Jan

2026

MoneySavingExpert's Money Tips Email

THIS WEEK: Over 50 ways to save, incl... Big best-buy 1yr savings fix, 25 holiday booking hacks, FREE £250 bank switches, Combine car & home insurance?, free National Trust day pass, 50% off radiator reflectors, don’t trust ‘disgraceful’ council websites, £50 off Center Parcs, free Franco Manca pizza trick

THE TOP TIPS IN THIS EMAIL

25 overseas travel tips, tricks & hacks:
- Grab the top spending card NOW
- How to beat school holiday hikes
- Cut the cost of flights, hotels & more
- Cheap travel insurance
- Get 16 days off for 8 days' leave

FREE £250 bank switches

Combine car & home insurance to save?

New. Top 1yr 4.55% savings fix

Boosted Jan sales, eg, M&S 70% off

Martin: 'Don't trust disgraceful council websites'

Rare £50 off UK Center Parcs code

'Martin, should I fix energy with prices dropping in April?'

FREE National Trust family day pass

Top debt shift – up to 38mths 0%

FREE Franco Manca pizza trick

Starts Thu. 50% off radiator reflectors

Martin pod: Debt Masterclass - slash credit card costs & more

Question pod: Will my ex's debt affect my credit score?

'Martin, I got £37k of wedding loans - will it hit my credit score?"

Power cut due to Storm Goretti?

The Sun '£9.50' holidays are back...

Watch Martin angrily challenge the PM

Hot Diamonds 40% and 50% off codes

'I got £1,500 student loan refund'

Want an MSE Charity grant?

This week's best buys: 50GB Sim £4/mth, 5.7% loan & more

Money Moral Dilemma: I'm selling the classic car my kids gave me, should I pay them back?

BEST BUYS & TOOLS

MSE Cheap Mobile Finder

Credit Club including free credit report

0% balance transfers

Compare broadband deals

MSE Compare+ Car Insurance

Best bank accounts

Top savings accounts

Credit cards for bad credit

Credit Card Eligibility Calculator

Loans Eligibility Calculator

Booked or booking your 2026 holiday?
25 overseas travel tips, tricks & hacks to save you time, stress & cash

We're slap bang in the middle of peak holiday booking season, so here are our tips on how to keep costs grounded and hassles away on any overseas trip you take this year...

1. Beware online shyster firms saying get a 'European Travel Information & Authorisation System' (ETIAS) visa waiver – you don't need it yet. The ETIAS was due to launch last year, but now isn't expected till at least Oct 2026. You will need it to enter any of 30 European countries. The application system isn't even up and running yet, but some shyster firms are already setting up to try and charge you for it. Any firm offering to sell or fast-track an ETIAS for you is a fake. Don't be taken in! More ETIAS info.

2. Grab the top spending card NOW to cover any trip abroad this year (later may be too late).Pay on most plastic - debit or credit card - abroad and your card provider gets near-perfect exchange rates, but then adds a 3%-ish 'non-sterling exchange rate' fee on to what it charges you, so now £100 worth of dollars, euros or anything else costs you £103. Then there are fees on top for cash withdrawals and more.

However, a growing number of top specialist cards don't add that fee, so you get that day's same near-perfect, bureaux-beating exchange rates. And within that range of cards there are some that go a step further, including our very top pick...

Near-perfect exchange rates, plus 1% cashback on spending both abroad and in the UK. Making it top pick both home & away. Do it NOW though...

For the first year, the fee-free Lloyds Ultra credit card gives new cardholders unlimited 1% cashback on everything you spend at home and abroad (which can add up to £100s). So, use it for all your normal spending, and you're quids in – just ensure you repay it IN FULL each month so you don't pay any interest (otherwise it's 12.9% rep APR).

Abroad, it's a specialist overseas card, so combine that with the 1% cashback and you're effectively getting a better exchange rate on spending than the perfect rate.

Overseas cash withdrawals are fee-free (never do them in the UK, regular withdrawals are bad for your financial reputation), but there's interest even if you fully repay - roughly £1 per £100 withdrawn. So, best to spend on it rather than withdraw. Or, pair it with one of the debit cards below and use that for cash withdrawals abroad instead.

