mark, you're no worse off. After all, cutting debt costs is what you try to protect your creditworthiness for (usually only trumped by a mortgage application), so go for it.
Should I pay an equal amount on every card (spoiler... NO)? List all your debts in APR order from highest to lowest. Include your overdraft if you have one (as these days overdrafts are often the most expensive form of mainstream borrowing). Then, if possible, focus every penny of spare cash at trying to clear the debt with the highest interest rate, as it's growing quickest, and just pay the minimums on all the others. Once that's clear, shift focus to the next highest and so on.
What if the credit limit they give me isn't enough? In most cases, you won't know your credit limit until after applying, though a few cards in the eligibility calc will show a guaranteed credit limit before applying.

If you find the limit given is too low, don't just ditch the card, any debt at 0% is better than debt at a higher APR. So shift as much of your highest APR debt as you can to the new card. Then once done, go back to the eligibility calc to see your chances of acceptance for other providers' cards to move the rest (don't apply for more than one at once, as each application can hit your chances of getting the next).
What if the eligibility calculator says I've 'no chance' for all cards? That can happen, especially for those on lower incomes or with a poor credit history (see how to improve it in MSE's Credit Club). So check if your credit limits on all existing cards aren't full in case you can shift debt from one card to another if it's cheaper. For example, if one credit card charges 18% and has half the credit limit left, and the other card is at 30%, ask the cheaper card's firm if you can shift debt from the more expensive one to it, saving you cash. Even better, some cards also have 'existing-customer balance transfer offers', eg 12mths at 0%. See the credit card shuffle for more.

Yet equally failing to get any cheaper credit isn't a great sign. If you are generally struggling with debt do read on...
I'm really struggling with all my debts, what should I do? The tips above are for those who can afford to meet their credit card payments. If you can't, you'll likely need a different tack. Here's Martin's snap test...

1. Do you struggle to meet minimum monthly payments or pay all bills?
2. Is your total debt (not mortgage/student loan) over a year's salary?
3. Do you have sleepless nights or depression/anxiety over debt?

If you answered yes to any of these, you need a stronger intervention, so get free, one-to-one debt-counselling help from Citizens Advice, StepChange, or National Debtline. They have powers to give you breathing space on your debt, or can put you in a repayment plan or similar. While this may impact your ability to access credit, it's usually worth it to get you out of the debt hole. If you need emotional support too, try CAP. Often the feedback we get is 'thanks, spoke to them & finally slept last night.'

If worried, do read inspiring stories in the Debt-free wannabe forum, plus see Mental Health & Debt & Debt crisis for more.

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 big new idea: 'Join 1,000s suggesting small fixes to improve the UK! The Small Ideas Initiative.' Martin's just launched a new charitable initiative. Till 12 Nov, you can go to Small-Ideas.org to submit non-controversial fixes on anything - eg, 'live sewage updates for beaches' or 'standardised allergen menus' - to be turned into professional policy, with 50 selected by a cross-party panel of senior policymakers. He came up with this a year ago when asked what he'd have told Govt if he'd been advising it: 'Come up with 100 small things that piss people off and fix one a day for the first 100 days'. Full info on what counts & the panel in his blog & quick video. PS: It's his personal project, independent of MSE, but we like the idea.

£300 Vax carpet cleaner £120 via code. MSE Blagged. 5,000 available. Cheapest we've seen this upright corded Vax.

Stop Press! Car finance mass redress scheme legal challenge court date set for Feb 27. Sadly, it's the later of the two options the court had (the other was Dec), so there's even more delay. Firms must still deal with complaints under the scheme now, but payouts are on hold. See Car finance news for help and links to our free complaint tool.

Six days left. Easy hack for a year's totally FREE (£90) Apple TV. Till 10am next Tue, 20 Oct, the fee-free Barclaycard Platinum credit card sends all accepted new Barclaycard cardholders (ie, can't have had it in the last 6mths) a code for year's free Apple TV, sent within 90 days (redeem by 5 June 2028). Crucially there's nothing stopping you from JUST SIGNING UP FOR THE PERK, not using the card & cancelling once you've got the Apple TV! Though as we say above, it is also a top balance transfer card so if you've got existing debt to shift, you can kill two birds with one stone. Just don't be tempted to use it to borrow. Will applying affect my credit score? All credit applications have a short-term, minimal impact, yet for most with decent credit scores, as long as you're not about to apply for 'important debt' (eg, mortgage), it's not a biggie.

IT'S BACK! Tonight (Tue) 7.15pm ITV1 & ITVX: The Martin Lewis Money Show LIVE

Cut petrol & diesel, car insurance, MOT, breakdown cover costs & more

Martin: 'The series restarts tonight, back on almost every Tue at 7:15pm. And with fuel prices sky high, I'll cover how to cut them, and motor through a host of vehicle savings too. Plus important don't miss info in the usual News You Can Use. Do watch (give it a try if you haven't before).

Exclusive. Tesco Clubcard point collector? It's hugely expanding where you can EARN points! Currently you only earn in Tesco and 13 other retailers, but from tomorrow (Wed), it's launching a shopping portal - so online you can now earn 'em at 500 stores. We've analysed how much you can earn and compared it to other reward / cashback schemes. See Tesco points-earning-boost analysis.

25p Irn-Bru, 50p Lotus Biscoff, etc via 10% off code for past 'best-before' foods. MSE Blagged. Approved Food sells super-cheap groceries near or past their 'best-before' date, which is just a view of 'optimum quality' (different from 'use-by', which is about safety). Full info in Approved Food.

BLAGGED FOR MSE

- £300 Vax carpet cleaner for £120 5,000 available
- Extra 10% off past 'best-before' foods Ends 21 Oct

DID YOU MISS?

- Huge FREE £300 just by switching bank
- NS&I fixed savings now pay up to 5.17%
- 8p/litre off fuel when you spend £60+ at Tesco
- Cheap wooden toys: £18 rocking horse & far more
- AI, AI, captain! 30+ free or cheap AI tools

Not got debt on credit or store cards? Read this!
New. Huge best-buy top cashback credit card! Get 2% back for a year on up to £10,000 spent on it, and 1% above that!
This isn't about debt, it's about being paid when you spend, many make £100s

If you've not got debt, a credit card can become a weapon to put MORE money in your pocket - and be better protected when you spend. When you pay in a store, while it doesn't usually change the cost to you, a small percentage goes to the card firm. With cashback cards, you can kind of get that back. And with a credit card you get Section 75 protection too on spending over £100, so the card firm is jointly liable for the purchase. And this week a big new best-buy deal has launched - the Amex Cashback Everyday card now pays 2% for a year, the best long-term deal for years. Full info in top cashback cards.

So just do all your normal spending on it to gain (not an excuse to overspend). Though of course, if you don't trust yourself with a credit card, and worry you'll start borrowing, it's best to avoid. Full details below, but first the key operating instruction...

It's Martin's catchphrase for a reason...
Only do this if you'll pay the card off IN FULL each month!

To neuter the credit card 'debt' element, set up a Direct Debit to repay IN FULL each month to avoid interest. The reason Martin yodels (his word) this so loud when talking reward cards is this... With £1,000 debt, clear in full and there's no interest, but clear £999, then it's not just interest on the £1 left, you pay a month's interest on the whole grand! And that'll dwarf any cashback gain. Plus never withdraw cash - then interest's charged even if you fully clear.

Top fee-free CASHBACK CARDS for accepted new cardholders Links via eligibility calc for credit cards, to show if you'll be accepted.
New. Top cashback CREDIT CARD American Express Cashback Everyday Can't have had an Amex in last 2yrs. Min income £15,000+/yr. Rep APR if not repaid in full: 29.1%	- Year 1: 2% cashback on ALL spending to £10,000; 1% above. - After: 0.5% on ALL spending to £10,000/yr; 1% above. The cashback's paid after a year, but you ONLY get it if you spend £3,000+/yr on it. Most big stores & chains accept Amex, some small retailers don't. Amex Everyday review
Top non-Amex cashback CREDIT CARD Lloyds Ultra Not in our eligibility calc, so link goes direct. Rep APR if not repaid in full: 16.9%	- Year 1: 1% cashback on ALL spending (no limit). - After: 0.25% on ALL spending (no limit). Cashback also applies abroad where it gives a near-perfect exchange rates, making it a winner on overseas spending. Lloyds Ultra review
Good CREDIT CARD for drivers + free £40 Uber Santander Reward Anyone can apply but you must be new to Santander to get the voucher. Rep APR if not repaid in full: 24.9%	- Year 1: 3% on fuel, trains, eating out, EV charging; 0.25% on rest. - After: 0.25% on ALL spending. New to Santander? Add it to your digital wallet and spend on the (physical or virtual) card 10+ times in month one and you get a £20 Uber voucher (for Rides or Eats), then another 30 days after. Santander Reward review
Easy to get DEBIT CARD (no hard credit check) Chase* Get its free current account on top of your normal account, no need to switch.	- 2% on fuel, groceries, eating out, transport (max £20/mth). Must spend 15+ times a month on the debit card and have £1,000+ in its easy-access saver (4.5% variable for newbies). And the debit card also gives near-perfect exchange rates on overseas spending. Chase review.

This can be really lucrative. Douglas did it on just one purchase... "A bit extreme, I know, however, we were able to pay a car deposit on a 1% cashback credit card and managed to ultimately pay for the balance of the car on it – we earned £170 off that." And some bigger spenders earn £100s over the year.
Will applying affect my credit score? All credit applications have a short-term, minimal impact yet for most with decent scores, as long as you're not about to apply for 'important debt' (eg, mortgage), it's no biggie. Yet if you hold large balances on it - even if paid off in full - combined with other debts, that can have an impact. See how credit scoring works.
You can combine this with other cashback offers. Credit card cashback is separate to casback sites' cashback and Airtime app cashback, so do it right and you can get all three.

Martin video: 'You are allowed to smile, grab moments of happiness when you can!' Martin was asked: "What advice would you give for managing your money when going through grief. I'm normally on the ball, but after losing my mum, my admin and skill set is slipping?" Watch his 3min grief & money answer, clipped from his full YouTube Ask Me Anything live.

Go quick. FREE WILLS if you're 55+. Twice a year, the Free Wills Month scheme lets those aged 55+ get a free solicitor-drafted (or updated) will. They hope you'll leave a bequest (something in your will) to one of their partner charities. We hear spaces for the Oct edition are running out, with several locations fully booked. See if your area is covered in Free Wills Month.

News. Far more people now eligible for Disabled Person's Railcard - check if you are. Those with a long-term impairment, health condition or neurodivergence that significantly affects their ability to travel by train now qualify - the second eligibility expansion this year. The railcard gets you a 1/3 off fares. Check if you can get Disabled Person's Railcard.

Get £20 to £300 John Lewis gift card if buying selected tech, eg, vacuum, TV, fridge-freezer. On 400+ items over £129. John Lewis isn't always cheapest, so do check how it compares when you factor in the gift card. Plus some items will have an extended warranty (again, check), which can make it more attractive. Full info in John Lewis gift card.

Will a payrise mean I risk losing Child Benefit? | I'm on a tracker mortgage, should I try and get a fix? | How do I get to be you one day? Answers to these listener questions & more in this week's Martin's Question Time podcast. Do give it a listen, via BBC Sounds | Apple | Spotify etc.

Do you want up to £600 free cash in time for Christmas? That's what's being given away by banks, full help on that in this week's new Free cash, freebies, the State Pension and Inheritance Tax episode of Martin's Big Topics pod. Listen via BBC Sounds | Apple | Spotify etc.

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AT A GLANCE BEST BUYS

Top definite 0% card: HSBC (check eligibility; existing customers use this link), 36mths 0%, 3.09% fee, 24.9% rep APR
No-fee: Barclaycard (check eligibility) 12mths 0% 24.9% rep APR

Free up to £300: Barclays
Free £220: HSBC

Fast fibre (100Mb+): Vodafone '£19.59/mth'
Ultrafast fibre (900Mb+): Vodafone '£22.13/mth'

On Universal Credit or similar? Check all discounted social tariffs

Car: Use our Compare+ Car Insurance tool
Home: Use our Compare+ Home Insurance tool
Travel: Use our Compare+ Travel Insurance tool

£5,000 to £7,499: M&S Bank (check eligibility), 6.9% rep APR
£7,500 to £15,000: M&S Bank (check eligibility) 5.9% rep APR

Top easy-access savings: Cahoot 5%, min £1
Top easy-access ISA: Trading 212 4.8%, min £1
Top one-year fix: Buckinghamshire BS 5.15%, min £1k

Use our whole-of-market Cheap Energy Club

Up to 3GB data: Lebara, '£2.91/mth' for 3GB
4GB to 9GB data: Lebara, '£2.98/mth' for 5GB
10GB to 30GB data: iD Mobile, '£3.15/mth' for 15GB
31GB+ data: Lebara, '£3.28/mth' for 35GB

News: Over 900,000 State Pensioners missing out on a top-up
Martin: Over 66 and on a low income? Please read & share. This could be worth £3,000+/yr and far more help on top

As a good few of the reports arguing over the State Pension triple lock note, fewer pensioners (14%) are officially in poverty than working age adults (19%) or children (27%). Yet while that debate rages on (see my pension triple lock's moving to 2.5 times lock explainer), there are still poor and vulnerable pensioners and the tool that is meant to provide a safety net for them, I believe, is partially broken and seriously underclaimed.

That tool is Pension Credit, a top-up for those on low incomes. And as this is 'Pension Credit Week of Action', it's worth flagging that the Govt's figures show 900,000 of the 2.3m eligible are still missing out (even after the Winter Fuel Payment - WFP - fiasco when it temporarily restricted WFP to those claiming Pension Credit and said it'd ensure it was better claimed). I suspect a decent chunk of those missing out have newly hit State Pension age and are unaware of it. So I want to take this chance, again, to spread the word. Pls do let others who may be eligible know too.

Is there a chance you're due? Don't stall, just call (or click) to find out...
Don't worry - the worst that can happen is they say you're not eligible

- Happy to go online: Use www.gov.uk/pension-credit where you can check if you're due
- Prefer to speak to someone? Call 0800 99 1234 (Or in N. Ireland, 0808 100 6165)

What is Pension Credit? It's a top-up to the State Pension for those with low incomes. The news often reports that the State Pension is, for the new tax year, £241.30/wk. Yet that's not what most receive, that's just the 'new' 'full' State Pension. And 'new' and 'full' do some heavy lifting here.

Over 60% of pensioners - those who hit State Pension age before April 2016 - are on the 'old' State Pension which is £184.90/wk at its 'full' basic level. Yet many don't get the 'full' new or old pension, as they don't have enough National Insurance years. This leaves millions with far less than £241/wk and likely eligible for Pension Credit, but many don't claim.
Should I check if I'm due Pension Credit? If you're State Pension age, so roughly 66+ (see When do I get my State Pension? calc) on a low income, then YES. When I talk 'income' I'm including income from work; private, work or state pensions; and some benefits. Plus if you've over £10,000 in savings or investments, each £500 above counts as £1/wk income (if only returns were really that good). My ROUGH RULE OF THUMB based on total weekly income is...

- Single: Under £238/wk you're LIKELY to get it. Under £250/wk it's worth a check as you may get it.
- Couple: (both State Pension age) under £363/wk you're LIKELY to get it. Under £380/wk it's worth a check.

Do note, I'm not saying you will get it if your income's under these levels, just that it's worth the time to check.

As Susan emailed in, "Think you may be due? Don't stall, just call (or click)... Martin, this was just the best advice you could give. My mother, who suffers with severe dementia, is on the smallest of State Pensions and thankfully receives the full Attendance Allowance. Because she has some savings over £10k I'd always been led to believe that she would not be entitled to Pension Credit. How wrong I was. Thanks to your newsletter I called DWP. Whilst on the phone they did a calculation and told me that she IS entitled. She has now had the first payment and it all took less than four weeks. Thank you, you have made my family very happy to know we can keep my mum safe in her home for longer.''
Pension Credit's superpower! While many on Pension Credit get £1,000s/yr, even if what you're due is just pennies, it's still worth claiming, as Pension Credit is a gateway to other state help, meaning you may be able to claim...

Free TV licence for over-75s (normally £180/yr) | Housing Benefit for renters worth £1,000s for some (depends on where you live & how many people you live with) | Council Tax reductions worth £1,000s/yr. Free dental treatment | Reduced prescription glasses/contact lenses | See full Pension Credit gateway benefits.
Isn't this unfair to people just above the threshold? Yes. In many ways Pension Credit is a cliff-edge benefit as, if you get it, you get all the other help. If not, even if you're only a smidge above the eligibility criteria (eg, someone on the full new State Pension with no other income) you don't. This is frustrating for many. I always think cliff edges, whether they be for Carer's Allowance or funded childcare hours, are poor policy - it's another reason I say the system's partially broken.

Don't miss out on a Christmas food delivery slot. Our round-up includes ALL the major supermarkets, with Asda's priority bookings opening today (Tue) and early access at Sainsbury's & Tesco still available. How to bag Xmas delivery slots.

Free TV audience tickets including Martin's show, Britain's Got Talent, Graham Norton, etc. If you fancy being part of the experience for these and more (though there's a clear highlight 😉), see free audience tix.

'I claimed an Air Passenger Duty (APD) refund and now I'm £178 richer!' Success of the week. Natalie emailed: "Three years ago I bought family flights from the UK to Jamaica with TUI. But due to family reasons the holiday never went ahead. When I called TUI to cancel, no-one mentioned that I could have the APD refunded. After reading MSE's APD refund guide, I used the link provided to fill in my details. Four days later, I was £178 richer, with another £178 on the way for another flight! Thank you, a very well spent 5mins." If we've helped you save or reclaim (on anything), let us know.

Ends Wed. Cheapest loan above £10,000 (5.9% + £50 Amazon voucher). Currently the AA is joint-cheapest for loans from £10,000 to £20,000 at 5.9% rep APR, provided you're an AA member, and till 11.59pm tomorrow (Wed), newbies to AA loans also get a £50 Amazon voucher, making it the winner. Use our eligibility calc to check your acceptance odds for this and other best-buys at different amounts. Some loans are 'rep APR'! In our eligibility calc, we've got some lenders to offer guaranteed rates - so, if you're accepted, the rate you see is the rate you get. But with rep APRs, only 51% of those accepted need get the advertised rate - the rest can be charged more... and you usually only find out after applying. Only borrow if it's NEEDED and planned. It should be for budgeted-for, affordable, one-off needs. If in doubt, don't. Full info: Cheapest loans.

MONEY MORAL DILEMMA

Should I give my daughter the £250 she says I owe her to keep the peace? My youngest daughter, who's 19, says I owe her £250 that my mum gave me to give to her. She's not sure when it was, so I checked through my bank statements but can't find it. I've asked my other children, as I'm sure my mum would have given them the same amount, but they don't recall anything like that - and my mum's passed away, so I can't check with her. I don't think my daughter's lying, just confused, but she won't drop it. Should I just give her the money to keep the peace? Enter the Money Moral Maze: Should I give my daughter the £250 she says I owe her? | Suggest a Money Moral Dilemma (MMD) | View past MMDs

QUICK DEALS

- Co-op: £10 for two pizzas, a side and a four-pack of Peroni or Diet Coke (normally up to £17)
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- Last chance. Asda: 5p off per litre of fuel when spending £40+ in-store
- Homebuilding & Renovating Show: FREE tickets for Harrogate, 30 Oct-1 Nov or Somerset, 14-15 Nov

MARTIN'S APPEARANCES (WED 14 OCT ONWARDS)

Thu 15 Oct - Ask Martin Lewis, BBC R5 Live, 12pm
Tue 20 Oct - This Morning, ITV1, 10:20am
Tue 20 Oct - The Martin Lewis Money Show Live, ITV1, 7:15pm

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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.

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FREE £300 bank switch, free £75 SpaceX shares, State Pension 2.5-times lock?, 8p/l off petrol, finally a TRUE energy comparison

2026-10-06T11:47:06.102-07:00

The top tips this week

New. Huge FREE £300 bank switch
- All the bank switch best buys
- High earner? Get a FREE £600
- Bank switching FAQs

Finally, do a true energy comparison!

Martin: "State Pension 2.5-times lock"

New. 5% savings easy-access

12 bottles of wine £60 delivered

News. When'll Car Finance mis-selling be sorted?

Ends Wed. Amazon Prime Deals

Martin video: Ditch Premium Bonds?

New. FREE £75 shares, eg SpaceX, Nvidia

8p/litre off petrol/diesel

Grab 5% cashback credit card

Question Time: I lost money investing, should I try again?

Martin Pod: The WRONG people have Premium Bonds

"I got £7,000 Council Tax refund"

Cheap wooden toys , eg £18 rocking horse

Student discounts: 'Free' KFC, Ikea £20 off, etc

30+ AI tools to save time/hassle

Best buys: 35GB Sim £3/mth, 36mth 0% card, etc

MMD: Should we pay half for ugly fence?

Quick deals: £1 Costa, 40% off Harvester, etc

New. Huge FREE £300 just by switching bank... now thankfully for employees AND the self employed

- We got Barclays to rewrite its terms to include self-employed & pensioners

- Ends Wed. Santander's FREE £240 bank switch offer (no min monthly pay-in)

- High Earner? You can now switch & get a FREE £600

Martin: "When I first heard about the new Barclays £300 deal, I thought great, then I read the terms and it frustated me. It's the best-paying deal this year, barring high-earner free cash. OK, you must stick with it for six months to get the full benefit, yet that's no biggie, as over half of it will be in your pocket by Christmas. Overall it's a strong offer for those who can get it.

"Now to what was the problem. You need pay in a min £2,000/mth - that's not too unusual (though many best buys don't), but on Monday when the offer went live, its site said this must "be received via BACs from an employer" - effectively excluding those with only self-employed, pension, or other income. For me, that's a poor precedent. So we contacted it and, in a nutshell, it said that wasn't the case: "It does not matter if it is not from an 'employer'. Payments via other methods are also accepted."

"Yet the terms on its site still contradicted that. And I didn't want to put it to you unless they changed. The good news: after some to-ing and fro-ing, Barclays agreed and did that just before we sent this email. Now, thankfully it says salary payments must be received via BACs from an employer, state or private pension, or transfers from a UK business account (even if in same name). This should cover most who earn enough.

"Though it does stop the 'gamifying' trick, where you pay money into another account then move it back to hit the minimum pay in. Anyway, I thought I'd let you know the background - now the team I'll run through the deals."

Banks partly judge profitability by a 'cross-sell' ratio - how many different products they can sell you. And if they get your current account custom, they've often a better chance of selling you more. That's one reason they're willing to (legally) bribe you to switch, especially in the run-up to Christmas. So grab the cash, but don't let it buy your loyalty... when picking cards, loans, savings, or investing, always focus on the best product for the job from across the market (use our guides).

Switching's usually quick & easy: To get the bonuses, you need to use the bank's seven-working-day switch service. It'll close your old account for you, move your money over, and shift Direct Debits & standing orders. Payments to the old account are auto-forwarded too. The vast majority find it a piece of cake, though you'll need to pass a not-too-harsh credit check. So let's first go through the standard accounts, then the high earners...

