Archive: MoneySavingExpert's Money Tips Email

Got a mortgage? Got sold life assurance with it? You're probably overpaying £200 a year
When you got your mortgage, the provider or broker probably said 'you'll need life assurance with it' and then sold you a policy.  If that happened you're almost undoubtedly overpaying. It's easy to shave over 30% off the cost of existing mortgage life assurance, or, often, save more than £5K over the life of a new policy.  Fully Researched Article: Mortgage Life Assurance.  Related Article: Level term assurance to protect your family. (Special mini-mutterings)

Loophole! Permanent 10% discount at Debenhams
Put £100 on a Debenhams gift card and it adds a tenner so get one and charge it up before spending. Details

A Couple of Fun Freebies: Vue Cinema Tickets and Vodka
Two clicks for a Vodka shot and free tickets to Nanny McPhee on 9 Oct

Tax help: your questions answered
Tax accountant Tony Tesciuba (aka my Uncle Tony) has answered the tax questions you submitted a fortnight ago. Read: Taxing Times.

Free (almost) magazines - sign up and cancel for free mags
My NUJ membership may be under threat for this, but many mags offer 'trial subscriptions' profiting from customers forgetting to cancel Direct Debits. Ride this by signing up, getting free mags then cancelling (possibly even repeatedly with the same mag).  It was a quick chat tip last week, but as MoneySaver Divadee's wonderfully collated all the available mags, I've promoted it.  Link: 3 For 1 Magazines

Don't forget to renew your tax credits
30 Sep is the Tax Credits renewal deadline. Don't miss it. More Info

Annoyed Barclaycard has dropped Nectar points? Get 4,000 for free
Some MoneySavers are being awarded 4,000 points for threatening to leave (worth about £20). Worth a try

Want to know where to start with savings? New savings fountain
Often when I list new best savings deals people ask 'yes but do I want an ISA, normal savings or what? Help!' My solution is the savings fountain, and now I've added a hot new graphic to make it easier to understand. Read:  Savings Fountain

Great Internet Dating Hunt
Dating site Match has just launched its "if you don't find lurrvve in 6 months, we'll give you 6 months free!".  Yet online dating isn't cheap, and the situation is fast moving, so I thought I'd tap MoneySavers collective knowledge to find the cheapest and the best. Add your ideas/read others Past Great Hunts:  Cheapest Sat Nav, Pricebeaters Plus and Free Info

Free office, presentation and graphics software: Great Hunt Result
Last week's Great Hunt for Free Generic Software produced some top free software finds.  Results included office software, operating systems, graphics software and multimedia software

Got a partner? Make more cashback from your credit card
Amex Platinum is top payer for those spending over £9k a year, yet earnings are tiered (the more you spend the more it pays), so if you trust your partner, get them a second card and both spend on it, increasing the cashback rate.  However remember the golden rule - only choose a card for cashback if you pay the card off in full each month.  Best Cashback cards: Amex Plat* (over 9k spend), Amex Blue* (£2k-9k annual spend), Morgan Stanley* (under £2k). Article: Best Cashback Cards

FLIGHTCHECKER SALES WATCH  29p flights to Valencia, Verona & Bologna each way. Just pay taxes & charges, usually c.£20. Use the free FlightChecker to find the seats in seconds.

Post Office revolutionary new Credit Card's OK, but not great
This Friday's Post Office card launch'll be much hyped (discussing it is supposedly 'embargoed' for Friday, but as some branches already have leaflets out, I'm ignoring that). The card itself is OK, but easily beatable.  It's 0% for 6 months on purchases and balance transfers, after that any single purchases between £500 and £2,500 can be converted into a year's loan at 6.8%.  Yet there are cheaper loans at 5.5%, 0% on purchases cards for up to a year.  I wouldn't bother.  More Details/Discuss.  Related Articles: Best Card for BTs, Best Cards for Purchases, Cheapest Personal Loans

Develop your career not your bank's profits!
Career development loans offer 0% interest while you study, yet rates shoot up after you graduate. Don't end up with a PhD in debt – be sure to give them the old heave-ho as soon as your course ends. New Article: Career Development Loans. Related Article: Top Student Bank Accounts

WHICH? WILLS & PROBATES BOOK :  See the results of last week's freebie

Board of the week: Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is sadly sub-served by companies, so this board is specifically set up to help.  Discussions include Northern Ireland money off vouchers, Free Save a Flush Device and Northern Ireland Index

JEREMY VINE NOTE:  If you joined the email list after Friday's programme read these: Great Laser Eye Surgery Hunt, Best Balance Transfers and Cheapest Gas & Elec. plus Cashback. More

VOTE FOR LONDON OR MANCHESTER: Where do you want the big MoneySavers party?

This week's Martin's Musings: Naughty Naughty Mr. Vine and what a wonderful MoneySaver…..
'Make Me Rich 8: Emotional, Challenging, Rewarding', 'Did Hong Kong Phooey Invent Rap Music?' and 'My thighs are killing me and my hands are shaky' Read m'blogs (or RSS users access)

£100 NOTE VOTE: Who's head would you put on a new note? Vote or Discuss. Also, see last week's Pet Insurance Poll results

That's it for this week.  However before I go for those over 20, if you fancy having your childhood innocence shattered try this.  The episode of rainbow they didn't show! It's worth a watch.

I hope you save some money

Martin