Why 'do it now'? Firstly, because you can use it in the UK, so you may as well get the benefit straight away. But also because it's a relatively new card and we simply don't know Lloyds' stance on how long it'll keep it around for - it could be years, it could be weeks. So sooner is safer for this summer.

Now on to a couple of alternatives, the first is an easy card to pair it with, or one to get instead if you don't have a great credit score...

Chase: Top easy-to-get near-perfect exchange rate DEBIT card (and top savings account). While it's a debit card, you don't need to switch bank to get it - just grab the Chase Bank* app (there's only a soft credit check, not a full one, so it doesn't impact your financial reputation).

You get near-perfect exchange rates and fee-free spending and ATM withdrawals abroad. Plus 1% cashback on UK groceries, transport and fuel spending (max £15/mth). So you get a near-perfect rate when overseas, plus cashback at home.
FREE £30 when you sign up and make one payment on the card. App-based Trading212's prepaid spending card offers perfect exchange rates on spending abroad plus 1.5% cashback (max £15/mth) for newbies, but only until 28 Feb when it drops to 0.5%.

And, apply via this link* and you get an extra £30 cashback for making one £5+ payment on the card (you can do it in the UK) within 14 days of opening the account. This is paid within three working days of hitting the spend target but can't be withdrawn for 30 days. To get the card you need to first open a Trading212 Invest account.

While the card normally operates as a 'rate on the day you spend', you can also choose to convert at today's rate for a 0.15% fee (see below for pros and cons of that).

More options...

- Get up to £250 to switch bank & get near-perfect exchange rate debit card, three of the six available bank switches offer this.
- Get the cheapest foreign cash.
- How to lock in today's rate.

3. The two checks to see if your passport will still be valid. Check now that, on the DAY YOU ENTER THE COUNTRY, for all passports in your party...

a) Will there be at least 6mths left on it (3mths for the EU)?
b) Even if so, will your passport be less than 10 years old?

If you said no to EITHER, check our country-by-country UK passport rules to ensure you won't be left at the airport gate. And if needed, see cheapest & speediest UK passport renewals.

4. Just want travel cash? Speedily compare bureaux to find the best deal. While the top plastic beats it, if you just want a little foreign cash in your pocket for safety before you go (or you're going to a country with limited card acceptance), or if it helps you budget, then our TravelMoneyMax comparison tool quickly compares 15+ bureaux, factoring in all rates & costs to find your best.

5. Warning. Always get travel insurance...

ASAB
(As Soon As you Book)

As Martin explained in detail last week, in his cheapest travel insurance must-knows, waiting leaves you unprotected. If that's TL;DR, then in short, it's because if things happen before you go away that stop you going you won't be covered and risk losing all the trip's cost.

As for finding the cheapest policy, whether it is single trip or annual cover, these quick links should help...

- Cheapest Annual Policies: Under & over 65s, singles, couples, families. Best if you go away more than once in the year.
- Cheapest Single Trip Policies: Under & Over 65s, singles, couples, families. If you just want to cover one trip.
- Cheapest Travel Insurance if you've pre-existing conditions

6. Going to Europe? Check your free EHIC/GHIC is still valid. These cards give access to state-run hospitals or GPs in EU countries for the same price as a local – so if they don't pay, you don't pay. See how to safely get a free GHIC (same card, new name). DO NOT GOOGLE – often shyster sites try to charge you for something that is free. They should be seen as an addition to, not a replacement for travel insurance.

Not booked yet? Speedy ways to cut the cost of flights, hotels and more, plus boost protection

7. Packages often win for trips to traditional holiday destinations up to 14 days. They're generally the cheapest for those types of holidays - even compared with booking DIY - plus crucially you get free ATOL/ABTA protection, so if a company goes bust, or you don't get the holiday you paid for, you can get your money back. See Cheap package hols.

8. For flights only, always check a comparison site. Our top picks are Kayak*, Momondo*, Google Flights and Skyscanner*. Now's a good time to check because January airline sales are on, eg BA, Easyjet, Virgin Atlantic and Jet2. See more tips in our booking cheap flights guide.