FREE CASH for new switchers You usually need to switch 2+ Direct Debits. Full eligibility: Top bank accounts
New. Barclays Bank Account* Fee-free? Yes. Min pay-in: £2,000+/mth earnings for 6mths (equiv £29,000/yr pro-rata salary going in). None after. Switch joint accounts? No. £150 Cash Paid by 25 Nov (1)	FREE £300: £150 at the start, then £30/mth for 5mths. The Barclays Standard Bank Account* has two cash offers that work together: - £150 upfront for switching 3+ Direct Debits. - Five £30 monthly payments for five months if you make 10+ debit card payments. - For an optional £5/mth fee, you can join its Blue Rewards scheme to get Apple. TV included (it would normally cost £10/mth). To keep this after six months, you'll need to continue paying in £800/mth & register for digital banking. Eligibility: Can't have received a previous switch bonus from it or have held an open current account on 1 Oct. See full Barclays eligibility & review.
Ends 2pm Wed. Santander Everyday* Fee-free? Yes. Min pay-in: £1,500 total within 60 days from any source (can be in dribs & drabs). Plus £200 in the regular saver. Switch Joint accounts? Yes. Cash Paid by 5 Jan 2027 (1)	FREE £240, plus top 8% regular saver. Santander's Everyday* pays £240 if you pay in £1,500 within 60 days and put £200 at least once in its... - Linked 1yr 8% variable regular saver you can put up to £200/mth in. Eligibility: Can't have received a previous switch bonus from it, or held a Santander current account on/after 1 Jan 2026. You need to switch over 2+ 'household' Direct Debits. See full Santander Everday eligibility & review.
HSBC Bank Account* Fee-free? Yes. Min pay-in: £2,000 total within 60 days from any source (can be in dribs & drabs). Switch Joint accounts? No. Cash Paid by 15 Dec (1)	Rare FREE £220. The HSBC brand rarely does this, so it's good for those who've already switched elsewhere. HSBC Bank Account* pays £220 if you spend £500 on the debit card within 60 days - just do (some of) your normal spending on it. It also has: - Linked 1yr 5% fixed regular saver you can put up to £250/mth in. Eligibility: Unlike its sister bank, First Direct below, even if you've had switch cash from HSBC or FD, as long as it was before 2023 and you're no longer a customer, you can get it. See full HSBC eligibility & review.
Boosted. First Direct 1st Account* Fee-free? Yes. Min pay-in: £1,000 total going in within 45 days (can be in dribs & drabs). None needed after. Switch joint accounts? Yes. Cash Paid by 20 Nov (1)	Top all-rounder. FREE £210, plus top service account, 7% regular saver, 0% overdraft, top debit card overseas. The 1st Account* usually offers £175 switchers cash but until 2 Dec it's boosted up to £210 when you make 5+ debit card payments and register for digital banking within 45 days. While it's not the top payer, First Direct has long topped our customer service polls with 90% rating it 'great'. That combined with these other perks, makes it our top all-rounder pick: - Linked 1yr 7% fixed regular saver for up to £300/mth. - Many get a £250 0% overdraft (see switching if you've an overdraft). - Top card for spending overseas, with near-perfect exchange rates. Eligibility: New customer, NEVER had a First Direct product or opened an HSBC bank account since Jan 2018. See full First Direct eligibility & review.
Club Lloyds* (link via QR code) Fee-free? Yes, if you meet the min-pay in, or its £5/mth (avoid). Min pay-in: £2,000+ a month from any source (equiv £29,000/yr salary going in). Switch joint accounts? Yes. Cash Paid by 27 Oct (1)	FREE £200, plus a choice of reward (eg, Disney+). The Club Lloyds* account offers £200 cash to switch in from an account as long as you have 3+ Direct Debits. The strength of its offer comes from the perks though... - Linked 1yr 6.25% fixed regular saver for up to £250/mth. - Yearly perk, eg: cinema tix, Disney+ (with ads), magazines subscription, etc. - Possible £100 0% overdraft buffer. - Top card for spending overseas, with near-perfect exchange rates. Eligibility: Can't have received a previous switch bonus from Lloyds, Halifax or Bank of Scotland since 1 Jan 2023. See full Club Lloyds eligibility & review.
Two more standard accounts that'll pay you to switch... NatWest Reward FREE £200 plus possible £2/mth cashback and 5.25% regular saver on up to £5,000. Nationwide FlexDirect FREE £175 plus 5% interest on up to £1,500 and up to £10/mth cashback for 12mths.
(1) Dates are our estimates for if you switched tomorrow, as most set a max time after you've switched & fulfilled criteria.

Over the last year, we've seen a rise in bigger incentives for those earning £75,000+ to sign up for special premier accounts. Yet the earnings limits tend to be stricter. If standard accounts want a minimum monthly pay-in it may be gameable (eg, for £2,000/mth, if you earn £1,800, just withdraw £200 each month and pay it back in). Here, they tend to focus on actual earnings and look more carefully. If you've variable monthly income but earn over the annual threshold, you should be fine.

Bigger cash but ONLY for higher earners You usually need to switch 2+ Direct Debits. Full eligibility: Top bank accounts
New. Barclays Premier To get this, pay in a min £75,000/yr salary. Cash paid by 25 Nov (1)	FREE £600. Free Apple TV & possible £500 0% overdraft. See the full Barclays Premier eligibility & review.
HSBC Premier FREE £500* To get this, pay in a min £100,000/yr salary. Cash paid by 29 Dec (1)	FREE £500. Free worldwide family travel insurance & digital GP access. See the full HSBC Premier eligibility & review.
NatWest Premier Reward FREE £500 To get this, pay in a min £100,000/yr salary. Cash paid by 13 Feb 2027 (1)	FREE £500. Plus £7/mth cashback. See the full NatWest Premier Reward eligibility & review.
Lloyds Premier FREE £200* (link via QR code) To get this, pay in £5,000/mth (£85,000 salary). Cash paid by 27 Oct (1)	FREE £200. Free digital GP access, Disney+, top overseas debit card, 1% cashback etc. See the full Lloyds Premier eligibility & review.
(1) Dates are our estimates for if you switched tomorrow, as most set a max time after you've switched & fulfilled criteria.

Q. Can I switch multiple times to make £1,000s? Yes, and a decent minority (including here in MSE towers) do it. As Dawn emailed in June: "Dear MSE Team, I've switched a second current account several times and received around £1,500 in switching bonuses. I've got a bonus hotel stay still to use from a TSB switch too!"

The key technique is to set up a burner account (on top of your normal account) with a bank that doesn't pay a switching incentive - it's a burner as you don't plan to use it, just have it to switch from, making sure you meet the minimum criteria each time. For full pros and cons, see make £1,000s by repeatedly switching bank.

Q. Will switching bank affect my credit score? One extra search on your credit file shouldn't make much difference (many in a short time can). Though closing the old account can temporarily reduce your Credit Score from a credit reference agency (which is just a loose indication of how it thinks a typical lender may see you) for a month or two, as lenders like evidence of longevity. If you're imminently (within a couple of months) about to apply for a mortgage or an important, needed debt, avoid switching until after. More in how switching banks affects your credit.

Q. What about packaged bank accounts with insurance, any good? If you shell out each year for family travel insurance, breakdown cover, and mobile phone protection, a packaged bank account - where you pay a monthly fee and get lots of insurance products thrown in - could save you £100s. Our top current pick is Club Lloyds Silver* which gives switchers £200 cash, which effectively covers 17mths of its £11.50/mth fee. It includes European family travel insurance (max age 64), mobile cover for the account holder(s), and family UK breakdown cover. Full info in packaged bank accounts guide.

Q. Are subscriptions moved when you switch? Direct Debits and standing orders are moved for you. But recurring payments (eg, Netflix, Disney+ etc, where you give the long number on your debit card when you pay) do NOT switch - you must update these yourself. If you do forget, though, normally they'll just notify you that 'your payment card no longer works', so you can update it. It's not usually a biggie. See recurring payment help.

Q. I'm overdrawn, can I switch banks? Yes, and it's worth looking at, but focus on reducing the overdraft cost as it's the most expensive mainstream debts, with typical rates around 40% (nearly double standard high-street credit cards). If you're overdrawn, you can switch but the new bank may not offer an overdraft or match your current one. Luckily, most banks have a pre-apply overdraft eligibility checker to see if you'll get one. More help in our top overdraft accounts guide.

First Direct* is worth a note for smaller overdrafts. For example, if you're £450 overdrawn, the £210 clears some of that and the rest would be at 0% interest - a big help. Though you'll have to 'switch' the overdraft over yourself. This means when you switch, your old bank will ask you whether you can pay it off or want to keep it account open while you gradually clear it (it varies by bank). If you do keep it open, payments to the old account are unlikely to be forwarded to the new one, so you may need to arrange to move them yourself.

A few more of Martin's tips:

If you have a larger overdraft, a specialist 0% money transfer credit card may let you pay a larger chunk into your bank.
Aim to repay a fixed monthly amount. Eg, if £500 overdrawn, 'paying' £100 means being £400 overdrawn at month end.
Doing a budget will help, as will going through a full money makeover to check what you're overpaying on.
Consider moving Direct Debits to just before payday. The idea is you're overdrawn for less time, so costs are lower.
Got savings? Use 'em to clear it. See Repay debt with savings?
Struggling with all debt? Get help from Citizens Advice, National Debtline or StepChange. They can help you make a plan and can make a huge difference. For more, see our Debt crisis help guide.

Not on a fixed energy deal? Your price has just gone up, so...
1) Finally, comparing NOW shows a true saving, and beware - if you don't fix, your bill will likely rise another c20% in Jan!
2) Is it all too complex? Use our easy 'Pick Me A Tariff' tool

Martin: "Last Thursday, the new higher Price Cap started, so almost everyone on a firm's standard tariff (so all bar those on fixes/special deals) will have seen their price rise. So if that's you and you compare now, you'll likely see an INSTANT SAVING. I know I've nagged about this for a while... yet before this week I was warning about a future price rise, knowing it isn't shown in your comparison results. Now it is, making it clearer. First, my key need-to-knows then, the team have put best buys together."

You can LOCK IN a fix at less than you pay now, knowing it won't rise. A fixed tariff is simply one with certainty that the Standing Charge and Unit Rate won't move. So see the cheapest fixes (sadly not for those on prepay).
That is important, as do nowt and you'll be paying possibly 20% more from January. We're halfway through the 13-week assessment period for the Jan to March Cap. The latest predictions show a ballpark rise of 20% (making the Price Cap even less attractive). It may be more or less depending on world events, but it's almost unthinkable it won't rise a lot.
Is it all too complex? Use our new Pick Me a Tariff tool. We've tried to make it as simple as possible. Register or log in so we can find your usage. Then just rank what's important to you including... Price | Service | Name you know | Fix | Tariffs we can monitor for you. Unsure? Click 'Martin's suggestions' for my default preferences, which you can then tweak if you want. Our algorithm then finds the tariff that best fits you.

Cheapest FIXES: All allow both new & existing customers Links via our comparison, as deals change, and you need a bespoke result (your region's Standing Charges & Unit Rates are there).
Cheapest one year-ish fixes
Ends 5pm Wed or when all 7,000 tariffs go (1). E.on Next Fixed 12m Exclusive v10 12mth fix Dual fuel & elec-only \| Monthly Direct Debit only (2) \| No Smart Meter needed \| Exclusive deal	Avg Cost: 4.2% LESS than the current Price Cap when £20 MSE dual-fuel cashback is included. Early Exit Fees: £50/fuel. So £100 to leave gas & elec before fix ends.
New. Fuse Energy Oct 26 Fixed v2 14mth fix Dual & single fuel \| Variable Direct Debit only (3) \| No Smart Meter needed	Avg Cost: 2.3% LESS than the current Cap when £20 MSE dual-fuel cashback is included. Early Exit Fees: £50/fuel. So £100 to leave gas & elec before fix ends.
Cheapest LONGER fixes
These give price certainty for longer, but today's rates are relatively high and might not look competitive in a year if the Middle East conflict de-escalates. So, if you go long, focus on lower early-exit fees - a get-out-of-jail-cheap card, in case you need ditch it later.
Ends 5pm Wed. Fuse Energy Oct 26 Fixed (24m) v1 24mth fix Dual & single fuel \| Variable Direct Debit only (3) \| No Smart Meter needed \| Exclusive (though available direct without the cashback)	Avg Cost: 4.8% LESS than the current Cap when £20 MSE dual-fuel cashback is included. Early Exit Fees: £50/fuel. So £100 to leave gas & elec before fix ends.
Ends 5pm Wed or when all 7,000 tariffs go (1). E.on Next 24m Exclusive v22 24mth fix Dual fuel & elec-only \| Monthly Direct Debit only (2) \| No Smart Meter needed \| Exclusive deal	Avg Cost: 3.9% LESS than the current Cap when £20 MSE dual-fuel cashback is included. Early Exit Fees: £100/fuel. So £200 to leave gas & elec before fix ends.
What is 'MSE cashback'? Some providers pay energy comparison sites to facilitate the switch (you still get the same price as going direct). Unlike other sites, we don't default to hiding tariffs that don't pay. Instead, we show them all, but when we get paid to switch you, we give you a chunk of this as cashback. That means tariffs where we're paid are relatively cheaper for you, so it's likely more people switch to them. Win-win. -------------------- (1) The 7,000 switching cap is on both E.on deals - switches to either deal count towards the limit. (2) This is standard Direct Debit, where annual usage is estimated and you pay the same each month across the year. (3) You pay for what you use each month by Direct Debit. Once signed up, you can request to switch to standard DD.

Frequently Asked Questions. We covered many last week, so will link you there or to our guides where that's better:

Already fixed? Should I ditch my fix to refix? (Spoiler: probably not.) See what to do if already fixed?
Some variable deals beat fixes - are they worth it? See our other tariff types worth considering.
What actually happens when I switch? Switching's easy, the only thing that changes is customer service and who bills you. The switch should take about 5 days to complete. See how it works.
What happens if I switch when in credit or debt? Those in credit should automatically get the money back after the final bill (do check). Those in debt will need to pay it, but big debt can see switches rejected. See switching in credit/debt.
I'm a low user, is there a way to cut the Standing Charge? See low Standing Charge tracker tariffs.
Are there special deals for solar panels or electric vehicles? Yes - see solar panels tariffs & EV tariffs guides.
Best way to cut my usage? See our guides on: Energy saving tips | Heat the human, not the home | Energy mythbusting.
I'm struggling to pay - what do I do? It's always worth talking to your energy firm. Be polite and straight with it, and make sure you explain if you're vulnerable and ask to be put on the 'Priority Services Register'. There can also be hardship & debt grants from suppliers. For far more guidance, see our full What to do if you're struggling to pay energy bills guide.

New. Top 5% easy-access savings BUT only for 6mths. And NS&I boosts its fixed rates. Newbies to online-only bank Starling* can save up to £25,000 with unlimited withdrawals at an unbeatable 5% for 6 months - after which it drops to 2.5%. So it's best for those who are happy to grab then ditch & switch after, or who only want to save short term. You open it via its current account (though there's no hard credit check to do that). Full info and best buys in Top savings. New top NS&I fixes: Govt-owned NS&I has increased its fixed rate savings to now pay up to 5.17% - nearly table-topping. See NS&I rate rise.

12 bottles of wine £60 delivered (normally £90+) with no ongoing subscription. MSE Blagged. 5,000 cases available - red, white or mixed - normally goes quickly. For newbies to Warehouse Wines. Please be Drinkaware.

News. When'll Car Finance mis-selling be sorted? Legal challenge date to be set this week! Millions have used our Car Finance Free Reclaim tool, and last March, regulator the FCA finally announced a mass redress scheme... then all-stop as one small consumer firm & three car finance firms took it to court. This week we're expected to hear whether the court will hear the case in Dec or Feb... more in Car Finance: When'll it happen? news, which'll be updated when we know.

Ends Wed. Amazon 'Prime Big Deal Days' - sort deals from duds, including £129 off Bose headphones, £114 off Kindle, £80 off Vax steam cleaner & 15% off Amazon Resale. See full Amazon Prime sale analysis.

Martin video: 'Is it time to ditch Premium Bonds?' There's over £136bn in Premium Bonds, but are they any good? See Martin's 2min Premium Bond video, and if that piques your interest, listen to his full Are Premium Bonds for you? podcast.

New. FREE £75 in shares (SpaceX, Nvidia, etc) if you put £200+ in an investment account. New eToro* customers who join via this link & deposit £200+ in its investment (not ISA) account for 12mths, get £75 of free shares (almost) straight away. You can just leave the £200 in its cash account for 12mths, or you can invest it. What free shares? You choose from SpaceX, Nvidia, and more, or a US S&P 500 tracker fund. You can sell them & reinvest elsewhere, but can't withdraw the value for 12mths. Their value can rise or fall, and normally we say single shares are risky - but these are free. What can you invest the £200+ in? eToro has a big choice of shares & ETFs, so whatever you like. Yet it does have quite strong investor gamification marketing, so keep a cool head. Full eToro free £75 shares help. Related: Martin's Investing for beginners.

8p off per litre of fuel when you spend £60+ at Tesco. On petrol and diesel at 500+ filling stations. See Tesco 8p/litre off fuel. Related: 50+ tips to cut the cost of motoring.

Grab 5% cashback credit card for 5mths (max £125). The fee-free Amex Everyday credit card pays 5% cashback for 5mths (max £125). After that, it's 0.5% cashback on spending up to £10,000/yr, 1% above. So while it's not the strongest for regular spending, if you've got big, planned and budgeted-for one-off spending coming up, it's unbeatable and worth grabbing, as cashback intro deals often don't last long. Always pay it off IN FULL each month to avoid interest (and don't withdraw cash or exceed your credit limit). The cashback's paid after a year as long as you've spent £3,000+ on it, so only do it if you'll hit that. You can't get it if you've had Amex in the last 2yrs. Full info: Credit card rewards.

- I lost money investing after Trump's actions - should I try again?
- Success: I got £3,000 extra pension just by listening to the pod!
- I just bought a house aged 30, can I fix energy before home move?
The investment question caused a big stir on socials, with over 3,000 responding on how they'd persuade someone to restart. So do listen to those, plus of course Martin answer these questions from listeners & more in this week's must-listen Martin's Question Time podcast. Do give it a listen, via BBC Sounds | Apple | Spotify etc.

Is it time to ditch your Premium Bonds? How do they compare to saving/investing? Often the WRONG people have them. Plus wills, how to lend to friends and family, and more in this week's Big Topics pod. Listen via BBC Sounds | Apple | Spotify etc.

BLAGGED FOR MSE

- 12 bottles of wine £60 delivered (normally £90+) 5,000 available

DID YOU MISS?

- Are you due a share of £56m in car or van compensation?
- £397 of beauty in £75 M&S Advent calendar
- Halifax customer? Online/app banking will be axed this month
- 5p/litre off petrol or diesel with £40+ spend at Asda (excl. Scot)
- £35 Calvin Klein prescription specs or sunnies

Martin: 'What's really happening to the State Pension triple lock? See it as a move to a 2.5-times lock!'
Plus seven ways you can boost your State Pension

Since April 2011, the State Pension (see a What is the State Pension? mini-briefing below) has been triple-locked, meaning it rises each April by whichever is highest of:

Average earnings growth | The CPI rate of inflation | 2.5%

Last week, the PM Andy Burnham said he'd "adjust" it to "generate significant savings which we will use to build up our National Care Service". It's planned to start in 2030, but it's likely the legislation to do it'll be brought in this Parliament.

I've seen the change described as a 'double lock' or 'scrapping the triple lock'. Having looked in detail, I see it more as a 2.5-times lock. In simple terms it will still rise with whichever is the highest of inflation or 2.5%, but will rise more than those if it's falling behind average earnings growth over a long period. Whether this is a good or bad move is for you to decide. Yet as many are worried it means a static pension, I want to explain how it'll likely work in practice - "likely" as we know the general principles, but not exact details.

Start with an easy video briefing or read how it'll likely work... My quick You Tube video explainer (for more explainers do subscribe to my channel) takes you through how it works now, how it's likely to change, and the impact of that, using my all-expenses-spared, home-made graphics! Or if you prefer to read the detail, our new MSE News: Triple lock change explained story takes you through it (and has the video in there too).

i) Helped with childcare for grandchildren? You could be missing out on vital National Insurance (NI) credits.
ii) Age 40-73 and not enough NI years for full State Pension? See how you can top up.
iii) Could you take State Pension later? See if it's worth boosting it by deferring your pension.
iv) Took time off work 1978 to 2010 to care for children / disabled relative? 100,000s were wrongly left with NI gaps. Check with our Home Responsibilities Protection guide. As Mary emailed me earlier this year: "A HUGE thank you for highlighting Home Responsibilities Protection, I have just been awarded £16,000."
v) Self-employed at any time 2015-2024? Up to 800,000 may have wrong NI gaps. See Self-employed missing pension.
vi) Female & reached State Pension age before 2016? 100,000s were underpaid because their pension wasn't boosted using a (late/ex) husband's record. Check our Missing State Pension guide.
vii) Carer and missed out on credits? If you're under State Pension age and give 20+ hrs/wk unpaid care to someone on a qualifying benefit (eg PIP, DLA), you get NI credits - even if caring for a partner or child. You can backdate Carer's Credit one tax year. Doing more hours? You may get Carer's Allowance instead.

A simple State Pension explainer...

The State Pension starts being paid once you hit State Pension age, currently just over 66, rising to 67 (check your State Pension age), if you've enough qualifying National Insurance (NI) years. Think of each NI year as a token you must gain - either by earning enough from work, caring for your children, or being on certain benefits (see claim free NI years?).

On the current system, you need 10+ tokens to get any State Pension, and roughly 35 for the full new State Pension. There are actually two State Pensions...

- New one: For those who hit State Pension age after 5 Apr 2016. Its full current amount is £241.30/wk (£12,548/yr).
- Old one: For those who are older. Its full current amount is £184.90/wk (£9,615/yr), though extra bits such as the Additional State Pension can lift that higher.

The State Pension isn't tax-free, it's taxable income. It's just that, for most, it's long been less than the personal allowance (the amount you can earn each year without paying tax). Yet as the pension's risen & the allowance is frozen at £12,570/yr, the full new State Pension is just £22 below it. And from April 2027, the State Pension is due to rise 3.9% under the triple lock, meaning full new State Pension alone will be over the tax-free allowance. Last year Rachel Reeves promised me you wouldn't pay tax from then if the State Pension was your only income - and recently the Treasury said it'd keep that pledge.

PS: If you don't get the full State Pension and have a low income, check out Pension Credit, which can top it up.

'I challenged my Council Tax band - I got over £7,000 refunded AND I'm now saving £600/yr!' Success of the week. Kevin emailed: "I had always suspected my Council Tax band was too high, so I followed the advice given in your 'How to check and challenge your Council Tax band' guide. I was successful in getting my band reduced from E to D! It took nearly 18mths to complete but was definitely worth it as I have now received a refund of £7,213. My future payments will also now be about £50/mth cheaper." If we've helped you save or reclaim (on anything), let us know.

Cheap wooden toys: £13 shop till, £18 rocking horse, £35 doll house & far more. Normally these are high-priced items, but the two big 'pile 'em high, sell 'em cheap' shops are getting in on the act from Thu, and they're likely to sell out incredibly quickly. Cheap wooden toys

Student discounts: 'Free' KFC, Ikea £10-£20 off, Pizza Express 30% off & more. 40+ student deals round-up.

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MONEY MORAL DILEMMA

Should we ask our neighbour for some money back from the garden fence we helped pay for? Our neighbours at the back of our house - who we share a garden fence with - came round and asked if we'd contribute towards replacing the fence, as it would benefit both properties. We agreed and paid 50% of the cost. But it wasn't until the new fence was up that we found out the nicer side faces their garden - even though it's behind their shed - while the uglier side, with the posts, rails and fixings, faces ours and is fully visible. They didn't mention doing it this way beforehand. Should we ask for some money back? Enter the Money Moral Maze: Should our neighbour give back some of the money we paid for the garden fence? | Suggest a Money Moral Dilemma (MMD) | View past MMDs

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Cheapest energy fixes, new £56m car compensation, 5% savings ends, overpay mortgage or save?, act now for cheapest loans

2026-09-29T13:06:40.950-07:00

The top tips this week

Warning. Energy bill hike is voluntary!
- Exclusive cheapest fixes
- Already fixed? Stick or refix...
- There are specialist tariffs too

Martin: "Should I save or overpay my mortgage?"

Cheapest loan is 5.9% - but for how long?

Ask Martin Anything (within reason)!

New. Are you due £56m car compensation?

5% savings ending

Amazon Prime sale deals or duds

Martin vid. You can't leave pension in will

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MMD: Should daughter repay cash I gave during controlling marriage?

Warning: Energy bills to hit highest level for 3 years this week!
Energy Price Cap rises 3.6% on Thurs, and a predicted further 21% in Jan. Yet for many, these rises are VOLUNTARY!
To help, we've blagged EXCLUSIVE CHEAPEST FIXES if that's right for you...

This Thursday's (1 Oct) 3.6% Ofgem Price Cap rise for Eng, Scot & Wales may sadly be the least of our worries. The latest forecast predicts a further 21% rise from 1 Jan, the coldest time of the year. If that happens, it'd mean rates over 30% higher than the same period last year - though in practice heavy gas users would see bigger rises, electricity-only users smaller. Yet remember, the Price Cap only applies to those on firms' standard tariffs, not fixes or special deals - albeit that's still 60% of homes. Let me start with a key facts summary...

You DON'T need to let the hikes happen. If you're on a standard tariff, many can avoid this by switching to the New (Exclusive) Cheapest Fixes where you lock in the rate for a year or two, so it won't rise. Don't just stick with your existing firm though, it may not be the cheapest.
Electricity VAT is being scrapped for six months from Thursday too. This applies to the elec unit rates and Standing Charges (not gas). How that impacts you depends what tariff you're on. Those already on fixes or other non-Price Cap tariffs should see their electricity bills cut by 4.8%. For those on the Cap, the 3.6% Price Cap rise includes the VAT cut - without it, the average rise would've been 6.2%.
On monthly Direct Debit? It's Meter Reading Week. If you've NOT got working smart meters, submit an up-to-date reading a few days either side of Thur's change to reduce the risk it estimates you've used more than you actually have at the new rate. Fixed? You could do this too due to the VAT cut. See firm-by-firm when & how to do a reading.

