Archive: MoneySavingExpert's Money Tips Email

After 50 years... it's nearly Deflation time Student loans negative interest, pay cuts, pensions & savings gains! State pensions, student loans, salaries and more depend on the RPI rate of inflation. On Tue it fell to 0% meaning average prices haven't increased over the last year. The trends downward, so we're nearing the UK's first deflationary period for 50 years. Yet bizarrely the official CPI rate jumped from 3% to 3.2% as it excludes mortgage interest costs, which have plummeted due to base rate cuts. Student Loans may have NEGATIVE interest. The Student Loans Company's rates change in September based on March's RPI; if next month's figure's negative, those who started uni pre-1998 currently paying 3.8%, will see their loan SHRINK. The govt. hasn't confirmed if the same'll happen for post-1998 loans, as these are also linked to interest rates, and therefore have already dropped to 1.5% (full explanation: student loan repaying guide). The State Pension. In April it rises from £90.70 to £95.25 due to last year's high inflation. Future years depend on Sept's RPI rate; so if there's deflation, will pensions be cut? Thankfully no, the rules currently say the state pension's guaranteed to rise at least 2.5%, even if RPI is lower. That could good news, growing pensions and falling prices (see the State Pension Boosting guide for more). Pay cuts? Many people whose pay is dictated by wage settlements (e.g. union negotiation) have deals with raises linked to RPI; so 0% or negative could mean pay freezes or cuts.

Week of Tue 17 Mar- Mon 23 Mar '09 (Last week's position) 1. Top Cash ISAs (1) 2. State Pension Boosting (New) 3. Freebies, Freebies, Freebies (2) 4. Top Savings Accounts (3) 5. Cheap & Free Flights (7) 6. Hotel Sales (New) 7. Cheap Gas & Elec (8) 8. Premium Bonds Calc (10) 9. Bank Charges News (9) 10. Benefits Check-Up (New) The urgent call for everyone to check they've got enough contributions for the state pension, put it top new entry. It also saw the benefits check up guide boosted higher, riding on the back. Otherwise the age % discount off Malmaison hotels was up there too. The oldest we've ever heard of was a 98-year-old who got a 98% discount and paid only £4.50 for her room! The above excludes daily deals notes

• Prices falling... good or bad? On one hand cheer for cheaper prices. Gas & elec, petrol and rents have already dropped and if we move into real deflation, more's to come. Yet if people delay spending, knowing things will get cheaper, there's less cash in the ecomony, leading to further recession, less demand, and a deflationary spiral.
  
  
• Good news for savers? If in a few months we're in full-on deflation, it'll offset the impact of low interest rates. Lets say £10,000 currently buys 100 shopping trollies of goods. If it's saved earning 1% after tax when inflation's -2% (ie. deflation), a year later there'd be £10,100 in the bank, but the shopping would only cost £9,800. So you're 3% better off and can withdraw £300 of savings without impacting your purchasing power (more info: Top Savings).
  

Of course inflation and deflation hit people in different ways (see the govt. personal inflation calculator) yet it's worth understanding the thinking. Chat about the impact in the deflation discussion.

Please suggest friends/family/colleagues get this free weekly e-mail from moneysavingexpert.com/tips

[[tip_box_in_tip]]

The Ones Not To Miss MSE

Old Mobile Selling Checker. Earn £100s. Instantly compares who'll pay the most
Special web companies will price your old mobile(s) online, then send a freepost bag for it; yet prices vary hugely per company per phone, eg. one Nokia ranges from £50 to £90. My advice's always been try a few sites; but now we've built a tool to help. Mobile Selling Checker: Tell it your phone's make & model and it tells you what each of the ten main companies will pay. Urgent £5 Boost: Two sites currently have bonuses, Love2recycle* automatically gives a £5 gift voucher (e.g Boots, New Look) for every mobile over £15 sold or Money4urmobile pays an extra £5 if you use a special code. Yet first use the Checker to ensure they're top payer. Full info in the New Guide & Tool: Sell Old Mobiles Related Guides: Boost Your Income, Cheap Mobiles

