|
Reclaiming hits the big time; £1 billion.. so far! What a week. HSBC admitted it's repaid £100+ million in bank charges reclaiming this year alone; so its estimated total payout is now £1 billion. Plus last Friday the banks gave in to a major high court test case (more later). I’m proud this site's at the forefront of it; over 4 million bank charges templates have been downloaded since last Nov. by around 1.3 million people.
There’s another major reclaim yet to come! To tease you, I’ve been working on another major reclaim that will join bank charges, mortgage fees, credit cards, council tax and endowment misselling reclaiming. Details here soon.
Spread the word, everyone should reclaim. Reclaim culture's about getting back money that was unfairly taken by big powerful organisations. Please tell friends & family about it, and ensure they get this free weekly e-mail from moneysavingexpert.com/tips to keep in touch.
|
|
MARTIN'S MONEY MUTTERINGS
A video/audio commentary on this e-mail |
|
Sorry, no Mutterings this week.
Technical issues stopped us filming.
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Bank Charges. OFT to bring test case; all claims 'on hold'. What should you do?
The banks have agreed with the Office of Fair Trading to a High Court test case on bank charges reclaiming. In a coordinated move, the regulator (the FSA) told banks that meanwhile they needn’t deal with bank charges complaints, and the Ombudsman has suspended dealing with cases. While it's said the courts will follow suit, actually the situation there is more complex. While there’s still much uncertainty, I’ve drafted an emergency New Article: Bank Charges: What to do now. Also do note, Credit Card Reclaiming and Mortgage Fee Reclaiming are unaffected.
Loophole! Get AA cover for under £5. A fraction of the usual cost. Cheap AA Cover
New cheapest home phone. £17.50/month for line rental, broadband & free calls.
Home phone provider TalkTalk* now charges just £17.50/month (all-in) for its Talk 2 International calls package. This includes line rental, connection fee, broadband, unmetered (free) evening & weekend calls and calls to most European, North American and Australian landlines. I suspect this ultra-cheap package is an attempt to rebuild its reputation after its inability to cope with heavy demand last year. If you don't want broadband, Primus Saver 2 gives free evening and weekend calls without a monthly fee (barring BT line rental). Full pros, cons, & further cost cutting tricks in the New Article: Cheapest Home Phone Related Articles: Cheapest Calls To Mobiles, Cheapest Mobiles
Free fiver to spend at Amazon. Download a web toolbar to get a free £5 voucher
STOP YOUR FRIENDS WASTING CASH! PLS SUGGEST THEY GET THIS EMAIL
New cheapest long-term credit card debt: 5.8% for life. Updated Article
0% deals are only best if you’re willing to keep on top of them. Otherwise shift debts to a life of balance deal where the cheap rate lasts until all the debt moved is repaid. The new cheapest is Citibank’s* 5.8% for life, just beating past leader Marks & Spencer’s increased 5.9% rate (though it’s slightly easier to be accepted for). If you can repay more quickly, Goldfish* offers three years at 3.9% and HSBC* four years at 4.9%, though both charge a balance transfer fee. More details, and the cheapest 0% cards are in the Updated Article: Best Balance Transfers Related Articles: Top Card for Spending, Cheapest Personal Loans
Premium Bond Interest Rate Increased from 3.8% to 4.0%. The Premium Bond Probability Calculator & Premium Bonds: Are they worth it? articles have been updated
Important Reminder: This is the time to switch gas & elec (plus get cashback)
The right moment to switch energy is when there's a level playing field; in other words all providers have announced their price changes; as then do a comparison and you'll be truly comparing like with like. Things have been stable for a while now (no guarantees though), which makes this a good time to switch. My top pick comparison service, Energyhelpline*, pays £15 cashback if it switches you (though only via this special link). For more options Read Article: Cheaper Gas & Elec Related Articles: Cut Water Bills, Switch Car Insurance
International calls sale. India 1p/min this week, Pakistan next week. See Int CallChecker for details.