9. The same hotel room is often sold at vastly different prices. Never just book at the first site you find. Specialist comparison sites search a range of booking sites to find the cheapest.

Our top picks are Trivago*, Kayak*, Skyscanner*, TripAdvisor* and TravelSupermarket*. Then always take the price to the hotel direct to see if it can beat it. Full help in top hotel comparisons.

10. Get package protection on your DIY booking when booking more than one part of the holiday at the same time. Book two or more elements (flight, hotel, car hire, etc) through the SAME booking website (eg, Booking.com, Expedia, etc) in the SAME transaction, and as long it's a UK company you get the same or similar ATOL/ABTA protection you get with travel agents. So you'll be protected if the company goes bust, or you don't get the holiday you paid for (due to weather disruption, etc). For a fuller explanation, see DIY booking protection.

11. Going in a group? Villas, apartments and Airbnb can undercut hotels. If you're travelling with extended family or a gaggle of friends then cottages, villas and apartments can massively undercut similar-quality hotels. See our 25 hotel booking tricks guide.

12. The 'rebook & cancel' trick – aim for free or cheap cancellation when booking hotels & car hire. In the run-up to the summer holidays, we'll be telling you - if you've got free or cheap cancellation on car hire or hotels, check to see if you can get what you've booked cheaper.

MSE readers have had plenty of success with this, such as Stephen, who emailed: "Booked a hire car for £1,078 when I first bought flights. I was sure to only select options which allowed free cancellation. Three days ago I took another look and got a car for £691." See the rebook & cancel trick for more help on exactly what to do.

13. Pay on plastic, especially a credit card, for extra peace of mind. If a holiday firm goes bust, and you've paid on plastic, there's a better chance of getting your money back than say with a bank transfer. All cards have chargeback protection.

Stronger protection is available if you put any of the cost on a credit card (even just a deposit) for things costing £100.01 to £30,000 as Section 75 laws mean your card provider's jointly liable with the retailer for the entire amount (even if it was just a deposit), so if things go wrong you can go to it. Just pay the card off in full so there's no interest.

Unfortunately, this doesn't usually apply if booking with a travel agent or broker, as the fact it's an intermediary breaks the Section 75 relationship, but even then paying on most plastic, including a credit card, still gives you chargeback protection.

14. Booking car hire? Booking early tends to be cheapest. This trend is generally true, however we've been seeing more last-minute bargains too over the last couple of years. So safest is book now a cheap deal with free cancellation, then if it's cheaper later, rebook and cancel. Compare prices using Skyscanner*, Kayak*, TravelSupermarket* and Carrentals*. Our Cheap car hire guide takes you through in more detail.

15. Avoid the car hire excess insurance trap – many get caught out. Basic car insurance is included in the hire, yet when you sign up or at the pick-up desk, firms often try to fear-sell you excess insurance as an add-on, claiming without it an accident – even a scratch – could cost £1,000+ extra.

These policies can cost an extra £150+ a week, but you can get a standalone policy for just £13/wk via MoneyMaxim's comparison site*, and also check our up to 20% off excess insurance codes. Then when you arrive, tell the car hire firm you don't want its add-on. See more in car hire insurance help.

How to beat the school holiday price hikes abroad

16. Find cheap hidden booking dates (if your term differs from others). Most schools in Eng/Wales break up around the week starting 20 July. So book for before then if your school finishes sooner, eg many in Leicestershire break up 8 July this summer. We found a week's four-star self-catering in Dalaman for £449pp leaving 10 July, but £736pp two weeks after.

17. The Scottish trick for the English. Good for those in northern England or (at a push) northern Wales. Fly from Scotland in the last two weeks of August, even if you don't live there. As Scottish schools generally return around 12 Aug, you can make big savings by flying the family out from Scotland instead. We saw the same Rhodes all-inclusive holiday flying from Edinburgh for £354pp less than flying from Manchester. It works in reverse too...

18. The English trick for the Scottish. Good for those in southern Scotland especially. Fly from England in late June/early July, even if you don't live there. So on 27 Jun, the day after most Scottish schools break up, a three-star all-inclusive week in the Majorca was £1,010pp flying from Glasgow, but just £695pp from Liverpool.

