Martin Lewis
Ones Not To Miss

Best Balance Transfers: Cut existing credit card debt costs

Best Balance Transfers
If you're paying interest on your credit cards, get up off your backside and sort it out. Savings in the thousands are possible and there's a special 'no-hassle' solution too

Cheap Loans: How to get your lowest possible rate

Loans
Loan rates at just 6.4% are now possible. This article speedily shows you how to choose the right loan and then compares the cheapest standard, flexible, insured and low credit scorer personal loans

Your Credit Rating: How it works and how to improve it

Actually credit ratings don't exist. Each lender scores differently. Find out how banks use them to assess whether to lend you cash, and also how to check all your credit files totally free.

Credit Card for New Borrowing: How to borrow interest free for up to a year

If you need to borrow, done right credit cards are the cheapest way. The current top deals allow you to get a year’s borrowing at 0% or long term borrowing for 6.7%.

Credit Card Charges Reclaiming Guide: They're unlawful, get £100s back

Your credit card company owes you money; this free guide includes template letters on how to get back six years worth of late payment fees and other fines. And don’t worry, unlike bank charges reclaiming, it’s not on hold.
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Best Cashback Credit Cards: Earn a huge 5% cashback on all spending for three months

The best cashback card pays 5% back on all spending for the first three months. Simply buy everything you can on your card and make £100s

PPI Reclaiming Guide: Free template letters to get £1,000s back on loan insurance

Anyone who’s got or had a loan, credit card or store card may be able to reclaim £1,000s. For years the insurance products sold alongside these have been missold. This is a full guide, including template letters on how to check if you were missold and get your money back.

Credit Card Shuffle: reduce interest without getting new credit

You needn't get new credit cards to cut your interest. The shuffle is a way to more efficiently use existing credit, reducing interest costs by up to 70% and protecting your credit score

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Cut The Cost Of Borrowing

Best Balance Transfers: Cut existing credit card debt costs

Best Balance Transfers
If you're paying interest on your credit cards, get up off your backside and sort it out. Savings in the thousands are possible and there's a special 'no-hassle' solution too

PPI Reclaiming Guide: Free template letters to get £1,000s back on loan insurance

PPI Home
Anyone who’s got or had a loan, credit card or store card may be able to reclaim £1,000s. For years the insurance products sold alongside these have been missold. This is a full guide, including template letters on how to check if you were missold and get your money back.

Your Credit Rating: How it works and how to improve it

Actually credit ratings don't exist. Each lender scores differently. Find out how banks use them to assess whether to lend you cash, and also how to check all your credit files totally free.

Credit Card for New Borrowing: How to borrow interest free for up to a year

If you need to borrow, done right credit cards are the cheapest way. The current top deals allow you to get a year’s borrowing at 0% or long term borrowing for 6.7%.

Cheap Loans: How to get your lowest possible rate

Loan rates at just 6.4% are now possible. This article speedily shows you how to choose the right loan and then compares the cheapest standard, flexible, insured and low credit scorer personal loans

Pay off debts with your savings!: The Golden MoneySaving Rule

If you've both debts and savings, your bank will laugh at you as it rakes in your cash! It's likely you shouldn't be saving, not even for an emergency fund, but instead use spare cash to pay debts off, possibly even your mortgage!

Credit Card Shuffle: reduce interest without getting new credit

You needn't get new credit cards to cut your interest. The shuffle is a way to more efficiently use existing credit, reducing interest costs by up to 70% and protecting your credit score

Student Loans: Should you pay them off?

It's one of the cheapest forms of borrowing, so is it worth paying it off early? What's the impact on your credit score of keeping it? How does it effect your mortgage? Full answers here.

Cheap Credit Card Loans: Manipulate your plastic to get a 5% loan

It’s possible to slash the cost of personal loans by manipulating credit cards. With costs as low as 5% for a two year loan; while it’s a little more complex, it pays!

Minimum Repayments: Danger! Designed to lock you permanently in debt.
Inc. New Calculator

Only pay a credit card’s minimum repayments and it can take 40 years to get debt free. This guide includes the minimum repayment calculator to find out how long you’ll be trapped in, and then a unique three step plan to beat the min. repayment trap, even if you can’t afford to pay more.

Cut the cost of existing loans?

Surprisingly moving to a lower interest rate loan often costs more. Find out why, and when it is worth switching. Get it right and you can save hundreds

Short Term Loans: How to get them interest free

Want to borrow for a year or less? It can be tricky. Most loans are supposed to last years at a high rate. Yet be canny and you can borrow flexibly and interest free.

Loan Insurance: Ditch lenders' policies and save £1000s

Lenders try to push borrowers to get their insurance. Many don't realise this often adds £1,000s to the cost. However it's possible to do it much cheaper with standalone insurance, and both new and existing borrowers can take advantage.

Barclaycard existing customer loophole

Barclaycard has a cracking offer for its existing customers, yet there's a catch, but there's an easy work around it.

Egg Card Loophole: Guaranteed 0% year after year

Egg's offer touts 0% for five months of every year. There's a big catch, but I've a sneaky way round it.

Career Development Loans - an interesting career move

Useful while you study yet give them the elbow once you've finished

Secured Loans: lending of last resort

Like any vicious beast, handled right secured loans can be useful and if you've a poor credit history, on a tight leash these maybe a solution

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Playing Plastic To Profit

Stoozing: Make free cash from credit cards.

Stoozing
A full Stoozing guide: how to make £100s if not £1,000s by taking 0% credit cards and earning interest on them. Plus the free Stoozing Calculator will help work out your profits.

Credit Card Freebie Loopholes: Return flights to Europe without it costing you a penny.