Quick! Four free 2for1 vouchers valid over the Summer for UK theme parks (e.g. Alton Towers). Buy anything (e.g. 30p newspaper etc) from WHSmith before this Sun (29 March) and bag 4x 2for1 vouchers for Thorpe Park, Madame Tussauds & more. Full info in the Daily Deals List: Cheap days out

Urgent! Grab a FREE £100 for getting a 0% overdraft bank account. Only 8 days left
Sadly Alliance and Leicester* will stop giving new customers £100 for signing up to its bank account from 3pm Thur 2 April. Act Now: For almost everyone this is the undisputed best buy (unless you already have it) as pass a credit score and it gives a 0% overdraft, free travel insurance and only requires a min. £6,100 salary. So act quickly to get the £100 too. Already got A&L? If you earn over £23,500, you can still grab £100 with First Direct*. If not the next best option, Halifax*, pays you £5 every month providing you pay in your salary (min £15,000). FULL explanations, pros, cons & alternatives in the Updated Article: Bank Accounts Related Articles: Budgeting, Bank Charges Reclaiming

50% off La Tasca, 2for1 HA!HA! & £10 off Loch Fyne Vouchers. All are Click 'n' Print Vouchers (barring La Tasca) and join 2for1s at Strada, Pizza Express & GBK in the Daily Deals List: Restaurant Vouchers

3m EHIC cards have expired. Check & get it FREE if you're travelling to Europe
The EHIC card is a govt scheme giving the cardholder free or discounted treatment in state-run hospitals in the EU or Switzerland. Why they've expired? EHIC replaced the E111 card in Sept 05, and until March 06 it issued some 3yr and some 5yr cards to spread expiry dates. Now nearly 3million have run out and only 250,000 have been renewed. Is it worth it? Yes! It's important for emergency treatment, works regardless of age & means you get identical treatment and billing to that country's citizens. Does it replace travel insurance? No, as you may still need pay, it only works in state hospitals and doesn't cover baggage, delay etc. How to get one: Go to EHIC applications. For more info & travel ins. from £30 for a year's family cover see the Updated Guide: Travel Insurance & EHIC Related Guides: Cheap Flights, Cheap Hotels

New Sales. M&S and Debenhams selected ranges up to 50% off & more. These join ongoing sales at Office, Coast and Argos. Full info in the Daily Deals List: High Street Sales Diary

HELP YOUR FRIENDS SAVE. TELL THEM ABOUT THIS EMAIL

RAC cover £9, AA £10. Special cashback deals are currently cutting the cost to a minimum. See the Deals Note: Breakdown Cover Deals. Related Guide: Cheap Breakdown Cover

The "It's gone bust" guide: Get money back if a company goes into Administration
Huge high street names like Woolworths, MFI & Zavvi have gone bust, with sadly more expected to follow. This is a new guide to fighting your corner when a company you're dealing with collapses. How did you pay? The right tactics depend on whether you paid by credit card, debit card, cash or cheques. Even if it's already delivered you may have rights. Full info & company by company details in the New Guide: Administration Help Related Guides: Section 75, Consumer Rights

Last chance! Free Sky+ box (usually £99) & £50 M&S vouchers. Sky's special new customer 1 year contract offer closes this Thurs 26 March. See the Forum Note: Free Sky+

Top Cashback Credit Cards. Video Of The Week. Michael Fish Cashback King The BEST way to spend is on a rewards credit card. Cashback credit cards reward you in cash, the current top payer is Amex* which pays 5% for the first three months (up to £2,000) and then tiered rates up to 1.5% after. Set up a direct debit so you clear the card in full each month so there's no interest, then you're paid every time you use it, often adding up to many £100s a year. Video of the week: During my It Pays To Watch celeb money makeovers, most of them were clueless on cashback, see how much they were missing out on, then meet the King. Full cashback info, pros & cons and the video in the Updated Guide & Video: Cashback Cards Related Guides: Best Balance Transfers, Cheapest Card For Spending Four days in UK & Europe Holiday Parks £80 per family with the Sun. Save up to £500. Collect 7 tokens for June-Aug holidays in UK, Spain, France, etc. Full pros & con in the Deals Note: Sun Holidays Last Chance! 25% off code for Family & Friends Railcards ends Tues. One railcard gets up to four adults, travelling with up to four kids, 33% off adult and 60% off kids' fares. With the code it's £18. More in the Deals Note: Train & Coach Promo