The big rise on this Cap is for gas users. The new 1 Oct Price Cap Direct Debit average UK rates, including VAT when it's charged, are as follows (though these can materially vary by region, see regional Cap rates for full info):

	Unit Rate	Standing Charge
Electricity	26.32p/kWh (was 26.11p) UP 0.8%	54.83p/day (was 57.19p) DOWN 4.1%
Gas	7.97p/kWh (was 7.33p) UP 8.7%	29.68p/day (was 29.04p) UP 2.2%

The January Cap is predicted to rise by a massive 21%. The latest predictions are a tad lower than they were, but still are for a further 21% rise on 1 Jan, and not predicted to drop much in April. The main reason for these big changes is the wholesale rates energy firms pay... and they've been sky-high recently. We're six weeks through the 13-week assessment period, so those highs are now baked in. So while exact predictions change weekly, it's now sadly almost unthinkable it won't rise, and improbable it won't rise substantially. Expect a ballpark of 12% to 30%, depending on world events (barring Govt intervention). More below on why prices are set to rise.
Check your Direct Debit (DD) from Thursday. Use our 'Is your Direct Debit right?' calc to see roughly what it should be. If too high, see how to challenge unfair DDs. Plus, if you're more than two months in credit right now, consider asking to get excess credit back.
What does the Government say about this? A fortnight ago, I asked the new Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh. Watch the full interview in my Energy Bills ITVX special, but key clips include Why are bills UP £300 when they were meant to be DOWN £300? and Will you ditch energy Standing Charges?
What to do depends on if you're on a standard tariff or not. So let me take you through it step by step, depending...
- On a 'standard' tariff? If you're not sure, then you likely are.
- Already on a 'fixed' tariff? Note: what you'll pay will drop.

The Price Cap was designed as a back-stop for those who can't switch, yet far too many are on it - even Ofgem is urging you to ditch it. It's virtually impossible if you're on prepay, but for those who pay other ways, it's worth urgently investigating.

How to check if you're on a Price Cap tariff. If you're not on a fix or special deal, you're likely on the Price Cap (see Am I On Price Cap tool). It applies to firms' standard variable consumer tariffs - the ones you're on if you've not switched or your deal ended & you did nowt. Almost all firms (bar Home Energy below) price very near the Cap. The common ones are:
British Gas Standard Variable | EDF Standard (Variable) | E.on Next Next Flex | Octopus Flexible Octopus | Outfox Fox Standard Variable | Ovo Simpler Energy | Scottish Power Standard | So Energy So Flex
If you FIX NOW you can avoid the hikes... A fix simply means the unit rates and Standing Charges are locked in, so they CAN'T RISE for the year or two length of the fix (though use more you pay more). Your exact saving and winner depends on location & usage though. Because of that, and as deals change all the time, the links take you through our Cheap Fix Comparison. Unsure? You can get help with our Pick Me A Tariff tool. Yet to give you an indication of prices, roughly...

- Today's cheapest fixes are around 2% MORE than the Price Cap that ends tomorrow (Wed).
- Those same fixes are 4% LESS than the rate from Thursday.
- They are 22% LESS than the current prediction for the January Price Cap.

Cheapest FIXED tariffs All allow new & existing customers All links via our comparison as deals change & you need a bespoke result (your region's Standing Charges & Unit Rates are there)
Important. If you compare today, if it shows a 'small rise', that's likely to be a decent saving. Compare before Thur and the result shown is against today's lower Cap. Yet up to 4% more now is actually still cheaper than Thur's Cap, both as it rises then, plus because these fixes will have VAT taken off electricity then too.
Cheapest ONE-YEAR fix
E.on Next Fixed 12m Exclusive v9 12mth fix Dual fuel and elec-only \| Monthly Direct Debit only \| No Smart Meter needed \| Exclusive deal *This is the only 1yr fix cheaper than Oct Cap.*	Avg Cost: 3.8% LESS than Thur's Oct's Price Cap (2% more than today's) when £20 MSE dual-fuel cashback is included Early Exit Fees: £50/fuel. So £100 to leave gas & elec before fix ends
Cheapest LONGER fixes
These give price certainty for longer, but today's fixed rates are relatively high and mightn't look competitive in a year if the Mid East conflict de-escalates. So if you go long, focus on lower early-exit fees, as a get-out-of-jail-cheap card, in case you need ditch it later.
Fuse Energy Sept 26 Fixed (24m) v16 24mth fix Dual fuel and single fuel \| Monthly variable Direct Debit only \| No Smart Meter needed \| Exclusive (though available direct without the cashback)	Avg Cost: 3.7% LESS than Thur's Oct's Price Cap (2.2% more than today's) when £20 MSE dual-fuel cashback is included Early Exit Fees: £50/fuel. So £100 to leave gas & elec before fix ends
E.on Next 24m Exclusive v20 24mth fix Dual fuel and elec-only \| Monthly Direct Debit only \| No Smart Meter needed \| Exclusive deal	Avg Cost: 3.5% LESS than Thur's Oct's Price Cap (2.3% more than today's) when £20 MSE dual-fuel cashback is included Early Exit Fees: £100/fuel. So £200 to leave gas & elec before fix ends
What is 'MSE cashback'? Some providers pay energy comparison sites to facilitate the switch (you still get the same price as going direct). Unlike other sites, we don't default to hiding tariffs that don't pay. Instead, we show them all, but when we get paid to switch you, we give you a chunk of this as cashback. That means tariffs where we're paid are relatively cheaper for you, so it's likely more people switch to them. Win-win.

Is it a good time to fix? If it'll save you now, yes - but...

If you've been on your firm's Price-Capped standard tariff for ages, then you get off it now and switch to one of the cheapest fixes, you should start saving by Thursday, or as soon as the switch completes (it can take 5 days). After that, it's currently predicted the Jan Cap will rise over 20% on top, so you're very likely to make material savings over the high-use winter period.

However, had you fixed three months ago, you would've locked in about 13% cheaper than now, and it was 20% cheaper before the Middle East conflict started. That's because, unlike the Price Cap, which works on a time lag, the rate you can get a new fix at depends pretty much on current wholesale rates - and they are still very high, largely due to the ongoing Middle East conflict (this minute-by-minute graph site of wholesale gas prices, which also feed into electricity, will give you the idea).

There's a chance that if the Middle East situation de-escalates, you'll be able to fix more cheaply, but equally, things may get even worse. Yet every week waited is a week you pay more. So again, if you've long sat on the Price Cap, the easy thing is just to get off it. But if you're a regular fixer who monitors the market, it's your call if you think you'll save waiting as no one knows.

The Cap's rise on Thursday does NOT impact your fix - not until it ends anyway. And as that's also the start of the Govt scrapping VAT on domestic electricity for six months, your electricity costs will drop by 4.8%. Yet many are asking me:

"My fix expires in the first few months of next year, should I ditch it because of the future rises?"

The big answer is: be careful ditching your fix early to refix - though it does depend on when your fix is due to end. For a full explanation listen to my Should you refix early to beat hikes? podcast, but in brief...

The rate you can fix at today is nearly the most expensive it's been for years. So if you fixed a while ago, refixing means you'll be ditching what is likely a far cheaper fix to lock in at a much higher rate - and you may have to pay an early-exit penalty to do so. If you want to check, do a comparison and it'll show you whether you can save or not.
The logic that 'fixes will be more expensive once the Price Cap rises' is flawed. The Cap is set based on past prices, eg, Oct's Cap relies on average wholesale rates from mid-May to mid-August. Yet the rate you can get a new fix at is based on wholesale prices at the moment you're fixing (fixed rates can, and often do, move daily). So if it turns out the recent very high wholesale rates are a short-term spike, eg, if the USA/Iran reach a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, then fixes could get cheaper quickly. Equally, if the crisis there worsens, fixes could stay sky-high or get even costlier.

Ultimately what'll happen to future fix rates is a complete unknown. So personally, I'd "bird-in-the-hand" it and stick on your existing relatively cheap fix as long as you can, especially if it covers much of the high-use winter period and you've early-exit penalties that add to the cost. Only those who are very risk-averse (or on crap old fixes) should consider ending a fix to lock in again, likely having to pay an exit penalty to do so now.
Fix ending within 50 days? You can't be charged early-exit penalties, so you're free to move and can compare to find your cheapest. Plus, when your fix ends, you'll automatically be moved onto your firm's standard Price-Capped tariff. So in reality, your decision is more covered by the 'I'm on a standard tariff' info above. Don't rush though. We just don't know whether fixes will get cheaper or costlier in the next few weeks, but you want to make an active decision before you're auto-moved back to the Cap.

Fixes are the simple and easy choice for most, but there are some options that may beat them for some...

Low user? A low Standing Charge tracker may win. The British Gas Cap Tracker tariff matches the Price Cap unit rates (so it'll rise Thur) but with £60/yr lower Standing Charges. Switchers via this link also get £20 dual-fuel MSE cashback. It's available for new & existing customers - smart meters aren't required. It's best for anyone deliberately staying on the Price Cap, as it's just the Cap but cheaper, or those with usage under c. £80/mth when it can undercut a fix.
Don't want a fix? Home Energy offers the lowest variable rates right now. Home Energy only offers a standard variable rate, so technically it's subject to the Price Cap. Yet unlike other firms, it charges a lot less and has consistently done so for over a year. It's currently 13% cheaper than the Oct Cap. Yet it is important to understand it is free to change its rates any time as long as it gives 'reasonable notice'. Many on it tell me they're happy with it.
Got an EV? Consider a dedicated tariff. There are special electric vehicle (EV) tariffs - if you've got one and the cost of charging it at home is roughly 20+% of your household energy use, they're worth a look.
Octopus rapid-change time-of-use tariffs. These are its Agile (electricity price changes every half-hour), and its dual-fuel or single fuel Tracker tariff (price changes every day). Generally, these are for sophisticated users who monitor prices and, with Agile, can shift usage patterns to match. Currently, rates are highly volatile but can be a winner. In my Question Time podcast this week I go into more detail for current users on whether they're worth staying on.
Solar panel tariffs. If you have solar panels, you can link these to your energy bills for the best export rates. See our switch solar panels tariffs guide for more. Not got solar panels? We've crunched the numbers to see how the maths now stacks up, plus see how you can get £550 off in our updated Solar panels: are they worth it? guide.

If you cut what you use, you'll pay less too. We've some strong, evergreen guides that can help.

70+ ways to save energy includes a mix of hardcore savings and some thrifty crowd-sourced tips.
Energy mythbusting covers less clear-cut issues, including 'better to keep the heating on low all day or just when needed?'
Heat the human, not the home is not a guide I'm pleased we have to have. Yet if you're really struggling, it provides some important tips for the winter period about how to keep warm at lower cost.

And if you are struggling to pay, it's always worth talking to your energy firm. Be polite and straight with it, and make sure you explain if you're vulnerable and ask to be put on the 'Priority Services Register'. There can also 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.

Martin: "With interest rates likely to rise, should I save or overpay my mortgage?"
Eight need-to-knows that could save you £10,000s

It's thought very likely in November, the Bank of England will increase the base rate from 3.75% to 4%. In fact, the market is currently pricing in that the rate will rise four times over the next year. As new fixed mortgage rates depend on the market's view of future rates, fixes are getting costlier. A couple of months ago, the cheapest two-year fix was 4.1% - now it's 4.8%.

Plus, tracker and variable rates are likely to follow suit if the base rate rise predictions come true. No surprise, then, that one of the most common questions I'm asked at the moment from those with spare cash is: "Should I save or overpay my mortgage?" So below I've the eight key need-to-knows. Before that though...

What exactly will happen to interest rates? And what it means for mortgages, savings & more. This is the focus of my latest Big Topic podcast. I'm joined by an economist and a mortgage broker to look ahead to exactly what'll happen and, crucially, what it means for your borrowing and savings. Eg: Is a cheap tracker mortgage better than a fix right now? Do give it a listen, via BBC Sounds | Apple | Spotify and other podcast platforms.

Related: Mortgage Best Buys | Top Savings | Beginners Guide to Investing

1. Do you have more expensive card, loan or overdraft debt? If so, it's generally best to prioritise using spare cash to clear them instead - see Should I overpay cards & loans. Overpaying student loan debt is a much more complex decision - it depends on which Plan you're on and your specific circumstances See my Should I ovepay Plan 2 loans blog for some basics.

2. If your mortgage rate's higher than the (after-tax) interest on savings, overpaying adds up. Let's keep this simple... £10,000 saved at top 4.5% savings earns £450 interest (£360 for those who pay basic-rate tax on it), yet use it to overpay a 6% mortgage and it saves you £600 interest. So if your mortgage rate's higher than the after-tax rate you earn on savings, overpaying makes sense. Another way to think of it: it's like saving, tax-free, at your mortgage rate.

Then again, if you're still on a legacy cheap mortgage at 1% or 2%, there's no point in overpaying that for now (see point 7). Use our Mortgage Overpayment Calc to see both the absolute gain and how overpaying compares to saving.

The Overpayment Calculator for a £200,000 repayment mortgage at 5.5% with a 20yr term
Overpayment amount	Interest saved	Mortgage cleared
A one-off £5,000	£9,600	10mths earlier
£100 every month	£16,950	2yrs 3mths earlier
£5,000 and £250 a month	£41,450	5yrs 5mths earlier

As Deb emailed last year: "Hello! I wanted to say a huge thank you. This afternoon I redeemed my mortgage 11 years early, thanks to your site! Nearly 14yrs ago, I was a single mum, buying my 1st property, pretty feckless with understanding financial terms. Then I read you advised overpaying, if possible, and happily and fortuitously I've been able to make lump sum pay offs and now, aged 57, I feel I can relax and even contemplate retirement. Raising a glass to you and your team, Martin."

Or more recently WofC on X: "@martinslewis Overpay as much as you can. I'm on track to pay a 30 year mortgage off in 10 years. This will save me around £85,000 in interest."

3. What you compare matters! Ensure it's YOUR best possible mortgage vs YOUR best possible savings. If your mortgage could be better and you're free to move, check what the best rate you're likely to get is. Use our Mortgage Best Buys comparison for a benchmark, and free Remortgage guide for step-by-step help or speak to a mortgage broker.

The same's true with savings. If your accounts pay a paltry rate, as far too many do, it's easy to ditch and switch (unless they're locked away in a fix). On lump sums, you can earn up to 5% in top savings, so that's what you should be comparing with.

4. TWO KEY CHECKS before you act. If overpaying looks a winner, check...

Are there overpayment penalties? Many lenders let you overpay 10% of your mortgage balance each year penalty-free. Above that, there are often penalties which could wipe out much of the gain, so do check.
Always keep a cash emergency fund. The fact you've overpaid your mortgage doesn't automatically mean if circumstances change and you suddenly can't repay, the lender will say 'oh, no probs' - you'd still be in arrears. So my rule of thumb is always have enough money to cover 3 months' bills (or even better, 6) accessible in savings, and only overpay with any money above that (unless it's a specific offset mortgage).

5. Borrowing over 60% of your home's value? It can pay even more to overpay. If you can save at a rate higher than your mortgage, use our Mortgage Overpay vs Savings Calc to see the exact cost. If the savings are only trivially better, and you're borrowing a decent chunk of your home's value, remember your Loan-To-Value (LTV) plays a big factor in the mortgage rate you can get. The lower your LTV, the better your deal - until it drops below 60%, where it stays the same.

Overpaying to reduce your mortgage debt may lower the rate of future mortgage deals - see LTV thresholds which improve mortgage rates. With over a million fixed-rate deals ending this year, it's a consideration for many.

6. When overpaying, ensure it reduces your TOTAL MORTGAGE BALANCE. Overpay and some lenders just reduce your next or future monthly repayments. That may help cash flow, but you won't see a big reduction in interest. To do that you need to ensure overpayments reduce your mortgage balance while keeping the same monthly repayment. This has the practical effect of helping you clear your mortgage sooner, resulting in an interest gain.

So, when you overpay, tell the lender you want it to reduce the capital owed which effectively reduces the mortgage term, not the monthly repayment. This way you'll be mortgage-free quicker. If a lender makes this difficult by lowering your monthly repayments, just keep paying what you were or more (effectively overpaying each month) to have the same impact. To be clear: I'm NOT saying ask to reduce the term, that may need an affordability test - see my old Decrease term v overpay blog.

7. If saving beats overpaying your mortgage, save the right way. There are still many people with super-cheap 1% or 2% mortgages, who right now are far better off saving than overpaying. For many others, it's a closer call. Yet both should be aware that at some point, that deal will end and your new mortgage rate could be far higher, meaning the equation changes.

So if you are saving, having that money available and liquid (spendable) when the deal is coming up for renewal is important, as it means you can use it to reduce your borrowing at that point if needed. To do that, you'll want money in easy-access savings then - this doesn't mean you can't use fixed savings before, just ensure they mature before your mortgage fix ends.

8. What about overpaying the mortgage vs investing? I'm asked this far less often, which is a shame. More people should consider investing money unneeded for 5+yrs rather than saving it (see my beginner's investing guide).

Put money in savings and you can withdaw and overpay any time. Yet investing is a long-term choice, so you need to be comparing it to your likely typical mortgage rate over the next five years or more, not just your current rate. So if you're on a low rate now, use a best buy comparison to see likely rates for you when that ends.
If your mortgage rate is relatively low long term, putting money in a broad spread of investment stands a decent chance of significantly outperforming overpaying. If your rate is higher, say 5.5%, your question is what level of return would you want for it to be worth sacrificing the "bird-in-the-hand" of a guaranteed tax-free 5.5% return. Only you can answer that, and then contrast it to investment return rates - but it's worth thinking about. Ultimately it's about your attitude to risk.
If overpaying could lower your mortgage rate due to the LTV (see point 5), that strengthens the argument for overpaying over investing, as you'll usually be reducing the cost of a larger mortgage by sacrificing gains on a smaller investment.

YouTube LIVE 7.30pm Thu. Ask Martin Anything (within reason)! Subscribe to his YouTube channel so you can ask your questions (turn on notifications to ensure you don't miss it). You can also watch back afterwards. Submit questions early.

New. Bought or leased a NEW car or van 18 Oct 06 to 6 Sept 15? You may be due a share of £56m! Millions may be due small payouts of £25+, which have just been agreed in a group legal case. It's all about vehicles shipped to the UK, which is many of them (you were probably unaware). Full info & how to claim in our Car shipping compensation guide. Related but separate: Car finance mis-selling compensation.

Top savings ALL change - grab 5% interest... Full best buys in Top savings and Top cash ISAs, but in brief...

1. New. Top 5.01% cash ISA. Rates have jumped up from around 4.6% recently. Trading 212's 5.01%* is currently top (includes 1yr 1.41% newbie bonus), a tad more than Plum's 5% (includes 2.46% newbie bonus). Both pay less on transfers, so top for that is Chip's 4.5% (includes a 1yr 1% newbie bonus). See Top cash ISAs for full help & info.
2. Ends 11.59pm tomorrow. '5.31%' 1yr fix on £10,000+. Online savings platform Raisin* lets you move money between different banks after filling in one form. Via code SEP150, it pays newbies £40+ cashback if you open a 1yr fixed saver with £10,000+ by 11:59pm tomorrow (Wed). Its top 1yr fix pays 4.91%*, less than open market 5.1%, yet with the cashback it's equivalent to 5.31%. Full Top fixed savings.

3. Ends 11.59pm tomorrow. 5% top easy-access savings on smaller amounts. Until Wed night, Spring's (part of Paragon) 5% on up to £5k is the top easy-access account. Cahoot (part of Santander) also pays 5% on up to £3k and lets you open both a personal and a joint account. Full info and alternatives in Top savings.

Amazon's 'Prime Big Deal Days' including Lego, Samsung & Shark - tips, predictions & duds. See what's likely in next Tue & Wed's Amazon Prime sale.

Martin 45s vid. "You can't leave a pension in your will!" Watch his important pension info courtesy of This Morning.

£300+ Dyson V10 cordless vacuum £183 refurbished by Dyson itself. MSE Blagged. 1,400 codes. Our code takes £137 off, taking it to £183 (Dyson sells it for £320). Has a 1yr manufacturer guarantee. Dyson with deals

Ends 9pm tomorrow. FREE £50 of shares when you invest £200+. 2,000 codes left. Until Wed night, newbies to huge global investment platform IG* can get £50 of free shares in random big US firms. a) Open its Share Dealing account using code MSE50. Then either use it or open a shares ISA or SIPP in order to... b) Deposit and invest £200+ by 9pm tomorrow and keep it invested till 28 Feb 2027. IG offers a wide range of shares and ETFs with no platform/trading fees. You'll receive and can then sell or keep the shares by 31 Mar 27. Full info: £50 free shares.

£397 of beauty in £75 M&S Advent calendar. Mega popular with MoneySavers - and Sparks members (free to join) get early access from Thu. Peek inside the M&S beauty Advent calendar. Related: M&S sale BOOSTED up to 70%.

Ends Thu. 150Mb Vodafone broadband under £19/mth. It's a 2yr contract - you pay £21/mth (£24.50 from April 27, £29/mth from April 2028) and it'll email a choice of a £140 voucher for Amazon, Tesco, M&S etc within 4mths of signing up (do check your junk folder). Factored in, it's equivalent to £18.67/mth over the contract. Full Comparison: Cheap Broadband tool.

Halifax customer? Your online/app banking will be axed next month. Here's what you need to know.

What should every teenager know about money? | Are Octopus Agile & Tracker still worth it? | Can you stooze with other 0% finance? Martin answers these questions from listeners & more in this week's must-listen Question Time podcast. Do give it a listen, via BBC Sounds | Apple | Spotify etc.

What exactly is going to happen to interest rates? And how do you use that info to improve your mortgage, savings & loans? Martin's joined by an economist and mortgage broker to take you through it in this week's Big Topics pod. Listen via BBC Sounds | Apple | Spotify etc.

If you've haggled with Sky, BT, the AA etc, let us know. Please vote in our haggling poll. Related: How to haggle.

BLAGGED FOR MSE

- Refurbished Dyson V10 for £183 via code 1,400 available
- Calvin Klein specs or sunnies for £35 Ends 31 Oct

DID YOU MISS?

- New way to get discounted M&S food...
- Driver? Take seconds to find the cheapest fuel near you
- Bag new clothes at second-hand prices, eg, £197 bodysuit £6
- FREE £200 cash AND big perks (eg, free Disney+) bank switch
- FREE week's 'National Theatre at home' with 120+ shows

The cheapest personal loan is 5.9% - but for how long?With strong signals UK interest rates will rise, if you need a loan, sooner is safer

Almost all UK personal loans are fixed rate, so the interest rate's locked in for the full term. And as Martin's explained with mortgage fixes above, that means that how much lenders charge for new loans depends on the market's view of future interest rates. With the mood music blaring that UK rates are likely to rise soon, it's probable loan rates will follow suit - either with rate rises (we've already seen a few) or tightening lending criteria for the cheapest deals. So if you need to borrow, sorting sooner is likely safer. Our Cheap loans guide will take you through it, but here's key need-to-knows and best buys...

Only borrow if it's NEEDED, budgeted for & affordable. Loans are best for a deliberate, planned, budgeted-for one-off expenditure with lasting gain (eg, repairing a broken kitchen, not booking a holiday). So only do it if you really need it and can afford to repay, minimise the borrowing and repay as quickly as you can. If in doubt, don't.

Related Help: Is debt consolidation worth it? | Cut existing loan costs | Car Finance | Struggling with debt? help

The UK's cheapest fixed-rate personal loans. It's far better to apply via the Loans Eligibility Calculator, which will first show you the loans you're most likely to be accepted for - as applying and getting rejected hits your acceptance odds elsewhere. You can also do eligibility via our MSE's free Credit Club (& via MSE's Apple or Android App), where it can also evaluate your credit strength and suggest how to improve acceptance odds.

Cheapest personal loans: (links take you to find which loans you're most likely to get)
- £7,500 to £25,000: M&S 5.9%. AA 5.9% (member) or 6.4% (non-member). Tesco Bank 6.2% (need free Clubcard).
- £7,000 to £7,499: People's Choice 6.5%. M&S 6.9%. Tesco Bank 7.4% (need free Clubcard).
- £5,000 to £6,999: M&S Bank 6.9%. Tesco 7.4% (need free Clubcard). Santander 7.5%.
- £3,000 to £4,999: Santander 8%. M&S, Zopa (via John Lewis) 9.9%.
- £1,000 to £2,999: Zopa (via John Lewis) 9.9%. Santander 10.5%. But for this lower level of borrowing, over a short term 0% credit card loans can work out cheaper.

