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ISA, ISA, baby. Stop, collaborate and listen... So much of the planning, prepping and complaining about coming ISA changes, due April 2027, has now thankfully been consigned to history... the Chancellor, John Healey, ripped up a chunk of his predecessor Rachel Reeves' work on ISAs. There's a lot for me to get through, so let's do it...

Quick help links: How ISAs work | Top cash ISAs | Top shares ISAs | Beginner's guide to investing

Got questions? Email MartinLewisPodcast@bbc.co.uk, I'm covering ISAs in depth in Thu's pod

First, a beginners guide to how ISAs work. Don't worry it's a piece of cake... (I've been doing this analogy since 2001, and it's not stale yet - see my why ISAs are a piece of cake video)

Picture a cake, let's say a chocolate cake for cash savings (though it could equally be a strawberry cake for shares). Normally it's just sitting there, so the tax collector can come and take a bite.

But think of an ISA wrapper like a protective piece of clingfilm you can wrap around some of the cake. Once your cash is inside, nothing changes - the cash in savings is still cash in savings (so a cash ISA is just a savings account) and the shares are still shares (so a shares ISA is just an investment account). The only difference is... now the tax collector can't eat any. See our full ISA guide for a detailed Q&A.

1. SCRAPPED. The cut in the cash ISA limit won't happen, it'll remain at £20,000. The planned cut to the annual cash ISA allowance for under-65s from £20,000 to £12,000 in April 2027 has been binned. So every UK adult will still be able to put up to £20,000 each tax year into ISAs (whether all in cash ISAs or all in shares ISAs or a mix) and the interest and growth won't be taxed. Plus, all the convoluted anti-avoidance plans to stop people trying to create cash ISAs via the back door have been scrapped too - so you'll still be able to transfer shares ISAs to cash ISAs, and the planned tax charge on cash held in shares ISAs has gone.

Remember, all a cash ISA really is - is a savings account that isn't taxable. And "not taxable" doesn't just mean there's no tax on the interest, it also means that the interest earned in a cash ISA doesn't count towards any of your other savings allowances.

Today's top cash ISAs: Trading 212 pays 4.87%* (min £1, max £20k), it includes a 1yr 1.27% bonus for newbies putting new money in. For transferring existing ISA money in, Chip is 4.75% (min £1) including a 1yr 1.25% newbie bonus, though its withdrawal system means you effectively don't earn some interest in the month you close it. For more options, including fixed-rate cash ISAs, see our Top cash ISAs guide.

PS If you have money you don't need right now and can put away for over five years, remember you're likely to be better off investing in a broad spread of investments, so do read my beginner's guide to investing - too many are missing out.

2. IMPROVED. The Lifetime ISA (LISA) penalty for buying a home over £450,000 has gone! We've campaigned for years for this injustice to end. Jeremy Hunt told me he'd look at it, as did Rachel Reeves, but to be fair, John Healey is the one who's actually delivered it. And it means for someone definitely buying a property, a LISA is now far less of a gamble.

LISAs can be opened by anyone age 18 to 39. You can then put up to £4,000/yr in one, and get a bonus of 25% (so max £1,000/yr) to use towards either buying a first-time property of £450,000 or less, or to save and withdraw once age 60+. Until now, withdrawing for any other reason brought a 25% penalty. The maths of a 25% bonus added, then a 25% penalty taken off, meant that people making these 'unauthorised' withdrawals got back 6.25% less than they put in (so on £10,000, it costs £625).

My issue has been that first-time buyers who saved in LISAs just as the state encouraged them to, but who then got priced out of the market - because the £450,000 maximum hasn't increased since the LISA's 2017 launch - were outrageously forced to pay the state what feels like a 6.25% fine to access their money in the way the state intended.

But, since last Thursday, for those buying properties over £450,000, the penalty is reduced to 20%, so you get back what you put in, plus interest, you just don't get the bonus. See LISA withdrawal fine change news for more, plus Top Lifetime ISA best buys.

3. NEW. First Time Buyer ISAs to replace Lifetime ISAs from 6 April 2029. At that point LISAs will close to new applicants, but will still continue to work for those who have already opened them (listen to why ALL under-39s, even those who own a home, should have £1+ in a LISA, in my new Is a LISA still worth it for first-time buyers & those saving for retirement? mini-pod, which incorporates all the Budget changes).

The new FTB ISA won't have an upper age limit. The bonus (capped at £20,000) will be calculated on the account's final balance when you buy - including interest or investment growth - a big improvement on the original proposal, where the bonus would've only been paid on what you'd contributed.

You can transfer a Help to Buy ISA into a FTB ISA but can't transfer LISAs in (aaargh too many ISAs!). Yet you will be able to get a first-time buyer's bonus on both a LISA and a FTB ISA, though you can't contribute to both in the same tax year. Watch my new First Time Buyer ISA v LISA - which wins? video clip or read our First Time Buyer ISA guide.

4. POSSIBLE. The Chancellor's looking at a 'Starter Investment ISA' incentive idea. It's early days, but in the Budget speech the Chancellor said he'll work with the investment industry to explore a new incentive. I suggested this to Rachel Reeves when she was positing a cut to the cash ISA limit 'not to raise revenue but to encourage young people to invest'. I think a carrot is better than a stick, and said the same to John Healey once he was in office. You can read exactly what I'm suggesting & why in Martin Lewis: Starter ISA incentive thoughts. Though if that's how it'll materialise is another question.

5. TAXED. Interest outside ISAs to face higher tax rates. The Budget included a tax rise on savings interest, meaning from April 2027, basic-rate taxpayers who pay tax on savings interest will pay 24% (currently 20%), higher-rate taxpayers 44% (now 40%) and additional-rate taxpayers 49% (now 45%). The same increase also applies to property income - in my TV show I asked the Chancellor whether that could mean rents rise (at 32mins 30secs).

While the savings interest tax rise is a hit, thankfully most savers still don't pay tax on interest (see my Most people don't use all four savings interest tax allowances quick video, which runs you through the main legit ways to avoid tax on interest).

a) Personal allowance: Most people can earn £12,570/yr tax-free from any source, earnings, interest, etc. See MSE tax calc.

b) Starting rate for savings: For those with low earnings but a decent whack of interest, which is more common for those who are retired, this lesser-known tax allowance means some can earn up to £18,570/yr tax free. See Starting rate for savings explained.

c) Personal savings allowance: Basic-rate taxpayers can earn £1,000/yr of interest outside of ISAs tax-free. At current top savings rates, that means over £20,000 saved tax-free. Higher-rate taxpayers get £500/yr, while additional-rate taxpayers don't get a PSA. See full how the personal savings allowance works help.

d) Cash ISAs: The £20,000 you can put in each tax-year in a cash ISA is on top of the above allowances. And once money is in one, it is tax-free year-after-year. Though if you've large amounts, it's worth considering investing some of it.

e) Premium Bonds: This is a tax-free form of savings, where the interest is based on a lottery. The current prize fund is 4.35%, but someone with typical luck will win less. While I'm no fan of PBs for many, they come into their own for those who'd otherwise pay tax on interest. You can put up to £50,000 in (total not per year). See Are Premium Bonds worth it?

f) Short-dated gilts can give equivalent of up to 8% savings returns: If you pay tax on savings interest, an alternative is a short-dated UK government bond, known as a gilt. While it isn't saving, done right, the risk profile can be pretty similar and because of favourable tax treatment, it can produce returns for those who pay tax on interest equivalent to an 8% savings account. I did a full Savers: Time to learn about gilts podcast last week (and we're working on an MSE guide).

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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.

There's lots of consumer news from last week's Budget peppered through this email, but for a full briefing on the need-to-knows and why it happened, including frozen tax thresholds, watch ITV's Martin's vs the Chancellor: Budget Special.

News. Car finance mis-selling - Barclays to offer early settlements! The regulator's mass redress scheme is on hold until a legal challenge in Feb but providers are allowed to offer early settlement, and Barclays is about to become the first. For those offered, payouts will come by Jan at the latest. Full info, pros and cons in Barclays car finance redress.

£100 energy support for EVERYONE in Council Tax bands A-D: how to get it and help if not. It was the big rabbit out of the hat in the Budget - 20m homes to get £100 towards energy bills. Full Budget energy support payment help.

New. Quick, easy FREE £15 - just open a bank account WITHOUT switching or a hard credit check. MSE Blagged. Newbies downloading the fee-free Zopa Biscuit* app-based current account via this specific mobile link get £15 cash paid into their account within 7 days. You needn't switch bank to get it, and there's no hard credit check so it doesn't impact your creditworthiness. You could just cancel straight away, though it is a good secondary account as it offers 3% cashback on EITHER any Direct Debits paid via it OR restaurant, takeaway & bakery spend (both max £54/yr), as well as a top debit card for spending overseas (no exchange fees). See full Zopa Biscuit review.

FINALLY, success - gas Standing Charges will be scrapped. After years of campaigning on it, on Wed - 10 mins after it was released to the media - Martin went in to No.11 for a briefing from the Chancellor on what the scrapping of the gas Standing Charge actually means and whether it'll happen to electricity too. See How scrapping Standing Charges will work.

New. Top fixed savings: 5.17% for 1yr | 5.3% for 2yrs. App-based Afin Bank is making a play - in the last week it's upped many of its fixed savings rates and is now the highest rate pretty much across the board... Top 1yr fixes: Afin 5.17%* (min £1k, max £200k); OakNorth Bank 5.16%* (min £1, max £500k). Top 2yr fix: RCI Bank 5.3%* (min £1k, max £1m); Afin 5.28%* (min £1k, max £200k). Top 3yr fix: Afin 5.28%* (min £1k, max £200k); Secure Trust Bank 5.27% (min £1k, max £1m). Full info and options in Top savings. All accounts listed have the full UK £120,000 savings safety protection.

Early Black Friday sales: Argos, Boots, Easyjet, B&M & more - any good? Updated Black Fri analysis.

Martin Video: How the new State Pension Tax Allowance will REALLY work!' See Martin's 4min State Pension Allowance Budget explainer.

New. FREE £50 when you put £100 in a shares ISA. 1,500 codes available. Newbies to DIY investment platform Quilter Invest* who open its stocks & shares ISA, junior ISA or general investment account via this link using promo code MSE50, deposit or invest £100+ within 30 days (or before codes run out), and keep it there for 6mths will then get £50 cashback paid into your account within 60 days. If you choose to invest the £100+, you can pick from one of its 30+ funds and ETFs, though you could just leave it uninvested in your account for the 6mths (either way, there's a 0.25% annual platform fee). Full Quilter Invest free £50 help. Related: Martin's Investing for beginners guide.

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Repaying a Student Loan Company loan?
"I didn't think I'd overpaid but applied in 5mins just in case & got £2,150!"
Martin: 'Sadly, it was bad (no) news for student loans in the Budget. Yet separately, we now know that over 1.1 million OVERPAID last year, and many can easily reclaim £100s!