Cheapest online Gas & Electricity provider just got cheaper. BG's Websaver 2 falls
For many, British Gas' Websaver 2 tariff is the cheapest current deal if you're prepared to be billed online. It's reduced its price with immediate effect for new AND existing customers. Of course don't switch to it without doing a comparison, as it's not cheapest for everyone. Compare, switch & Get Cashback: (via these special links) Top Pick Comparison: Energyhelpline* pays £15 cashback per switch. Dual Fuel: Moneysupermarket* gives £30 cashback, Uswitch* a free case of wine & SimplySwitch* £35 in Amazon vouchers. Full switching info in the Updated Guide: Switch Gas & Elec Related Guides: Cheap Boiler Cover, Grant Grabbing

Last chance! Home phone, broadband & router for £14/month. TalkTalk usually costs £18/month. Get it for £14/month until 31 March. Full info in the Guide: Cheap Home Phones

3,000 texts for £5. Grab a free Vodafone SIM, top up with a fiver by midnight 9 April and you'll get 3,000 free texts which last 30 days. See the Forum Note: Cheap Texts!

Warning! English prescription price rises 1 April. Beat the hike & save £100s
While the rise itself is small, from £7.10 to £7.20, act now and the big saving is with... Pre-pay certificates: You pay a one off fee for 3 mths or a year, and then all prescriptions are free. Eg, a yearly certificate is £102.50 (£104 from 1 April). The Saving: Get more than 15 prescriptions a year, and you'll save; someone who gets two a month on average is £70 a year better off. Live in Wales, N.I. or Scotland? Prescriptions are free in Wales, staying at £3 in N.I. and dropping to £4 in Scotland from 1 Apr. Full info on this and other savings in the Updated Guide: Cheaper Prescriptions & Medications Related Guide: Five-Minute Benefits Check-Up

Savers Petition the PM! 18,000 signed, have you? See/sign the Savers' Rights petition and read more in the Savers' Rights note.

ITV1 Tonight: Want a credit score boosting makeover? Good & bad histories needed, see the Forum Note: TV credit makeover

[[tip_box_in_tip]]

The Big & Easy Ways to Save Checklist

Shift Existing Debts: Virgin* 15 mths 0%, 2.98% fee or read Balance Transfers Motor Insurance: Top two Comparison Sites (use both) MoneySupermarket*, GoCompare* then grab cashback, see full Car, Van or Motorbike guides Mortgage Makeover: Read the free Remortgage Guide Reclaim £1,000s: on Mortgage Fees, Council Tax, Endowments, Bank Charges, PPI Cashback Credit Card: Amex Plat* or read Best Cashback Cards New Borrowing: Best Card For Spending or Cheapest Loans Teen Cash Guide: Free 40 page PDF guide to teach your kids about money Cut Car & Home Insurance! Car Insurance/Home Insurance Cost Cutting MoneySaving Books: The Money Diet, Thrifty Ways, Three Lessons