- All these loans are 'representative APR', meaning sadly only 51% of accepted applicants must be given the advertised rate (others accepted can be charged more, without limit). However, via the eligibility calc, some lenders now offer guaranteed rates or show you the rate you'll likely get before applying.

- All these loans are UNSECURED (a good thing): It means a lender can't automatically look to take your home if you don't repay (secured gives security to the lender, not you).

Occasionally, a loophole means borrowing more costs you less. While generally you should minimise borrowing, if you're borrowing an amount (£100 or £200, say) just below a threshold where rates get cheaper (currently that's at £3,000, £5,000, £7,000 and £7,500), nudging the amount you borrow up just above the threshold can actually be cheaper. Full help and calculator on this in Can you use the loan rate loophole? But as an example...

- Borrow £7,400 at 6.5% over 5 years - total repayments: £8,687,
- Borrow £7,500 at 5.9% over 5 years - total repayments £8,679. So less in total, even though you borrow more.
How lenders decide who to lend to... As with all lending, when you apply you'll be credit-scored to see if you've been a good credit citizen. Each lender scores you differently based on its own wish list of what makes a profitable customer. Yet less known is that most lenders also do an affordability score (using your income from your application form, so do include every penny - but don't lie) to see whether you can actually afford to repay.

And with loans, affordability is far more important than with, say, credit cards, because you're applying for a specific amount. The same lender may accept you for a £3,000 loan, for example, but reject you at £10,000. MSE's free Credit Club (available via the MSE App on Apple and Android) shows your credit and affordability scores and helps diagnose any issues. Plus, a version of our eligibility calc is within the Club.

£35 Calvin Klein prescription specs or sunnies (normally from £95). MSE Blagged. £35 for the basic set-up - you can pay to upgrade lenses etc. Via SpeckyFourEyes code.

One week left. Easy FREE £240 cash to switch bank - biggest bonus of the year so far. For the next week, new switchers who apply to the fee-free Santander Everyday account* get a FREE £240 cash. Full info in Top bank accounts.

5p/litre off petrol or diesel when you spend £40+ at Asda (excl. Scot). Valid at 300+ petrol stations. See 5p/litre off fuel. Related: Find the cheapest petrol or diesel in your area.

Free NHS flu vaccine bookings open to over-65s from Thu. They're already available for pregnant women and children. See Free flu jabs. Not eligible? See where to get a cheap private one.

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AT A GLANCE BEST BUYS

Top definite 0% card: HSBC (check eligibility; existing customers use this link), 36mths 0%, 3.09% fee, 24.9% rep APR
No-fee: Barclaycard (check eligibility) 12mths 0% 24.9% rep APR

Free £240: Santander
Free £220: HSBC

Fast fibre (100Mb+): Vodafone '£18.67/mth'
Superfast fibre (500Mb+): Sky '£22.88/mth'
Ultrafast fibre (900Mb+): Vodafone '£22/mth'
On Universal Credit or similar? Check all discounted social tariffs

Car: Use our Compare+ Car Insurance tool
Home: Use our Compare+ Home Insurance tool
Travel: Use our Compare+ Travel Insurance tool

£5,000 to £7,499: M&S Bank (check eligibility), 6.9% representative APR
£7,500 to £15,000: M&S Bank (check eligibility) 5.9% representative APR.

Top easy-access savings: Zopa 4.56%, min £1
Top easy-access ISA: Trading 212 5.01%, min £1
Top one-year fix: Thisbank 5.1%, min £100

Use our whole-of-market Cheap Energy Club

Up to 3GB data: Lebara, '£2.90/mth' for 3GB
4GB to 9GB data: Lebara, '£2.99/mth' for 5GB
10GB to 30GB data: Lebara, '£3.20/mth' for 10GB
31GB+ data: Lebara, '£3.33/mth' for 35GB

THIS WEEK'S POLL

Have you haggled with Sky, BT, AA or any others in the last six months? Did you succeed? Whether it's digital TV, broadband, breakdown cover or car insurance, haggling can net you huge savings on all kinds of different products. And every six months, we try to gauge the success rates of those who have done it. So, have you nabbed cheaper prices, extra goods or better deals? Let us know how successful you've been. Vote in this week's poll.

MONEY MORAL DILEMMA

Is it fair to ask my daughter to repay the money I gave her while in a controlling marriage? My daughter and son-in-law were heavily in debt 20 years ago. I paid almost £6,000 off one of their credit cards and gave them substantial sums to help elsewhere. They've since divorced and their home is now on the market, and I've discovered her ex-husband controlled everything and lived like a playboy. I'm nearing retirement, and that money would be a great help to me - yet they've never tried to repay it. Given that my daughter's been through a hard time, walking out of her home of 28 years with her belongings in bin bags, would it be unreasonable to ask her to pay me back from her share of the house sale proceeds? Enter the Money Moral Maze: Is it fair to ask my daughter to repay the money I gave her and her ex? | Suggest a Money Moral Dilemma (MMD) | View past MMDs

Affected by the issues raised in this MMD? See Martin's money, relationships & financial abuse blog for help & support

- Ends tomorrow (Wed). McDonald's: Free coffee for new & existing app users
- Waitrose: Free tea or coffee every day for loyalty members (free to join) with a reusable cup
- Greggs: Free hot or iced drink for new app users
- Coffee#1: Free barista-made drink for new app users, dine-in or takeaway
- Wenzel's: Free coffee (or doughnut) for new app users

See all free tea & coffee deals.

MARTIN'S APPEARANCES (WED 30 SEP ONWARDS)

Wed 30 Sep - Good Morning Britain, ITV1, 9.20am
Thu 1 Oct - Ask Martin Lewis, BBC R5 Live, midday
Tue 6 Oct - This Morning, ITV1, 10am

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Discounted M&S food, Martin’s guide to lending to family, 24% energy hike?, comping for cash, 5.3% savings fix, new FREE £200 & Disney+

2026-09-22T11:59:01.315-07:00

The top tips this week

14 ways to drive down accelerating motor costs, incl:
- Take seconds to find cheap fuel
- Pothole compensation
- Beat car insurance hikes
- Cheapest EV tariffs
- Breakdown cover £57 a year

Martin's guide to lending to family

The art of comping - how to win free cash, holidays, gadgets and more!

Discount M&S food

New. FREE £200 cash AND Disney+

£210 Ninja air fryer for £130

24% energy hike?

Unbeatable 5.3% savings fix

£197 bodysuit £6, £42 dress £2

Ends Mon. Samsung S26 £19/mth

Cheap cinema tix

'I cleared £30k credit card debt, all thanks to Martin.'

Question pod: Should I refix energy?

Big Topics pod: Time to ban unnecessary Xmas presents?

FREE National Theatre

Grind coffee 30% off

Free first-aid training

Four months' free music streaming

This week's best buys: 5.9% loan, 35GB Sim £3.36/mth, 900Mb broadband £22/mth & more

MMD: Is it fair to split our villa rental cost per person?

14 motoring MoneySavers to drive down accelerating costs

Fuel costs are up 23% in just over a year. Running a car is becoming costlier and now car insurance prices are climbing too. So this week we want to help drivers put the brakes on accelerating prices...

1. Take seconds to find the cheapest fuel near you. Even in the same town forecourt prices can vary significantly, so use this speedy fuel price checker for the cheapest forecourt near you. For example, for a postcode in Gloucester today (Tue), we found unleaded prices ranging from 162p/L to 196p/L within just five miles.

2. RAC warns potholes could get worse - check if you can claim compensation. This summer's heatwaves may make bad road surfaces deteriorate further, according to RAC. In England, you can check road conditions in your area using Gov ratings showing how your council is tackling potholes.

The AA averaged 1,681 pothole-related callouts a day in 2025, and reckons damage cost UK drivers an eye-watering £645m in repairs. If your car's been pranged by a pothole, see our step-by-step guide to claiming pothole compensation. Colin emailed us last summer: "Thank you for the help and advice I got from your website to assist me with making a successful claim of just over £2,500 for pothole damage to my vehicle from my local council."

3. Car insurance prices expected to keep rising - put yourself in the driver's seat to save £100s. The cost of car insurance has jumped nearly 10% this year (source: MoneySupermarket), and consultancy firm Ernst & Young warns rises could continue for another two years after almost three years of falling prices. But there are still £100s to be saved by switching.

Don't assume that if your renewal quote is about the same, or even a bit cheaper, than last year, it's a good price. It probably isn't. The golden rule: always check how your renewal price compares against the market - and the easy route is via our Compare+ Car Insurance tool.

As Michael emailed last month: "I was autorenewing my car insurance quote which was £1,048. But I then used your tool and got an online quote with the same company for £524. You saved me £524!! Many thanks."

Not at renewal yet? Don't ignore this. It's still worth a quick check. Switching mid-policy can sometimes save enough to beat any cancellation or admin fees and lock in a price until late 2027. This is especially true if you've changed your car, address, added drivers - or even just had a birthday.

4. Got an electric vehicle (EV)? Energy Price Cap predicted to rise 24% in Jan - is an EV tariff a MoneySaver? Our very rough rule of thumb is - if more than 20% of the total energy you use is for charging your EV, it's worth checking to see if a specialist EV tariff is cheaper for you. We've a full round-up of what's available in our special EV energy tariffs, but in a nutshell, there are two main types of EV tariffs:

Add-on EV tariff: You get a cheap rate for charging your car at any time of day, but ONLY for charging the car; the rest of your home's energy is charged at your normal rate. The advantage is you can add it to any tariff that provider offers.
Two-rate EV tariff: You get a cheaper rate on all your energy at certain times of the day, usually overnight, on the assumption you'll charge your car then. It's best if you can shift other usage overnight too, such as storage heaters or appliances you can run (though don't run appliances such as a tumble dryer unattended, as that's dangerous).

If you're below that rough 20% threshold for EV charging, it's likely worth sticking with a regular energy tariff (though you can still check EV ones to see how they stack up). Do a Cheap Energy Club comparison to find your cheapest.

5. FULL service breakdown cover £57/yr (incl home start & onward travel). AutoAid* has been one of our top picks for well over a decade. Via our link, new customers pay £57/yr (£79 if the car's 16+ yrs old, and there's a £25 call-out fee if the car's 10+ years old) for comprehensive cover. It covers you and your partner in almost any car you or they drive. Alternatively, Eversure* is £57.50/yr, though it won't cover cars more than 15 yrs old. Equivalent cover if you buy direct from the big providers can be £100+.

See our Cheap breakdown cover guide for more options, including how to get AA or RAC cover from £84/yr for equivalent cover if you're a new customer.

6. Never auto-renew with the AA/RAC without haggling first. Breakdown cover haggling success rates are higher than any other sector at 87% overall. Within that, the RAC and the AA are easier to haggle with than any other firm, with huge 91% and 90% respective success rates in our January 2026 haggling poll. So never just accept your renewal price. Full haggling help in breakdown cover haggling tips & techniques .

7. Got an unfair parking ticket? Don't automatically pay it - take these three speedy steps first. Almost 17 million private parking tickets were issued in 2025/26 - up 17% in a year. If yours seems unfair, here's what to do:

Check what type of ticket it is. Private tickets often look like official fines - but they're not. They're invoices from the firm that manages the car park and should be treated differently from official tickets. See how to spot the difference.
If it's private... There are various reasons you may have a case, including if signs were unclear, the payment machine failed, or you had strong mitigating circumstances. See our step-by-step Fight unfair private parking tickets guide for more info, including free appeal templates and why you shouldn't automatically name the driver.
If it's from a public body (council/police)... You may be able to appeal if there were incorrect signs, an error on the notice or a warden mistake. Recent data shows over 60% of those who appealed had their ticket cancelled or reduced. See challenging unfair council or police tickets.

8. MOT smoother - check for easy fails first. About a quarter of vehicles fail their MOT first time, often for simple reasons. Avoid this by running through our nine pre-MOT DIY must-do's, including checks on brakes, lights, windscreen wipers and suspension.You don't need any mechanical know-how to do them, though while you may be able to sort some issues yourself, professional assistance is advised for others. But sorting them before the test is usually cheaper than after.

9. Then choose the right type of MOT test centre. If you're confident your car will pass or only needs minor fixes, check our list of 'hidden' council MOT centres'. These usually only do tests (not repairs), and some MoneySavers tell us they get fewer fails from them, so there's less chance you'll have to fork out for unnecessary work.

But if you think repairs are likely, choose a reasonably priced garage with a good reputation that does both testing and repairs. If your car gets a major fail, you may not be able to drive it away. See how to choose the right MOT centre.

10. Bought a car on PCP or HP finance between 2007 and 2024? Are you due a share of £8bn compensation. The redress scheme has been delayed by legal challenges, so payouts aren't expected to start until at least mid-2027 - we await news. Yet don't let that put you off putting a complaint in now (if you haven't already). Firms still have to process complaints, and getting yours in now via our free reclaim tool could make things easier and quicker once the scheme gets going. We've full info in our Car finance reclaim guide.

11. Get up to 3% cashback on all your fuel spending. If you spend a decent whack on petrol or diesel, there's an easy way to claw a little back: use a cashback card - every time you pay, you'll get a little back.

Get 1% cashback on everything. Lloyds' Ultra credit card pays 1% cashback for first 12 months (then 0.25%).
Or 3% back on fuel and more. The Santander Rewards credit card gives a year's 3% cashback on petrol, diesel, train travel, EV charging (not at home), plus eating out & takeaways, and 0.25% on everything else. So for big fuel spenders, it's worth a look.

Both are credit cards, so only do this if you'll pay off IN FULL each month, preferably by direct debit so there's no interest. Alternatively, the Chase card is a debit card that gives 2% back on fuel spending. Full details in Top cashback cards.

12. Free (£15) car check - oil, battery, wipers etc. Before the bad weather hits, it's a 'wheely' good idea to check your motor's in tip-top condition. And there's a way to get Halfords' 10-point car check for free - it examines oil levels, battery, tyres, wipers and bulbs, and includes a screenwash top-up.

13. Almost 2.7 million driving licences will expire this year - is yours one of them? Check NOW. Don't worry, but do have a look. See how to quickly check your licence's expiry date & how to renew.

14. Eight tips to cut your fuel use. It's not just the cost of fuel, it's how you drive. See 8 ways to drive so you use less fuel and how to check your car isn't inefficient.

Now you're in pole position - race over to 50+ Motoring MoneySavers for even more ways to save.

PS: Could you ditch your car? Obviously it's not an option for everyone, but if you don't drive daily and live in or near a city or big town, you could save £1,000s by selling up and using a car club or the odd taxi instead.

And if you're looking to reduce your impact on the planet as well as the impact on your pocket, take a peek at our MoneySaving tips for cyclists, cheap train ticket and cheap bus travel guides. And if you're thinking of walking and want some inspo, see how Martin averaged 26,000 steps a day in 2025.

A new guide from Martin...
How best to lend money to family & friends (or not?)

Including... How to check they can repay | The tax implications | A free lending agreement template | And what to do if they don't pay it back?

When banks lend money to us - say on a credit card - they charge 25%. When we lend to them, which is what saving is, we get 4.5% at best. So it's no surprise that many who need a loan instead turn to the far cheaper bank of mum, dad, son, brother, sister, cousin or best mate instead. Yet if you're the one being asked - or offering to lend a serious amount - it isn't a trivial decision. To help, I've put together my detailed new How best to lend money to family & friends guide. Best go straight there, but here's a brief summary of things included...

1. Is lending really right for you? It's an emotional decision as well as a financial one. It's easy to go into it thinking: "This is simple. I give them the money, they pay me back - all is hunky-dory." A better starting point is to ask yourself:

What'd happen if it went wrong? What if they can't repay? What if they don't take it seriously? What if our relationship changes? What if the loan quietly becomes the thing you both avoid talking about?

To help, I've a pre-lending checklist, including alternatives. If in doubt, don't.

2. Is it really a loan? Do you need a formal agreement? My view is you should always use a formal lending agreement if you consider this to be a proper loan, where you want:

To be able to take action to recover the money lent if they don't repay, AND/OR...
For them to take the loan seriously and believe you may take formal action if they don't repay (even if you wouldn't).

If it's someone who you'd never take legal action against, and both you and they know it, don't kid yourself. This isn't a loan, it's a gift you hope they may repay. If so, it may make your life and relationship more comfortable just to give them the money and say: "I'd like you to pay this back when you're in a comfortable position to do so." Full help in Loan v repayable gift?

3. Can you credit check someone you're lending to? The simple answer is: not really. The best you can hope for without extraordinary effort is to ask them to volunteer to show you their credit report. Yet, in reality, a bigger issue is: "Can they afford to repay you?" and that isn't covered by a credit file - see how best to check if someone can afford to borrow from you.

4. Should you charge interest and is it taxable? There's a real cost to lending - after all, if you kept the money instead, you could save it or invest it to make it grow. By lending it, you're giving up that return. Therefore, charging interest isn't necessarily unkind, ungenerous or unreasonable, but it does make things far more complicated, reportable, and possibly means tax may need to be paid. Full help in should I charge interest and is it taxable?.

5. FREE lending template agreement

Once you've decided the terms of the loan - if it is a loan - it makes it easier for everyone if there's a formal agreement. To help, I've drafted a detailed template with lots of options in it [delete the ones that don't apply] and had it checked by our in-house legal team. It's intended only as a start point for one-off simple loans between family or friends. If in any doubt, get legal advice yourself. PS: Don't just jump to the template, do read the full guide first.

Download the free template agreement.

6. How to take action if the money isn't repaid. Even if it was a genuine loan and you are willing to enforce it, when money isn't repaid don't just head straight to court. Always first try to have a calm conversation, and see if they can restart payments, even if for a smaller amount. If necessary, put the problem politely in writing, and consider a revised payment plan. If all else fails, there's mediation before court. Lots more help in how to take action if they don't repay.

PS: Anything you think I've missed in this, please feedback on my new 'lending to friends' guide.

New way to get discounted M&S food... At 350+ stores. It's joined an app where supermarkets, restaurants and cafés sell leftover food at the end of the day at a discount. See Cheap M&S Food. Related: More ways to Eat for free (or cheap).

New. FREE £200 cash AND big perks (eg, free Disney+) bank switch. Another bank's launched a salvo in the switching war. Lloyds newbies switching to its Club Lloyds* account get £200 FREE cash, a yearly choice of reward (eg, free Disney+ with ads, 6 free cinema tix), a 1yr linked 6.25% regular saver on up to £250/mth, a top overseas debit card and a £100 0% overdraft for many. Yet you'll need to pay in £2,000/mth (equiv to a £28,500 salary going in). Full eligibility info in Club Lloyds review. FREE £240 available. Other banks pay newbies more straight cash (with lower monthly pay-ins): Santander's FREE £240 | HSBC's FREE £220 | Top service First Direct's FREE £210. Full options in Top bank accounts.

Code gets £210 Ninja 7.6L dual-zone air fryer for £130. MSE Blagged. 4,500 codes. See Ninja

Martin: "I'm afraid the Energy Price Cap is now predicted to rise 24% in January."
In Martin's Energy Bills Special show last week, he delivered this depressing news - and that's on top of Oct's 3.6% confirmed rise. He then put your questions to the new Secretary of State for Energy, Miatta Fahnbulleh, to find out what she's planning to do about it. Best to watch Martin's hour-long ITVX special, but here are three must-watch clips...

1. Martin: Why Price Cap's predicted to RISE 24% in Jan and what to do! The Cap applies to all firms' standard tariffs (excl N.Ire), so if, like most people, you're not on a fix or special deal, you are on it. Fixing instead locks in a rate. Watch to understand it, then - if you're on the Cap - do a Cheap Energy Club comparison.
2. Martin vs Energy Secretary: Why are bills UP £300 when they were meant to be DOWN £300?
3. Martin vs Energy Secretary: Will you ditch energy Standing Charges?

On Price Cap and want to lock in a fix to beat the hikes? Do a Cheap Energy Club comparison.
On a fix and want to know if you should ditch it early? Listen to Martin's Question Time podcast

Unbeatable '5.3%' 1yr savings fix if you've £10,000+. Newbies to savings marketplace Raisin* - which lets you move money easily between different banks after filling in one form - get £40+ cashback via code SEP150 when opening a year-long fixed savings account with £10,000+ by the end of the month. Its current top 1yr fix is 4.9%*, which is only a smidge below the open-market best buy, but with the cashback added, that's an extra 0.4% if you put in exactly £10k, making it a clear best buy. Full savings best buys: For all amounts, see Top savings.

Tricks to bag brand-new clothes at second-hand prices, eg, £197 bodysuit £6, £42 dress £2. In honour of Second Hand September, see MSE Olivia's Buy new, second-hand? blog.

Ends Mon. Samsung Galaxy S26 '£19/mth' deal: just buying the phone costs twice this! Newbies to iD Mobile (uses Three's signal) can get the latest Galaxy S26, with 100GB of data, for £25 upfront, then £27/mth (rising to £28.80/mth from Apr 27 and £30.60/mth from Apr 28). Plus you can CLAIM £250 cashback on a prepaid Mastercard within 30 days of purchase (see claim help). Factor that in and it's £466 over the 2yrs, equivalent to £19.42/mth. Buying just the handset from Samsung is £879, so this is a stonking deal. More handset deals: Cheap Mobile Finder.

10 Vue cinema tix £40, or 5 for £22, for all films till 22 Oct. See this and more in 30+ cinema savers.

'I cleared £30k of credit card debt, all thanks to Martin.' Success of the week. Liz emailed: "I was up to my eyes in debt. It was all credit cards and at worst I owed nearly £30k. I was only earning £18k. I could not see a way out. I listened to Martin advising to [use MSE's eligibility calc to check if you can] balance transfer to interest-free credit cards. I did this from card to card, diligently setting alarms and reminders to switch again when it was time up, until eventually after a long hard slog of 7yrs, I paid everything off. All thanks to Martin." If we've helped you save or reclaim (on anything), let us know. PS from Martin: I loved reading this, it made me smile. Wonderful news.

My energy is fixed but should I ditch to refix early due to hikes? | Will our wedding hit our mortgage? | How to switch joint savings? Martin answers these questions from listeners & more in this week's must-listen Question Time podcast. Do give it a listen, via BBC Sounds | Apple | Spotify etc.

Is now the time to ban unnecessary Christmas presents? Plus more tips to ease cost & stress for 25 Dec! From free cash to playing Blasket Bluff for discounts - all in Martin's new Big Topics pod. Listen via BBC Sounds | Apple | Spotify etc.

BLAGGED FOR MSE

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The art of comping!
How to find and enter competitions as a cash-boosting hobby
'I won an amazing £5,000 trip to Washington DC!'

Many people enter competitions, but that doesn't make you a "comper". Comping is deliberately and systematically entering a mass of competitions in a fun, strategic way - treating it as a money-making hobby. This shotgun approach won't see you winning every time, but it can mean landing a few profitable wins. And we regularly see MSE compers winning big cash, gadgets or holidays. Our Beginners Guide to Comping has 40+ insider tips to help you maximise your chances, but here are a few to get you started. Last month alone in our Forum...

Forumite stacey2kids posted: "Oh my... I can't even describe. I have never been to the USA before, but I won a trip to Washington DC. All I did was comment on Instagram and I was picked for a £5,000 holiday! I took my daughter, aged 19. It was amazing! Tours, food, spending money. Hilton hotel, transfers, White House and so much more... honestly never give up!"

And Geordiegirl66: "I've won with Take A Break, a whopping £2,000. Made my year. Can't thank you enough for posting."

Find 100s of free competitions - and a real comping community - all in one place. You don't have to hunt 'em out - compers post hundreds of contests, share secrets and cheer the winners on our MSE Forum Comping board, one of the biggest out there (see other comping forums too). So you don't spoil it for others, it's best to only enter those where the prize really appeals to you. It's a community and the etiquette is to post comps you've found too, though it's a friendly place, so don't worry too much. Helpfully, you can track which comps you've entered (as duplicate entries can disqualify you) by clicking the green 'Entered' button, plus bookmark the comps you want to follow.
Check the apps you already have for free prizes. Your supermarket, loyalty, travel and other apps could be hiding free prizes and instant wins in their offers sections. See where to look.
Comps that need effort... can be worth the effort. Try contests requiring a bit of thought and creativity - eg, coming up with a catchy slogan, submitting a photo or short video, giving a tie-breaker answer - as quite simply they usually have fewer entrants, so your odds of winning are higher. See creative comping tips.
'I won more than £3,000 on Pick My Postcode.' It may sound too good to be true, but Pick My Postcode is a legit competition with a £200+ daily prize, and it costs nothing as it's funded by ads. Over £1 million has been given out to MSE users, including Christine, who told us: "I still can't quite believe it! I'd been checking Pick My Postcode daily since first hearing about it in the MSE newsletter, and finally saw my postcode come up. Thrilled to have won more than £3,000."
Use AI to turbocharge your comping. Don't use AI to enter competitions for you, it usually breaks the promoter's rules. Yet you can use it to: prioritise competitions based on the sorts of prizes you're hoping to win, spot scam warning signs, translate terms and conditions into plain English, and uncover catches with prizes (eg, a family holiday that excludes travel during school holidays) that make entering less worthwhile. See How to use AI as a free comping PA
Warning. Beware costly comping, spam and scams. Let's be frank - companies usually set up competitions to get your email, number and other personal details. So take steps to avoid being deluged with marketing bumf, eg, setting up a dedicated email address and getting a cheap Sim for your phone so you don't have to give out your main number.