Student loans are overly complicated, and that results in a) millions unwittingly overpaying, and b) successive governments using the complexity to try and increase the cost. There's news on both those fronts this week. We've learnt that over 1.1 MILLION student loans were overpaid in the last tax year alone, and millions more before that, so below I'll explain how to reclaim £100s or £1,000s overpaid student loans - but first...

Budget bad (no) news: Plan 2 student loan repayment threshold FREEZE to start in April!

University leavers with Plan 2 student loans (English students who started uni 2012 to 2022, and Welsh students who started since 2012) currently repay 9% of everything earned above £29,385 per tax year. In last year's Budget, then Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced that'd be frozen from April 2027 until April 2030. That, rightly, caused uproar. When many students signed the contract for these loans, often aged 18, they were told the threshold would rise each year with average earnings. For the state to retrospectively do a one-sided change is, in my view, a breach of natural justice.

I and many others, including Rethink Repayment, campaigned against it. Yet in last week's Budget, new Chancellor John Healey stayed silent. So the freeze will happen. To ensure this didn't go unnoticed, I asked the Chancellor why he's done nowt (in my ITV Budget special). It leaves millions with these loans effectively facing DOUBLE fiscal drag, as this freeze, plus frozen tax thresholds, means as earnings increase, a bigger proportion goes to paying tax and student loans.

The rules are simple: if you voluntarily overpaid, you can't get the money back - but if you did it unwittingly, as millions have in four ways, you can. Clara is one of huge numbers who've been in touch with their successes: "I recently received £2,150 in student loan repayments. I thought I couldn't have possibly overpaid as my payments came out of my salary automatically. I spent 5 minutes applying 'just in case'... what a surprise! And in my bank within 3 days. Thanks so much for your advice!"

Reason 1 (the big one): You repaid the loan in some MONTHS, despite not earning enough in the tax YEAR. 1,052,000 in 2025/26. You only need to repay your student loan if you earn over an ANNUAL threshold. For example for those on the most common loans, Plan 2, that's £29,385/yr - see What plan am I on and what's my threshold? But...

- Money must be taken from payroll each month. So, for someone on Plan 2, that means if you earn over £2,448 in a month, you automatically pay 9% of everything above that.

- Yet earn below the annual threshold and you shouldn't repay. This means many who didn't work a full year shouldn't have repaid. Eg, if you worked nine months on a £36,000 salary, payroll takes £50/mth so that's £450 total paid, but your total earnings are under the £29,385 threshold, so you're due it all back. This is also common for those with variable income or commission.

- How to reclaim it: For this type of overpayment, you can reclaim online for all past tax years (but not the current 2026/27 one yet).

PS: Overpaid in a month, but earned over the annual threshold? It's a no-go. If you normally earn £2,200/mth on - let's stick with - Plan 2, so under the threshold, but got £7,000 in December due to a bonus, your total annual earnings are £1,815 over the annual threshold, so you'd expect to repay 9% of that, which is £163. However, in December, payroll would have taken 9% over the month's threshold, which is £410. In this case you can't ask for the excess back, I'm afraid.
Reason 2: You started repaying your loan too early. 36,000 affected in 2025/26. You're usually only eligible to start repaying in the April after you left your course. If you mis-stated when your studies finished or your employer got it wrong, you could've repaid too early and are due that cash back. Here, to reclaim, call the Student Loans Company (SLC).
Reason 3: You're on the wrong student loan payment plan by default. 14,000 affected in 2025/26. If your employer doesn't know which plan you're on, the Govt tells it to default to Plan 5, where you repay on income above £25,000/yr. Yet that's the undergraduate plan with the lowest threshold - ALL others are higher - so if the default's used and you're on a different plan, you'll have overpaid. In which case: a) speak to your payroll to fix it, and b) to reclaim, call SLC.
Reason 4: You had money deducted after the loan was fully repaid. 56,000 affected in 2025/26. After a set time, the loan is wiped (when depends on the plan, eg Plan 2 is 30 years from the April after you leave uni - see When will my loan be wiped?). However, if you're due to fully repay your loan before then, your repayments could continue even after your loan is cleared due to pay-as-you-earn (PAYE) timings - if that does happen, you'll automatically be repaid, so don't need to reclaim. Top tip: To prevent this, you can go online at SLC and set up a Direct Debit for the last two years' repayments rather than doing it through payroll.

So now you know you can reclaim - should you? With normal loans I'd encourage you to overpay as it means you clear the debt quicker and repay less interest. Yet student loans don't work like normal loans. If you claim the money back - while your outstanding loan balance will increase by that amount and you will 'owe' more - the real question is whether owing more means you will repay more in future. The answer is 'it depends' - but for many, especially on Plan 2, reclaiming overpayments puts cash in your pocket that won't need to be paid back later. As it's complex, see my full Should you reclaim overpayments? help.

'I was the victim of an unprovoked attack – two years later I'm still waiting for financial support from the state.' After MSE's Haris was randomly assaulted, he went through the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) scheme - here's his blog on what he learnt that may help others... Attacked, but compensation is hard to get.

Do you pay interest on credit card debt? Try to shift to 0% before the base rate announcement. Some top 0% balance transfer deals are likely to be pulled (or worsened) soon after Thu's likely interest rate rise. If you're paying interest, do a 0% balance transfer eligibility check sooner. Full help in top balance transfers.

TWO pairs of specs £14 via code. MSE Blagged. Stack this code with existing offers. See Glasses Direct deal.

Is a LISA still worth it for first-time buyers and retirement, now it's being replaced? Answers to this in a new post-budget Martin mini Question Time podcast. Listen via BBC Sounds | Apple | Spotify etc.

What does the Budget mean for you? A Martin Lewis Podcast Special. Tax, energy bills, savings, investments, first-time buyers, State Pensions & more. His on-the-day response - all in the latest episode of Martin's Big Topics pod. Listen via BBC Sounds | Apple | Spotify etc.

Battle of the Baileys: More shots fired (sunk) - £10 for a 1L bottle (normally £22). We covered this last week to huge popularity - some deals have ended, but a new one has launched... see updated £10 Baileys. Please be Drinkaware

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Your Credit Score just INCREASED!
If you find it hard to believe we can write that for (almost) all of you, a little Credit Score mythbusting is needed...
With interest rates likely to rise, managing your credit file is crucial to get the best deals

Quick links: Free MSE Credit Club - check & analyse your credit, or better go via the MSE App (Apple | Android).

There are three main credit reference agencies (CRAs) in the UK. And one of them, TransUnion - the one we use in the free MSE Credit Club - is changing its Credit Score, so almost everyone's number is likely rising. Yet that doesn't mean your credit situation has improved. In fact, with the markets factoring in four Bank of England base rate rises over the next year, as well as disposable income reductions for some, acceptance for the cheapest products may get harder. Here's what you need to know...

Your Credit Score (probably) just went up - check it now. When you login (or sign up) to MSE's free Credit Club, you'll now see a TransUnion Credit Score out of 999, rather than the previous 710. TransUnion's also changed how it calculates your score and some of the score bands it uses, with 'poor' and 'very poor' replaced with 'low' and 'very low'. It expects 58% of people to stay in the same band, 36% to move to a higher band, and 6% to a lower band.

TransUnion says this is part of improving the score - factoring in balance changes, overdrafts & credit card ATM withdrawals, plus more detailed scoring for those with little or no credit history - to get closer to lenders' scoring systems.

Important: You may see a different TransUnion score elsewhere. It's rolling out this change gradually till June 2027, so you may use other TransUnion-powered services which haven't yet been moved to the new system.
And this demonstrates, as Martin always says... you don't actually have a Credit Score! While the three big CRAs each offer a 'Credit Score', that's just their illustration of how a typical lender may see things. In fact, there is no single number that dictates if a lender will accept you. That doesn't mean credit scoring doesn't happen though - it does - it's just each lender does its own individual credit scoring assessment based on its specific list of what is a profitable customer. So when it comes to the free Credit Score you are given, remember:

- Don't sweat small changes. It can be different with each agency, so don't overly micro-manage it - it's pointless.
- Do take note of big swings. These are likely evidence something big has changed.
- Your credit file is more important. You should check this line by line for errors, annually or before any big application. This is the data that lenders plug into their assessments. See how to check your files for free.
- Even a perfect scorer can be rejected. Not just because it's only a loose indicator, but because it misses the single most important piece of data - what you earn. Lenders also do an affordability check (check your affordability score via MSE's Credit Club).
- Test your Credit Eligibility Rating to see whether you'll actually be accepted. Product acceptance is data-driven, so it's important to know where you sit in the credit get-ability league table and how to climb it. You need to factor in a combination of your Credit Score, affordability score and current market conditions. Martin designed our free Credit Eligibility Rating, in the MSE Credit Club, to do just that.
Need a credit card or loan? DON'T just apply! That hits your file - use an eligibility calculator instead.Almost every credit application goes on your credit file as a 'hard search'. Too many applications, especially in a short space of time, are negative in the eyes of a lender.

Instead, use an eligibility checker first, which shows your acceptance odds and sometimes pre-approval (ours gives you the odds for a range of top products). Eligibility calcs work by doing 'soft searches' which you see on your file, but lenders can't factor them in, so they don't impact your future creditworthiness. The current MSE eligibility calcs include...

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How to make yourself more financially attractive. Credit scoring's a bit like dating... Like different people, different lenders have different tastes, so there's no universal fix. There are, though, some simple changes that'll work for most. There's lots of help in our 38 tips to boost your credit file, but the ones important for everyone are...

- Use consistent answers on every application (eg, address, phone number). Evidence of stability's good.
- Get on the electoral roll. If not, getting credit is tough, so sign up to it.
- Never miss, or be late with, repayments. Use a Direct Debit to be sure, even if just the minimum (ideally not).
- Don't withdraw cash on credit cards. It's expensive and evidence of poor money management.
- Don't do little applications just before big'uns. Eg, if applying for a mortgage soon, don't switch bank accounts now.

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MoneySaving and knowing your numbers go hand-in-hand, and as this week (2nd-8th November) is Number Confidence week, why not give your skills a boost with the free National Numeracy Challenge?