More MoneySaving MSE

Confirmed! O2 cutting iPhone prices, but only if you sign a 24mth contract. As of 3 April 8GB 3G iPhones will be free on the £34.26/mth contract, and 16GB's are free at £44.05/mth, but with longer contracts and a new version expected soon, we hoped for better. More info in the Forum Note: Bad Apples? Free weekday tickets to London Grand Designs Live (usually £10). Apply by 31 Mar and get 2 free tickets to the ExCeL event running from 27 Apr to 1 May. Deals Note: Grand Designs MoneySaving News. Energy firms may be banned from unfairly overcharging See the News Story: Energy ban M&S Sandwich, drink & crisps £2. Cheap lunch from a surprising place! See the Deals Note: Restaurant Deals Mobile broadband with massive 15GB download limit now £15/month (was £30). Includes the dongle to plug into laptops for access on the move, though it's with 3, which has some coverage issues. See the Updated Guide: Cheap 3G Broadband Great 'Car Clubs Cost Cutting' Hunt. Tips & tricks to ditch car ownership Car clubs allow you to ditch your everyday car and hire one as and when you need. They claim to be an effective way to manage your travel requirements as they remove the need for costly insurance, breakdown and maintenance costs. So we thought we'd tap MoneySavers' knowledge to find out your experiences, sums and top tips. Add your ideas/read other people's: Great 'Car Clubs Cost Cutting' Hunt Past Great Hunts: Starting A Vegetable Patch, Financial Mistakes, Top Comping Tips MoneySaving News. Govt reassures Dunfermline BS savers. See the News Story: Dunfermline Problems Related Guide: Savings Safety MONEY MORAL DILEMMA. Would you flog store cards to keep a job? You’ve been made redundant, and manage to score a new job in a high street clothes shop. Yet the manager asks you to try and flog store cards at a hideous 32% APR to customers and says; "Try the young ones, they ask less questions." You were once in bad debt due to these cards, and now wouldn't touch them. Yet poor store card sales means you may not make it through the trial period. Enter the Money Moral Maze: Would you flog store cards to keep a job? Related Guide: Store Cards Previous MMDs: View All

Q. What do you think of these Claim Service Companies now surfacing with regards to reclaiming bank charges? Is it worth it? Laurelle, by e-mail. Martin’s Answer: We’ve seen an explosion of claims companies since bank charges started, initially I was scathing, but over the years, I’ve softened a touch. It's usually pointless for anyone with web access to pay. Most Bank Charges, Loan Insurance (PPI), Mortgage Fee reclaims can easily be done with our free pre-drafted template letters. Yet for some, eg the financially phobic, if you’d never do it yourself, paying's better than not reclaiming at all. Yet there are certain areas, eg some PPI reclaims pre 2005 which the Ombudsman can’t adjudicate on, where a good claims handler works as it's a complex technical fight needing lawyers not templates. However the scary trend is the growth of claims handling companies touting things like “pay us £400 up front”. NEVER use any of those companies, DO NOT pay up front. Instead, if needed use a no-win, no-fee company that charges a MAX. 25% of your winnings. Discuss: Reclaiming Claims Handlers Suggest: A question of the week (big general issues not personal q’s pls)

Quick Forum Tips Warning! Bargains listed here tend to sell out quickly Daily Bargains Update Tips, Tricks & Treats

Top Deal! Free Tomb Raider PC Game. Download using new technology. Free Raider New Quantum of Solace DVD £7 Online price. Can you find it cheaper in store? 3 pregnancy tests £1.44 Can you beat it? Pitter Patter £4 Tuesdays at selected Vue cinemas. Just pick up a special card. Vue to a deal The 99 most essential classical music pieces. £3 download from Amazon. Usually £10 McDonald's Monopoly is back. Help us find the rare streets to save. Pass go! Debt Free Wannabe chat of the week: Self-employed, in debt & working from home Old Style (Thrift) Board thread of the week: Cheap & healthy snacks

New Board! Theatre, Concert & Event Tickets: Find bargain show deals
The new Theatre, Concert & Event Tickets board already offers a wealth of top tips & ideas on where to grab cheap seats for events and shows. Discussions include Michael Jackson Tickets - can you find some?, Billy Elliot front row seats and Cirque du Soleil 2for1 Related Guide: Cheap Tickets