If you're new to competitions, be careful paying money to enter. Some regulars do enter some where you 'pay' (eg, via phone lines or stamps) once they've worked out the risk-reward level - and our Forum restricts listing paid comps to those costing no more than £2.10 (an amount decided by the Compers themselves).

Plus, be wary of scams, particularly with social media comps. Red flags include asking to pay for anything before your prize is sent, urgency, asking for passwords, bank details or overly personal info. See how to spot scams.

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Grind coffee 30% off code. MSE Blagged. Valid on ground coffee, beans, pods & more. Grind

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MONEY MORAL DILEMMA

Is it fairer to split the cost of our villa rental per room rather than per person? I went on a trip with my 17-year-old daughter, best friend and two of her family. The five of us stayed in a four-bedroom villa booked by my friend's family. My daughter and I shared a room, while the other three each had their own. After the trip I was asked to pay 40% of the total villa cost (two-fifths) to cover me and my daughter. I thought the split would be based on the number of rooms, in which case I'd pay 25% (one-quarter) as we had one room. We shared food costs equally between the five of us, so that's not in question. I don't wish to cause tension with my friend, but I hadn't budgeted for that level of expenditure. Enter the Money Moral Maze: Is it fair to split our villa rental cost per person? | Suggest a Money Moral Dilemma (MMD) | View past MMDs

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Free cash for Xmas, iPhone & Samsung prices plummet, free wills, Are solar panels worth it?, State Pension rise, free £50 shares, rare Center Parcs code

2026-09-15T10:56:50.241-07:00

MoneySavingExpert's Money Tips Email

The top tips this week

100 days till Xmas: Martin's do-nows...
- Bag FREE £200+ cash
- Time to BAN unnecessary gifts?
- Play Basket Bluff
- Use our DemoHOHOtivator tool

It's FREE WILLS season!

iPhone & Samsung prices plummet

Martin: Student loan disappointment

Use Papa Dough TONIGHT!

State Pension to rise above tax limit!

Updated. Are solar panels worth it?

Rare UK Center Parcs code

New. Free £50 shares

Pizza Express 2for1 for £1

New 'Suicide Prevention Action Lab'

Victorious sponge taste test

Video. Parents beware hidden tax trap

Asda £20 off £60+ shop

'£1,900 Sky haggling win!'

Question pod: Time to be a stoozer?

Martin pod: Save or invest for kids?

Wetherspoon pubs 7.5% off

M&S 'up to 50% off' sale

Winter Fuel Payment opt-out alert

FREE kids' football sessions

This week's best buys: 36mth 0% card, 4.61% ISA & more

MMD: Should our child pay towards using sibling's present?

It's 100 days till Christmas! Ho, ho... oh no!
Martin: 15 tips to do now to cut costs & stress. It's all about early preparation, not early celebration

For most who celebrate Christmas, it is a significant financial event that needs planning and prep, rather than a last-minute grab and dash. So whilst I hate Christmas music in stores in October as much as the next Scrooge, tomorrow (Wed) is exactly 100 days to go, so it's time for my annual tips to save time, cost and stress. Don't worry, I won't go overboard - these are just the key things to be thinking about now if you haven't started.

And if you haven't started, you're not alone - 31,000 people voted in my social polls a couple of weeks ago and, of those who celebrate, 77% are like you; 18% have done a few little things; and a super-organised 4% have a decent chunk done! So whether you're a Christmas person, a Chanukah chap like me, or other winter celebrations, I hope these tips will help.

1. Toy sales now on at Argos and Asda (plus Tesco from Wed), with more expected. Bizarrely, this is often one of the cheapest time to buy toys before Christmas, as retailers do early-bird sales with usually higher discounts than if you wait till nearer the time. So if you know what you want to get for children, the Argos half-price toys and up to 50% off at Asda sales are on now, and the Tesco 50% off sale starts tomorrow (Wed). More are likely soon, including Morrisons and The Entertainer (we'll put details in this email when they're on).

2. Do a FREE £240 bank switch now and you'll have the cash in time for Christmas. Some of the most lucrative deals of the year are on right now, and starting the switch now means you'll have the cash in plenty of time to pump up your Christmas coffers. So unless your bank is treating you royally, why not make a bit of cash by moving?

Switching is usually easy & hassle-free... You must pass a not-too-harsh credit-check and use the bank's 7-working-day switch service, which closes your old account, moves over your balance, standing orders and Direct Debits for you, and auto-forwards any payments made to it from then on.

New customer FREE CASH switch bonuses (all fee-free unless stated) You usually need to switch 2+ Direct Debits. Full eligibility: Top bank accounts
Santander Everyday* FREE £240 \| 8% regular savings. To qualify for the free cash: Pay in a total of £1,500 within 60 days (you can do it in bits and withdraw as soon as it's paid in) and fund the linked 8% regular saving account with £200+ (again it can be withdrawn). Full info and eligibility criteria in our Santander review.	Cash Paid by 15 DEC (1)
HSBC Bank Account* FREE £220 \| 5% regular savings. To qualify for the free cash: Pay in a total of £2,000 (you can do it in bits and withdraw as soon as it's paid in) and spend £500+ on the debit card within 60 days. Full info and eligibility criteria in our HSBC review.	Cash Paid by 22 NOV (1)
First Direct* FREE £210 \| Top service \| 7% reg savings \| £250 0% overdraft \| Top overseas debit card. To qualify for the free cash: Pay in a total of £1,000 (you can do it in bits and withdraw as soon as it's paid in), make 5+ debit card payments and log into online banking within 45 days. Full info and eligibility criteria in our First Direct review.	Cash Paid by 20 OCT (1)
NatWest Reward FREE £200 \| 5.25% regular savings \| £2/mth fee but poss £4/mth cashback. To qualify for the free cash: Pay in £1,250 per MONTH and log into the mobile app within 60 days. Full info and eligibility criteria in our NatWest review	Cash Paid by 23 OCT (1)
Nationwide FlexDirect FREE £175 \| 5% interest up to £1,500 \| Poss £120/yr cashback \| 6.5% regular saver. To qualify for the free cash; Pay in a total of £1,000 (you can do it in bits and withdraw as soon as it's paid in) & make one debit card payment within 31 days. Full info and eligibility criteria in our Nationwide review.	Cash Paid by 3 OCT (1)
Do you earn over £100,000 a year? Then you can get a FREE £500 for switching. (1) Dates are our estimates for if you switched tomorrow, as most set a max time after you've switched & fulfilled criteria.

More ways to boost your coffers: See our 60+ ways to boost your income guide.

3. There's still time to spread the cost to ease the pain. Rather than shelling out the estimated typical £700 Christmas cost from December's income, if you haven't put any aside yet, try to squeeze a quarter of what's needed from your Sept, Oct, and Nov income too. And pop it into top savings to GAIN interest - far better than getting into Christmas debt and having to PAY interest on it after.

4. Get an easy up to 6% boost on your Christmas supermarket spending in ONE DAY. Digital saving stamp schemes from Tesco, Asda, Iceland, and Co-op aim to encourage year-long saving for Christmas (see full scheme-by-scheme info). Yet the way most are structured means there's a loophole where you can just put the money in on one day to get the bonus instantly. See our supermarket Christmas savings schemes for a full run-through.

5. This is the moment to BAN unnecessary Christmas presents!

Seventeen years ago, when I first put this out there, I expected a backlash. Instead, the response was a movement of relieved people, who feel they get more time, space, and enjoyment - and some also think it better reflects the Christmas spirit. Of course, we're not talking about gifts from parents and grandparents - it's all about making a pact with the ever-widening circle of friends, colleagues, and relatives we feel we may need to buy for...

Sometimes the best gift may be releasing someone from the obligation of having to buy for you.
And if you're going to do it, this is perfect time to discuss it.

You can read my full, original ban unnecessary Christmas gifts blog, which started it all off, but here's a mini version... We often simply swap presents, feeling an obligation to reciprocate. That means there's no net movement of money or goods, but it can result in mis-prioritising someone's spending. By giving someone a present, you may make them feel they must do the same - whether they can afford it or not. Take Ivor Lots and Irma Skint...

If Ivor gives his cousin Irma a £40 necklace thinking he's being generous, it can risk creating an obligation on Irma to buy him something back of similar value. While that's fine if both can afford it and have the time, if Irma is struggling, she might have preferred to spend the £40 on food for her children or bills.

Add to that the tit-for-literal-tat nature of giving that leaves too many with gifts unwanted or unused. My aim isn't to stop festive fun - done right, gifts create real warmth. But done wrong, they can hurt more than they help.

That's why I suggest you agree a No Unnecessary Present Pact with your wider group of friends or family. Most people tell me the people they broach it with often breathe a collective sigh of relief. If that's too hard-core, set a Secret Santa-esque spending limit, agree to spend time together, make something, or give to charity. Here's the video I did back in 2023 for my show, that I still use now, as it hit a note (it's the most watched social clip I've ever done, with tens of millions of views).

PS: When it comes to young children, they don't judge the quality of a gift by its price – often, they can have just as much fun playing with the cardboard box (I once did a TV experiment with five-year-olds that proved just that).

6. Beware a subconscious lust list - it usually only leads to debt or disappointment. I should start with this, but I know it puts people off reading the rest, so I've plonked it mid-way down, amongst some of the more fun stuff...

Many people plan Christmas the wrong way round: they start with a lust list of everything they want for perfect festivities, then work out 'how the heck will I afford that?' - a recipe for debt or disappointment. Instead, let the finances lead. Spend a little time now to budget what you can comfortably afford on Christmas, then ask: 'How do I have the best time on that amount?'

And if you're shouting back: 'Yeah right, I can't afford anything'... do listen to yourself. Take a deep breath and possibly consider going spending cold-turkey this year... Christmas is just one day, don't give yourself an awful New Year due to it.

7. Play Basket Bluff... put items you want in your basket, but don't complete. This is great when you've lots of time before you need to make a purchase, so you're not in a panic and can pause and wait. If you've an account at an online retailer and leave items in your basket without completing the transaction, many retailers have conniptions! They think: 'We almost closed the deal, we need to get 'em back' and may send you a specific discount code to try to do that.

So you turn this on its head - just log in, put what you want in the basket, then walk away to see if they give you a discount code. See our full list of retailers the 'abandoned basket' trick's worked with in the past like Cate who posted on X: "@martinslewis I did this with Shark. Sent me a 20% discount for an item left in my basket and I then bought the hoover."

8. Huge cost, huge potential saving... £1,200 of beauty for £250 at Selfridges, £550 for £90 via Glossybox & more. Beauty advent calendars are getting costlier, but with more in them. Yet for MoneySavers, if a decent chunk is stuff you'd buy anyway, or may use to give to loved ones as gifts, do the maths to see if it can be worth getting one - not waiting for December top open it, but ripping it apart now for its constituent parts. See 25+ beauty Advent calendars for a full rundown.

9. BEWARE gift cards and vouchers. Many find giving a gift card more socially acceptable than cash - I get it, cash gifts just aren't very British! Yet unfortunately, vouchers have risks:

- If the store goes bust, gift vouchers usually become worthless.
- Many have expiry dates, which often aren't made clear enough. See when each stores' gift cards expire (& tell the recipient).

So think carefully about the likely financial strength of the retailer, and how quickly they'll be used. If in doubt, cash (or money in the bank) is the ultimate gift voucher - it's totally flexible and usable anywhere.

10. Earn £100s as a Christmas Cashback-Combining King (or Queen - it just doesn't scan as well). The run-up to Christmas tends to be a high retail spend period, so why not start getting paid every time you spend? It's not an excuse to spend, it just may give you some extra cash for next year. And these cashback deals can be combined.

Pay on the right plastic. A cashback or rewards card pays you each time you spend on it - so use it for all your normal spending (don't overspend) to gain. Yet as these are credit cards, only do it if you'll repay IN FULL each month, preferably by direct debit, so there's no interest; otherwise the interest cost dwarves the gain. You will need to pass a credit check to get 'em. Our top cashback card guide runs through all the top picks, but here's a few highlights (the links have more info)...

- The simple one: Lloyds Ultra pays 1% for a year on almost all spending worldwide.
- The goodybag type one (can be worth £400ish): Earn far more if you'll hit £3,000+ in 3mths. With the Amex Preferred Rewards card, newbies (you can't have had an Amex in the last 2yrs) get a FREE £115 Amazon or M&S voucher, a year's £10/mth Deliveroo cashback, and four airport lounge passes (cost £50ish each).
- The big bonus cashback for bigger spenders: The fee-free Amex Everyday credit card currently pays Amex newbies (you can't have had an Amex in the last 2yrs) 5% cashback up to a max £125 for the first 5mths, and up to 1% after, as long as you spend a min £3,000/yr.
Combine the card with the top cashback sites. With these sites, visit retailers through them and you get a slice of what brands pay them for generating sales. Yet cashback this way isn't guaranteed, so prioritise the best deal (not the biggest cashback) and think of the cashback as a bonus. Full info in Top cashback sites.
Add mobile rewards on top. The easy, free Airtime app tracks your spending at 200+ retailers and pays 1% to 15% cashback, which you can redeem as credit on your mobile bill (for O2, EE, Vodafone, Three and more). You CAN use this on top of cashback cards and sites for a treble win.

11. What haven't you used since last Christmas? It's time for the annual domestic stock-take. Just as retailers value their stock and assets, so should you. Take a walk around your home and whatever you've not used since last year - toys, old coffee makers, mobile phones, prams, gadgets or even clothes unused since the last festive season - just ask yourself: 'is it time to flog them for cash?' If so, the team rate each of these selling sites for slightly different things...

- eBay selling tips. Best for pricey stuff, eg, designer gear or electronics.
- Facebook selling tips. Best for larger items, eg, wardrobes or sofas.
- Vinted selling tips. Best for clothes.

Or go a step further and read MSE Sarah's guide to flogging your rubbish for cash (even old loo rolls), for tips on selling perfume bottles, jam jars, etc.

12. It's time to DemoHOHOtivate yourself. If you're short of cash for Christmas, then consider whether you're willing to make some small sacrifices... I'm not saying you should, just it is worth considering. For example, if you stopped buying a daily matcha latte (darling) on the way to work, you may save £360 by Christmas. Our fun, but scary, DemoHOHOtivator tool lets you see how all YOUR little spends add up.

13. Organise! Shopping list, Christmas cupboards, and prepare to POUNCE. If you've a list of presents or other things to buy, be aware prices aren't static; they can move up and down (Amazon price tracker CamelCamelCamel shows eye-opening examples). There are ways to time it right with your more expensive buys...

- Start with a shopping list - knowing what you want always helps.
- Use Google Shopping to compare prices now, and tools such as PriceRunner to set the price you want to pay for an item, then be alerted when it drops to that price.
- Get a Christmas cupboard ready, so if you do buy early, wrap your prezzies, tag them, and forget about them until the big day.

Need-to-know: The one thing to be aware of with buying early...

Early buying can reduce stress and cost, but with presents bought early there is a risk, and it's one that the 4% of people in my pre-Christmas preparation poll who said they'd 'got a decent chunk of it done' need to be especially careful of...

Buy something, and find it's faulty, and you've 30 days to return it to get a full refund. See your consumer rights.
Buy online (not in store), and even if it's not faulty, as long as it isn't perishable or personalised, you have a right to return it, as long as you notify them within 14 days, and send it back within 14 days of notification.
Buy in store and many - not all - shops give you contractual 'return rights', letting you return items within a set time.

So timing matters. And while this doesn't outweight early prep, be aware that buy-early-give-later may diminish your rights.

14. Please DON'T borrow for Christmas... but if you will, at least ensure it's at 0%. Each year when I write this I tear my hair out a bit, and I've been doing this so long, no wonder I'm thinning! Borrowing for Christmas is a bad idea. My big message is DON'T DO IT - it's far better to cut your cloth accordingly. Yet I know some will do it regardless. If that's you, and you feel you've no choice (really think carefully whether that's true), then at least try to keep it interest-free...

Use a 0% spending card. This is a 0% credit card that gives you new borrowing at 0% for, in some cases, 2yrs. Done right, they're the cheapest way to borrow over the medium term. To see what you'll be accepted for, try our 0% Spending Card Eligibility Calculator. Normally with 0% cards, I'd say plan and budget to clear the debt before the 0% ends when the rate usually jumps to 25%+ APR. Yet here, try to clear it well before next Christmas, or it'll make things even worse then. If you can't do that, that's a big danger sign that you shouldn't be borrowing so much - it'll just compound the problem. And as always, stick within the credit limit and never miss a minimum monthly repayment or you can lose the 0% rate.
Or spread the cost short term with buy now, pay later. BNPL pops up almost every time you pay these days. It lets you spread the cost over, usually, 3mths with no interest. Remember though, it is debt, and you should think of it as that. Thankfully, a few months ago it became fully regulated, so you have more protection than you used to.

Even so, make sure it's planned and know how you can repay it. Think carefully whether you'll have enough cash over the next few months to cover it, even with other Christmas costs. And beware of doing it lots of times, it's easy to keep doing on a whim and forget how much you've spent. Be careful - though if you have to (far better, don't), it can be a cheap way to get you over the Christmas hump. More help in Buy now, pay later.

Need-To-Know: Struggling with debts? Get help now, not after the festivities

Christmas is often the catalyst that makes many people realise things need to change. That's why January is debt counsellors' busiest time. If you're struggling with debt, it's far better to recognise that now, before Christmas compounds the problems, and seek help when it's easier to make an appointment. My three tests for debt crisis are:

Are you struggling to make even the minimum monthly repayments on all your debts?
Do you have more than a year's worth of debt to repay (not counting student loans or mortgages)?
Are your money worries causing depression, anxiety or stopping you sleeping at night?

If the answer to any of these is yes, seek FREE non-profit debt counselling help now. You can go to StepChange, Citizens Advice, National Debtline or for emotional support too CAP. For far more info on this, see our debt problems help guide.

15. Choo-choo-se where you're travelling this Christmas soon. The cheapest advance train tickets usually go on sale around 12 weeks ahead of travel, so that's when to start looking if you want to bag a bargain (though for some routes they may be released a few weeks later). To ensure you snare a cheap festive fare, set yourself a reminder to start checking soon. For full info and more ways to save, make tracks to Cheap train tickets.

47. Lots more Crimbo cost-cutters. I haven't messed up the numbering system, just a final note that if you want more tips as we progress towards the festive season, check out our full 47 Christmas cost-cutters guide.

It's FREE WILLS season! Do you have an up-to-date one?
THREE big charity schemes are on (or about to start), so it's a great time to check

If you die without a valid will, rigid intestacy rules apply, meaning you don't have a say where your assets go, and you may also have to pay far more Inheritance Tax than you need. While if you die without an up-to-date will, your assets may go to the wrong people. So if you own your own home, have savings, investments, a business or people you'd like to look after when you're gone, you need a current will. Today there's a host of free or cheap will schemes, but first a bit more info...

- Unmarried and have a partner? This is especially important, as unless you're married (or have a legal Civil Partnership), your relationship mostly has no status in law, and they'd get nothing.

- Got married, or divorced, or had children since you did your will? In Eng, Wales & NI, your will is invalidated upon marriage - in Scotland it may have some validity, but lawyers strongly suggest you redo it. While if you get divorced or have children without updating your will, everything can get very confused and there's a risk it won't follow what you want. As forumite NedS posted in July: "We have recently updated our wills. This whole process was instigated after we saw Martin Lewis mention that getting married will void any previous wills, which we were completely unaware of, so result for MSE."

Three quick must-knows

Martin: 'For many people, a Power of Attorney (PoA) is just as, if not more, important than a will!' A will dictates what happens when you die, a Power of Attorney is for when you're alive but have lost the capacity to make decisions for yourself. Both are crucial - but if you lose capacity and need things to be paid, even for your own care, it can be a nightmare without a PoA. See our Power of Attorney guide for more help.'
Solicitors will often store your will in a safe place for free. If you're using one of these schemes, check if that's an option (you can also store it at home if you've a safe place). See Where can I store my will?
You can't put your pension in your will. Die before taking your private or company pension, and the provider/trustees decide what to do with it. An expression of wishes (or nomination) form tells them your preference - it's not binding, but usually does the job. Check you've done one and, if so, check it's up-to-date.

The gold standard for a will is for a solicitor to draft it, which normally costs £100s. Yet there are three charity schemes - open now or soon to open - which provide simple wills for cheap or free. Full help in our Cheap and free wills guide, but in brief...

Will Aid's the biggest scheme - bookings are now open.
Age 18+ | UK-wide | Solicitor-drafted | £120 suggested donation

With Will Aid, 100s of solicitor firms across the UK can draft a will for you in the hope that you will make a charitable donation. While the scheme is on in November, bookings are now open, so don't delay as it usually fills up quickly, though not every participating solicitor has opened up their book yet. If there's not a space near you immediately, keep checking over the coming weeks.

A single will has a suggested donation of £120, while a mirror will (where it's the same will, in reverse, for you and your spouse) has a suggested donation of £200. If you can't afford it, you can give less, but please don't game it as it's for charity. The donation is spread across eight charities (Age UK, British Red Cross, Christian Aid, Crisis, the NSPCC, Shelter, SCIAF, and Trócaire).
October is FREE Wills Month - available to those age 55+.
Age 55+ | In selected UK locations | Solicitor-drafted | FREE

This scheme's a winner if you're eligible, as you don't have to pay anything, and it's solicitor-drafted. Bookings aren't open yet, they start on 1 October. If it's right for you, diarise to do it on that day, as places tend to book up fast. There are two Free Wills Months a year, one in October and one in March, each covering different locations. The October month includes Birmingham, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Liverpool, Manchester, and Northern Ireland (see all October areas included).

It covers single and mirrors wills and is sponsored by National Trust, British Heart Foundation, Age UK, Marie Curie & more, in the hope you'll leave them a bequest (money in your will for when you die). The suggested amount is £300 or a small % of your estate, but it isn't compulsory. The scheme's been going 20+yrs and raises £30m/yr for good causes.
Octopus Legacy 'free' wills month is on in September & October.
Age 18+ | England & Wales | Solicitor checked but not drafted | FREE

Octopus Legacy runs its own 'free will' month for England and Wales - and it's on now. You've until 31 Oct to book, though again, appointments book up fast. Single wills and mirror wills are drafted by its team and overseen by a solicitor - unless it's very complex, where there'll be a discounted fee and a solicitor may do it all. Wills can be done online, via phone/video, in branch or during a home visit.

It does this in the hope you'll leave a bequest to one of 180+ charities supporting the scheme, though this isn't compulsory. The scheme has helped raise over £100m for charity to date.

For alternative cheap will options, including blagged deals, see our Cheap and free wills guide.

Martin: 'This is a very disappointing response that does little to help the millions of students already struggling with student loans!' Read Martin's detailed comment on Govt's latest student loan announcement.

Got Papa Johns reward points? Use them TONIGHT! It's increasing the amount of 'Papa Dough' you need to get 'free' food/drink from 9am tomorrow (Wed), so spend now to get max points. See what's changing (please eat responsibly).

News! Full new State Pension to rise to £13,000/yr next April... above the tax-free earnings limit! We now know the State Pension will likely rise 3.9% (due to the latest average earnings figures it's linked to), putting it at £13,000 - meaning for the first time someone on just the full new State Pension will earn over the frozen £12,570/yr personal allowance. Ex-Chancellor Rachel Reeves promised Martin those who only get this wouldn't pay tax - will the Govt keep this promise?

Energy prices are sky high - so are solar panels worth it? We've crunched the numbers to see how the maths now stacks up, plus there's a way to get £550 off in our updated Solar panels guide. Can you cut energy costs? A reminder: the Energy Price Cap jumps 3.6% on 1 Oct, so check if you can reduce the hit by doing a Cheap Energy Club comparison.

Tonight (Tue) 7pm ITV1 & ITVX: The Martin Lewis Money Show LIVE
Energy bills '20% rise' special: Martin vs the Secretary of State...