MSE NEWS

- Top story: Martin Lewis' instant reaction and our analysis to all the Budget announcements
- New 'Your First Home' homebuying scheme to launch in England
- Vulnerable young adults to be given easier access to Child Trust Fund savings

MONEY MORAL DILEMMA

My boyfriend is moving in with me - how much rent should he pay? I own my own house and my boyfriend is moving in with me. We earn roughly the same and have agreed to split household bills 50/50, but we're stuck on how much rent he should pay. He's offered to pay half of my monthly mortgage payment, as he'll still save on the rent he currently pays for his house share and would rather his money go to me than a random landlord. But I'd feel awkward taking that, because it'll go towards my mortgage - I'd be investing his money in my future and getting the better end of the deal. What's the best way to balance it? Enter the Money Moral Maze: How much rent should my boyfriend pay me? | Suggest a Money Moral Dilemma (MMD) | View past MMDs

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MARTIN'S APPEARANCES (WED 4 NOV ONWARDS)

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FREE £240, highest savings fixes in 3yrs, £10 Baileys, Budget news, Black Fri predictions, cheapest O2 Sim

2026-10-27T13:20:27.374-07:00

MoneySavingExpert's Money Tips Email

The top tips this week

Highest fixed savings we've seen in 3yrs...
- Top fixes now pay up to 5.4%
- Top easy-access pay up to 5%
- Specialist higher rates (incl gilts)
- Saving for 5yrs+? Consider investing

Ends Wed. Cheapest O2 50GB Sim

How to declutter for max cash!

Budget day: What we know already

Black Fri predictions, eg, Amazon, John Lewis

Martin: Base rate rise could see mortgages fall!

FREE £240 cash

£10 for one-litre Baileys (normally £22)

Ends Thu. Cheapest long 0% debt shift

£90 spring bulb bundle for £18

Halifax customer? Urgent warning

Question pod. Do I pay tax if I sell on eBay?

Martin pod. Savers: use gilts to earn 8%?

£150 Warm Home Discount letter heads-up

Half-term helpers: Halloween freebies & more

5,000 FREE Ideal Christmas Show tix

Warning. Booking days out over half-term?

'I'm so thankful for your carpet washer code'

Urgent. Use Eurostar loyalty points NOW

Best buys: 150Mb Sky fibre £20/mth, 5.9% loan & more

MMD: Can I ask for my saxophone back after 20yrs?

Quick deals: £92 No7 beauty £39 & more

Savings update: Rates on the up!
Fixed savings now let you lock in a guaranteed rate of up to 5.4% - the highest we've seen for three years

- The top easy-access accounts are up to 5% (with some catches)
- If you pay tax on savings, could buying a UK gilt instead net you up to 8%?
- Putting money away for the longer term? Investing is likely to outperform saving

Jump to: Top fixes | Top easy-access | Specialist higher rates (including gilts) | Saving for longer? Consider investing

Martin: "This is a crucial moment for interest rates..."

Before the great MSE team take you through the top deals, it's worth understanding that the next 10 days are big ones in the money world. First we've got the Budget tomorrow (Wed) - I'll live-post explanations. Then... remember, remember 5 November, the date the Bank of England is widely expected to increase the UK base rate from its current 3.75% to 4%. For net savers, that looks like good news, but exactly what happens to savings rates will depend on the product:

Top easy-access savings, which let you put money in and take it out willy-nilly, tend to move with UK base rates.
Fixed savings rates, however, depend on the market's view of future interest rates. And the market - by which I mean swap rates (the City's view of the future cost of funding) - has already priced in four base rate rises over the next year, so up to 4.75%. That's why we've already seen fixed savings rates increase to their highest in 3yrs.

So a base rate rise is likely to see easy-access rates rise more than fixed rates. More so, many economists think the market is overdoing it and the base rate will only go up twice next year before dropping. If so, we could actually see the rate you can fix at shave down a touch. I explained why in detail in my ITV show last week (talking mortgages - where unlike savings, lower rates are a positive - but the reason is the same for both) so do watch my Why a UK rate rise may see mortgage [and savings] fixes fall clip.

This means that for those who are constantly focused on the best rates, fixes look decent right now, though they could always rise a tad higher if the Nov base rate rise happens as predicted. While grabbing a top easy-access savings account now means the rate should rise anyway if the base rate does. Yet in truth, many people reading this who have savings will have pants accounts anyway, paying far less - at which point, forget playing at the edges, just ditch and switch to the deals below to boost what you earn!

Now it's on to the very best savings deals on the market. We'll go through them by type, yet remember, you don't need all your money in one account. You can have multiple easy-access and fixed-rate accounts and so, when we're talking about what's right, we're really talking about 'what's right for a particular chunk of your savings', not necessarily all of it.

All accounts below have full UK savings safety protection of £120,000 per person, per institution. All interest rates are AER.

This is the benchmark by which all others are measured - so we'll start here, even if it's not where everyone should end up. These are bog-standard accounts where you can put money in and take it out whenever you like. If you've got one, check what it earns - if it's less than 4%, open a new top-paying account and just move your money across.

All rates are variable, so they'll likely move with UK base rate changes, and with providers' whims, so you need to monitor the rate - unlike with fixes, where your rate's guaranteed for a set period. As for which wins, it depends on how much and exactly what access you want. With some of these accounts the difference is just 0.01% - that's only 10p difference a year per £1,000 saved. So don't let that overly sway you if the terms aren't as good.

Top easy-access standard savings (AERs) Variable rates, so they can change once you start saving, check regularly
Account & rate	Amounts	Things to watch
Oxbury Bank's 4.57%	Up to £120k	Top rate with a decent max deposit, though only available to newbies.
Tembo's 4.55%*	Up to £20k	Decent all-rounder, though capped at £20,000. Includes a 1yr 1.55% bonus paid after a year so must keep min £1 in for that long to get it.
Cahoot's 5% Sunny Day Saver	Up to £3k	Good rate, but only on a smaller amount. Though if you have a partner, you can open two accounts (one of them joint) so can get £6,000 in there.
Monument Bank's 4.56%	£25k to £2m	Only for those with bigger savings.
Zopa's 4.56%	Up to £50k	You can only make three withdrawals a year or the interest rate drops.
Cahoot's 4.52% Simple Saver	Up to £500k	Top big-name option. A rare account that allows joint savings. However it only lasts a year, then you'll be moved to a pants rate. So diarise to leave.
Chase's 4.5%*	Up to £1m	Includes a 2.25% 1yr bonus. It's a current-account linked saver.

Earn 4.87% in a top easy-access cash ISA. A cash ISA is just a savings account you can put up to £20,000 per tax year in, where the interest is NEVER taxed. The current tax year started on 6 Apr, so if you haven't put new money in an ISA since then, your allowance for this year is unused - though do consider if you would want it for a shares ISA. Even if you don't need the savings tax benefit, as easy-access cash ISA rates are generally higher right now, you can just use it for normal savings...

- Trading 212 pays 4.87%* (min £1, max £20k) with unlimited withdrawals. The rate includes a 1yr 1.27% bonus for newbies putting new money in (ie, not for ISA transfers from previous tax years).

- For those wanting to transfer existing cash ISA money in too, Chip pays 4.86% (min £1, max £20k), again including a 1yr 1.36% newbie bonus. Though here, you'll be charged a 10-31 day interest penalty when you close the account or transfer out. Next best for transfers is Moneybox's 4.53% (min £500, max £20k), which includes a 1yr 1.08% bonus for newbies but only allows three withdrawals a year.

Yet if you do pay tax on savings interest, that's when ISAs come into their own. The top easy-access cash ISA rate is 4.87%, the top standard easy-access savings is 4.55%. That looks fairly close, but if you pay tax on savings, while the ISA still gives you 4.87%, the standard savings is equivalent to just 3.64% after basic rate tax (2.73% after higher rate, 2.5% after top rate).

Remember, though, many needn't pay tax on savings interest, as there are substantial tax-free allowances. Watch Martin quickly take you through them in the video below, and see our How savings tax works guide for full help.

Far more best buys in Top savings and Top Cash ISAs.

Unlike easy-access savings, where the rate can move both with UK base rates, and with the providers' own competitive whims, with fixed savings accounts the strength is the rate is guaranteed for the period of the fix - so it's good for certainty and if you're the type of person that doesn't like constantly chopping and changing. The cost with most fixes, though not fixed cash ISAs, is that you have to lock the money away, so it needs to be money you won't touch for that time.

Fixed rates normally get stronger the longer you fix. While that's still true right now, there isn't loads in it, which suggests the market's long-term view is interest rates will be pretty stable. So if you want to save, can comfortably lock money away and strongly value certainty, fixing - and fixing for longer - looks a decent option.

But remember, if you go for a longer fix and rates rise in the meantime, your money's locked away, you can't move it to up the rate (except in a cash ISA fix). Yet you can hedge your bets with several fixes of different lengths.

If you can lock away money for longer, say 5+yrs, and you've got a cash emergency fund, savings probably aren't right for you. Read Martin's beginner's guide to investing - you're in the sweet spot for that, and done right, it could be far more lucrative.

Top fixed-rate savings are over 5% if you're happy to lock money away. See our full list of top fixed savings, but in brief...

- 1yr fix: Afin Bank 5.15%* (min £1k), Chetwood Bank 5.13% (min £1k).
- 2yr fix: Chetwood Bank 5.25% (min £1k), OakNorth Bank 5.21%* (min £1).
- 3+yr fixes: 3yrs Chetwood Bank 5.25% (min £1k), 5yrs GB Bank 5.37% (min £1k).

Govt-backed NS&I's British Savings Bonds also pay decent rates - 4.99% for 1yr; 5.07% for 2yrs; 5.1% for 3yrs; 5.17% for 5yrs - with deposits guaranteed up to £1m by HM Treasury. It has separate fixed products depending on if you want interest paid back into the fix annually or paid to your current account monthly, which is an important decision if you pay tax on savings interest. See Should I choose monthly or annual interest?

Grab a FREE £150 if you've got £15,000+ you can lock away in savings for 2yrs

Newbies to savings marketplace Raisin - which lets you save and move money between different banks after filling in just one form - can get £150 by opening a Raisin* account using code OCT150 by Saturday, then opening a 2yr+ savings fix, and funding it with £15,000+ in a single deposit by 14 Nov. The cashback will be paid within 28 days. Its top 2yr fix is Morgan Stanley's 5.2%* (you save with the bank, not Raisin, so get its savings safety protection), which is beatable, until you factor in the cashback... on £15,000 over 2yrs you'd get an effective rate of 5.67%. Full info in Raisin £150 cashback.

Top cash ISA fixes have a special power. The big benefit of fixed savings is the rate is locked in, it can't move, so you know exactly what it'll pay. On pre-tax rate alone, normal savings win, though of course for those who'd pay tax on the interest, cash ISA fixes are far better. And unlike normal fixes, cash ISA fixes can't lock your money away, so you can always access it, normally by closing the account, though you will need to pay an interest-rate penalty (eg, 90-180 days of interest for shorter fixes, 270-360 days for longer fixes). So if there's a chance you'll need to access the money during the term, cash ISA fixes offer a get-out-of-jail-free card. See our full list of top fixed cash ISAs, but in brief...