Alison told us this week on Facebook: "We saved about £6,000 over three holidays flying with Tui from Manchester instead of locally at Glasgow and Edinburgh. That includes petrol, extra meals & a hotel the night before."

19. Check other countries' holiday dates. For example, book Disney World when many US kids are back at school in late August - a week's family Disney stay was £369 cheaper than early August. (It varies by region, but many US kids are back in class early to mid-August.)

20. The last two weeks of summer are usually cheaper. Hold off till the last two weeks of summer, as prices drop rapidly at the end of August. We saw a week's three-star self-catering in Lake Garda was £1,019pp leaving 29 July, but £752pp leaving 22 Aug.

21. Have your 'summer' holiday in October half-term. The weather's often more bearable for little 'uns then anyway. We found a week's five-star all-inclusive in Crete for £1,121pp in Oct half-term, but £1,832pp in early Aug. For more tips, see our How to beat school holiday price hikes blog.

22. French, German, Belgian or Dutch Center Parcs can be half the UK price – especially in school hols.That's even after the cost of flights/ferries. For more, see Center Parcs tricks. Related: There's currently a rare £50 off UK Center Parcs too.

23. Get 16 successive days off by taking just eight days' annual leave in 2026 (or nine for four). It's not rocket science, but get in quick with these calendar combos before everyone else does. See 16 days off for eight days' leave.

24. Want to lock in today's exchange rates to be safe? The best cards for spending abroad above give you the rate at the time you spend. Yet some top prepaid travel cards let you get the rate at the time you load money on the card, thus locking it in. So, if you feel there's a good rate now, you can use it.

The cheapest is Revolut* if you're exchanging mid-week as its fee-free then, but Trading212* is cheaper at weekends as its 0.15% fee beats Revolut's 1%. Full info and top picks in Prepaid travel cards.

Martin: "Of course, locking rates in can move against you too, and anyone who says they know what currency markets will do is telling porkies. Yet locking in is helpful for those scared the rate will move against them, so ask yourself: 'Would I be content with today's rate?' If yes, and your real fear is rate falls making your holiday unaffordable, play safe and buy now.

"Or perhaps best, hedge your bets and buy half your spending money now at the best rate, and the rest at the best rate on the day you spend. This means...

- If the rate gets worse, you've locked in half at the better rate.
- If the rate gets better, half your money is at the improved rate."

25. Finally, consider renting out your home while you're away. You could pay for your holiday (or at least part of it) by renting out your home on Airbnb while you're on your hols. MSE Rob's been doing this for years: "It's provided a big boon to my holiday pot. After a little bit of groundwork to get it all operating smoothly, I was getting up to £2,000/mth for my humble two-bed flat." See his new Airbnb hosting tips and tricks blog.

DON'T believe the fake 'Martin Lewis' or 'MSE' ads
Lots of scam ads litter social media and even newspaper websites - some of these lie that we or Martin promote Bitcoin, binary trading etc. See Fake ads warning.

New Year. New Bank. New FREE cash!
Now SIX banks pay switchers as much as a FREE £250

The starting gun has been fired on the race to win your 2026 banking custom. Many banks turned off their deals in December, but now switching's back and it's perfect timing. January's a lean month for many, so a dangling free cash carrot is likely to be appetising - and we say eat it! Unless you're delighted with your bank, why not get paid to ditch & switch? There's a wealth of banks paying a good whack, so scan the list and go for your best mix of cash and perks. All allow single and joint accounts.

Switching's usually quick & easy. To get the free cash (usually paid within 2 or 3mths), you need to use the bank's seven-working-day switch service (so it takes roughly 10 days). This closes your old account and moves all your money, Direct Debits and standing orders for you. Payments to the old account are auto-forwarded. You'll need to pass a not-too-harsh credit check.