Martin: 'It now looks like the Price Cap may rise by over 20% in Jan. I'll take you through it, and what you can and can't do about it. Plus I'll put your questions to Sec of State for Energy Miatta Fahnbulleh on: 'what happened to £300 cheaper bills?', why we pay more than Europe, her plans for Standing Charges, heating oil, prepayment help, delinking gas prices, regional pricing, does green hurt or save, & more. Plus News You Can Use. Do watch.

Rare £40 off UK Center Parcs code (no min spend). For stays from 2 Jan 2027 at UK parks. Center Parcs tricks.

New. FREE £50 of shares when you invest £200+. 4,000 codes available. Newbies to huge global investment platform IG* can get £50 of free shares in random big US firms. a) Open its Share Dealing account using code MSE50. Once done, you can either use it or open a shares ISA or SIPP in order to... b) Deposit and invest £200+ by 30 Sep and keep it invested till 28 Feb 2027. IG offers a wide range of shares and ETFs with no platform or trading fees. You'll receive the shares by 31 Mar 2027, after which you either can sell/withdraw, or keep and see how they perform. Full info: £50 free shares.

Pizza Express 2for1 for £1 valid ANY day. Dine-in or click & collect. Get a pizza the savings in Pizza Express deals.

New 'Suicide Prevention Action Lab'. Martin's Money and Mental Health Policy Institute charity is teaming up with Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds, Monzo & Nationwide to pilot new approaches to preventing suicide. As he says: "Banks don't cause all these problems, but they're in a unique central position in people's financial lives, and we want to see if it's possible to take advantage of that to be able to spot when customers are in trouble and urgently direct them to the right support." Read more on How the suicide prevention lab will work. Got experience of money & mental health problems? Sign up for the MMHPI research community to help them help people.

Victorious sponge... Which supermarket takes the crown in our taste test? See the best Victoria sponge.

Martin video. A warning for parents - beware the hidden tax trap if you invest/save for your children. It's there to stop you putting all your money in their name, but you need to know how it works. Watch Martin's 90sec explainer or, better still, listen to his full Invest or save for children? podcast where he goes through all you need know in detail.

Asda £20 off a £60+ shop for online newbies. Easy bargain if you haven't used it before. Asda £20 off £60.

'I took your advice on going to Sky retentions and am saving £1,900' Success of the week. Chris emailed in after reading our Haggling with Sky guide: "My Sky subscription came up for renewal in July - I'd been paying £102/mth. The out-of-contract price would've been £151/mth. It may have taken four or five phone calls, but persistence paid off - my new contract is £72/mth. Over 24 months, that's a £720 saving against the old contract and almost £1,900 against the out-of-contract price. Thanks for the advice on talking to the retentions team!" If we've helped you save or reclaim (on anything), let us know. Related: Have you haggled in the last 6mths? Let us know in our Haggling poll.

DID YOU MISS?

- Three FREE McDonald's coffees throughout September
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- HMRC sending £70 pension top-up alert to low earners

Huge price cuts on deals for what were the Apple & Android Smartphone Kings until last week's new iPhone launch!
Eg, Samsung S26 with 100GB data now under £20/mth, so a total £466 over the 2yr contract. If you just bought the phone outright it'd cost you £880!

Last week, Apple launched its latest models - the Duo, the 18 Pro and the 18 Pro Max - with great fanfare and, no surprise, this latest tech is far from cheap (being an early adopter never is). Yet it does open a window to save on older models, and this week's a stonker - almost all of the handsets listed below, while not the very latest, are the cheapest we've ever seen. So if you need some new hardware, now's the perfect time to pounce on a deal. But first, consider...

The cheapest Sims if you're happy with your current phone. Don't get seduced into upgrading to a snazzy new handset - if your current phone works, you can get a much cheaper deal by switching Sims (the chip inside your phone that dictates your calls, mins and data allowance). You can do it in three easy steps:

1) Text 'INFO' to 85075 to check if you'll face any termination fees. If not, you're free to switch.
2) Use our Cheap Sim comparison to find the cheapest deal, including for your signal/network.
3) Text 'PAC' to 65075 to keep your number when switching. Often, you'll be offered a cheap deal to get you to stay. Here's a taster of the cheapest out there to help compare (all include free EU roaming):

- Lebara (on Vodafone's signal) 5GB '£2.70/mth' | 35GB '£3.37/mth'
- iD Mobile (on Three's signal) 15GB '£3/mth' | 36GB '£3.38/mth' | 99GB '£6.50/mth'
- TalkMobile (on Vodafone's signal) 100GB at '£7.37/mth'

Cheapest new model handsets (all deals include unlimited minutes & texts) For more choice, use our cheap handset finder or best handset on my budget tools.
Cheapest Samsungs
Samsung S26 FE (256GB) equiv £18/mth on iD Mobile (Three) with 100GB data on a 2yr contract.	- You pay £19 upfront, then £22.99/mth (£24.79/mth from 1 Apr 27 and £26.59/mth from 1 Apr 28) - You can CLAIM £200 cashback (on a prepaid Mastercard) via Samsung within 30 days of purchase. See full claim instructions. Factor it all in: Over the 2yr contract, it's a total of £414 (equiv £17.25/mth). Buying the handset outright: £799 from Samsung.
Samsung S26 (256GB) equiv £20/mth on iD Mobile (Three) via Mobiles.co.uk with 100GB data on a 2yr contract.	- You pay £25 upfront, then £26.99/mth (£28.79/mth from 1 Apr 27 and £30.59/mth from 1 Apr 28) - You can CLAIM £250 cashback (on a prepaid Mastercard) via Samsung within 30 days of purchase. See full claim instructions. Factor it all in: Over the 2yr contract, it's a total of £466 (equiv £19.42/mth). Buying the handset outright: £879 from Samsung.
Samsung S26 Ultra (256GB) equiv £32/mth on iD Mobile (Three) via Mobiles.co.uk with 25GB data on a 2yr contract.	- You pay £59 upfront, then £39.99/mth (£41.79/mth from 1 Apr 27 and £43.59/mth from 1 Apr 28) - You can CLAIM £300 cashback (on a prepaid Mastercard) via Samsung within 30 days of purchase. See full claim instructions. Factor it all in: Over the 2yr contract, it's a total of £762, (equiv £31.75/mth). Buying the handset outright: £1,279 from Samsung.
Cheapest iPhones
iPhone 16 (128GB) equiv £29/mth on O2 via Affordable Mobiles with 100GB data on a 2yr contract.	- You pay £155 upfront then £20/mth, (£22.50/mth from 1 Apr 27 and £25/mth from 1 Apr 28) Factor in the price rises: Over the 2yr contract, it's a total of £695 (equiv £28.96/mth). Buying the handset outright: £799 from Apple.
Cheapest Google Pixels
Google Pixel 11 (256GB) equiv £28/mth on iD Mobile (Three) via Carphone Warehouse with 25GB data on a 2yr contract.	- You pay £9 upfront then £24.99/mth, (£26.79/mth from 1 Apr 27 and £28.59/mth from 1 Apr 28) - Buy it before Wed 23 Sep to claim a FREE Google Pixel Case (worth £49.99), PixelSnap Ring Stand (£29.99) and PixelSnap Charger with Stand (£64.99). You must submit your claim 14 days AFTER purchase and before 7 Nov 2026. Factor in the price rises: Over the 2yr contract, it's a total of £651.96 (equiv £27.17/mth). Buying the handset outright: £879 from Google.
Throughout this table, we've listed the retailer through which you get the deal and the network. The retailer is responsible for the handset; the network is responsible for the contract.

More ways to further cut handset costs

Can you get cashback on top? Cashback sites may undercut deals elsewhere. Do check it's like for like though.
Refurbs are often far cheaper. Top-grade refurbished models are often just returns from customers who've changed their mind. Eg, a "pristine" refurbished Pixel 11 (released last month) is £609 vs £879 new. See our Refurb handset comparison.
Protect your device. Thieves don't just want the handset - they want your banking apps & personal data too. Learn how to set up biometrics, disable preview notifications and more in 16 tips to protect your phone from thieves.
Warning. Some firms charge the high handset cost even after your deal ends. So diarise when the handset is paid off and ensure you're only paying for airtime after that. More info in handset rip-off.

Martin: 'Do give this Question Time pod episode a try. It's one of the most fun we've done - a great intro to the very different listen that is Question Time if you've not tried it before...'

Is it time to become a stoozer? | I halved my car insurance by timing quotes! | What are my rights if I bought second-hand? Martin answers these questions from listeners & more in this week's must-listen Question Time podcast. Do give it a listen, via BBC Sounds | Apple | Spotify etc.

Do you invest or save for your children? Which is best? Plus top Junior ISAs, best funds, best kids' savings, does your child need a pension & more - all in Martin's new Big Topics pod. Listen via BBC Sounds | Apple | Spotify etc.

1 day only. Wetherspoon pubs 7.5% off food & drink. At 800+ pubs (no booze in Scot). Spoons saver (be Drinkaware)

M&S 'up to 50% off' sale. Incl Nike, Nobody's Child, Regatta & more, plus own-brand items. See our M&S sale analysis.

Last chance for State Pensioners earning £35,000+ to opt out of Winter Fuel Payment. All UK pensioner households will get up to £300 this winter, but it'll be clawed back automatically for individuals earning over £35,000/yr. If that's you, you may want to opt out of the Winter Fuel Payment. You've got till this Sun to do it online, or Fri over the phone.

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Up to 3GB data: Lebara, '£2.66/mth' for 3GB
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31GB+ data: Lebara, '£3.37/mth' for 35GB

MSE NEWS

- Top story: Firms urged to use plain language and signpost social tariffs in household bills report

MONEY MORAL DILEMMA

Should our younger daughter pay towards using our older daughter's birthday present? Our eldest daughter, who's 12, got a zookeeper experience for her birthday. On the day it was booked, she became anxious and didn't want to do it. As we'd booked zoo tickets for the rest of us, we still went - and let our other daughter, who's 10, do the experience instead so it wasn't wasted. She still has some money left from her own birthday, so should we ask her to give something to her older sister, so she hasn't completely lost out on a gift? Enter the Money Moral Maze: Should our younger daughter pay for using our older daughter's present? | Suggest a Money Moral Dilemma (MMD) | View past MMDs

MSE TEAM BLOG

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FREEBIES GALORE… free 1yr Apple TV, free £50 for teens, 4 free coffees, free £240 bank switch, birthday freebies and more!

2026-09-08T11:58:20.416-07:00

MoneySavingExpert's Money Tips Email

The top tips this week

How to save & invest for kids, incl...
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- Why most should be investing
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'How to stop loans for gambling addict?'

Martin pod: Parent alert | Fix energy?

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Use Eurostar loyalty points!

Urgent. Live in N.Ire & use heating oil?

Netflix hikes prices by up to £24/yr

Save on Picturehouse membership?

Poll: Haggled in the last 6mths?

Best buys: 40GB Sim £3/mth & more

MMD: How much rent should I charge jobless friend?

New, rare, FREE £50 deal for teenagers as part of...
How to save and especially invest for under-18s
Best buy Junior ISAs, children's savings & even kids' pensions. Plus the taxing question of... er... tax!

Martin: On my Question Time podcast this week, a parent got in touch and said: 'I'm useless with money, and feel I don't do the right thing with my children's.' I suspect this is quite common. Some parents who lack financial confidence or skills can feel a guilt that they may be subserving their kids because of it. So today I want us to try and help you with that.

As a nation, we're too risk-averse, which is why my biggest push is for parents or grandparents to consider investing for your child. And no, I don't mean Premium Bonds (which, as I'll explain, often underperform for children). So below, the team and I will run through...

New. FREE £50 for 13 to 17-year-olds. The Santander 123 Mini* children's bank account pays £50 into the account of new customers from age 13 up to and including age 17. To get the bonus, you need to deposit £50+ within 31 days. At that point, you can then withdraw the money and it'll still pay the cashback (it takes up to 60 days). The account itself offers a contactless debit card and tiered interest: a decent 3% on all savings in there if you've £1,500 to £2,000, 2% on £1,000 to £1,500 and 1% below £1,000 (nowt above £2,000). Yet, as you'll see below, it's beatable.

Child born 1 Sept 2002 to 2 Jan 2011? They'll have had a Child Trust Fund instead, read more on that below first.

You can save or invest for your child either in a normal account or within a Junior ISA (JISA) - a tax-free account wrapper which an under-18 can have up to £9,000 total paid into each tax year. Once in a JISA, the money stays tax-free year after year, so for those lucky enough to have it maxed out each year, it can end up in the £100,000s.

There are both cash JISAs, where the interest isn't taxable, and Shares JISAs where the investment gains and dividends aren't taxable. A child can have both, but the limit is still £9,000 added a year in total for the two.

JISAs must be opened by a parent or guardian with parental responsibility. At 16, the child can take control of it themselves. In a split family? Do co-ordinate with the other parent, so you're not both opening one, that can cause problems.

DON'T use JISAs for money your kids will need while they're kids. The money can't usually be withdrawn or touched til they're 18 (barring terminal illness and death), so it's only for money you're putting away for their long-term future.
DO use JISAs for money you want to lock away till they're adults. Once money is in a JISA, it's only accessible on their 18th birthday. So it's a simple way to lock money away for their future without them (or their parents) getting their hands on it. Yet on the day they turn 18, it's their money and is under their control. So, if you're putting it aside for them to use at Uni they may decide to buy a Harry Styles-themed camper van instead.
DO look at JISAs if your child may pay tax, especially if their money comes from parents. This isn't that important for smaller amounts, as most children don't pay tax. This isn't a special "children's rule" - they are mostly taxed like adults, but that means they can usually earn £12,570 from any source income tax-free and most kids don't earn over that.

Yet money given by parents is different for under-18s. If an individual child earns £100 or more a year, in interest or dividends, from money given to them by a specific parent or step-parent (not grandparents, aunties, uncles or others) it's all taxable as if it were the parent's income. This is to stop parents stashing their own cash in their child's name. So if the parent has used up their Personal Savings Allowance or dividend allowance and pays tax on income, their child will too. That's when JISAs really count, as the money given by parents isn't taxable.

Martin: Using a Junior ISA, most should be going for shares not cash...

Watch Martin answer above on last week's ITV This Morning phone-in where a grandma asked Martin, 'where's the best place to save for my new grandchild for when they're older?'

If you're locking money away in a Junior ISA until your child is 18, I'd strongly urge you to consider using the money to invest rather than save (or, if nervous, invest at least some of it). The reason comes from looking at...

The two big 'when to invest' rules.

It should be money you don't need to use for now. And if you're putting money in a Junior ISA, unless the child is nearly 18 already, they can't need it or you wouldn't be locking it away.
And it should also be money put away long term (say 5+yrs). JISAs lock money away until they're 18. So as most start when the children are young, that is long term.

So clearly JISAs often hit the sweet spot for when to invest...

Investing means your money is put in assets such as shares, corporate bonds and more, in the hope that you get far higher growth, but at the risk you could end up with less than you put in - or even nothing. Yet if you aim for a wide spread of investments (more on how to easily do that below), as most beginners should, that helps mitigate the risk. Do that and, on the big balance of probabilities, over the long term investing will hopefully substantially outperform savings - in which case your kids will have a far bigger nest egg.

Of course, many worry about volatility and markets are, by definition, volatile. That's why seeing this as a long-term thing is crucial. That way, over time the short-term ups and downs will hopefully smooth out. Plus, if it's long term, there's less risk you'll feel forced to sell at a bad time. After all, as the maxim goes: "Time in the markets beats timing the market." So I suggest you don't look at the investment every day, that's scary, and can lead to poor decisions. Nothing is guaranteed with investing, of course, it is about risk - do look at how my TV audience were shocked when I showed them them this investing-vs-saving graph.

Where to invest.... the top Junior Shares ISAs

Buying individual shares is highly risky for beginner investors. Instead, use a 'fund', which owns lots of different shares, or bonds, or other assets, and you get a merged performance of them all. And within the choice of funds, the easiest are tracker funds - they usually have low fees and simply track the performance of a specific index, eg the S&P 500 (big firms on US stockmarket companies) or the FTSE 100 (big firms on UK stockmarket) etc.

On my Investing for beginners podcast... Ed Marshall of Deans Wealth Management, said: "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 [over a thousand of] the world's largest companies, but then you can buy global tracker funds that will buy even more shares, so instead of just 200 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."

You can buy funds via a platform - this is a bit like how you buy gig tickets through a ticket website, though unlike ticket websites, platforms can be cheaper than going direct to the fund manager. There's lots of options

Happy to DIY pick and do your research? You can use a platform that lets you pick individual funds yourself. We've not done a full comparison but I'm talking the likes of Hargreaves Lansdown* and Fidelity* which have no management fees for their Junior ISAs (though funds still have their own fees) and AJ Bell.
New to investing? Robo-investors, for example Aviva's Wealthify* and Moneyfarm*, automatically pick for you from a far more limited range of funds (sometimes their own funds). They do this by 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 my Investing for beginners guide, and in Top JISAs.

And JISAs are a very important tax protection for shares and funds.

The fact you invest within a JISA means any gains or dividends aren't taxable. Capital Gains Tax is the tax you pay on profits, and children are eligible to pay it just like adults. This means they have a £3,000 allowance each tax year. That sounds a lot for children, but the way Capital Gains works means it isn't as big as it seems.

Imagine you bought a fund for £9,000 and 10 years later, it'd done well and you sold it for £30,000. The Capital Gain is £21,000 - and all of it crystallises in that tax year. The fact you'd held it for 10 years is immaterial, even if you'd never made another Capital Gain in all that time. This is why Capital Gains Tax can be so big.

Outside an ISA you're taxed on profits above £3,000 in the year, so in a simple case £18,000 would be taxable (the rates are 18% or 24% depending on your income), whereas within a JISA it would all be tax-free.

PS: Big thanks to Kate Gannon of Themis Wealth Management for casting an eye over this for me as it's a regulated area.

If you or your children want to put money away in savings you can access and use, you need a specific kids' savings account, as most adult accounts are for age 18 or over. Yet the good news is children's rates may be higher, which banks can do as the maximum amounts aren't huge (they want child customers in the hope they may end up buying a wee person's custom for life).

There's no limit to the number of accounts or types you can have. All these accounts are taxable savings, though as explained above, most children won't pay tax. And all listed have the full UK £120,000 savings safety protection.

Top EASY ACCESS children's savings accounts
Simple savings accounts you can put money in and withdraw when you want. As they're 'variable', the rate can drop so do monitor it (or better, get your kids to if they're old enough, as a financial education lesson).
Nationwide FlexOne Saver	5% on up to £5,000 (linked to the FlexOne children's current account, which has a debit card, which you must open first).	For ages 11 to 17. Parent or guardian must apply for under-13s in branch. Older children can apply online. Yet all can manage online, via app or in branch.
Kent Reliance Children's Saver	4.18% on £10 to £25,000. This is a savings account, so no cards.	For ages 0 to 17. Open and manage via post or in branch. Parent or guardian must apply for under-7s. Open and manage via post or in branch.
HSBC MySavings	3.75% on £10 to £3,000. At 11, child gets a linked MyAccount current account with debit card and online/app banking.	For ages 7 to 17. Parent or guardian must apply in branch (or online if they bank with HSBC). Parents can pay money in, but only the child can withdraw money. Until age 11, child must deposit & withdraw in branch, after that they can do it online or app via its MyAccount current account.
Santander 123 Mini*	3% on £1,500 to £2,000, 2% on £1,000 to £1,499, 1% on £1 to £999. It's a current account, from age 11, your child can choose from a debit card or an ATM withdrawal only card. FREE £50 for 13-17 year olds when you open an account online and save £50+ within 31 days (see full info above).	Ages 0 to 17. Parent or guardian must apply on behalf of U13s in branch and have Santander current account. Children aged 13+ can apply online. Parent manage it online, via app, phone or in branch until their child is 11.
Lloyds Bank / Bank of Scotland	2.25% on £1 to £5,000. Savings account which can only be opened/managed by parents.	Ages 0 to 15. We've included this as it can be opened online - but only if the parent or guardian has a current or savings account with Lloyds/BoS. And it's the parent who must open it and manage online

Easy-access accounts aren't the only ones out there worth looking at...

Top children's FIXED savings. Here, the rate is guaranteed for a set period, but the money can't be accessed (so useful if you want to lock it away until they're a few years older). The top fixes are State Bank of India 1yr, 2yr & 3yr all at 4.65% (min £1,000), Saffron BS 1yr at 4.1% & 2yr at 4.15% (min £500), Cambridge BS 3yr 4.15% (min £1,000)
Top children's REGULAR savings. These are for when you put money aside every month. Principality BS pays 4% fixed for 3yrs for ages 0 to 15yrs. You can save up to £150/mth and you can skip months, but no withdrawals are allowed, so you'd need to close the account to get money out early. More options in top children's regular savers.
Top Junior cash ISAs. If you want to lock money away until your child is 18 and have decided a shares ISA isn't for you. A cash ISA lets you do that where the savings interest isn't taxable. The top rate is Leek BS 3.85% and it's available via post or branch as are quite a few others at 3.75%+ (see top Junior cash ISAs). For online access, the government-owned financial institution NS&I pays 3.7% (it used to be known as National Savings).

Already got a Junior cash ISA? If your child already has a Junior ISA that pays less, you can transfer it to any of these to earn more - or shift it to a shares ISA. Just apply for the new Junior ISA, fill in the transfer form and the new provider will move it for you.

Martin: Are Premium Bonds good for children?

For years, many people, especially grandparents, have gifted children Premium Bonds. And frankly, many would've done better sticking with normal top savings (or even better investing for longer term). Premium Bonds are govt-backed savings, where the interest is based on a prize draw. The current prize rate is 4.35% so that's less than the 5% top kids' savings - and even then, this prize rate overestimates what most people will actually win with typical luck (see Are Premium Bonds worth it? for a full explanation why). Premium Bonds are best for:

Those with over £5,000, as then you've a better chance of earning closer to the published prize fund rate. With less, the odds are, with typical luck, you'll win little or nothing.
Those who pay tax on their savings interest and have used up their ISA allowances, as Premium Bond winnings are always tax-free.

As most children have small amounts of savings and aren't taxpayers, Premium Bonds are less appealing. Of course, there's the ludicrously small chance your child will win a million - but hey, they could also toss a coin and have it land on its edge.

So if you're thinking of putting £1,000 or less into Premium Bonds for a child, note that with average luck our Premium Bonds Probability Calc shows they're likely to win nowt over a year (try it based on your scenario).

All UK children aged roughly 14 to 23 (born 1 Sept '02 to 2 Jan '11) were automatically given a CTF. It's the tax-free predecessor of the Junior ISA, and works almost exactly the same way: the money being locked away till your child is 18.

If your child had a CTF, you can't open a JISA unless you transfer the CTF into the Junior ISA first (see below for how) - if not it can be a nightmare (see we're losing £1,000s in our JISA because we didn't know they had a CTF). Yet there is one big difference between CTFs and JISAs...

...the state paid in £250 to start CTFs off (£500 for those in lower-income families), so even no one else added to it, every child of that age had some money in. Unfortunately, many have lost track of it. What you do depends on your situation:

Know where the CTF is, and the child is still under 18? Consider transferring to a Junior ISA. CTF savings rates are poor as it's now a dead account, and financial advisers tell me the choice of investments isn't that great in the shares version either. The good news is if your child has a CTF, you can convert it to a Junior ISA, where the rates are better. This can be the same type of JISA eg cash to cash, or a different type, eg, cash to shares. To do it, you just apply for the Junior ISA and fill in the CTF details in the transfer section. For all the details, read the Junior ISA section above.
Don't know where your CTF is? You may have £1,000s sitting in one! Official stats show 760,000 may have a CTF and aren't aware of it, with an average balance of £2,000 (though this can vary hugely with age, whether it was an investment, and whether any money was added). Martin's video takes you through how to locate it.

- If you already know your CTF provider, you can contact it directly.
- If you don't know your provider, there is a FREE tool via Gov.uk to help you find it - there's absolutely no need to pay. Parents can do it for under-18s, and over-16s can do it themselves (and yes even if you're over 18 you can still trace the money, it's yours!).
- You should get a response from HM Revenue & Customs within three weeks, telling you which provider has your cash. See our Reclaim your Child Trust Fund guide for full detail.

Delightfully, Kirsty emailed to say: "As an adoptive family we didn't know anything about Child Trust Funds until I read one of your newsletters. I followed the advice, was informed where the funds were originally set up, and we found both funds were valued at about £1,000 each. Thank you so much for raising our awareness."
Over 18 and got/had a Child Trust Fund? If you do (or did) nothing at the age of 18, your CTF will mature into the same provider's cash or investment ISA, which may well be pants. So it's worth you locating the money, and making a proper decision. See our what to do with maturing Child Trust Funds / Junior ISAs help.