- 1yr ISA fixes: Zopa Bank 5% (min £1, 90-day withdrawal penalty), UBL UK 4.98% (min £2k, 90-day penalty)
- 2yr ISA fixes: Castle Trust Bank 5.1% (min £1k, 180-day penalty), UBL UK 5.1% (min £2k, 180-day penalty)
- 3yr+ ISA fixes: 3yrs Castle Trust Bank 5.15% (min £1k, 270-day penalty), 5yrs Aldermore 5.25%* (min £1k, 180-day penalty).

Also remember, you always have a right to transfer a cash ISA to a new provider. When these mature, you'll likely be moved to a poorly-paying easy-access account, so diarise to do a transfer then to up the rate.

If you've already got an emergency fund (eg, three-to-six months' bills) and cash that you know you won't need to touch for the next 5+yrs, you should think seriously about investing at least some of it. Over the long term, investing returns tend to comfortably out perform saving, and we as a country tend to under-invest. For inspiration, watch the video below, then go to Martin's Investing for beginners guide for full info.

Watch audience shock when Martin showed investment vs savings returns...

Those are the standard savings options above, yet there are some more specialised choices that can help you earn more:

50% bonus for many on Universal Credit (UC). If you're on UC and earn anything from working, you can open a Help to Save account on the Gov.uk website. Once open, you can continue to use it even if you stop being eligible for UC. You can save up to £50/mth and, after two years, you get a 50% bonus on the max you had in - even if you've withdrawn the money. There's nowt else close to it. After you get the first two-year bonus, you can do it again for two more years and get another 50% bonus. See full how Help to Save works.
25% bonus for first-time buyers aged 18 to 39. A Lifetime ISA (LISA) is a tax-free savings or investment account anyone aged 18 to 39 can open. You can put in up to £4,000/yr till you're 50 and get a 25% bonus added to it (so max £1,000/yr). This can be used as a deposit for your first home (as long as it costs under £450,000, you're getting a mortgage and you've had the LISA open at least a year). Alternatively, you can take the money out when aged 60. The problem: If you want to take money out before you're 60, and it's not towards your first mortgage on a qualifying property, you effectively have to pay a penalty. This works out at you getting roughly 6.25% LESS than you put in. See Top LISAs.
Earn up to 8% if you can save monthly. As the name suggests, the top regular savings accounts pay high interest on money put aside each month. Usually the maximum you can put in is up to £300/mth, though there's nothing stopping you opening a whole range of regular savers with different institutions. To put lump-sum savings in, just arrange to drip-feed the maximum amount from those savings in each month. See Regular savings.
Premium Bonds - save up to £50,000 tax free. Premium Bonds are savings where the interest is dictated by a lottery. The prize fund rate is 4.35% and while a few will win a million, for everyone that does many have to win less. So someone with typical luck, even with the maximum £50,000 saved, will get 3.85% - far less than normal savings. Yet if you've used up your ISA allowance and would otherwise be paying tax on savings, Premium Bonds come into their own. Read our full Premium Bonds: who are winners and losers? guide for more.

New. Savers, can you earn up to the equivalent of 8% in gilts?

'Short-dated gilts held to maturity' are the type of thing that investment advisers suggest to their clients with savings. They are potentially more lucrative but still very low risk. If it sounds like gobbledygook, don't worry, Martin's on a mission to explain it and spread how gilts work a little further.

Gilts are UK government bonds, but the big advantage they have is they are Capital Gains Tax-free. This can give them huge advantage over savings for those who'd pay tax on them. Sound like you?

- Step 1: Watch Martin's Up to 8% on gilts quick video explainer to see if they may be suitable.
- Step 2: If they are suitable, listen to the full pros, cons, risks and how to do it in his full new How to buy gilts and maximise earnings podcast where he's joined by a specialist to take it step by step. You can listen on BBC Sounds | Apple | Spotify and elsewhere.

Martin hopes to bring you a guide and a calculator on short dated gilts soon.

Ends Wed. O2 launches its cheapest ever 50GB Sim - if you value a big-name network & need big data, it's just '£5/mth'

Or get 100GB for '£6.50/mth' - if you're out of contract, check, ditch and switch

This time last year we were kicking up a huge fuss about O2, after it hiked prices by more than it said it would when customers first signed up. Martin went ballistic at the time, saying it "made a mockery of regulator Ofcom's rules" - which say you must be told at sign-up about any planned price hikes. Many O2 customers told us they switched away or haggled a lower price.

O2 now appears to be trying to entice customers back with the cheapest 50GB Sim deal we've ever seen from it. And while it can be beaten by some of the smaller piggybacking networks, it's currently the cheapest 50GB Sim on the O2 network - something you don't see all that often. If that's important to you, and you're one of the 14 million people out of contract and free to switch, now's a good time to compare deals to see if you can save...

Step 1: Can you switch & save? Check by dialling just five digits. Just text 'INFO' for free to 85075 (some providers will ask for your date of birth to help confirm your identity). The service will then tell you if there are any early termination/cancellation charges - if there aren't, you're free to move. It won't work for some on 'multiple phone' contracts, in which case if you've been with the same provider for more than two years, you're likely out of contract, though do check.

As Janet emailed: "I was paying £79/mth to EE for myself and two grandchildren. Last month, I followed your advice and switched all three to Lebara monthly sims. I now pay less than £8/mth for all three [saving £852/yr]. Many thanks - what a huge saving."

Step 2: Switch to the best new Sim to save. There are actually only four mobile network operators (MNOs) in the UK - EE, O2, Three and Vodafone. All others are mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs), which piggyback on their signals and tend to be a lot cheaper. Our Cheap Sim Finder lets you filter for deals using your current network's signal if you choose. Here's an example of what's available right now on each network's signal using piggybacking.

Cheapest Sim-only deal examples Use our Data Calc if you're unsure how much you use
Ends Wed. O2 2 / 5 ("poor") customer service	- 50GB at average '£5.46/mth' over 1yr contract (£8/mth (rising to £10.50/mth on 1 Apr 2027) plus a £48 Amazon or shopping voucher). Cheapest similar deal on the same network: Tesco Mobile, 50GB at £10/mth
iD Mobile on Three's signal 3.2 / 5 ("OK") customer service	- 40GB at average '£3.30/mth' over 1yr contract (3mths at £4/mth, then £8/mth, plus £44.50 Amazon or shopping voucher). - 120GB at average '£7.42/mth' over 1yr contract (3mths at £2.50/mth, then £10/mth, plus £8.50 Amazon or shopping voucher). Cheapest similar deal on the main network: Three, 30GB at '£8.95/mth.'
Lebara on Vodafone's signal 4.3 / 5 ("good") customer service	- 50GB at average '£3.25/mth' over 1yr (8mths at £1.70/mth, then £7.90/mth), but 1mth rolling contract. Cheapest similar deal on the main network: Vodafone, 50GB at '£6.80/mth.'
TalkMobile on Vodafone's signal 4.2 / 5 ("good") customer service	- 100GB at average '£6.45/mth' over 1yr (£8.95/mth, plus a £30 prepaid Mastercard or shopping voucher) Cheapest similar deal on the main network: Vodafone, 120GB at '£7.13/mth.'
Spusu on EE's signal 4.4/ 5 ("good") customer service	- 5GB at a straight £4.50/mth on 1mth rolling contract. Cheapest similar deal on the main network: EE, 20GB at £9/mth (PAYG).

Step 3: To keep your number when switching, text 'PAC' for free to 65075. You'll then get a code to give your new provider, which will transfer your number - usually within one working day. (Do note: some providers may ask for your date of birth to confirm your identity, and this won't work if you're on a contract with more than one phone.)

In fact, sometimes when you do this, they fight to try to keep you by offering a much better deal. You could shortcut the process and try this first to see if they do (if you'd rather stick with your current provider). For more help, see Mobile phone haggling.

Tomorrow (Wed) is Budget day! How to follow and what's been announced already...
From 12:30pm, follow Martin's live plain-English analysis on X, and watch his instant analysis video on his YouTube channel (do subscribe) not long after the Chancellor sits down. Then gradually through the day, see MSE News for the details on the major consumer finance policy announcements. In fact, we already know a few things ahead of tomorrow...

- 'Awful' Carer's Allowance cliff edge set to be scrapped
- Mileage allowance for drivers using cars for work to rise
- Self-employed new dads to get £194/week paternity pay
- New free or cheap loan scheme to buy solar panels, heat pumps and more confirmed.

Then a must-watch... 7:15pm Thu - The Martin Lewis Money Show Live: Budget Special. Martin's got no show tonight - instead it's back on Thursday 7:15pm for a Budget special. Clearly he doesn't know everything it'll cover yet, but he'll definitely take you through step-by-step what it really means for the pounds in your pocket, and how to best utilise or minimise the impact of any changes that come. Catch up via ITVX.

What Black Friday deals can you expect this year? Amazon, Apple, John Lewis, Boots & more. Even though it's a month away, some deals are expected to launch soon. See our 40+ Black Friday predictions.

Martin video. Why a rise in UK rates could see mortgage fixes fall! Fixes have got costlier over the past 6mths even though UK base rates have stayed flat. So what happens next? A snip from the full Mortgage Mayhem Help Martin Lewis Money Show. Related: Understand Loan-To-Value! and last week's How to find the best mortgage help.

It's back. Easy FREE £240 cash - biggest upfront bank switch bonus from a fee-free account this year. This offer ended at the start of Oct but it's back again... Newbies switching to the fee-free Santander Everyday account* get a FREE £240 cash within 90 days. To get the cash, pay in £1,500 within 60 days, set up 2+ Direct Debits and put £200 at least once in its linked 1yr 8% variable regular saver. Alternatively, if you're willing to jump through some more hoops, you can still get £300 to switch and stick with the Barclays Bank Account*. Full info and options in Top bank accounts.

Battle of the Baileys is on... get a 1L bottle for £10 (normally £22). It didn't hit this price point till Dec in 2025, but three retailers are already offering £10 Baileys. Please be Drinkaware.

Ends 3pm Thu. The cheapest long balance transfer credit card - shift debt to 0% for 3yrs. A balance transfer's where you get a new credit card that pays off your existing cards, so you owe the new card - but at 0% interest. And the long card with by far the lowest fee - Lloyds up to 36mths 0% (2.49% fee) - is getting worse on Thu, when it drops to 35mths. It's an 'up-to' card, so you might not get the full length - our eligibility calc shows what you'll get before you apply. But if you're offered the full 36mths, it's unbeatable. Golden rules: Repay at least the monthly min & clear the card before the 0% ends, or it jumps to 24.9% rep APR interest. Full info & more options in Top balance transfers.

£90 spring bulb bundle for £18 delivered. MSE Blagged. 15,000 sets available. Plant now and they should flower for spring next year. Via Thompson & Morgan.

Halifax customer? Your online/app banking will be axed THIS WEEK (Sat 31 Oct). Watch our quick explainer on how to switch to Lloyds Bank.