FREE CASH FOR NEW CUSTOMERS SWITCHING Most accounts require you to be switching 2+ Direct Debits/standing orders. Full eligibility info in Best bank accounts.
New. HSBC Premier* Min pay-in: You need a £100,000+/yr salary going in. Fee-free? Yes.	High earners only FREE £250 plus free worldwide family travel insurance & free digital private GP access... If you need world travel insurance, you'd likely pay £100+ for it, so all together this is the most lucrative account, but you need to earn £100,000 (for joint accounts, one of you must earn this much) to get it. The perks: See full HSBC eligibility & review. - Free worldwide family travel insurance up to age 69. - Fee-free transfers between HSBC accounts you hold in different countries. - Free digital private GP appointments. - FREE £500 if you switch £100,000 of savings or investments to it - though its savings rates aren't the top (max is 3.7% for 1yr fix) - and hold them there for 3mths minimum.
New. Club Lloyds Min pay-in: A hefty £2,000 EVERY month (equivalent to a £29,000/yr salary going in). Fee-free? Yes, though if you don't earn enough to meet the min-pay in it's £5/mth (so avoid).	FREE £250, 1yr Disney+, top debit card overseas. The highest upfront payer for most, with £250 paid to your account, but you effectively need to be earning £29,000/yr+ to get it or there's a £5/mth fee, in which case avoid it. Also, you need to switch over three Direct Debits, not the usual two. The perks: See full Lloyds eligibility & review. - Each year you choose between Disney+ for 12mths (with ads) OR six free cinema tickets & other options. - Linked 6.25% 1yr AER fixed regular saver you can put up to £400/mth in. - A £100 0% overdraft buffer zone (like most, 40% above that so be careful). - Top debit card for spending overseas with near-perfect exchange rates.
New. TSB Spend & Save* *Min pay-in:* None usually, but a one-off £1,000 before 20 March and another £1,000 in April for an extra £50. Fee-free? Yes.	FREE '£230': £150 upfront, £50 later & likely £5/mth for 6mths. On top of the initial FREE £150, there's £50 if you have another £1,000 going into it in April, plus you get £5/mth for 6mths as long as you make 20+ transactions a month on the debit card (easily done by most, but if not do 'banana swipes' - ie, if buying a bunch of bananas put each through as a separate transaction). The perks: See full TSB eligibility & review. - A linked regular saver offering 5% AER fixed for 12mths on up to £250/mth.
Santander Edge* Min pay-in: A total of £1,500 within 60 days, then £500+/mth (equiv to a £6,000/yr+ salary going in). Fee-free? No, £3/mth, but that gets you the cashback which should easily outweigh it for most.	Top (joint) bills account FREE £200 upfront, plus up to £10/mth cashback on bills, linked 6% saver, top debit card overseas. This account has a £3/mth fee but as you get cashback on bills paid from it by Direct Debit, that should easily cover it and a decent whack more for normal bills. The perks: See full Santander eligibility & review. - 1% cashback up to £10/mth on Council Tax, energy, water, mobile & home phone, broadband & paid TV bills you pay for from it by Direct Debit. - Linked saver paying 6% AER variable for 12mths on up to £4,000. - Top debit card for spending overseas with near-perfect exchange rates.
First Direct 1st Account* Min pay-in: A one-off total of £1,000 within 45 days. None after. Fee-free? Yes.	Top for SERVICE \| Top for OVERDRAFTS FREE £175, 7% regular saver, ongoing 0% overdraft, top debit card overseas & 92% 'great' service. First Direct's big strong point is service - it was rated 92% 'great' in our last customer service poll. In 15 years of these polls, it's been top or near top every time. The perks: See full First Direct eligibility & review. - A linked 7% fixed regular saver, letting you put away up to £300/mth for 1yr - Many get an ongoing £250 interest-free overdraft. - Top debit card for spending overseas with near-perfect exchange rates
Nationwide FlexDirect Min pay-in: A one-off total of £1,000 within 31 days. And £1,000/mth to get the debit card cashback and the interest. Fee-free? Yes.	FREE £175 and 1% cashback. Another decent all rounder with high customer service (90% great). The perks: See full Nationwide eligibility & review. - A linked 6.5% 1yr AER variable regular saver you can put up to £200/mth - A £50 0% overdraft buffer too. - 5% in credit interest for a year but only on up to £1,500. - 1% cashback max £5/mth on debit card spending. (Though this is matchable and beatable via a Lloyds credit card.)