Your child can have a pension too - and get tax relief!

If you're lucky enough to have enough spare cash after you've maxed your children's JISA , then starting a pension for your child is worth considering. It may also make a great gift from grandparents (though parents need to open it), so a newborn now may remember how you helped them in over half a century's time.

Pension rules allow even those who don't earn anything, of any age, to get the equivalent of 20% tax relief. That means for every £80 saved in a child's pension, the pension firm automatically tops it up for the state, with what's called 'relief at source', so your child gets £100. The max someone who doesn't pay tax can put away is £2,880/yr, meaning they get £3,600 saved.

On current rules, the money will be locked away until they're at least 57 (my guess is likely older by the time today's children retire). Yet as it's almost always better to start pension saving early, as it has so many decades to grow, this is a great start. For more and help how to do it see should I open a pension for my child?

New. Easy hack gets a year's totally FREE (£90) Apple TV
All you have to do is sign up for a fee-free credit card. Plus... it's a top 0% balance transfer deal for those who also have debt to shift

This new Barclaycard Platinum fee-free credit card deal gives all accepted cardholders who don't already have a Barclaycard (and haven't in the last 6mths), a year's free subscription to Apple TV as a sign-up perk. It normally costs £10/mth or £90/yr. You've two options with this...

1) How to do it just for the free Apple TV. Use our eligibility calc to apply, as it'll show you whether you're likely to be accepted first - if not, don't bother. Then get the card and wait for up to 90 days, when you'll be emailed a code to redeem your free Apple TV (you've till 5 June 2028 to do it). Of course, it wants you to then use the card, but you don't need to - you can just do nothing or cancel the card after you've redeemed your code.

Already pay for Apple TV? You'd need to cancel your subscription and wait before redeeming the new 12mths - either until the end of the month if paid monthly, or the year if paid annually (you've until 2028 to redeem it so it isn't an issue).
Will applying affect my credit score? This is a common question on these types of deal. All credit applications have a short-term, minimal impact on your file (hence why we say go via the eligibility calc to see if you'll be accepted first). Yet for most people with decent credit scores, as long as you're not imminently due to apply for 'important debt', it's not a biggie. Normally, the examples of 'important debt' we give are a mortgage or a balance transfer - but here it's only a mortgage, as if you're doing a balance transfer, this card does that anyway...

2) It's a top balance transfer card for cutting existing card debt costs too. The Barclaycard Platinum credit card also lets you shift debt on existing cards to it for up to 36mths 0% with a 3.15% fee (link via our eligibility calc, which if it shows you as pre-approved, means you'll get the full 36mths 0% - if not, it can be 36, 32 or 18mths - the calc will also show other top 0% transfers). You can see how it compares to the rest of the market below - but first, when choosing...

Go for the lowest-fee card with a 0% term long enough to clear your debt. The longer the 0%, the bigger the one-off fee (eg, 3% = £30 per £1,000 of debt shifted), so shorter 0% cards are cheaper. Unsure? Play safe & go long.
Usually rejected when you apply? There are poorer-credit 0% cards in the Eligibility Calc. Plus, our free MSE Credit Club can analyse your credit issues (easiest route is via the MSE App on Apple | Android).

Top new cardholder 0% balance transfers Links via Eligibility Calc to show if you'll be accepted
LONGEST 0% deals - you pay a fee but have longer to clear
DEFINITE long 0% cards, so ALL accepted get the full 0% length. So, if you've decent acceptance odds, you know exactly what you'll get, making 'em the top choice.
HSBC (existing customers use this link) Definite 36mths 0% (3.09% fee). 24.9% rep APR after.
Virgin Money Definite 36mths 0% (3.1% fee). 24.9% rep APR after.
'UP TO' long 0% card (so some get a shorter deal) but with added perk
New FREE Apple TV for a year if accepted Barclaycard Up to 36mths 0% (3.15% fee). 24.9% rep APR after. Via our Eligibility Calc you'll be told whether you're pre-approved for the full 36mths 0%. If not, you could get 36, 32 or 18mths 0%, you can only find out by applying. As explained, you get the Apple TV if accepted - you could see this as an effective £90 reduction in the fee if you were paying for Apple anyway. Barclays current account customers applying via its app also get £20 cashback when you balance transfer £2,500 within 60 days.
Longest 0% but it's an 'up to' so not all get it and it's not in our Eligibility Calc
TSB Up to 38mths 0% (higher 3.49% fee). 24.9% rep APR after. NOT in our eligibility calc, the link goes direct. Some accepted customers get 32 or 35mths 0%.
Top NO-FEE 0% deals, cheaper if you can clear the debt far more quickly
Virgin Money Definite 12mths 0% (NO FEE). 24.9% rep APR after.
Barclaycard Up to 12mths 0% (NO FEE). 24.9% rep APR after. Via our Eligibility Calc you'll be told whether you're pre-approved for the full 12mth 0%. If not, you could get 12 or 6mths 0%, which you can only then find out by applying.

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's often not 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.
e) Try not to borrow more, if you've already built up debt, you won't get rid of it with further borrowing.

Martin's 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.

News. HMRC sending letters saying "you're due £70ish" to low earners with a workplace pension. HMRC's writing to around ONE MILLION lower earners to let them know if they're eligible for a top-up as they weren't given enough tax back. It's typically worth around £70, but can be more. What to watch out for & how to ensure it's not a scam.

Four FREE McDonald's coffees throughout September. No minimum spend required. Don't mind if I brew...

Easy FREE £240 cash to switch bank - biggest bonus of the year so far. New switchers who apply to Santander's Everyday account* get a FREE £240. We told you about it in full detail in our biggest free cash of the year note last week (which we've updated for you), so this is a reminder in case you missed it.

It's big beauty Advent calendar time! Over 20+ incl Selfridges £1,180 of items £250, Glossybox £547 for £90. Stores are already launching this year's festive offerings, and these beauty bundles can be a great way of getting items you'd normally buy for cheaper, or to split up as gifts. See MSE Olivia's beauty Advent bargains.

How long will NatWest's top 4.55% easy-access savings last? We honestly have no clue - yet we know it's hugely popular, and suspect it'll shut its doors once it hits a 'new accounts' target. So if you want it, soonest is safest. The account is the First Active (part of NatWest) 4.55%* easy-access saver (min £1, max £1m - includes a 1yr 1.5% bonus). It's unbeatable for larger amounts, though it limits withdrawals to £10,000 a time and £20,000 a day. If you've more saved, you need to close the account to withdraw the whole lot. App-only Tembo also pays 4.55%* (includes a 1.55% 1yr bonus), but that's max £20,000 and you need to keep £1+ in it for a year to get the bonus. For those saving under £5,000, there are a few accounts that pay higher rates. See Top savings accounts for full info and alternatives.

214 spring bulb bundle £16 delivered. MSE Blagged. 15,000 sets available. Plant now and they should flower for spring next year. Via Thompson & Morgan.

'OMG! I saved an incredible £350 on car insurance thanks to your tips - kerching!' Success of the week. Judith emailed: "I always read your tips. This is my first year retired, so saving the pennies is paramount. OMG! I followed your 26-day tip! I popped the day in the calendar and it coincided with a renewal quote from my insurer for £667. Last year's was £408 and I set myself a target of beating that by following your guide. Then I pressed the 'Get Quotes' button [on your Car Insurance Compare+ tool]...and I won!! NCD protection, legal protection, windscreen cover, additional driver, the list went on and the price... £318 all in!! An incredible £349 saved. Kerching!! Can't thank you and your team enough for making it so easy. If we've helped you save or reclaim (on anything), let us know.

Martin video: Child in secondary school? Prep now for the hidden uni parental contribution. Each new school year brings your child closer to uni age. If they do go, there's a hidden parental contribution - often £1,000s/yr - especially for those from England. Most parents aren't warned to save in advance, so watch Martin's parents' warning video and listen to his full the hidden uni cost podcast. And try our How much to save for uni? calc.

50+ birthday FREEBIES, eg, M&S, Krispy Kreme, Costa & more. Statistically, September is the most common month for birthdays, and some firms give you freebies just for getting older. Birthday freebies

Ends Thu. 150Mb broadband + Sky Stream (incl Netflix & Discovery+) '£29/mth'. As well as broadband, with this Sky deal newbies get Sky Stream Essential TV, which includes basic Sky channels plus Netflix and Discovery+ ( ad versions). It's £32/mth, and you'll be emailed a choice of a £80 prepaid Mastercard or shopping voucher within 4mths of your first bill (check your junk). Factored in, it's £28.67/mth over the 2yr contract. While the price could rise, likely in April 2027 and 2028, if it does, you'll be able to leave the contract penalty-free. Want other options? Use our full broadband comparison.

How to stop loans for a gambling addict? | Am I short-changing my kids on their savings? | Does Section 75 work if you pay with vouchers? Martin answers these questions from listeners & more in this week's must-listen Martin's Question Time podcast. Do give it a listen, via BBC Sounds | Apple | Spotify etc.

Kids starting or in senior school? Why you need to look at Uni costs NOW | Fix energy bills, or refix if already fixed? | Flight delay rights | Wear uniform? Get tax back. Plus restaurant workers' secrets, all in Martin's new Big Topics pod. Listen via BBC Sounds | Apple | Spotify etc.

BLAGGED FOR MSE

- 214 spring bulb bundle £16 delivered 15,000 sets available

DID YOU MISS?

- FREE visits to 7,500+ historic buildings & heritage sites
- FREE Popeyes chicken burger
- Ends Thu. TWO pairs of branded prescription specs from £25
- Ends Thu. 25% off railcards code
- Top student bank account gives 0% overdraft, 4yr railcard & £20

Martin: Can you join THE PENSION RECLAIMERS?
'Thanks, I've just found a pension worth £47,000! I had no recollection I'd paid into it. It was back in my early 20s'
(And I would reclaim £50,000, and you can reclaim £50,000 more... da lat da...)

This really is worth singing about. Back in June, in this email, on my podcast and on telly, I shouted about the estimated £65 BILLION in unclaimed personal and workplace pensions (not the State pension) - urging you to check whether you had any and trace 'em. First successes trickled in, and now it has turned into a bit of a flood. Clearly, it takes a couple of months for it all to play out. So I want to celebrate the successes to encourage more of you to give it a go. There's full info in our how to find old pensions guide, but in brief...

Why you may have lost track. It's often a mix of changing jobs several times and not updating your old employer or pension provider when you move home. Combine this with firms merging or changing names, and it's easy to lose track. And, of course, it's easy to lose track of deceased relative's assets too. Debs emailed us last month:

"I used the Gretel website [see below] and found a pension pot worth £47,000! I had zero recollection of paying into this pension - it was my early 20s, and I've just turned 60. Thank you MSE."

There are two routes to reclaim, best is to TRY BOTH....
Route 1: The Official Way (covers more firms).
- Dig out any old paperwork and try contacting past employers first
- No luck? Try the Govt's official Pension Tracing Service tool. You tell it the name of the employer or pension provider you remember and it has up-to-date contact details (including where firms have changed names or been taken over)
- Once you've got the details, contact the pension provider (you'll usually need to provide ID) to see if you have a pension there. As Bernie emailed in July:

"I found a piece of paper stating I'd paid £303 to a pension in 1989 for about a year. I traced it using your advice via Gov.uk thinking I'd get the cash back plus a small amount of interest. Turns out I have over £19,000 and if I leave it for two years until I'm 60, it'll be worth over £20,000."
Route 2: The Fintech Way (easier to do but fewer firms)
Fintech firm Gretel is free. You needn't remember the names of your past workplaces or pension providers as it does a 'soft search' on your credit report (one that doesn't impact your credit score) to check your identity and match you with past addresses where you may have accounts registered. It's not just pensions, it also looks for lost investments, savings and bank accounts. Once you're signed up, it re-runs the search every fortnight, so if there's a hit with a new firm, it'll tell you.

- How is it free? Financial firms have a responsibility to "make reasonable efforts" to reunite people with their lost assets. Some firms pay Gretel to do this for them, as it's likely cheaper than tracking people down themselves. Hence it's free.

- How does it compare to the official route? It's far easier to use as it does it all for you, results are quicker, and I've had good feedback. Yet it only works with institutions signed up to it, so there can be many providers missing compared with the official route, which is why I'd do the other route as well.
You can search for deceased relatives' pensions too. If you are the executor, administrator, or someone else with authority to act, you can search for an old pension on behalf of someone who's died with both routes above. Just select that you're searching for someone else. Though at some point in most processes, you'll be asked to prove you're legitimately doing so (eg, death certificate, Letters of Administration, or Grant of Probate).

Yet even if you find a pension (or death benefit), whether it is payable - and who gets it - depends on the pension type, scheme rules and any nomination. In some cases, it won't be passed on. See how to recover deceased relatives' assets for more help. Kirsty did, and emailed us in August:

"My father sadly passed away in May 2024. After seeing an MSE email mentioning Gretel, I registered and added my father as a third party. Gretel was able to provide a match, and I contacted the provider. This week, the pension paid out over £58,000, which meant that my two siblings and I each received over £19,000 from a pension we had no idea existed. I want to say thank you to Martin. I hope sharing our experience encourages others to check whether they might have lost assets they do not know about."
You can reclaim other lost assets too...
- Trace lost bank accounts, savings accounts and Premium Bonds
- Find lost investments and insurance policies.

FREE Greggs breakfast roll & hot drink , plus more deals for some who ride the bus this Sept. It's Catch the Bus Month, so check if your local bus company is offering perks. See Deals on the bus.

Got Eurostar loyalty points? Use them before 29 October to maximise your miles. See Eurostar warning.

Live in Northern Ireland and use heating oil? Check if you qualify for new £100 support. Help is finally available to those in NI struggling with the high heating oil prices as a result of the Middle East conflict. From tomorrow (Wed), 340,000 households can get a £100 voucher to help buy home heating oil - check now if you qualify. It follows similar schemes for Eng, Wal and Scot (though the Wal/Scot schemes close on 30 Sep, so go quick). See full Heating oil help

Netflix hikes prices by up to £24/yr. Check how much your plan's rising, plus tips to save on streaming. Netflix hikes

Picturehouse to overhaul membership scheme - can you save on cinema tix by signing up now? See Picturehouse shake-up analysis.

Haggled with Sky, BT, the AA or others in the last six months? Did you succeed? Haggling can land big savings on insurance, broadband, breakdown cover and more. Every 6mths, we try to gauge the success rates of those who have done it. If you've got cheaper prices, extra goods or better deals, please vote in our haggling poll.

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AT A GLANCE BEST BUYS

Top definite 0% card: HSBC (check eligibility; existing customers use this link), 36mths 0%, 3.09% fee, 24.9% rep APR
No-fee 0%: Virgin (check eligibility) 12mths 0%, 24.9% rep APR

Free £240: Santander
Free £220: HSBC

Fast fibre (100Mb+): Sky '£19.84/mth'
Ultrafast fibre (900Mb+): Sky '£22.17/mth'

On Universal Credit or similar? Check all discounted social tariffs

Car: Use our Compare+ Car Insurance tool
Home: Use our Compare+ Home Insurance tool
Travel: Use our Compare+ Travel Insurance tool

£5,000 to £7,499: M&S Bank (check eligibility), 6.9% rep APR
£7,500 to £15,000: M&S Bank (check eligibility), 5.9% rep APR

Top easy-access savings: First Active 4.55%, min £1
Top easy-access ISA: Trading 212 4.61%, min £1
Top one-year fix: Family Building Society 4.88%, min £10k

Use our whole-of-market Cheap Energy Club

Up to 3GB data: Lebara, '£2.66/mth' for 3GB
4GB to 9GB data: Lebara, '£2.70/mth' for 5GB
10GB to 30GB data: Lebara, '£3/mth' for 10GB
31GB+ data: iD Mobile, '£3.42' for 40GB

MONEY MORAL DILEMMA

How much should I charge my friend who stayed with me after losing his job? A friend lost his job and asked to stay at my place for two weeks. I agreed, as long as he contributed to household bills and food shopping when he got a new job as my costs would rise. He and all his belongings ended up staying for three months. My rent and bills come to £1,400 a month. Now he's back in work, how much should I ask him for? And should I ask for monthly payments or give him longer to pay? Enter the Money Moral Maze: How much should I ask my friend to pay for staying with me? | Suggest a Money Moral Dilemma (MMD) | View past MMDs

MSE TEAM BLOG

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MARTIN'S APPEARANCES (WED 9 SEP ONWARDS)

Thu 10 Sep - Ask Martin Lewis, BBC R5 Live, noon
Tue 15 Sep - This Morning, ITV1, 10.20am
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Warning: The energy bill hike coming is voluntary (incl exclusive deals), new FREE £240 cash, urgent Starbucks alert, 4.55% savings, £4 cinema tix

2026-09-01T12:17:03.815-07:00

THE TOP TIPS IN THIS EMAIL

Warning. Energy bill hike is voluntary!
- On a Standard tariff? Get off it
- Cheapest FIXED TARIFFS
- On a fix? What you pay will drop

New. Huge FREE £240 cash

Save for kids' uni now? 12 Sept savers

FREE Popeye's chicken burger

Top 4.55% easy-access savings

Martin: 'Govt should find & fix 100 small things'

25% off railcards code

Google Pixel 10a £15/mth

Last chance to vote for Martin!

Urgent. Starbucks alert

Council Tax budgeting trick

FREE rare heritage site visits

This weekend only. £4 cinema tix

Ben & Jerry's + two pizzas £5

Martin: 'Hurrah - good bailiffs news'

TWO pairs of prescription specs £25

TransUnion credit scores to change

60% off organic fruit & veg boxes

Newly self-employed? Urgent deadline

FREE A Place in the Sun Live tix

Best buys: 36mth 0% debt shift & more

MMD: Should I charge my sister rent?

Martin's Warning...
Energy prices for most will rise to their highest in THREE YEARS... but remember for many the rise is VOLUNTARY!
Here's his full help for those on STANDARD DEALS and for those ALREADY FIXED...

Bad News. Last week Ofgem announced that its domestic Price Cap (for Eng, Scot & Wales) for the 3mths starting 1 October will RISE, even factoring in the Govt's scrapping of electricity VAT for six months, which starts on the same date. Remember, the Price Cap only applies to those on firms' standard tariffs, not those on fixes or special deals - yet that's still 60% of homes. Here's a key facts summary of the Price Cap rise...

The 3.6% average RISE is on top of July's 12.6% rise. So the Oct to Dec price will be 17% higher than April.
The last time it was higher was Summer 2023. Which was just after the major hikes from the Ukraine war receded.
The big rise is for gas users. Each unit of gas will on average cost 9% more than now, with the Standing Charge up 2%.
It's not as bad if you're elec-only. The elec Unit Rate's up less than 1% on average, and the Standing Charge is falling.
You DON'T need to let this happen. If you're on a standard tariff, you can do a cheap fix comparison. Don't just stick with your existing firm though - most don't have cheap deals right now.
The Cap is currently predicted to rise again in Jan. It's a bit of crystal ball gazing, but analysts say up 13%.

Let me take you through step-by-step, including exclusive best deals, leading on WHAT TO DO IF YOU'RE...

1. On a Standard tariff? Unsure? Then you likely are.
2. Already on a Fixed tariff? Note: what you'll pay will drop.

The Price Cap was designed to be a back-stop for those who can't switch, yet far too many are on it - even Ofgem is urging you to ditch it. That's hard to do if you're on prepayment, but for those who pay other ways, it's worth urgently investigating. If you're ready to, you can just skip straight to fix now and save 8% if you don't want the detail first...

How to check if you're on a Price-Capped tariff. If you're not on a fix or special deal, you are likely to be on the Price Cap. These are firms' standard default consumer tariffs, often called 'Standard Variable' or 'Flexible' tariffs - the ones you're on if you've not switched or you had a deal that ended and did nothing. The most common ones are...
British Gas Standard Variable | EDF Standard (Variable) | E.on Next Next Flex | Octopus Flexible Octopus | Outfox Fox Standard Variable | Ovo Simpler Energy | Scottish Power Standard | So Energy So Flex

The rise will be an average 3.6% but varies heavily with use and area... The Cap isn't about how much firms can charge you in total - it's per Unit Rate and the daily Standing Charge. And barring small firm Home Energy, they all usually charge virtually the max. The new 1 Oct Price Cap Direct Debit average UK rates, including VAT when it's charged, are as follows, though for the specifics for where you live see the regional Cap rates.

	Unit Rate	Standing Charge
Electricity	26.32p/kWh (was 26.11p) UP 0.8%	54.83p/day (was 57.19p) DOWN 4.1%
Gas	7.97p/kWh (was 7.33p) UP 8.7%	29.68p/day (was 29.04p) UP 2.2%

This is an average rise of 3.6%, so for every £100 it costs you now on average you'll pay £103.60 from October, though of course it varies with usage. It would've been even worse without the electricity VAT cut that also starts on 1 October, as otherwise on 'typical use' it would've been a rise of roughly 6.2%.

PS: I'm oft asked 'does the Cap ever go down, and why does it always rise in Winter' I answered that here.

FIX now to save immediately and avoid the price hike... A fix simply means the Unit Rates and Standing Charges are locked in, so they CAN'T RISE for the length of the fix, typically a year. So if you fix now for less than you currently pay, you can avoid the price rises, getting rid of some of the worry. Though of course if you use more, you'll pay more. There are other tariff options (see below), but for most, a fix is the easiest and simplest choice.

- Today's fixes are up to 8% LESS than the current Cap, so you'd save immediately.
- When the Cap rises in October, they won't rise as they're fixed, so then they'll be 11% LESS.

Your exact saving and winner depends on location & usage though. Because of that, and as deals change all the time, the links take you through our Cheap Fix Comparison.

Cheapest FIXED TARIFFS: Most are exclusive market-beaters, unavailable direct All links via our comparison to give you a bespoke result (you can see exact Standing Charges & Unit Rates in your region there)
Currently, over-a-year-LONG fixes are cheapest.
These give you price certainty for longer. Yet today's rates are high and may look far less competitive in a year if the Middle East conflict de-escalates. So if you choose to go long, do also focus on low exit penalties, which let you lock in for peace of mind - but with a get-out-of-jail-cheap card, if you want to ditch it for something cheaper later.
Fuse Energy August 2026 Fixed (24m) V1 24mth fix - New customers only - Dual fuel and single fuel - Monthly variable Direct Debit only	Save avg 8.1.% compared with today's Price Cap (11.3% from Oct), incl £20 MSE dual-fuel cashback. - £50/fuel early-exit fees. So £100 to leave gas & elec before fix ends - No smart meter needed
Fuse Energy August 2026 Fixed (18m) V10 18mth fix - New customers only - Dual fuel and single fuel - Monthly variable Direct Debit only	Save avg 7.6% compared with today's Price Cap (10.8% from Oct), incl £20 MSE dual-fuel cashback. - £50/fuel* early-exit fees.So £100 to leave gas & elec before fix ends* - No smart meter needed PS Looks a decent sweet spot of price without locking in too long
E.on Next Fixed 24m Exclusive v10 24mth fix - New and existing customers - Dual fuel and elec-only - Monthly Direct Debit only	Save avg 7.5% compared with today's Price Cap (10.7% from Oct), incl £20 MSE dual-fuel cashback. - £100/fuel* early-exit fees.* So £200 to leave gas & elec before fix ends - No smart meter needed
Cheapest ONE-YEAR fix
E.on Next Fixed 12m v8 12mth fix - New and existing customers - Dual fuel and single fuel - Monthly Direct Debit only No other one year fixes are cheaper than the Price Cap	Save avg 5.8% compared with today's Price Cap (9.1% from Oct), incl £20 MSE dual-fuel cashback. - £50/fuel* early-exit fees.* So £100 to leave gas & elec before fix ends - No smart meter needed
What is 'MSE cashback'? Some providers pay energy comparison sites to facilitate the switch (you still get the same price as going direct). Unlike other sites, we don't default to hiding tariffs that don't pay. Instead, we show them all, but when we get paid to switch you, we give you a chunk of this as cashback. That means tariffs where we're paid are relatively cheaper for you, so it's likely more people switch to them. Win-win.

The BIG QUESTION: Is now the time to fix?

If you've been on your firm's standard tariff at the Cap for ages, get off it and get one of the cheapest fixes while you're minded to. Yet there is a question of timing too...

A cheap fix today will almost certainly save you compared to the Cap over the next year. The cheapest fixes are currently 8% less than the current Cap, so roughly 11% less than October's. So you will DEFINITELY save until 31 Dec. Then it's currently predicted the Jan Cap will rise over 10% on top, though that is far less certain.