Do I pay tax if I sell on eBay? | How to start a credit score? | Doing a budget can change your life! Answers to these listener questions & more in Martin's latest Question Time podcast. Listen via BBC Sounds | Apple | Spotify etc.

Savers can you use gilts to earn 8%? | Standing charge to be scapped & budget preview. As well as that explanation of how gilts work, Martin goes through the likely changes coming to energy standing charges and what else he's looking out for in the Budget in the latest episode of Martin's Big Topics pod. Listen via BBC Sounds | Apple | Spotify etc.

BLAGGED FOR MSE

- £90 spring bulb bundle for £18 delivered 15,000 available

DID YOU MISS?

- Supermarket coupons: Free £6 cider, free £2 tofu & more
- Plug-in solar panels - what are they and are they worth it?
- Ends Mon. Smyths 'up to 50% off' toy sale
- £397 of beauty in £75 M&S Advent calendar
- Disney+ hikes prices AGAIN by up to £24/yr - can you cut costs?

Seven tips to declutter for max cash (incl new Ikea help)!
"I challenged myself to sell enough for a little Christmas weekend break by decluttering. I've made £821!"

At this time of year, we always suggest a home stocktake. Walk round the house and find everything you haven't used since last Christmas, and for each one, ask yourself: 'Do I need it? Is it worth keeping?'. If not, flog it (or give it to charity)! This is a great time to tackle that pile of doom and sell winter coats, festive jumpers, LEGO, consoles and much more. The trick is using the right site for the right job (though committed sellers often list on a few sites and delete them from the others if they sell). So below we'll take you through how to get the best buck for your stuff - but first...

1. Do you pay tax if you sell your old items? Martin explains this in detail in his new pod: 'Do I pay tax if I sell on eBay?. In a nutshell, no - you don't if you're just selling your old stuff. Yet if you're buying or making things to sell you're classed as a trader, and if you make £1,000yr+ from that, your income is taxable. Full help in our Do I pay tax on online earnings? guide.

2. Vinted: For selling clothes and other cheaper bits fast. 70% of 424 MoneySavers said Vinted was the quickest place to sell clothes, shoes and accessories in our recent poll (though after making a sale it often takes 10 days to actually get the cash). It's quick to upload, and you can tempt buyers by offering bulk-buy discounts. Though the customer service is AI-run, so think twice before selling owt pricey. See How to earn £100s via Vinted, including algorithm tricks, making use of reverse image search and how DMs can boost sales. Forumite Milliemoohippo says: "I challenged myself to sell enough for a little Christmas weekend break by decluttering our house in the summer and selling on Vinted. I am blown away with what I have achieved, I made £821!!"

3. eBay: For tech, collectables & pricier items. Customer service is more established than Vinted's, so it's good for selling higher-value things. Use our 40+ eBay-selling secrets guide, which includes the best time to list, how to check the going rate using your phone's camera, and how you could be sitting on a hidden goldmine of retro goods such as digicams. Forumite GadgetGuru says: "I've sold around 90 items on eBay over the year, probably over £10k - my gaming computer, external SSD drives and my action camera collection, plus small bits and pieces as well."

4. Facebook Marketplace: Shift bulky furniture for free. With no fees for buyers and fast sales, Facebook Marketplace should be your first port of call for selling bulky and/or breakable collection-only items. While you need to be prepared for the odd no-show, you'll get cash in hand if the buyer's happy with your item - meaning same-day payouts. Our Facebook selling tips include what sells best and how to price your wares.

5. Can't face the faff of listing items? Try trade-in sites for tech (mobiles, CDs, DVDs, games, books, etc). While eBay often nets max cash, for speed and ease - especially if you're selling lots of items - plug 'em into trade-in sites to see how much you'd get. Eg, we found one site paying £184 for a 128GB iPhone 14. See Sell Old Mobiles and how to sell old games, CDs, DVDs and books.

6. New. IKEA launches second-hand marketplace for unwanted furniture. The Swedish flat-pack retailer's new collection-only reselling site could be worth a look. Launched this month, right now it has no fees, and you get 15% extra if you take your payout as an IKEA gift card rather than cash. For our full comparison of how it compares to other platforms, see Get cash for your Kallax.

7. From wine corks to pine cones, your junk may be others' treasure. A surprising range of items that many would normally throw out can actually be sold online, sometimes for big money. As forumite sidewayssyd says: "I had 12 copies of Autocourse magazine from the 60s/70s. One was really rare and made almost £970. The rest made £100 to £150 each." But even more basic items can be flogged too. Eg, we found empty jam jars fetching an average 35p each, wine corks 8p and pine cones 13p. There have even been dozens of sales of old loo roll tubes in the past 3mths too. See our Flog your rubbish guide for the full list of what we've seen sell and how to do it.

PS: We've focused on ways to make money from stuff you don't use. But if you'd prefer to support a worthy cause, donate to a charity shop instead (it's best to call first, to see what they are and aren't accepting).

Millions of £150 Warm Home Discount letters being sent by the Govt. Are you due one? Around six million households now qualify for this winter's £150 discount off electricity bills. It's automatic in Eng, Wal and most of Scot (not available in NI) - though some still need to apply. Letters are being sent now (until Jan 27) - full help, incl how to tell if your letter is genuine, in Warm Home Discount news.

Half-term helpers: Kids eat 'free' or for £1, Halloween freebies & more. Avoid spending horror-shows - MSE Hope shows you how to have a spook-tacular spend-free or cheap half-term.

5,000 FREE pairs of £16ish Ideal Christmas Show tickets. London Olympia, 26-29 Nov. Also gets free entry to The Cake & Bake Show at the same venue. Free tickets

Warning. Booking days out over half-term? Third-party ticket sites often don't include big discounts for families, students, carers & more. Always check if you can save by booking direct. See our full concessions analysis.

'I ordered a carpet washer using MSE's Blagged code - I'm so thankful.' Success of the week. Something a little different this week from MoneySaver Joanne, who emailed us: "I saw the link to get a Vax carpet washer [now sold out]. I was so thankful as I'd been thinking with my arthritis that I really needed an upright carpet cleaner. I ordered & just three days later, it arrived. Thank you to everyone who works so hard to help us save money and get amazing offers... No more fear of tackling carpet issues due to my health issues." Be first in line to hear about new MSE deals by adding Vax (or 100s of other retailers) as a 'Favourite' on the MSE app (not on desktop). And if we've helped you save on anything, please let us know.

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MONEY MORAL DILEMMA

Can I ask to have my saxophone back after two decades? As a school kid, I learned to play the saxophone, passed a few grades and eventually bought my own. When I went to uni, I lost interest and lent it to a family friend who'd make use of it. Two decades later, I'd like to start playing again - but a similar saxophone now costs at least £800. I'm still in touch with the friend and know they still have it, so would it be rude to ask for it back? Or is there an unspoken 'statute of limitations' on reclaiming something you lent out years ago? Enter the Money Moral Maze: Can I ask for my saxophone back? | Suggest a Money Moral Dilemma (MMD) | View past MMDs

- Boots: £39 (normally £85) for £92 of No7 skincare in 'Star Gift'
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See more of the latest deals & vouchers.

MSE TEAM BLOG

- Forum highlights: Pear trees, comping wins and a 'Sealed Pot Challenge' update

MARTIN'S APPEARANCES (WED 28 OCT ONWARDS)

Thu 29 Oct - The Martin Lewis Money Show Live: Budget Special, ITV1, 7:15pm
Tue 3 Nov - This Morning, ITV1, 10:20am

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The mortgage dilemma!, easy free £25, car finance reclaims - what next?, free hot chocolate, new cheapest energy fix

2026-10-20T11:09:27.320-07:00

The top tips this week

Martin: The Mortgage Dilemma!
- What next for rates?
- Book deal in early as insurance
- The biggest factor dictating your rate
- Best-buy comparison tool

Top breakdown cover £57/yr

Martin: Car finance reclaims - what next?

Very easy FREE £25

Or FREE £100 Amazon

Free £4 Knoops hot chocolate

New cheapest energy fix

Smyths 'up to 50% off' toy sale

FREE £75 shares (SpaceX, Nvidia, etc)

Video. Card debt? An important alert

'I got £18k + £3k/yr after tracing pension'

Martin: "Ofgem's plan will cost consumers"

Video. HALVE car insurance costs?

Plug-in solar - is it worth it?

Coupons: free £6 cider & £3 muesli

£397 M&S beauty £75 in Advent cal

Pod. Are Premium Bonds right for me?

Shift debt to 0% while you still can

Disney+ hikes prices AGAIN

Add MSE as a 'Preferred Source'

Best buys: £300 bank switch, 5GB Sim '£2.90/mth'

MMD: Is it fair I don't give wedding gifts?

10 tips for sorting a cheap mortgage for first-time buyers & remortgagers
Martin: The Mortgage Dilemma! Fixes under 5% are now limited, and more rises are possible. What do you do?

Martin: While the days of super-cheap mortgages feel like a different time, there were still five-year fixed rate mortgages below 2% on offer in early 2022, meaning for many, the end of those deals is in sight. If so, unfortunately, as our mortgage comparison shows, you're likely to face a substantial rise in the rate you pay.

Similar is true for many people coming off existing deals. Rates have rocketed over recent years, and we've seen that accelerate this year - hitting remortgagers and first-time buyers alike. So let me take you through the lay of the land and what to do. Below I've 10 tips for sorting a new mortgage. For more, I'll be talking you through it and taking questions tonight (Tue) at 7.15pm on ITV's The Martin Lewis Money Show Live (watch back after on ITVX).

What comes next for mortgage rates? The markets are factoring in the Bank of England increasing the UK base rate four times over the next year, taking it from the current 3.75% to 4.75% - though some economists think that's overdone. So do remember (remember, remember), the first rise is predicted on the 5 November.

New fixed deals already factor in some of that predicted rise. Look at the recent times in the graph above and you'll see that while the base rate hasn't moved, the rate you can fix at has shot up about 1% over the last six months. That's because the market's view of future rates, called 'swap rates', is mostly what fixes are priced on. So market sentiment about the future has a real impact on prices today.

And this takes some getting your head around. It means if the UK base rate rises, as expected, we wouldn't expect to see fixed rates rise that much, as most of the rise is already baked in. If it rises by less than expected, then we could even see fixed rates edge down, as sentiment over future rates drops. If it rises more than expected, they'll rise. The current cheapest fixes are 2yrs at 4.78% and 5yrs at 4.95%.
Variable and tracker mortgages will rise if rates rise, but there's room for that with the cheap ones. If you get a variable rate mortgage or one that tracks the base rate, then they are more closely - or exactly - tied to base rates. Currently, the cheapest tracker is 0.25% above base rates for two years (so currently 3.99%) or 0.6% above for five years (so 4.35%). What that shows, though, is if you hope rates will come down in a couple of years and don't need the security of a fix, a cheap tracker now has room to rise and still undercut fixes.

