Last chance. Got any savings? Put it in an ISA NOW! The 2006/7 ISA year ends Thursday 5 April. Miss it, and you'll miss out on up to £3,000 of tax-free savings or £7,000 of tax-free investing. If you've any savings, and haven't used this year's ISA allowance, do it now, it’s just a 6.5% savings account you don't pay tax on... (see the 6.5% Mini Cash ISA article). For those wanting shares based investments, if you don't know what you want but 'intend to invest', just open the ISA immediately with cash ensuring you get the allowance, and decide where to invest it at a later date (use a discount broker). Also read the ISA Guide Ensure friends and family never miss out either. Loads of MoneySaving is urgent, and the aim of this e-mail is to warn you in time. Please suggest friends/family add themselves to this e-mail's distribution list at moneysavingexpert.com/tips | MARTIN'S MONEY MUTTERINGS
A video/audio commentary on this e-mail | No Mutterings this week as I'm out of the office.
Normal services resumed next week. | | VIDEO | | AUDIO | | |
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Travel Insurance: Get annual cover for singles (£25), families (£40), over 65s (£39). New Article
It's possible to get annual travel insurance for just £25, yet some travel agents charge more than this to cover you for a week in Spain! This totally rewritten and re-researched article reveals all the cheapest policies after scouring providers, brokers and comparison services. Plus, I've included a special focus on the over 65s, as for them cheap cover's notoriously difficult to find. New Article: Cheapest Travel Insurance Related MoneySaving Articles: Flight Finding, Spending Overseas, Package Holidays; Car Insurance & Home Insurance
£4 Chart CDs if you pay in Nectar points. Limited numbers so time it right!
Nectar's running a ‘Double Redemption' promotion, changing reward type every week. The final one, starting this Saturday means 800 points (worth about £4) buys a chart CD; compared to 1,600 normally. Last year a similar promotion sold out by the next day, so time it right. Nectar CD sale details Related Articles: Loyalty Point Maximising, Internet Shopping Techniques DVD Boxsets for under a tenner. Superman, Back to the Future & more. Boxset Bonanza! Get £50 for joining the top new bank account (0% overdraft or 6% in-credit interest). Updated Article
Alliance & Leicester's* rekindled its '£50 refer a friend' offer on its current account. Existing customers who recommend it now get £50 (it was £25), as does the new customer. Better still, it’s the table-topping bank account, with a 0% overdraft for the first year and 6% interest if you're in-credit, so it's worth switching to anyway. If you don't know anyone with it, then just team up with a friend to grab the £50 anyway; one joins, then recommends the other, meaning you both get the cash. Plus grab a further £10 by registering for mobile banking. View/apply: The link's on the right of the A&L Current Account* page. Full Details: Recommend a Friend Article Full Account Review: Best Current Account Related Article: Credit Card Freebies STOP YOUR FRIENDS WASTING CASH! PLS SUGGEST THEY GET THIS EMAIL OFT puts bank charges announcement on hold. Reclaim, Reclaim, Reclaim £1,000s
Last week the Office of Fair Trading announced a detailed investigation into all bank account charges. My suspicion is it decided to do this, rather than the expected announcement on fees, as it couldn't win otherwise. The OFT can only give an opinion; if it'd effectively said banks must drop the fees, the banks would've ignored it; if it only said they must drop them to £15, then I, amongst others, would've said "ignore it and carry on reclaiming". This bank-by-bank study it's now doing means when it gives its opinion, if banks don't comply, the OFT can go to Court to get a legal ruling. All this could take up to a year, meanwhile CARRY ON RECLAIMING. Full Guide (with template letters): Bank Charges Reclaiming, Forum Link: Discuss the OFT announcement Related Articles:Mortgage Exit Fees Reclaiming, Endowment Mis-selling Reminder: 2 for 1 on London attractions. All you need is a train ticket. New offers for Spring Get a greener home and save cash on bills with a home energy grant
The recent Budget announced that the 'Warm Front' scheme will be extended to help people on low incomes make their home more efficient, which in turn will save them money on gas and electricity. Check to see if you are entitled via the Energy Saving Trust website. Londoners with British Gas can also get £100 off the price of insulating their home. These are great ways to simultaneously be green and protect your pocket. Related article: Cheapest Gas and Electric
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Victim of BACS mess-up? Ask for any charges back
The BACS payroll system conked out last Friday, leaving many people unpaid over the weekend. If this meant you got a charge for exceeding your overdraft or missing Direct Debits, don't go through the whole Bank Charge Reclaiming process. Instead, ring it up and ask nicely - all should be refunded. Money BAC
Do you have an intranet at work? Help your colleagues save money by getting a MoneySavingExpert mention! Great 'Easy Computer Security and Privacy Tips' Hunt
While anti-virus software is crucial (see how to get it free), how you operate your computer is key too when making sure it is protected. So what are your top tips for keeping your PC safe? How do you check the validity of websites or emails? What links would or wouldn't you click? Let's compile all MoneySavers' collective top tips: Add your ideas/read others Past Great Hunts: Student Discounts, Letters That Work and Free Online Courses
Victim of bank fraud? New procedures introduced to report fraud. Find out more
Teach your kids about premium rates and other charging numbers
Nice to see the premium rate regulator, ICSTIS, getting pro-active. It's launched a website for kids to understand premium rate phone tariffs and how they work. Remember, there are huge difference between how 0845, 0870 and 09 numbers work and how much they cost. More details |
Quick Chat Tips Warning! Bargains listed here tend to sell out quickly | | |
MONEY MORAL DILEMMA. Should Rachel return the dress after wearing it?
Rachel is over the moon; she's found the man of her dreams, Ross. He popped the question and so they had a big formal occasion, in which Rachel went to her local department store to buy a gorgeous £200 dress, especially to match the colour of the reception room. The pair don't have the best finances, and Rachel doubts she will ever wear a dress that colour again; so she's considering using the store's returns policy, even though she's worn it, to get her money back. Should she return it? Enter the Money Moral Maze: Should Rachel return the dress after wearing it? Previous MMDs: Should Darth take money from his kids' accounts? and Grant's been overpaid, should he keep it?
FLIGHTCHECKER SALES WATCH Amsterdam, Paris & Prague c. £25 each way
Budget airline Thomsonfly currently has a range of destinations for under £1 each way. When you add in its taxes and charges this becomes roughly £25 in total. For a full briefing read the How To Find a Cheap Flight article or go straight to the special free FlightChecker to find the seats in seconds The Great 'MoneySaving Things to do on your Lunchbreak' Hunt Result
Last week I asked MoneySavers to let me know their savvy tips for using lunchtimes more productively. Ideas you suggested included making free money with daily clicks, browsing local charity shops and checking your finances Board of the week: Charities Board
Whether you're enquiring about support for fundraising or want an opinion on the best way to help an organisation, the Charities board offers a wealth of friendly knowledge and useful advice. Discussions include Donate your old bras, Charity from home and Questions about Gift Aid for occasional tax payers
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