The three-month Cap starting in January moves mainly based on a 13 week assessment of wholesale rates (those energy retailers pay) from mid-Aug to mid-Nov. We're over two weeks through that, and wholesale rates have been sky-high. Yet as it's done as an average across that time, those rates are baked in, so it would need an enormous and rapid fall in wholesale rates for the January Cap to be less than the current cheapest fixes. Not impossible, but highly unlikely.

In other words, you are highly likely to make material savings until the end of March - and that's the crucial high-use period. April's prices are currently loose, but still predicted to stay high - but even if not, the drop would need to be humungous for it to balance out the savings already made. So for most on the Price Cap, just grabbing a cheap fix now is the sensible risk-averse option.
Yet today's fixes are more expensive than they were. Fixes were about 7% cheaper than they are now about two months ago, and 15% cheaper before the Middle East conflict started. That's because, unlike the Price Cap which works on a time lag, the rate you can get a new fix at depends pretty much on today's wholesale rates - and they are sky-high due to renewed heat in the Middle East conflict. (This minute-by-minute graph site of wholesale gas prices, which also feed into electricity, will give you the idea.)

So there is a chance that if you wait, things in the Middle East may settle down, so you will be able to fix more cheaply (or equally things may get even worse). Yet then you're taking a gamble, and every week you wait is a week you pay more. But if you're a regular fixer who'll monitor the market, there's a chance waiting may turn out to be better.

So to be plain: the rise in October's price cap does NOT impact your fix - well, not until it ends anyway. So let's start with good news. The Govt is scrapping VAT on domestic electricity for six months on 1 Oct, and as your rate is fixed, and VAT is just added on top of that, you will see a 4.8% reduction in what you pay for electricity (not gas) from that point.

Yet I'm getting many questions like this on X last week: "@MartinSLewis Hi Martin, what happens if you're on a fix but that's due to expire in next 4 months. Is it possible/better to lock in at a rate now if allowed as surely those rates will be higher to lock in once changed?". The big answer is: be careful ditching your fix early to refix - though it does depend on when your fix is due to end. I'll start with the answer for those who, like this questioner, still have at least a couple of months to go...

The rate you can fix at today is the around the most expensive it's been for years. So if you fixed a while ago, refixing means you'll likely be ditching what is likely a far cheaper fix to lock in at a much higher rate, and you may have to pay an early exit penalty to do so. If you want to check, do a comparison and it'll show you whether you can save or not.
The logic that says fixes will be more expensive once the Price Cap rises is flawed. The Cap is set based on long past prices, eg, October's Cap relies on average wholesale rates from mid May to mid August. Yet the rate you can get a new fix at is based on the wholesale price at the moment you're fixing (fixed rates can and often do move daily).

So it is very possible that today's particularly high wholesale rate (look at just look at this graph of natural gas prices, which has a big factor in electricity rates too) is a short-term spike, meaning in a couple of months, if it has de-escalated in the Middle East, you may be able to fix at a lower rate. Equally, if the crisis there worsens, wholesale rates - and thus fixes - could get even costlier.

In other words, what will happen to future fix rates is a total unknown. So personally, I'd 'bird-in-the-hand' and stick on your existing relatively very cheap fix as long as you can - especially if it covers much of the high-use winter period. Only those who are incredibly risk-averse (or on crap old fixes) should consider ending their current fix to lock in again, likely having to pay an exit penalty to do so now.
Fix ending within 50 days? You can't be charged early exit penalties within the last 50 days of your fix ending - so you're free to move and can do a comparison to find your cheapest. Plus, of course, when your fix ends, you'll automatically be moved onto your firm's standard Price-Capped tariff. So in reality, your decision is more covered by the 'I'm on a Standard tariff' info above.

There's no need to rush to get rid of it, though. We just don't know whether fixes will get cheaper or costlier in the next few weeks, but you want to make an active decision before you're auto-moved to the Cap.

Fixes are the simple and easy choice for most, but there are some options that may beat them in some circumstances....

Low user? A low Standing Charge tracker may win. The British Gas Cap Tracker tariff matches the Price Cap Unit Rates (so it'll rise in Oct) but with £60/yr lower Standing Charges. Switchers via our link also get £20 dual-fuel MSE cashback too. Smart meters aren't required. This is best for anyone deliberately staying on the Price Cap, as it is just the Price Cap but cheaper - or those with very low usage under c. £80/mth for whom it may undercut a fix.
Got an EV? Consider a dedicated tariff. There are special electric vehicle (EV) tariffs - if you've got one and the cost of charging it at home is roughly 20+% of your household energy use its worth looking at them.
Octopus rapid-change time-of-use tariffs. These are its Agile (electricity price changes every half-hour), and its dual-fuel or single fuel Tracker tariff (price changes every day). Generally, these are for sophisticated users who monitor prices, and with Agile, who shift usage patterns to match. Currently, rates are highly volatile but can be a winner.

Recently, Agile has had days where it's not been much less than the Price Cap off-peak, with peak times far above it - though on other days it can pay you to use electricity for a few hours. Tracker has largely been above the Cap in recent months for electricity and gas, though it's had a few days recently when it's been less.

Many have asked me about temporarily leaving these tariffs. It introduces a pregnant pause - if you do ditch, you need to wait nine months before you can rejoin.
Solar panel tariffs. If you have solar panels, you can link these to your energy bills for the best export rates. See our switch solar panels tariffs guide for more on whether it's worth it.

The rate you pay for energy is only half the story. If you cut what you use, you'll pay less too. We've some strong, evergreen guides on that which can help.

70+ ways to save energy includes a mix of hardcore savings and some thrifty crowd-sourced tips. From cutting your boiler flowrate to tactical curtains and more.
Energy mythbusting covers less clear-cut issues, including the thorny question of 'better to keep the heating on low all day or just when needed?'

And if you're struggling to pay, it's always worth talking to your energy firm. Be polite and straight with it, and make sure you explain if you're vulnerable and ask to be put on the 'Priority Services Register'. There can also 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.

PS: I know many on home heating oil and LPG are struggling too... As the Middle East conflict has pushed prices up again. I wish I had answers for you. We submitted our heating oil dossier to the Government at the start of the crisis, which prompted the limited help scheme and we continue to push. Last week, the Competitions and Markets Authority said some customers will get compensation for cancelled orders, though details are limited. If you're in Northen Ireland, it will open its support scheme next week, see NI Heating oil compensation and support news.

New. Huge FREE £240 bank switch bonus
The biggest FREE CASH bonus of 2026 on a fee-free bank account

Good news. This morning, Santander launched the second-biggest bank switch bonus of the year - the only non-high-earner deal that's offered more had a £5/mth fee (unless you paid in £2,000/mth) - and it's available for single and joint accounts. So we're leading on that, as well as the top deal from First Direct, which ends this week. With those and lots more to choose from, this is a great time to check if you can improve your banking terms and make some money while you're at it.

FREE CASH for new switchers You usually need to switch 2+ Direct Debits. Full eligibility: Top bank accounts
New Top Payer... Santander Everyday* Min pay-in: A total of £1,500 within 60 days (can be in dribs & drabs). None needed after. Plus £200 in the regular saver Fee-free? Yes Joint accounts? Yes, and can switch & get bonus	FREE £240 plus top 8% regular saver. Santander's Everyday* account is a relatively simple proposition. To get the £240: switch to it, put a total £1,500 in within 60 days (even in dribs and drabs, you can withdraw money as soon as it's gone in) and put £200 at least once in its... - Linked 1yr 8% variable regular saver you can put up to £200/mth in. *Eligibility:* Can't have received a previous switch bonus from it or held a Santander current account on/after 1 Jan 2026. See full Santander Everday eligibility & review. PS: Normally Santander offers free cash on its 'Edge' account, where you pay a small monthly fee but get cashback on bills. This is a different account.
Ends 5pm tomorrow (Wed) First Direct 1st Account* Min pay-in: A total of £1,000 going in within 45 days (can be in dribs & drabs). None needed after. Fee-free? Yes Joint accounts? Yes, and can switch & get bonus	FREE '£200' with the number one for service account, 7% regular saver, 0% overdraft, top debit card overseas. The 1st Account* has a ongoing £175 free cash, but until 5pm tomorrow you get an extra £25 Amazon voucher too, bringing the total value to £200. The key perks include: - 90% 'great' service (top in most polls we've done) - Linked 1yr 7% fixed saver for up to £300/mth - Many get a £250 interest-free overdraft (see switching if you've an overdraft) - Top card for spending overseas, with near-perfect exchange rates Eligibility: New customer and can't have ever had ANY First Direct product or opened an HSBC current account since Jan 2018. See full First Direct eligibility & review.
HSBC Bank Account* Min pay-in: A total of £2,000 within 60 days (can be in dribs & drabs). None needed after. Fee-free? Yes Joint accounts? No, they can't switch	FREE £220 - rarely offered. The HSBC brand rarely does this. To get it, you need to spend £500 on the debit card in the first 60 days - not a hassle for most, just do (some of) your normal spending on it. Otherwise it's straightforward. The one perk is: - Linked 1yr 5% fixed regular saver you can put up to £250/mth in Eligibility: Unlike its sister bank, First Direct above, even if you've had switch cash from HSBC or FD, as long as it was before 2023 and you're no longer a customer, you can get it. See full HSBC eligibility & review.
NatWest Reward Min pay-in: £1,250 per MONTH Fee-free? No(ish). It's £2/mth but you get £4/mth cashback, so £2/mth gain Joint accounts? Yes, and can switch & get bonus	FREE £200 plus possible £2/mth cashback. The free cash is strong, and while there's a monthly fee, as long as you ensure you meet the minimum monthly pay in of £1,250 (equal to a £15,000+ salary going in) you earn cashback each month that covers it and more. While currently that cashback is £5/mth, it drops to £4 in Oct, so in reality if you're opening it now, the usual gain would be £2/mth. Plus... - Linked 5.25% variable regular saver you can put up to 150/mth in. Plus unlike similar accounts here there's no time limit, you can keep going till you hit £5,000 in it. Eligibility: Can't have had a previous NatWest, RBS or Ulster Bank switch bonus, nor held a NatWest current account on 6 May 2026. See full NatWest eligibility & review.
Two more standard accounts that'll pay you to switch... Ends Mon. Co-op Current Account FREE £125 + £25/mth for 3mths plus 7% variable interest on max £250/mth. Nationwide FlexDirect FREE £175 plus 5% interest on up to £1,500 and 1% cashback (max £5/mth) for 12mths. App-only Starling Bank is also offering a non-cash incentive for switchers. The link has more info.
BIGGER cash but ONLY FOR HIGHER EARNERS...
HSBC Premier FREE £500. Free worldwide family travel insurance & digital GP access.* To get this, you must have a min £100,000/yr salary. See full HSBC Premier eligibility & review.

Can switching bank affect your ability to get credit? In the short term, yes. It's a credit application, so that has an impact by itself, but also lenders like to see evidence of stability. A single application usually isn't a big deal, but if you've an important credit application soon (eg, a mortgage), it's probably best to hold off until after. You may want to check your 'eligibility rating' via our free MSE Credit Club (or easier via the MSE app on iOS & Android). More in how switching banks affects your credit.
You may be able to make £1,000s by repeatedly switching banks. Becoming a bank-bribe bagger can pay well - we've had people tell us they've made a shedload. As Carol emailed this month: "Hi Martin, I enjoy reading your MSE Money Tips and thought you might like to know I've earned £2,205 in bank switch rewards. I've switched 15 times and it's gone smoothly every time. Thank you, keep up the good work!" See pros & cons in make £1,000s by repeatedly switching bank.
Are subscriptions moved when you switch? Direct Debits and standing orders are moved for you. Yet the third category of regular payments, known as recurring payments (eg Netflix, Disney+ etc), where you give the long number on your debit card when you pay, aren't moved; you'll need to do this yourself. If you do forget, though, normally they'll notify you 'your payment card no longer works', so it shouldn't be too big an issue. See recurring payment help.

FREE Popeye's chicken burger. Easy free burger, no spend needed. If there's one nearby, it's a clucking good deal.

Top 4.55% easy-access savings, and it's from NatWest. The new First Active (part of NatWest) account pays 4.55%* (min £1, max £1m - includes a 1yr 1.5% bonus) on its easy-access saver. It's joint top payer with Tembo's 4.55%* easy-access saver (includes a 1.55% 1yr bonus) but that's max £20k and you need keep £1+ in it for a year to get the bonus. If you're saving under £5k there are a few accounts that pay more. See Top savings accounts for full info and alternatives.

Martin video: "The Govt should find 100 small things that piss people off & fix 'em". As Andy Burnham's just made his first speech as PM, we thought this video from 11mths ago was worth a revisit. It was at Politico's Labour fringe event and Martin was asked why the Government was so unpopular and what he'd advise them to do. Perhaps they were listening?

25% off railcards code. MSE Blagged. TrainPal newbies can get £20 off a 3yr railcard, or £8.75 off a 1yr. Includes Family & Friends, Two Together, Senior, Network and 16-30 cards which mostly get you 1/3 off train travel. Railcard code. Not a newbie? You can still get 10% off.

Google's Pixel 10a mobile with 15GB/mth data - equiv £15/mth over 2yrs. £130 cheaper than buying the phone outright. Newbies toTalkMobile (uses Vodafone's signal) can currently get Google's latest mid-range Pixel 10a (128GB) handset with unlimited UK mins, texts & and 15GB/mth data for £79 upfront. It's then £11.95/mth, making it £366 (equiv £15/mth) over the 2yr contract. Google sells the handset alone for £499. Want other options? See Cheap Mobile Finder.

Last chance to vote for Martin! His TV show's made the National Television Awards final vote which closes next Tue. Competition's stiff, so if he's ever saved you a few quid, why not vote for Martin's show (Factual Entertainment category), and please click through to the end or it won't count.

Urgent. Use Starbucks reward points now to get the most bean for your buck. It's making its loyalty scheme less generous from Thursday - see beat the Starbucks shake-up.

'We changed Council Tax payments from 10 to 12mths to help with budgeting & earn more cashback.' Success of the week. David emailed: "I never knew you could do this until I heard it on Martin's podcast. We changed our Council Tax to pay over 12mths rather than 10. It smooths budgeting out, plus we get 2% cashback from the bank every month for a Council Tax Direct Debit - so now we get it for 12 months rather than 10, which is an extra £10/yr (as it's a max of £5/mth, and maxes out every month). Love the podcast when out and about, and there's always handy hints on there." If we've helped you save or reclaim (on anything), let us know. PS: Martin's back with new podcast episodes from Thursday.

FREE visits to 7,500+ historic buildings & heritage sites - incl many that rarely open to visitors. Many that are normally closed or usually charge are open for free on a few select days in Sept, including National Trust sites, castles, film/TV locations. Heritage Open Days.

This weekend only. £4 cinema tix at Cineworld, Odeon, Picturehouse, Showcase & Vue. £4 films

Ben & Jerry's ice-cream tub & two pizzas £5 (costs £14 separately). Less than the ice cream alone. A scoop!

BLAGGED FOR MSE

- TWO Glasses Direct specs £25 with code Ends Thu 10 Sep
- 25% off railcards via TrainPal code Ends Thu 10 Sep
- 60% off Abel & Cole fruit & veg boxes via code Ends 30 Sep

DID YOU MISS?

- Amazon Resale tool: Uncover up to 60% off 'like new' returns
- Got an UNFAIR private parking ticket? Fight it!
- Ending? Free £50 in shares if you invest £100+
- Spotify deals: FREE 3mths for Premium newbies & more
- On a low income with kids? Apply for free school meals NOW

Back to work, back to school, back to life... back to reality
12 September Savers: From flight delays and free summer pic prints to uni costs and can your kids reclaim £1,000s?

As September stutters into being, many children are donning school uniforms (some for the first time), Parliament is back in session, workplaces get back to near-full capacity, and the days start to shorten. With all that in mind, here's our timely list of September Savers...

1. Child in or starting senior school? Check NOW how much you need saved in case they go to uni. Each new school year means your children are a year closer to university age. Many parents are unaware that, for most, the living loan or grant your child gets is effectively means-tested based on parental income. In Eng, Scot & N.Ireland (not Wales), this reduces the total they recieve, sometimes by many £1,000s, and the gap is effectively an unspoken expected 'parental contribution'. Tell our How much should you save for their uni? calc which UK nation you're in and your rough income, and it'll tell you what you need saved. It may be a shock, but at least early prep may mitigate the problem.

2. Print your summer photos for free (or cheap). If you've snaps that deserve more than sitting stored as data, see our round-up of photo-printing deals, including 10 free 6" x 4" photo prints and 50 prints for £4.49 delivered.

3. Putting on a uniform ready for work - are you due a mini tax rebate? If you wear a uniform for work, including just branded T-shirt or overalls, that you wash yourself and don't wear elsewhere, you're entitled to a small tax rebate, which is backdateable by up to four years. Claiming is easy and free to do yourself. See how to get a uniform tax refund.

4. Was your summer flight delayed or cancelled? You may be due up to £520 per person. Strict rules mean not only must you get a refund or alternative flight if yours is cancelled, but you may be entitled to fixed compensation too, even just for a delay. Here are the key criteria, you can claim for any flight going back 6yrs (5yrs in Scot)...

It applies to all flights leaving a UK/EU airport on any airline to anywhere (eg, Manchester to New York).
If not, any flight to a UK/EU airport on a UK/EU airline counts (so NYC to UK counts on BA, but not on American Airlines).
You must have arrived 3+hrs late to count as delayed, or been cancelled within 14 days before the flight was due.
It must have been the airline's fault - barring weather and airport / traffic control industrial action, it usually is.

If that was you, jump to our flight delay compensation or flight cancellation rights guides for full info and free tools to reclaim.

5. Is your child aged 15 to 24? Check if they're one of 760,000 with a matured Child Trust Fund worth an avg £2,000! All UK citizens born between 1 Sep 2002 and 2 Jan 2011 automatically got a Child Trust Fund from the state with at least £250 added to it. Parents could also add money too. Yet three quarters of a million of them now lie dormant. Do a quick, free, simple check to reclaim your Child Trust Fund.

6. Got holiday currency left over? Use Martin's 'friends buyback' method. If you've a wad of currency left over, the buyback rates from bureaux de change are usually very poor. So Martin's tip is... try to find a friend, family member or colleague who's going where you went and cut out the middle-man. Quickly check the spot rate to find the perfect exchange rate, this way you get a far better rate than the buyback rate, and they get a far better rate than they could too. If you can't find anyone to do this with, our buyback tool on TravelMoneyMax shows where to get the best rates.

7. Did you or your child get a summer job? If so, employers usually take tax as if you'd keep earning that amount across the year, so most will have paid tax, or worse, some put you on a higher emergency tax code. Yet if you've only done six or eight weeks' work, it's unlikely your annual earnings will be over the standard £12,570 personal allowance for the tax year. Or if it is, the amount of tax will be less than that taken. See how to reclaim overpaid summer tax. Plus, if you worked the summer and didn't take time off, check if you are due £100s in missing holiday pay?

8. Back to work and need to pay for childcare or after-school clubs? Can you get up to £2,000/yr of free help. The misleadingly named 'Tax Free Childcare' scheme allows 'working parents' of children aged under 12 (under 17 if they have a disability) who pay for childcare to get £1,000s of financial help.

Just set up an account online. For every 80p you pay in, the state adds 20p on top, up to a max of £500 'free' every 3mths (£1,000 for some with children with disabilities). This works even if you're just paying out for childcare via, say, after-school classes, as long as they're registered with Ofsted or an equivalent (most are). To qualify, you (and your partner if you live together) must be in work and earning between £10,000ish and £100,000/yr. Full info and help in our Tax-Free Childcare guide.

9. Do you have annual travel insurance? Check now when it lapses - especially if you've already booked future trips. The real danger here is you've a trip booked, your annual policy lapses, and something happens then to stop you going - you'd not be covered. You always need an active annual policy in place if you've a trip booked. Use our Travel Compare+ tool to find cheap deals.

10. Train delayed on a summer trip (or your regular commute)? Get repaid. If the delay was 15 minutes or more, you could claim up to 100% of ticket costs back. See Delay Repay rights.

11. Starting uni? Top student bank account gives £1,500 0% overdraft, plus FREE 4yr railcard & £20 cash. If you're off to uni (or your child is), it's time to open a student bank account. Our top pick is Santander's Edge Student* as it gives a DEFINITE £1,500 0% overdraft for 3yrs, and a free 4yr 16-25 Railcard (worth £100ish). Plus, buy anything on the debit card before 31 Dec and it'll give you £20+ cash. Full info & options: Best student bank accounts.

PS: Expecting your student living loan to be paid soon? Scammers often impersonate the Student Loans Company around payment dates, so beware. See our Student loan scam warning for full help.

12. How to grab school uniform cheaply. While mid-summer is usually the cheapest time to buy, if you need new uniform at the last minute you can still pick up items from £3 at Asda, Sainsbury's and more. See our cheap school uniform round-up. Related: Are you eligible for an up-to-£200 school uniform grant?

Martin: 'Hurrah - finally there's to be compulsory regulation of bailiffs.' In June, Martin and his Money and Mental Health charity called out the Government, saying it was 'outrageous that we still don't have a proper independent regulator of bailiffs'. Now, the Govt's announced it will introduce compulsory, independent regulation. See bailiff clampdown.

TWO pairs of branded prescription specs from £25 via code. MSE Blagged. Glasses Direct

Your TransUnion credit score (used on our Credit Club too) will soon change. It'll be out of 999, not 710, and it's rejigging the boundaries, with the rollout starting this month. Full help in What will your new Transunion score mean? And for far more help, join our free Credit Club (easier via the MSE Android or iPhone app).

60% off first two Abel & Cole organic fruit & veg boxes, from £5.80 with free delivery. MSE Blagged. Then 50% off your 3rd & 4th - though you can cancel any time (available in most of Eng and parts of Wal). For newbies. Veg out

Newly self-employed or newly paying tax on extra income? Register for Self-assessment by 5 Oct. If you need to file a tax return for the 2025/26 tax year (which ended 5 Apr 2026) and are new to the system, you must register with HMRC by 5 Oct. The deadline for submitting your full tax return online is 31 Jan 2027. See Self-assessment for beginners.

2,000 FREE A Place in the Sun Live tickets. Birmingham NEC, 18-20 Sept, normally £12. A Place in the Sun

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Top definite 0% card: HSBC (check eligibility; existing customers use this link), 36mths 0%, 3.09% fee, 24.9% rep APR
No-fee 0%: Virgin (check eligibility) 12mths 0%, 24.9% rep APR

New. Free £240: Santander
Free £220: HSBC
Ends 5pm Wed. Free £175 + £25 Amazon: First Direct

Fast fibre (100Mb+): Sky '£20.05/mth'
Superfast fibre (500Mb+): Sky '£23.05/mth'
Ultrafast fibre (900Mb+): Vodafone '£24.30/mth'

On Universal Credit or similar? Check all discounted social tariffs

Car: Use our Compare+ Car Insurance tool
Home: Use our Compare+ Home Insurance tool
Travel: Use our Compare+ Travel Insurance tool

£5,000 to £7,499: M&S Bank (check eligibility), 6.9% rep APR
£7,500 to £15,000: M&S Bank (check eligibility), 5.9% rep APR

Top easy-access savings: First Active 4.55%, min £1
Top easy-access ISA: Trading212 4.61%, min £1
Top one-year fix: Shawbrook Bank 4.87%, min £1k

Use our whole-of-market Cheap Energy Club

Up to 3GB data: Lebara, '£2.65/mth' for 3GB
4GB to 9GB data: Lebara, '£2.69/mth' for 5GB
10GB to 30GB data: Lebara, '£2.99/mth' for 10GB
31GB+ data: Lebara, '£3.40/mth' for 35GB

MONEY MORAL DILEMMA

Should we ask our sister to pay rent for living in the family home? My father died recently, leaving half of the family home to me and my two sisters. My mum still lives there and owns the other 50% - she and my dad paid off the mortgage a few years ago. One of my sisters also lives there, rent-free. Should my other sister and I - who both have families and mortgages - ask her for rent now we own part of the property? We'd charge it in proportion to our share, so it'd be much less than if my sister moved out and lived by herself. Enter the Money Moral Maze: Should we ask our sister to pay rent? | Suggest a Money Moral Dilemma (MMD) | View past MMDs

MSE TEAM BLOG

- MSE Forum highlights: makeup, music streaming & loo cleaning

MARTIN'S APPEARANCES (WED 2 SEP ONWARDS)

Thu 3 Sep - Ask Martin Lewis, BBC Radio 5 Live, noon
Tue 8 Sep - This Morning, ITV1, 10.20am

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