For far more on this, we asked four mortgage brokers: Is now the time to fix or go for a tracker?

Quick links: \| Mortgage Calc \| Free 1st-time buyers' help \| Free Remortgage help \| Find a broker

Not all apply to both first-timers and remortgagers (those with existing mortgages looking for new deals). So it's colour-coded...

- First-time buyer tips have a FTB at the start. Better, read our full 1st-time buyers' 53-page PDF booklet. Plus, if you're saving for a deposit for your home, do look at our Top LISAs guide, as you may be able to get up to £1,000/yr extra towards it.

- Remortgage tips have a RMTG at the start. Better, read our full Remortgage 58-page PDF booklet.

1) With rates rising, SIX MONTHS before your deal ends, see if you can grab a new one as 'insurance'.
RMTG When your current deal ends, do nothing and you'll usually automatically go on your lender's Standard Variable Rate, which currently average around 6.5% (and will rise if base rates do) - so you don't want that. No surprise then, a few weeks ago this 'mortgage deal ending within six months? Check this!' clip from This Morning grabbed millions of views.

Many lenders let you lock in a new fix months before it's needed. For deals with new lenders, it's up to six months ahead. For product transfers (switching deals with your existing lender), three months is common. Product transfers are an easy start point as they set a good benchmark, so you know what others need to beat, and they can have lower fees. But check both.

The key to these offers is that it means you've got a deal in the bank in case rates get even worse. If rates fall so cheaper fixes are available, you can usually just ditch the deal for a new one, as long as it's 14 days before the start date (though do check). Full help & questions on fees in how to book in an early deal - and this is really something to speak to a mortgage broker about.

PS. First-time buyer? You should be thinking about sorting your mortgage six months before it's needed too.

2) Quick financial checks so you don't damage your mortgage chances.
FTB RMTG Ideally, several months before getting a mortgage deal (or ASAP if you're past that) start trying to make yourself more financially fanciable to lenders. See the full 18 boost your mortgage chances tips. Key ones include:

- Ensure you're on the electoral roll (registered to vote) as lenders use this as an ID check. Don't worry, to stop marketing just opt out of the 'open register'. For more, including what to do if you're a foreign national, see our electoral roll help.
- Limit credit applications. In the few months before getting a mortgage, don't switch bank & minimise new credit applications.
- Stay out of your overdraft. Some lenders aren't too tolerant of you being overdrawn in the last three months.
- Always pay your bills on time, obviously.
- If you're a new borrower or looking to get a new home, see our How much can I borrow? calculator.

3) Understand the single biggest factor that dictates your mortgage rate.
FTB RMTG This is all about your Loan-To-Value (LTV). It is a measure of how much you are borrowing as a proportion of your home's current value. And the LOWER your LTV, the lower mortgage rates tend to be, so the cheaper the deal.

- FTB: Your LTV is dictated by your deposit, eg, a 10% deposit is a 90% LTV, as that's the amount you'll borrow.
- RMTG: It's about your mortgage-to-home value, eg, a £175,000 mortgage on a house now worth £350,000 is a 50% LTV (so if your home's value's risen since you last got a mortgage, your LTV is likely lower).

The gain from a lower LTV can be at every 5% threshold, but there is often, though not always, a bigger impact at 90%, 85%, 80%, 75% and 60%. Once you're borrowing under 60%, it tends not to improve. Crucially, remember a 9% deposit, while equivalent to a 91% LTV, only gets you a 95% LTV mortgage. You need to go beyond a threshold to hit it, so pushing a little more deposit can make a real difference. Use our mortgage comparison to see the impact for yourself, but as an illustration...

Of course, some of the cost decrease in that chart is due to the fact you're borrowing less. Even if we strip that out though - so we look at someone borrowing a fixed £200,000 at progressively lower LTVs (ie, on higher value homes) - the change from 95% LTV to 60% LTV would save you over £500 a year.

OVERPAYING your mortgage can help lower your LTV and save £1,000s.
RMTG If you've savings, consider overpaying your mortgage right now. With higher mortgage rates, overpaying is more lucrative, and it can help you reach a lower LTV threshold quicker, reducing your interest. Though if you're on a very cheap mortgage deal, you may want to save instead until remortgage time, then use it to reduce the borrowing. I got through the full pros, cons & calcs in my Overpaying your mortgage - can you save £1,000s? note from a few weeks ago.

4) Get prepped by understanding your current deal properly.
RMTG If you're switching deals, as well as knowing your LTV, gathering the following information about your current deal will help you to work out whether the new deals you're looking at are any good:

- What's the rate? Plus, note monthly repayments.
- How much do you still owe? What's your outstanding mortgage balance?
- What type is it? Fix, tracker or Standard Variable Rate?
- When's the intro deal over? Eg, when does your fix end?
- What's the term (when must it all be repaid)? In 10, 20 or 25 years?
- Will you be penalised to switch deals? Does your fix or tracker have an early-repayment charge?

5) Do a comparison to find out which deals are available.
FTB RMTG Some sample rates are below, but for a proper view, see our mortgage best-buy comparison tool:

Example cheapest remortgage rates (1)
2-yr fix (60% LTV) 4.99%	5-yr fix (60% LTV) 5.06%
2-yr fix (80% LTV) 5.22%	5-yr fix (90% LTV) 5.36%
2-yr tracker (60% LTV) 4.06%	5-yr tracker (80% LTV) 4.75%
2-yr fix (90% LTV) 5.38%	10-yr fix (75% LTV) 5.26%

6) Yet what really matters, is the best rate YOU'LL get. Two KEY factors determine this.
FTB RMTG Finding the cheapest mortgage deal on a comparison is straightforward, but a more difficult consideration is whether you'll be accepted for it. This is especially important if you're a first-time buyer or remortgaging to a new lender.

Affordability score. Lenders carry out strict checks to see if you can afford mortgage repayments on top of your other expenses. They 'stress test' how you'd cope if interest rates went up (there's no firm rule about how high lenders must stress test by, but typically lenders test something above their current Standard Variable Rate, typically 6-7%), meaning you'll need extra leeway in your finances.

Our free MSE Credit Club Mortgage Affordability Score will help estimate how you're doing. If you're struggling with affordability, as lenders use a mix of the information you provide (credit data, and sometimes bank statements or Open Banking data), it may be possible to help yourself by cutting back on non-essential spending and reducing your outgoings in the six-month run-up to your application.
Credit score. A poor credit history can scupper a mortgage or remortgage application. So check your credit file (for free) to ensure there are no errors, then minimise other credit applications, and pay down debts if you can. The MSE Credit Club will help you through this, including your credit file, a credit-score assessment and bespoke tips on what you can do to improve your situation. Also see our 28 tips to boost your credit score guide.

Renter? See how paying rent on time can boost your creditworthiness.

Yet even if you've done everything right with your credit report and minimised outgoings, know that lenders' acceptance criteria differ, so not every lender will accept you (see point 8).

7) Try to go at least £100 beyond any LTV threshold to ease acceptance.
FTB RMTG If you've worked hard to get enough together to reach the next LTV band - for instance, 90% or 75% - try to push at least £100 beyond it, or even up to £1,000 if you can. This isn't to reduce the cost, but anecdotally it can make it more likely you will be accepted for a deal, as to mortgage underwriters it might no longer look as if you're scraping to get to the limit (and lenders might not require quite as high creditworthiness).

8) Mortgage brokers are crucial right now - both for finding a deal and easing acceptance.
FTB RMTG A mortgage broker is a regulated adviser who can guide and recommend individual mortgage products to you. That's good for those who aren't sure what they're doing, yet even if you do, brokers also have details of most lenders' acceptance criteria, which are not usually public. So they can help match you to the best deal that will accept you and discuss it with the lender. Additionally, there are sometimes 'broker-only' top deals, and even some product transfers. See our full find a good broker help.

And currently, with a volatile market and interest rates rising, a broker can help you get ahead of the game by securing a rate before it's gone - and a good one will monitor afterwards in case better rates come along before your new mortgage stars.

9) Do your numbers - our Ultimate Mortgage Calculator should help.
FTB RMTG Making sure you know what you're getting into, and what'll cost less, is important. We've got a number of powerful tools as part of our Ultimate Mortgage Calculator, including...

Basic mortgage calculator | Compare two mortgages
Compare fixed-rate mortgages | How much can I borrow?
Saving for a deposit | Overpay v Saving calculator

10. First-time buyer struggling to get a mortgage?
FTB While I'd always prefer people to push for a 10% deposit for a better rate, there are 95% LTV mortgages out there as a standard start point. And a few mortgages require even less of a deposit. For example, there's Lloyds' £5,000 deposit mortgage at up to 99% LTV, and Skipton's 'pay rent on time' deal at 100% LTV. It's worth speaking to a mortgage broker.

When it comes to building up a deposit, some may be able to get help from family, many can get help from a top Lifetime ISA, and others will just have to rely on patience. Though here are a few more options...

New, 'Your First Home' (England only). The Govt has announced plans for a Your First Home scheme for first-time buyers in England buying a new-build from a participating developer - even if you've just a 2.5% deposit. It'll work similarly to the old Help to Buy equity loan scheme, in that the Govt will provide you with an equity loan of up to 20%, interest-free at first, enabling you to access cheaper mortgage rates. Price and income caps are expected. Full details and the launch date are expected in The Budget next week, and we'll bring you more when we know.

There is also currently the First Homes scheme for first-time buyers earning less than £80,000/yr (£90,000/yr if in London) where you may be able to get a discount on a new-build property.
Shared ownership can help those with a smaller deposit. Here, you own part of a property, and pay rent on the share you don't own (that share is often owned by a housing association, though rents can be expensive). You can then buy a greater share as and when you can afford it. Lots of lenders offer shared-ownership mortgages, though they tend to be more expensive than standard mortgages. A full rundown is in our Shared ownership guide.
Can your parents be guarantors? This is where they are on the hook if you can't pay, rather than giving you cash upfront for a deposit. If they have a property (with a good LTV or mortgage-free) or other assets, they may be able to be a guarantor. While it's still your property, their name is on the mortgage. There are two types.

a. The guarantor promises to make your mortgage payments in the event you fail to do so.
b. The guarantor is a joint applicant and their income forms part of your affordability assessment.

The second type is far more common (sometimes referred to as 'joint borrower, sole proprietor'). Many lenders offer these guarantor mortgages, though the rates tend to be more expensive. See how guarantor mortgages work.
Got a family member willing to save with the lender? If you've got a small or no deposit, a few lenders offer a 'Family' mortgage, provided someone will put the equivalent of 10% of the property price into one of their savings accounts as security, and that money will be locked away for a set period (eg, five years). If you don't repay, the helper's security can be kept for longer by the lender, even permanently if the property is repossessed. Mortgage rates are typically more expensive than normal mortgages (eg, if they gave you money for a deposit instead).