CHEAP FLIGHTS SALES ALERT Airline: Easy Jet. Price: sub. £25 e/w. Ends: When seats sell out.
Our top pick budget airline sale this week is EasyJets's sale, with flights to a host of European destinations from a range of UK airports for between £15.99 and £24.99 each way (including most taxes and charges). The sale includes London Gatwick to Palma Majorca on 15 April for £21.99 one way and Bristol to Amsterdam on 8 April for £15.99 one way. Tickets are at this price until they sell out, on selected flights. How to quickly find the sales flights: Don't go direct, instead use the Budget Airline FlightChecker and ask it to find all flights under £25. Non-Budget Airline Tools: These are listed in the Cheap Flights guide. Related Travel MoneySaving: Cheap Hotels, Spending Abroad, Cheap Currency, Travel Insurance, Mobile Roaming

Great 'Free Geneology' Hunt Result
There’s a raft of resources out there to help you delve into your family history, and find out about your ancestors. So we asked MoneySavers to share their top tips and secret tools to trace your family tree. There were some great suggestions including Plan your research, Top free tracing sites and Recording your family tree

[[tip_box_in_tip]]

Andrea's Freebies Freebies, Freebies, Freebies

California Raisins Recipe Book, Liz Earle Consultation, Salad Seeds, Dog Treats, Placebo Download

Odds and Ends MSE

Martin's Appearances...Weds 24 March - Weds 1 April
These are scheduled appearances, though other ad hocs may happen. See the appearances list for updates.

• Thurs, GMTV with Lorraine, sometime between 8:30 & 9:30am on ITV1. EHIC, Free DVD Rental & 2for1 days out.
• Tues & Weds, GMTV, 7.20am and 9am ITV1. Spring clean your finances! Tue: Cut your bills Wed: Red Letter Saving

This week's Martin's Blog: Doing Countdown… and getting a rude word to boot!
"FSA Consumer Panel: Its view and mine" and "Bizarre life summaries heard while having a sandwich...". Read m'blogs (or RSS users access)

Would you spend an MP's expenses? This week's poll. Vote and Expenses discussion.

Most'll still holiday abroad, but some sticking to Blighty for cost. Last Week’s Vote. Nearly 47% of voters taking a main holiday plan to stay in the UK this year, leaving just over half (53%) going abroad. Yet the credit crunch has forced 12% of voters who usually go abroad to stay at home, yet more, 20%, say they're going away as the UK's too expensive anyway. See Brits Abroad? poll results.

Archna's Free Game of the Week! Connect the pairs of identical colours. 3D Logic II

Are they people or cartoons? That's it for this week, but before I go, sometimes technology's beautiful, look closely at this short film, are they people or is it an animation? Human Illusion

I hope you save some money

Martin

PS. Don't forget the Clocks go forward next Sun. at 1am by an hour

Explanation of * Links

FSA NOTE: Referring people to insurers or insurance intermediaries can in some circumstances require FSA authorisation. For this reason, Martin Lewis of Shepherd's Studios, Rockley Road, Shepherd's Bush, London W14 0DA is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.

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: moneysupermarket.love2recycle.com, money4urmobile.co.uk, alliance-leicester.co.uk, firstdirect.com, americanexpress.co.uk, virginmoney.com, moneysupermarket.com, uswitch.com, simplyswitch.com, energyhelpline.co.uk. Read more about this in how this site is financed.

MoneySavingExpert.com is the free to use Consumer Revenge website focused on how to save you cash. It’s owned, and run by ultra-specialised journalist and bestselling author Martin Lewis. On TV amongst other things Martin is GMTV’s Money SavingExpert and presents money programmes for ITV1 Tonight. On Radio Martin has regular slots on Radio 2 Vine and Radio 1 Whiley. He’s also a columnist for the News of The World, Moneywise and the Sunday Post. Find out more: About the site and its funding.

Disclaimer: This e-mail is based on journalistic research. It does not constitute financial advice. Any information should be considered in regard to your own specific circumstances. All tips are followed at your own risk and should be followed up with your own research Full Terms & Conditions.

To change your E-mail or stop receiving Tips (unsubscribe): Go to: www.moneysavingexpert.com/tips

Was this free e-mail forwarded to you? To receive it directly go to www.moneysavingexpert.com/tips