Are subscriptions moved when you switch? Direct Debits and standing orders are moved for you. Yet the third category of regular payments, known as recurring payments - where you give the long number on your debit card when you pay - aren't moved; you need to do this yourself, eg, for Netflix, Disney+ etc. If you do forget, though, normally they'll notify you that 'your payment card no longer works' so it shouldn't be too big an issue. See recurring payment help.
Can switching bank affect your ability to get credit? In the short term, yes. It's a credit application, so that has an impact by itself, but also lenders like to see evidence of stability. It usually isn't a big deal, but if you've an important credit application soon (eg, a mortgage), it's probably best to hold off until after. You may want to check your 'eligibility rating' via our free MSE Credit club (or easier via the MSE app on iOS & Android). More in how switching banks affects your credit.
You may be able to make £1,000s by repeatedly switching bank. Becoming a bank bribe bagger can pay well - we've had people tell us they've made a shed load. Could you do it too? See full pros & cons in make £1,000s by repeatedly switching bank. As Mark emailed recently: "In just over a year, I've completed five of your recommended bank switches, earning enough to buy a brand new iPhone 16 Plus outright (almost £800). Thank you so much for the guidance."

New. Top 1yr savings FIX 4.55% and, unusually, it'll let you access money if needed. With fixed savings, the rate's guaranteed not to change, yet usually you must lock money away without access. The new top Marcus (part of Goldman Sachs) 4.55% AER 1yr fix* (min £1) smashes the next best's 4.26%, and - unusually - lets you close the account early to withdraw at the cost of 90 days' interest, so it's a good get-out-of-jail-nearly-free card. Top fixed cash ISAs work a similar way access-wise but with lower rates, though they're still winners if you'd pay tax on savings. Top easy-access (variable) savings: To move money in & out when you like, Chase (part of JPMorgan) pays newbies 4.5%* (min £1) and Trading 212's cash ISA is 4.33%* (max £20k) – again, the rate's only for newbies. Full info in Top savings. Related: Beginners' guide to investing.

Boosted January sales: M&S up to 70% off, Ikea up to 90% off till Sun & more. Some retailers have deepened their discounts to clear stock. See our full round-up of January sales.

Martin: "It's a disgrace. Don't trust councils' websites about the Council Tax Carers Discount." Over 1 in 5 councils' online info is wrong, missing crucial extra eligibility for the 25%+ discount, meaning many eligible think they're not. Our investigation has revealed shocking inadequacy in council websites & forms. If you're an unpaid carer, read our Councils that couldn't care less & how to ensure you know what to do news.

Rare £50 off UK Center Parcs code (no min spend). For stays from 1 Apr at UK parks. See Center Parcs tricks.

'Martin, should I fix my energy even though prices are dropping in April?' This Apr will see an unprecedented change in energy bills, so if your fix is ending, or you're on a Price-Capped tariff, should you fix now? Watch Martin's to fix (now) or not to fix video on his You Tube Channel (do subscribe), taken from his 'Reboot your finances' ITV1 show last week – watch the full episode on ITVX. Related: Find the cheapest fix via our Cheap Energy Club.

FREE National Trust family day pass (normally £35ish). Go quick as there's a limited number free online. Excludes Scotland sites. Free National Trust

Top balance transfer – shift card debt up to 38mths 0% (so interest-free till 2029). A reminder of Martin's Credit Card Debt-Buster from last week, which has all the top deals if you're looking to slash £1,000s off debt costs.

'I got a FREE Franco Manca pizza for running 10km' – here's how you can too. See our own MSE Georgia-May's walk/run your way to free pizza blog.

Starts 1pm Thu. 50% off Radflek radiator reflectors, get a 2-pack for £12 delivered (normally £22). MSE Blagged. These energy-saving packs are always popular, so the 2,000 available will likely go quickly. The heat(ing) is on

New Martin pod. Debt Masterclass: Slash cost of existing credit cards, overdrafts, loans, BNPL. Let Martin talk you through step by step how to cut the cost of your debts, answering all those tricky questions too. Plus, your New Year financial goals and aaargh, he cocks up the capital gains Money Mastermind. All in Martin's main podcast this week. Listen via BBC Sounds | Apple | Spotify etc.