Very easy FREE £25 for opening (not switching to) a new bank account. Newbies opening the free current account at app-only bank Starling* via this link (must apply on phone) who spend £25+ on its debit card within 30 days, get paid £25 within 30 days of that. After, if you like, you can cancel it. It does an ID check on application, not a full credit check.

Ends 2pm Mon. Or FREE £100 Amazon for opening a new account with a few more hoops to jump (no need to switch). Santander newbies who open its Edge* current account via this link, and by 30 Nov pay in a total £1,500 (do-able in bits, and you can withdraw each straight away), make 10+ payments on the debit card, and put £1+ in its linked 8% regular saver, will be able to claim a £100 Amazon voucher within 120 days. The account costs £3/mth, so you could just use it until then, though it's a strong 2nd account for household bills as it pays 1% cashback (max £10/mth) if you pay them using Direct Debits. If you've bigger bills, its Edge Up* (£5/mth fee) is better and has the same offer, as does Edge Explorer* (£17/mth fee), which gives mobile phone, travel & breakdown cover too. Full alternatives in Top switchers' deals.

Wed only. FREE £4 Knoops hot chocolate. Free chocolate - 'nuff said. From midday, if you're in a city where the luxury hot-chocolate chain is open, you're in luck as it's giving free drinks at all of its 25 UK stores. See free hot chocolate.

New cheapest energy fix: Massively undercuts any other, but only 2,500 avail. It's a nightmare time for energy, wholesale rates keep rising, and the Energy Price Cap is predicted to rise 25% in January. This new E.on Next 12mth fix for new & existing Direct Debit customers is 1.2% below the current Price Cap (including MSE cashback), making it an avg 5% cheaper than the next cheapest fix. It's avail for dual-fuel and elec-only and has £50/fuel exit fees. Prices vary depending on region & use, so check how it stacks up for you via our Cheap Energy Club comparison.

Smyths 'up to 50% off' toy sale. Pre-Xmas toy sales tend to be a good time to buy before the festive rush.

FREE £75 in shares (SpaceX, Nvidia, etc) if you put £200+ in an investment account. 5,000 left. New eToro* customers who join via this link & deposit £200+ in its investment (not ISA) account for 12mths, get £75 of free shares. 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

Martin video. Do you have credit or store card debt? An important alert. Watch Martin's card costs could rise warning video clip and see shift debt to THREE YEARS 0% - but for how long? updated from last week's email.

'I got an unbelievable £18,000+ and £3,000 a year after tracing my pension - huge thank you.' Success of the week. Julie emailed in: "A massive thank you, Martin, for your incredible show [on how to find lost pensions]. I decided to act and look into a scheme I had in the '80s. Since I hadn't paid into it directly, I fully expected it to be a small, nominal amount. The pension tracing took just over a month, and the final figures were absolutely unbelievable. I've received an £18,460 lump sum and will be receiving £2,769 a year! This will make a huge difference to me. Thank you so much." If we've helped you save or reclaim (on anything), let us know.

DID YOU MISS?

- Now you can earn Tesco Clubcard points at 100s more retailers
- Far more people now eligible for Disabled Person's Railcard - check if you are
- Don't miss out on a Christmas food delivery slot - bookings now open at Asda, Sainsbury's, Ocado & more
- Go quick. FREE WILLS if you're 55 or over - check if a solicitor near you still has availability
- Ends Wed. 25p Irn-Bru, 50p Lotus Biscoff & more via 10% off code

Five key tips to slash roadside assistance costs
How to get FULL service breakdown cover for just £57/yr!
That's homestart, roadside recovery and onward travel for you & partner

Your car breaking down is a nightmare at any time, but when it's dark, cold and wet, it feels much worse. Yet even if you've already got breakdown cover, the problem is firms like to drive up the price year on year, even when you don't use it. Our Cheap breakdown cover guide is designed to combat that. Many can save £100s. Here are the five key tips...

Tip 1. Forget the big names, you can get decent full-service cover elsewhere for under £60/yr. Two providers that use local recovery operators rather than running their own fleets are far cheaper than the big brands - while generally getting decent feedback including on response times.

- AutoAid* at £57.30/yr (via this link) has been one of our top picks for 20+yrs. It covers you for any vehicle you drive, and you can add your spouse or live-in partner for free on the same terms under the 'Enhanced cover' option. It includes roadside assistance (fixes your car), national recovery (takes your car on if it can't be fixed), home start (fixes it at home) and onward travel (takes you on if your car can't). Car over 10 years old? There's a £25 call-out fee. Plus if it's over 16 years old you need to add extra cover on the AutoAid page, and pay £79.20/yr (plus any call-out fees).

- Eversure Gold* is £57.50 a year (via this link). We used to say it's the newer policy, but its now been in our top picks for over five years. We don't have as much feedback as with AutoAid but what we do have is good. Older car? Crucially, it doesn't charge call-out fees for older vehicles, though it won't cover cars aged 16 years or more.
Tip 2. Want to stick with AA or RAC... HAGGLE!!! The success rates for haggling with breakdown cover providers are higher than for any other sector. In our latest poll of those who tried, 89% succeed with the AA and 88% with the RAC. Full haggling help in breakdown cover haggling tips & techniques. And it works...

...Dawn emailed: "My RAC renewal came in at £482. I'd always just paid it, but the increase was £90! I read your breakdown insurance article, checked the AA, saw the same cover for £108 and was very angry. I rang the RAC, and said I didn't want to renew. It offered me a 50% reduction but I refused. After some polite chatter, the lady then came back with £145 for the same cover I normally have. Thank you for the very helpful info.
Tip 3: If you want a new RAC policy, save up to £120 if you buy via a cashback site. This used to work for both the AA and RAC, but right now only the RAC is available, as the AA doesn't seem to sell via cashback sites any more. Yet for the RAC, sign up to a new policy via a cashback site and you get a chunk of the introducer fee the site gets for sending you to the breakdown firm, so it costs you less. It only works for new customers, though if you're with the AA and not happy with the price you could switch. Examples of the cashback levels:

- Basic cover: £60/yr, but cashback can be £20, so the total cost is £40/yr.
- Full service: £160/yr, but cashback can be £45, so the total cost is £115/yr.

We tend to be wary of going for deals just for cashback (as it's never 100% guaranteed), yet if you want the RAC - as there's limited choice and the cashback here is such a big chunk - it's often the cheapest route. See RAC cover.
Tip 4: Tesco shopper? Use Clubcard vouchers to get cheap RAC cover. If you're a Tesco shopper, you can turn your Clubcard vouchers into cover for half the normal cost. For example, you can get basic cover (no home rescue) in exchange for £30 of vouchers, or full service for £80 of vouchers.
Tip 5: Usually pay for family travel insurance &/or mobile phone cover too? Get a packaged account. While they're called packaged bank accounts, in reality they're more like a bundle of decent insurance - typically travel, mobile & breakdown cover - with a bank account attached. You pay £10 to £20/mth, and get cover that - bought separately - could cost up to £500/yr. Even better, right now switch to Club Lloyds Silver and you get a £200 switch bonus. As the account costs £11.50/mth the bonus covers the fee for 17mths. You get family UK breakdown cover (no home start), European family travel insurance and mobile phone cover for account holders. Full alternatives in top packaged bank accounts.

PS Driving in Europe? Make sure you've cover there too. See cheap European breakdown cover for options and info.

Martin: "Ofgem's got a new plan to protect energy providers' profits! It'll cost consumers." A consultation about the switching on the 'Market Stabilisation Charge' doesn't sound a big deal, but it could be - and we don't want it to slip under the radar. In a nutshell, it means if wholesale energy prices drop sharply, the cheap fixes and switchers' deals offered will be a lot more expensive, in order to protect energy firms' profits. See why in Martin's 'Ofgem wants to dampen competition' news. Related: Compare energy deals

Martin video. How to HALVE car insurance costs by timing it right? Watch Martin's time-it-right trick clip from his show last week, or better, watch the whole slash motoring costs show on ITVX. Speedily cut costs: Compare+ Car Insurance

Plug-in solar panels - what are they and are they worth it? These cheaper, smaller, portable panels can now legally be sold. So how do they work, are they worth it, and where do you get them from? See our updated Plug-in solar guide.

Free £6 Strongbow cider, free £3 muesli, free £2 tofu & more supermarket coupons. See 40+ coupons. And pls be Drinkaware.

Tonight (Tue) 7.15pm ITV1, or after on ITVX: The Martin Lewis Money Show LIVE

Mortgage Mayhem? How to beat the rate rises!

Mortgage deals now last under two weeks as there's so much volatility. Overall, rates are up, pushing up the cost of buying & owning a home. Tonight, Martin'll tool you up with what you need to know to protect your pocket. He's joined by an economist & mortgage broker to answer your questions too, plus important info in News You Can Use. Do watch!

£397 of beauty in £75 M&S Advent calendar. Mega popular with MoneySavers - it was originally just online for Sparks members, but it's now available to all, and in stores. Peek inside the M&S beauty Advent calendar.

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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
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Martin's Car Finance Update
News. Regulator, the FCA's Motor Finance Mass Redress Scheme, will face legal challenges in court in February
So, should you complain, wait, or bypass altogether and go to court?

In March, the regulator, the FCA, announced a groundbreaking new £9bn Mass Redress scheme for people who'd been mis-sold motor vehicle finance between 2007 and 2024. Groundbreaking as, while if you put in a complaint it'd be quicker, the 'mass redress' bit means even those who don't complain will be notified they're due compensation if missold. Yet, suddenly, the brakes were applied...

First a small firm that promotes group legal claims said it'd challenge the scheme in court on the basis the payouts weren't big enough. After that went public, three lenders announced they'd go the other way and look to exclude or limit compensation. Last week we 'stop pressed' that the court date's now set for 16-26 Feb 2027. So it's all being dragged out more! Here's my Q&A...

Q. Will the Mass Redress scheme still happen? I hope so, but nothing's guaranteed. If - and it's a big if - a court challenge succeeds, it could mean a delay as the scheme needs to change, or the whole scheme may be pulled. That wouldn't automatically mean you haven't been mis-sold, but instead of mass redress, it'd move to an individual system, where you'd need to complain to the firm and, if it didn't agree, go through the courts or the ombudsman.

That'd be hugely frustrating, and a poor consumer outcome. I view mass redress as an important tenet of consumer justice. Without it, those who struggle to complain through illness, lack of education or professional skills may be left out in the cold.