|
The easiest way to ensure you don't miss out is to get these tips e-mailed to you each week (it's free)
|
|
|
FLIGHTCHECKER SALES WATCH Fuerteventura, Malta & Tenerife £10 all-in
Budget airline Ryanair is still dishing out £10 winter flights, but you must book before Thursday 2 August. Unusually and importantly this price includes all taxes and charges, yet there are baggage fees. Depending on which of its 19 UK airports you decide to fly from, there’s a raft of European destinations to choose. Read the find the £10 flights note. Related Article: Cheap Flight Finding, Cheapest Travel Insurance, How To Spend Overseas
Top Child Trust Fund savings account ups rate to 7.15% interest. Updated Article
Britannia Building Society has upped the rate on its top Child Trust Fund to a whopping 7.15%. This rate includes a 1.25% introductory bonus, but as it lasts two years and beats the next best by far, it's well worth it. You can switch whenever you like, so if yours is languishing, move it now. Updated Article: Child Trust Funds Related Articles: Child Trust Fund PDF Guide, Where To Start With Savings
Great 'What to buy in duty free' Hunt revisited
Walk into a duty-free shop at the airport and you'll be bombarded with special offers, but which products are actually cheaper than they would be elsewhere? Around this time last year I asked MoneySavers for top tips on what to buy at the duty-free when travelling (aside from Toblerone, of course) and this week I'd like to revisit the hunt. There were some great ideas, but we could always use more! Add your ideas/read others Past Great Hunts: Self-Discipline, What To Do In The Event Of Redundancy and Join Up And Save
|
|
Quick Chat Tips
Warning! Bargains listed here tend to sell out quickly
|
|
|
|
Board of the week: House Buying, Renting, Selling and Prices
With July witnessing a fifth interest rate hike in less than a year, the reality of running a home is hitting everyone deep in their pockets, leading to many addressing their biggest expenditure: accommodation. Regardless of whether you buy or rent, the House Buying, Renting, Selling and Prices Board offers a wealth of experience and information to ensure you make the best choice. Discussions include Rent increase; is it legal?, Modern or old houses? and Getting a lodger to help pay the mortgage
MONEY MORAL DILEMMA. Should flood-ridden Rhett and Scarlet get free catering?
Rhett and Scarlet had planned the wedding of their dreams; they’d booked the venue and paid for all the catering and booze. However, on the morning of their big day, floods hit and the venue was wrecked, so the wedding couldn’t go ahead. Yet Melanie, the caterer, had already paid for and prepared all the food for the reception. Rhett and Scarlet want her to cater again for free for the rescheduled wedding later in the year. Yet Melanie only runs a small catering firm and would be losing out hugely. Enter the Money Moral Maze: Should flood-ridden Rhett and Scarlet get free catering? Previous MMDs: Should Hermione pay for Harry's little dog? and Should Jeremy and Kirsty come clean?
Great 'Things to do with the kids this summer revisited' Hunt Result
Last week I asked MoneySavers to revisit last summer's hunt for top ideas on entertaining the kids when they're off school. There were already plenty of great ideas, yet some of this year's were even better. Check out Go to a city farm, Get cheap theme park tickets, and 12 things to do before you're 12
|
|
|
|
This week's Martin's Musings: Teen Cash Class: what you didn't see.
Plus, "Downloading my friend's Wedding photos cost me £100". Read m'blogs (or RSS users access)
Is the BBC licence fee worth it? This week's poll. Vote and BBC licence fee discussion
Are you a second class friend? In a word- yes! Last week's vote: It seems that postage prestige is a thing of the past, with 94% unfussed whether a first or second class stamp is used. That said, the majority (55%) would be miffed to find a second class stamp on a card which arrived late. See poll results
One of the best free web games. That's it for this week yet before I go, I thought you'd like this ultra-addictive web game I've just discovered. And it's free
I hope you save some money,
Martin.
Explanation of * Links
How this site is financed. Any links with a * by them are affiliated. That means go via this link and a contribution may be made to MoneySavingExpert.com, which helps it stay ad-free and free to use. You shouldn't notice any difference, the links don't impact the product at all and the editorial line (the things I write) is NEVER impacted by it. If it isn't possible to get an affiliate link for the best product, it's still included in exactly the same way. As I believe transparency is important, I'm including the following 'un-affiliated' web-addresses for the same things: hsbc.co.uk, alliance-leicester.co.uk, icicibank.co.uk, natwest.com, rbs.co.uk, talktalk.com, goldfish.com, citibank.co.uk, energyhelpline.com. Read more about this in how this site is financed. |
Latest weekly email