Question Time pod. Will my ex's debt affect my credit score? If I buy a bridesmaid's dress for her, does it hit consumer rights? Credit card £34k refund for problem building work? In Martin's Question Time podcast, you can ask whatever you like (within reason), and this week there's lots, including how to get credit on low incomes. Listen via BBC Sounds | Apple | Spotify etc.

PS: Got questions on personal tax/tax returns? Suggest questions for the pod via MartinLewisPodcast@bbc.co.uk.

BLAGGED FOR MSE

- 50% off Radflek radiator reflectors 2,000 available
- Hot Diamonds 40% off full-price, 50% off outlet Ends 20 Jan

DID YOU MISS?

- Max your Nationwide Fairer Share FREE £100 chances
- Are you due a £25 cold weather payment? Check NOW
- Pizza Express 2for1 for £1 & more restaurant codes
- Flight sales: Easyjet, Ryanair, BA & more
- Will YOUR energy fix drop by £150/yr from April?

How to slash car & home insurance costs...
...and should you combine the two to save more?
Our Compare+ tools make it easy - they're far more than just a comparison

The good news is the cost of car insurance and home insurance are both a little more than 10% cheaper than this time last year (source: pricing consultancy Pearson Ham), and cheaper still compared to the year before. Yet, before that prices rocketed - so cheaper isn't the same as cheap. And while lower prices are good news...

Martin: "I've a perverse warning for you. We're so conditioned to price hikes, that if your renewal stays the same you'll probably go 'yay'. Yet that's a mistake. The market has dropped, you should be paying less. So, always compare to check if you can save."

Try our Compare+ tools, they're far more than just a comparison. For years we had big step-by-step guides with all the ways to crack down on insurance costs. Then we built our Compare+ tools which incorporate much of our tried-and-tested insurance cost-cutting systems...

Compare+ CAR Insurance tool Navshad emailed to tell us "Used your tip to check car insurance 26 days before renewal and used your Compare+ tool and guess what... I saved £510. Thanks."	Compare+ HOME Insurance tool Rosemary emailed us: "Just wanted to share that I've saved just over £300 on my buildings and contents insurance by using your Compare+ tool. It was so easy to use. Thank you!"

- You fill in one questionnaire to compare. And for some it can auto-fill answers.
- Get MSE tips as you answer. Such as the best time to get insurance
- Check the Price Impact Indicators which tell you how much your answers impact the price of your cover.
- Benchmark your cheapest insurers via the comparison result from MoneySupermarket, then try to beat it...
- Personalised tips for an even bigger saving. Including a host of key info.
- See whether other sites can slice down your costs further. We then give our latest comparison site order of others to try, as MoneySupermarket may not always be cheapest.

Should you get car and home insurance from the same firm? Comparison sites don't give quotes for the few firms that give you discounts for combining cover. Yet for some this can work well, for others badly. It's trial and error. And don't worry if they have different renewal dates, their systems are built to cope with that.

So, get prices separately first using the tools above (always safest), then see if any 'combining' firms rank relatively high up on whichever policy generally costs you the most. With Admiral* and LV* the car and home policies are combined, with Direct Line, Aviva and Churchill you could get a 10% discount for each additional policy.

There's no guarantee it'll be cheaper. It worked for Jess: "My joint home and van insurance is with Admiral. If I look for van insurance alone elsewhere I'm being quoted over £1,000! I'm saving about £700 on just the van insurance alone. Cheers!" But not for Nigel. "My multi cover for two cars and home was around £3,300! I decided to have a look on MSE and within minutes I got better cover for half the premium. I saved a massive £1,330. Thank you." So it's just a case of 'check'.
More than one car at home? Like combined home and car insurance policies, comparison sites don't check multicar cover, so this needs more quote-getting elbow grease. Martin's rule of thumb: "If you're on a multicar policy, check separate policies to see if you can save; if you're on separate, check multicar." Again, always get the Compare+ quotes first.

- Multicar (one policy for all): Probably the best known is Admiral*, but LV*, Aviva, Diamond* and Elephant* also offer these policies. Again, don't worry if your renewals are at different dates, their systems work with that.