CC Freebies
Credit cards often offer freebies if you sign up and spend. So sign-up, spend a few pence on the card, grab the freebie then cancel. Currently available are a free return flight to Europe on British Airways, CDs and DVDs from Sony, a £15 Amazon voucher, £25 in Nectar points, Business flights to Russia and loads of others.

Best Cashback Credit Cards: Earn a huge 5% cashback on all spending for three months

The best cashback card pays 5% back on all spending for the first three months. Simply buy everything you can on your card and make £100s

Ditch charity credit cards: Give 10 times more with the right cards

Charity cards usually give a paltry 25p per £100 you spend. Yet use a cashback card and donate the cash via Giftaid can boost your donation by up to ten times.

Store Cards: Play with the devil and win

Store cards are the devil's debt, hideously expensive with very high interest. Yet if you reject their borrowing facility, there are scores of discounts available which you can snatch and grab.

ID Fraud Protection Loophole: Get protection and help for free

Two credit card companies offer free ID fraud help services. Best of all, these apply even when the fraud is on other cards or products. So simply grab the cards, and you're protected even if you never use them!

Credit Card Reward Schemes: Find the very best payers

Airmiles, Nectar points and others promise 'something for nothing' but rarely deliver. This is the UK's only full reward scheme valuation, by picking the best you can get up to £3 back for every £100 spent.

Spending Overseas: The cheapest way to pay

Trip abroad or spend on foreign websites and the correct plastic beats everything else. However use the wrong one like Halifax, Lloyds or NatWest Debit cards and you'll pay large!

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Working Your Wallet

Credit Card Charges Reclaiming Guide: They're unlawful, get £100s back

playing
Your credit card company owes you money; this free guide includes template letters on how to get back six years worth of late payment fees and other fines. And don’t worry, unlike bank charges reclaiming, it’s not on hold.

The Budget Planner: Free tool and guide to managing your money

Budget
This detailed guide includes the unique, free fully automated budget planner tool; which assesses your finances to see if you spend more or less than you earn and then helps you work to stick within budget

Your Credit Rating: How it works and how to improve it

Actually credit ratings don't exist. Each lender scores differently. Find out how banks use them to assess whether to lend you cash, and also how to check all your credit files totally free.

Interest Rates Guide: Everything you ever wanted to know!

Whether it's saving or borrowing, companies manipulate rates to confuse and mislead. Yet this five minute read covering the very basics, through compound interest, onto APRs, AERs and flat rates, gives you a powerful consumer weapon.

Bank Charges: Reclaim them, they’re unlawful, includes free template letters

Bank charges for exceeding overdraft limits and bouncing payments are commonly believed to be unlawful. The major victory in the bank charges test case, means its important to get your claim in, to join the up to a million people who’ve reclaimed £1000s.

Debt Problems: Where to start, what to do, where to get help

This step-by-step checklist for anyone worried about problem debts includes how to get cheaper credit, challenge loan agreements, budget. Plus full details of non-profit counselling services if you're in crisis.

ID Fraud Protection Loophole: Get protection and help for free

Two credit card companies offer free ID fraud help services. Best of all, these apply even when the fraud is on other cards or products. So simply grab the cards, and you're protected even if you never use them!

IVAs are they worth it?: Free guide to download and print

Contrary to the TV adverts’ hype, Individual Voluntary Arrangements won’t magically wipe out your debts; they’re are a cut down form of bankruptcy, only suitable for specific people. This detailed free PDF, will explain how they really work, whether they’re right for you, and the alternatives.

Teen Cash Class Guide: Free Guide to turn yourself or your kids into Money Saving Experts.

This free 40-page PDF guide is based on Martin Lewis’ lesson plans for his ITV1 programme ‘Tonight: Teen cash class.’ It’s designed to teach children and adults about the three key Money Saving lessons, and can also be used by teachers as a basis for class room discussions.

Old Credit Cards: Should you cancel them?

It's a commonly asked question, the answer in a nutshell is yes. It improves your credit score and may leave you eligible to new customer offers in 18 months or so. Yet some cards are better to keep than others.

Credit Card Protection Plans

It's often unnecessary, but you maybe paying it without noticing. Save £100s by scrapping or replacing credit card protection plans.

Buy Online: Free safer system for online spending

Whether you're paying for shopping, info or legal pornography online, one provider protects your cash from fraudsters by rotating your card number.

Special Briefing: Didn't get the credit limit you want – DON'T ‘screw them!'

It can be frusatrating to not get the credit limit you're after, but don't screw yourself by trying to screw the banks.

Credit Card 'Tart Alert!' A free text or email reminder when 0% rates end

A free text or email reminder 6 weeks before your intro rate deal ends, in time for you to switch to new cheaper debt

Chip 'n' Pin: A quick briefing

Signing for your plastic is to be a thing of the past. Soon you'll be tapping in the pin - a quick briefing on what to watch for

The Macs Card: Can You Spot What's Wrong With It ?

For BBC1s 'Should I Worry About Spending' I designed a brand new credit card. The best worst card. Can you spot what's wrong with it?

Debt: Not In Front of the Children Petition: Update: 44,000 signatures & 70 MPs

Sign the petition and join the MoneySavingExpert campaign to stop childrens TV channels showing secured debt adverts - educating our kids to think these hideous debts are normal!
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This website is based on journalistic research. It does not constitute financial advice. Any information should be considered in regard to specific circumstances. All tips are followed at your own risk and should be followed up with your own research . See Full Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy (last updated 19.12.06). © Martin Lewis and Martin S Lewis Ltd. 'Martin Lewis' and 'Money Saving Expert' are registered trademarks belonging to Martin Lewis.