Martin's Weekly Money Tips
28 February 2007  

URGENT! Earn 5.8% tax-free with top cash ISA. Only a month left. Updated Article
A cash ISA is essentially a tax-free savings account you can put £3,000 in each year. Yet, the tax year ends on 5 April and if you haven’t used this year's ISA allowance, you lose it. The top payer is National Savings & Investments at 5.8% if you have over £1,000; you can withdraw your cash without the need to give notice. For further options and full details, see the Updated Article: Best Cash ISAs (mini mutterings) Related Articles: Top Instant Access Savings, Where To Start Saving?, ISA Guide

Big 1Gb Camera/Phone/MP3 SD memory card £4.99 (plus delivery) Can you beat it?

Bank Charges Reclaiming. Payouts may be cut. Act now!
In April, the Office of Fair Trading will give its opinion on the appropriate amount for bank charges. My guess is it'll be £12, though the banks predict higher and I think it should be lower. The banks will be under huge pressure to drop charges across the board, and will probably fall into line. This won't stop people reclaiming past charges, however banks may only offer the difference between £12 and the amount you were originally charged (e.g. £35 - £12 = £23). If you don't accept it, the risk they may defend in court for the first time, citing the OFT ruling, is a tiny bit higher. To avoid all this, reclaim now! (mini mutterings) Step-by-Step Guide and templates Bank Charges Reclaiming NEW! Free video guide to bank charge reclaiming now in the Bank Charges Reclaiming Guide

Water bills increasing by up to 16%. Save by reading the Updated Article: Water Bills Cost Cutting (mini mutterings).

STOP YOUR FRIENDS WASTING CASH! PLS SUGGEST THEY GET THIS EMAIL

Best Balance Transfers: Only one 6 month 0% balance transfer card now left. Updated Article
The top credit cards for cheap debt switching fall into various categories. Yet one group is seriously dwindling: the Smart Car card, which offered a fees-free 0% on debt shifted to it for 6 months is no longer available, leaving Ulster Bank the only one left. Plenty of much longer 0% cards are still available but they charge a fee, the top pick is HSBC* which offers 0% 'til April 2008 plus the 2% fee. For how to choose, read the Updated Article: Best Balance Transfers

Free Subway maps for all world cities Perfect for cost cutting when abroad. Find the gap!

Npower and Powergen drop prices. Yet Don't Switch, Don't Switch, Don't Switch
Npower and Powergen have joined British Gas announcing price cuts. Now Npower has cut gas prices by 18% and electricity by 3%, while Powergen has cut gas by 16% and electricity by 5%. This is great news yet the site's energy traffic light is still at "Don't Switch". This is because other companies are likely to follow suit cutting prices, so do a comparison now and you may be ditching the eventual cheapest. Once the time's right, I'll include a full "switch now" note in this e-mail. Full details in the Updated Article: Cheapest Gas & Electricity Related Articles: Cut Water Bills, Cheapest Home Phone

URGENT! ENDS WEDNESDAY MIDNIGHT: £300 off gym fees loophole. Full Article

Lloyds TSB credit cardholder? It may try to charge you £35!
Lloyds announced this week that 50,000 of its credit card customers who fall into its 'low-usage' category will soon be charged a £35 annual fee. If you're one (it'll have sent you a letter!) and you never use the card, cancel it. If you occasionally use it, first ensure you can get a better card (read Best Card For Purchases, Balance Transfers or Cashback articles) then cancel it!

Give up money for Lent! In debt? Trying to save? Join the hardcore MoneySavers' challenge

Saynoto0870. New petition, add your voice
This site's been campaigning against the opaque 0870 number charges for years. If you too want to see them done away with, I'm happy to support a petition for parliament that's been started. Of course to find out how to avoid the hideous expense of 0870 numbers you can read the full Saynoto0870 article.

MONEY MORAL DILEMMA. Should Monica go out with Bill for his money?
Monica has been dating Bill for a month. While she doesn’t think he’s Mr Right, Bill is worth a bob or two and has taken her on dates to some trendy restaurants, showering her with expensive gifts. Monica really enjoys being spoilt and driving around in his TVR, yet feels a bit guilty as she knows he’s not the one, in fact he's not even in the top dozen. Should Monica keep dating Bill? Enter the Money Moral Maze: Should Monica go out with Bill for his money? Previous MMDs: Should Madge flog Harold’s stuff on eBay? and Should Jenny kick them out?

Great 'Keep your car in tip-top shape for less' Hunt
While running a car is often necessary, it ain't often cheap. There's ways to get Cheaper Car Insurance and MOTs, but how do you keep your motor healthy? I thought I'd tap MoneySavers knowledge for their top tips and hints for looking after their car on the cheap without cutting corners! Add your ideas/read others Past Great Hunts: Job based discounts, Cheap legal music downloads and Feed your pets for less

Great 'Disguised Own Brand' Hunt Result
Last week we revisited the ever-popular Great 'Disguised Own Brand' Hunt and found some new revelations about a few products. Your best ideas included M&S Bread, The inside dirt on washing machines and Asda own brand contact lenses