- Discounts on separate policies: Axa*, Direct Line, Churchill and Privilege all offer discounts for multiple cars - so it's worth checking, especially if they're cheapest for one car. This can also work combined with home insurance.
Ensure the policy's right for you, and complain if you're unfairly treated. As with any insurance, check the policy details to ensure it's the cover you want, and that the insurer's regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority before you buy (all on Compare+ are). If a claim's unfairly rejected or any other issues, then you've a right to complain - and if it's not dealt with satisfactorily, you can take 'em to the free Financial Ombudsman to adjudicate.

'Martin, I got £37,000 of loans for my wedding, will it hit my credit score?" Watch Martin's 2min wedding debt answer to: "Martin, I have £13,000 of credit card debt and £37,000 in loans from my wedding this year. I'm struggling to get a 0% balance transfer. Is this due to my loan which I took out six months ago?" Taken from his Reboot your finances ITV1 show last week - watch the full episode on ITVX.

Has your power been affected by Storm Goretti? Check if you're due £100s in compensation in our new What to do in a power/gas outage guide.

The Sun '£9.50' holidays are back... but are they ever really £9.50? Our analysis suggests otherwise, though savings are still possible. For hols in 2026. Sun holidays

Martin angrily challenges Sir Keir Starmer to clear up social media scam adverts cesspit. In a discussion on ITV's This Morning, Martin challenged the PM to clear up social media scam adverts. Watch Martin's challenge via his YouTube channel (and do subscribe).

Hot Diamonds – codes to get 40% off full price AND 50% off its already-half-price outlet. MSE Blagged. Plus free delivery code. And yes, you can stack all three codes together. Hot Diamonds

'I reclaimed almost £1,500 of my student loan and my sister got £600 back thanks to your tips.' Success of the week. Indira emailed: "I wanted to give a massive thank you to MSE for your article on student loan reclaims. I realised when I read it that I had likely overpaid in the past as I had had a career break for a year. I put a refund request in and got a total of £1,440 back. Just in time for Christmas. I told all my family and my sister got £600 back as well. Thank you so much." If we've helped you save or reclaim (on anything), please tell us about it.

Want an MSE Charity grant? Funding's available soon for non-profit groups. Know of a non-profit group that could benefit from a cash boost? Our charity's launching its winter funding round next Mon (19 Jan) - offering grants of up to £10,000 to organisations that help people to improve their money skills - but it's only open till 26 Jan so go quick. Check whether your group qualifies and see how to apply.

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AT A GLANCE BEST BUYS

Longest definite 0%: Barclaycard (check eligibility) 36mths 0% + possible £25, 3.45% fee, 24.9% rep APR interest
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Fast fibre (100Mb+): Vodafone '£22/mth'
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On Universal Credit or similar? Check all discounted social tariffs

Car: Use our Compare+ Car Insurance tool
Home: Use our Compare+ Home 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), 5.7% rep APR

Top easy-access savings: Chase 4.5%, min £1
Top easy-access ISA: Trading 212 4.33%, min £1
Top one-year fix: Marcus (by Goldman Sachs) 4.55%, min £1

Use our whole-of-market Cheap Energy Club

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MSE NEWS

- Top story: Scottish Budget 2026: Income Tax and Stamp Duty changes confirmed – here's what they mean for you

MONEY MORAL DILEMMA

I'm selling the classic car my children got me as a present, so should I give them their money back? A few years ago, I had a 'big' birthday, and my children kindly clubbed together and bought me a classic car as a present. I've loved having it and have had plenty of use out of it, but now due to changing circumstances I'm planning to sell it. Should I share the money I get for it between my children? Enter the Money Moral Maze: Should I give my children their money back? | Suggest a Money Moral Dilemma (MMD) | View past MMDs

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- B Bagel: FREE bagel if you run a personal best during January

DEALS HUNTER BLOG

- Get money off an Easyjet holiday with Tesco Clubcard

MARTIN'S APPEARANCES (WED 14 JAN ONWARDS)

Thu 15 Jan - Ask Martin Lewis, BBC Radio 5 Live, midday
Tue 20 Jan - This Morning, phone-in, ITV1,10.20am
Tue 20 Jan - The Martin Lewis Money Show Live, ITV1, 7.15pm

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