Q. If I haven't complained yet under the Mass Redress Scheme, is there any point (spoiler: YES!)? There's just as strong a chance things will go ahead as planned, only later. If so, putting a complaint in means if you were mis-sold, you could be paid out far quicker. It also means the lender can't say "sorry we couldn't find your info to contact you". There's no risk to using our totally FREE complaint tool - do it for each firm you think you had finance with, even if it's now paid off or you no longer own the vehicle. See our full Am I eligible checklist?, but here's a brief summary...

- It's for car, van, motorbike & campervan (not caravans) finance from 6 Apr 2007 to 1 Nov 2024.
- It's for Personal Contract Purchases (PCP) & Hire Purchase (HP) - not leased cars, and mainly for personal use.
- If your finance was interest-free, as this is about unfair commission on interest, you aren't covered by the scheme.
- You can complain on behalf of someone who's passed away. See how to complain for a deceased relative.

And do note, the only way to know if you were mis-sold is by complaining, as the whole point is they didn't tell you what they were doing! Read more about this in the 3 car finance mis-selling types.

Q. I had car finance but don't have a clue who it was with? There's a free Car finance checker app tool, with info on most car finance records since 2007 (most, but not all, firms' policies), including info on any joint agreements.

Q. I've already complained - what do I do now? The mass redress scheme was designed to get your money back easily, without the complexity and cost of court. Yet while firms must respond at the moment, calculation and payment of payouts are on hold. In other words, as long as you've had a reply & your complaint is logged... it's twiddle your thumbs time.

Q. With all this delay, would I not be better off going to court? It is perfectly possible that if you go to court and win...

- It could be quicker. We hear some courts are currently placing some cases on hold pending the redress scheme review, but others are proceeding with claims and often finding in favour of the consumer, but it can take a year for anything to go through courts at the moment. Of course, there is also a chance the lender will settle.

- The headline payout could be bigger. I suspect the amounts the FCA agreed for payouts under the mass redress scheme was a compromise to try and get the scheme out the door without legal challenge - so they're smaller than a typical court payout. Yet most people would need a claims firm or lawyer for court action, which costs typically 30% + VAT of the payout. The regulator said to us: '"Our scheme is likely to be simpler and more certain than taking a claim to court - where after legal fees are deducted, you could end up with less."

Yet as I said back in my Oct 2025 blog: "If the lenders start to push back on this, or challenge the FCA's mid-ground in court, then if they go militant, it may be time to consider suggesting people go to court instead. I hope we don't get to that, and the firms realise the best thing to do is get on with this, accept this middle-ground, pay people out, and all move on."

And lenders are challenging in court, so while for most the Mass Redress scheme is still the easy route, the dial has shifted a touch more towards a more militant approach of going to court. Though, as the legal challenge is only four months away, there's a strong argument to wait for the outcome as soliticitors tell us the statute of limitations works slightly differently for these types of claims, so currently the risk of a court time-out is limited. More help in Car Finance Mis-selling reclaiming.

Are Premium Bonds right for me? | Should we get our child a pension? | How many credit applications kill a mortgage? 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.

Shift debt to 0% while you can! | Car Finance update | ISA & inheritance taxMartin's leading this week's Big Topics podcast with an urgent warning for anyone carrying credit card debt: now is the time to act. Plus, an update on car finance mis-selling, and Martin tackles a common inheritance tax question. Listen via BBC Sounds | Apple | Spotify etc.

Disney+ hikes prices AGAIN by up to £24/yr - can you cut costs? See our Disney+ tricks.

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MSE NEWS

- Top story: Real living wage to increase to at least £14.10 an hour
- 'Ban extortionate premiums on pay-monthly car insurance,' urge campaigners

MONEY MORAL DILEMMA

I don't plan to marry, so is it okay not to give gifts when I go to weddings? I have a child and own a house with my partner, but we don't plan to marry as it's not something I want. While I'm more than happy to celebrate when people I know marry, I don't get them a gift. That's because, while some people - including Martin, back in 2011 - say wedding gifts are a form of social banking, it isn't something we'll benefit from - the 'flow' of money would only ever be away from us. Wedding gifts are also seen by some as 'payment' for the cost of your attendance, but this isn't how any other celebration works, so again I don't feel obliged. Is that fair? Enter the Money Moral Maze: Is it fair that I don't give wedding gifts? | Suggest a Money Moral Dilemma (MMD) | View past MMDs

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Shift debt to 0% sooner!, get 2% cashback on all spending, £300 Vax £120, 1yr FREE Apple TV hack, Tesco Clubcard news, disabled railcard change

2026-10-13T11:09:33.139-07:00

The top tips this week

Got debt on credit or store cards? Read this:
Shift debt to 3yrs 0%, but do it sooner to be safe!
- Balance transfers for beginners
- Top 0% balance transfers
- Top 0% deals if you're usually rejected
- Still apply if a low chance? And more FAQs

Not got debt on credit or store cards? Read this:
New top cashback card: 2% back on all spending

£3,000/yr State Pension help

Martin wants your SMALL IDEAS

£300 Vax carpet cleaner £120

Stop Press: Car finance court date set!

Ends. Easy FREE 12mths Apple TV hack

Exclusive Tesco Clubcard points news

25p Irn-Bru, 50p Lotus Biscoff & more

Martin video: 'You are allowed to smile'

Go quick. FREE WILLS if you're 55+

News. Are you now eligible for Disabled Railcard?

£20 to £300 'free' John Lewis gift card

'Will payrise mean I lose Child Benefit?'

Martin's pod: Want up to £600 for Xmas?

Xmas food delivery slot news

Free TV audience tix, incl Martin's show

'I claimed £178 Air Passenger Duty refund'

Ends. Cheapest 5.9% loan + £50 Amazon

Best buys: Free £300, 5% savings, 35GB Sim £3.mth, etc

MMD: Should I give my daughter £250 to keep the peace?

Quick deals: £397 M&S beauty £75, 5p off fuel & more

Got debt on credit or store cards? Read this...
Today you can shift debt to THREE YEARS INTEREST-FREE. Yet with UK base rate rises expected, deals may be about to worsen. Sorting sooner is safer
PS: Not got any debt? Read this instead

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.

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

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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)
- M&S: £397 of beauty in £75 Advent calendar, now available to all
- 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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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.

AI, AI, captain! 30+ free or cheap tools to save time and hassle. Our updated guide shows you how to harness AI to restore photos, transcribe meetings, learn stuff, sort your life admin, and more. 30+ AI tools

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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: Barclaycard (check eligibility) 12mths 0% 24.9% rep APR

New. Free up to £300: Barclays
Ends Wed. Free £240: Santander

Fast fibre (100Mb+): Sky '£19.25/mth'
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On Universal Credit or similar? Check all discounted social tariffs

Car: Use our Compare+ Car Insurance tool
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£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: Starling 5%, min £1
Top easy-access ISA: Trading 4.7%, min £1
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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: Lebara, '£3.16/mth' for 10GB
31GB+ data: Lebara, '£3.31/mth' for 35GB

MSE NEWS

- Top story: Ovo energy customer? You'll soon be moved to E.on

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

- Ends Sun. Popeyes: FREE chicken Cruncher (normally £2)
- Costa Coffee: £1 regular-sized drink (normally £2-£4) at Co-op, every Fri in Oct
- Harvester: Code gets 40% off mains till Fri
- Smyths: £5 off a £50-£99 spend or £10 off £100+ spend on Lego sets till Thu

MSE TEAM BLOG

- MSE Forum highlights: air fryers, odd shoes & heating a historic house

MARTIN'S APPEARANCES (WED 7 OCT ONWARDS)

Thu 8 Oct - Ask Martin Lewis, BBC R5 Live, 12pm
Tue 13 Oct - This Morning, ITV1, 10:20am
Tue 13 Oct - The Martin Lewis Money Show Live, ITV1, 7:15pm

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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

£300+ Dyson cordless vacuum £183

Ends. Free £50 of shares

£397 of beauty in £75 M&S Advent calendar

Ends Thu. 150Mb broadband under £19/mth

Halifax online/app banking warning

Question pod: What should teens know about money?

Big Topics pod: What'll happen to interest rates?

Haggled with Sky, BT, the AA etc?

£35 Calvin Klein prescription specs

One week left. Easy FREE £240 to switch bank

5p/litre off petrol or diesel at Asda

Free NHS flu jab bookings opening

This week's best buys: 36mth 0% debt shift, 10GB Sim '£3.20/mth' & more

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
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- FREE £200 cash AND big perks (eg, free Disney+) bank switch
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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

- £210 Ninja 7.6L air fryer £130 via code 4,500 available
- Grind coffee 30% off code Ends Mon

DID YOU MISS?

- Full new State Pension to rise to £13,000 a year next April
- Are solar panels worth it?
- M&S 'up to 50% off' sale
- Rare £40 off UK Center Parcs code (no min spend)
- It's FREE wills season! Do you have an up-to-date one?

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.

FREE week's 'National Theatre at home' with 120+ shows. Including Macbeth (Ralph Fiennes), Fleabag (Phoebe Waller-Bridge), All My Sons (Bryan Cranston) & more. It's the first-ever free streaming trial for National Theatre at Home - plus if you want to carry on we've blagged 20% off your first two months (norm £10/mth).

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

Free first-aid training from British Heart Foundation & Red Cross. Free apps/tools guide you through CPR and how to deal with a range of emergencies - they could literally be a lifesaver. Free first aid

Four months free, ad-free music for Amazon Unlimited newbies. Or three months free if you're not an Amazon Prime member. Related: 3mths free Spotify Premium ends tomorrow (Wed).

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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%: Barclaycard (check eligibility) 12mths 0% 24.9% rep APR

Free £240: Santander
Free £220: HSBC

Fast fibre (100Mb+): Sky '£19.46/mth'
Ultrafast fibre (900Mb+): Sky '£22.34/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 4.75%, min £1
Top one-year fix: Kent Reliance 5.06%, min £1k

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: iD Mobile, '£3/mth' for 10GB
31GB+ data: Lebara, '£3.36/mth' for 35GB

MSE NEWS

- Top story: Base rate held AGAIN at 3.75% – here's what it means for you and when it might change

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

- Boots: £10 off No7 '25 Days of Beauty' Advent calendar, via code, makes it £55 (£240+ of stuff), ends tomorrow (Wed)
- SpeckyFourEyes: £27 Barbour, AllSaints & more branded prescription specs & sunnies (normally £99), ends Wed 30 Sept
- Abel & Cole: 60% off first two organic fruit & veg boxes, ends Wed 30 Sept
- Quidco: Extra £30 cashback with a £5+ spend, ends Wed 30 Sept

MSE TEAM BLOG

- MSE Forum highlights: parquet floors, phones & cash prizes

MARTIN'S APPEARANCES (WED 23 SEP ONWARDS)

Thu 24 Sep - Ask Martin Lewis, BBC R5 Live, midday
Tue 29 Sep - This Morning, ITV1, 10.20am

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