An independent, consumer help email from www.moneysavingexpert.com

The following is the text of Martin's Money Tip Email
sent out on 3rd July 2003

Make money with a 0% personal loan

It's now possible to get a 0% personal loan for up to £5,000.  Admittedly it's not as simple as a normal personal loan and involves utilising the 0% Barclaycard system.  It's well worth a read though even if you don't need a loan.  After all, you could pay yourself the money and save it in cash ISA or high interest account to profit, details of the best of those are of course on the site.  Beware though it won't last much longer. Click here to read about it

For a simpler loan or those who want more

If this too complicated or you need more than the £5k available.  The newest cheapest ever top rate standard personal loan is now at 6.6% for amounts between £7k and £15,000. It is an online special from the Bank of Scotland with an exclusive arrangement via Moneysupermarket.com.  Remember though while, this is the ‘without insurance' cheapest, it isn't the cheapest with insurance.  Loans are damn tricky things, please read my article by clicking here, before getting one – or you could pay a lot more than you need to.

Telephone Tariffs

Well I did so much work on it, I feel a need to make sure you all read it.  It was hell, but will save you a fortune.  For a full comparison of over 100 UK home phone providers to find the cheapest, click here.

Nationwide Overdraft

The Nationwide has just reduced it's overdraft rate to 6.75% on its current account, this now undercuts the 6.9% of Alliance and Leicester and is way less than half the cost of the big 4's overdrafts.  If you are regularly overdrawn it's well worth switching.  Full details are still sparse – but should come in a day or two.  Click here and you will be able to read them (once they're up).

Inflexible Mortgage – flex it

If you have non-flexible mortgage, it is possible to manipulate the terms and conditions to make it flex, a new article on the site – click here

Top Tips from the chat board

More or your top tips from the chat board, click here for one on cheap rail tickets, click here for a naughty one on free computer game rental, there's a special new board ‘grab it while you can' for anyone who spots a short lived deal, click here to go there.  For past top chat board tips click here for roadside assistance, click here for prescriptions and click here for cheap 0845 and 0870 numbers.

Want to work with MoneySavingExpert.com?

I am looking for a Money Saver to become moderator on the chat boards as my typing is now limited due to RSI.  Click here to read more details.

Martin's Money Poser 7 – can you get it?

This is a cracker, but very difficult.  What's the last number in the series 180, 210, 484, ... and why?  Please click here to answer in the chat site.  If no one gets the right answer I will add clues.  As a tip to start, remember this is a Money poser.  (For answers to old money posers and to continue the ‘Diary of a Money Saving Extremist' click here)

20,000^th Email Member

Thank you all so much – the site continues to grow at a rapid rate.  20,000 people now receive this e-mail, and with each new sign up consumer power is increased and the community of Money Savers grows stronger.  Product providers are starting to sit up and take note – they dread these e-mails coming out.  Get your own back by telling everyone you know to come along and stop being ripped off - please send a bulk email to your friends recommending they come along and sign up or click here an automated recommend a friend feature. If everyone on the site got four people to join – there'd be 100,000 money savers!

If you want to ask a question

If you've any questions please post them in the relevant section of Chat (click here).  Apologies I can't directly respond to e-mails, my RSI is making life very difficult.

That's it from me, thank you all for your continued support.  It's amazing.

Martin

Keep www.moneysavingexpert.com completely independent, ad free, sponsorship free and free to use. 

The site was founded and funded directly by Martin, as it's grown so much two revenue raising abilities have been added.  If you want to read about them and support the site click here.  To go direction click either Money Directory or Best Buys (just the top financial section it's all explained there)

NOTE: The following tip was sent as an special on 5 July.  As it was only a quick tip I have simply stored it as an addendum to the main tip above, sent a few days earlier

Play the system: Someone is giving away free cash

Not wanted to promote gambling, but it seems one Money Saver (thanks Rab) has found a loophole in the terms and conditions of an online Casino allowing you to get cash for free.  Essentially you set up a £20 account and as an opening bonus it gives you another £20.  You can then immediately withdraw your original £20 stake.  Leaving you £20 to gamble with at no cost.  Any winnings from this (bet small amounts on reds or black on the roulette table or the blackjack to give you the best odds of winning) can then be withdrawn.  I've just tried it myself and got £25 at no cost and no risk – as have a good few other Money Savers.   

The one thing no one has actually got yet (as it is very new) is the money returned to the card.  However the Casino is part of BskyB g so I suspect (though can't confirm) this shouldn't be a problem.  Normally I would wait until there was proof it worked before emailing – however I think the company will soon close this loophole so I thought I would send a Quick Special Tip out before it does.

If you have a few minutes spare this weekend, it's worth reading the notes and people's feedback in chat and seeing if you fancy it.  It was just a little too good not to tell you – why not tell your friends too.  Of course though, you do it at your own risk.

Martin

Click here to go to the chat board to read it.

If that doesn't work cut and paste http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=news;action=display;num=1057220123 into your browser