October 2024

Premium Bond holders will see NS&I's prize-fund rate fall to 4.15% from 4.4% for its December 2024 draw and beyond. But if you're a bondholder, you may want to consider moving your cash to an interest-paying account now as the interest rate is already lagging behind rates on standard savings accounts.

A carer paying back nearly £20,000 in Carer's Allowance after going over the earnings limit without realising told MoneySavingExpert.com the experience has left her "devastated".

Planning to get your Christmas food shop delivered from Asda? You can now bag your delivery or click & collect slot as bookings have opened for all shoppers today (Tuesday 22 October).

If you're scammed into making a bank transfer to a fraudster, your bank MUST now refund you in most cases, under new industry-wide rules which came into force on Monday 7 October. But you still need to be cautious when making payments, as you may have up to £100 deducted from your refund – and banks will be able to reject claims entirely if they find you were really careless.

New rules to protect the millions of shoppers who use Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) services have been put forward by the Government today (Thursday 17 October). However, MoneySavingExpert.com (MSE) and its founder Martin Lewis, who have long-campaigned for BNPL regulation, have cautioned users to "be very wary" until the rules take force in 2026.

The full State Pension is set to rise by £362.65 (4.1%) a year for most pensioners on 6 April 2025, under what's known as the 'triple lock' guarantee. Those on the full new state pension will see a rise of £474.85. Meanwhile certain benefits, including Universal Credit, are expected to increase by 1.7%.

Disney+ is raising the prices on its ad-free 'Standard' and 'Premium' plans by up to £24 a year. The increases will take effect from Thursday 17 October – but you may be able to beat the hikes if you act before 11.59pm on Wednesday 16 October.

You've less than six months to check and pay for missing national insurance (NI) contributions going back to 2006, which could add £1,000s to your state pension. An online tool launched earlier this year to make the process quicker and easier for some – but HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has now confirmed many won't get access to it before the 5 April 2025 deadline, so it's crucial to act in good time.

MoneySavingExpert.com (MSE) founder Martin Lewis has issued a warning to steer clear of using third-parties that charge you to trace lost Child Trust Funds – you can do it yourself for FREE. MSE has seen evidence of one claims firm targeting young people on social media and charging £100s for its services. Here's what you need to know and how to avoid getting caught out.

Planning on getting your Christmas food shop from Morrisons? You can now bag your delivery or click & collect slot as bookings have opened for all shoppers today (Wednesday 9 October).