5.9% savings equivalent for basic rate taxpayers (7.8% higher rate)
Lock cash in for 3 years with NS&I's index linked savings & get inflation plus 1% = 4.7% TAX-FREE
Offical inflation's hit a 13-month high at 3.5%, higher than the interest on ALL easy access accounts, meaning in real
terms everyone's cash is shrinking (see losings not savings news).
Yet there's a way to beat this... Inflation Linked Savings: NS&I, the govt-run savings bank, has 'index linked savings' paying a big 1% (it was only 0.7%) above Retail Price Index (RPI) inflation, TAX-FREE for three years (max £15,000). RPI's now 3.7%, so that's a 4.7% after-tax rate - to earn that in normal savings a basic rate taxpayer would need get 5.9% pre-tax (higher rate 7.8%) and rates that high don't exist. For a small interest penalty you can access your cash after a year. Warning! The rate varies. It’s important to understand the rate you earn varies each month with inflation and while some predict it’ll be reasonably high going forward, that’s not guaranteed. At half its current rate, the product's beatable by top savings deals. Last year inflation was negative and, if it drops, so does the interest you're locked into (though you're at least guaranteed to get growth in 'real terms'). Top Guaranteed Equivalents:
For total surety of what you'll earn over the same term, you can lock in with ICICI's 3 yr fixed*
(min £1,000) at 4.6% AER (before tax) or ICICI 2 yr* at 4.25%. Top easy access is
Coventry BS at 3.15% inc. 1.15% bonus. All have the full UK £50,000 savings
safety guarantee. FULL details & more best buys in the Updated Guide:
Top Savings Related:
Safe Savings, 3.5% Cash ISAs
Benefit make-up 15% off, La Senza 15%, Peacocks 20%, free photo greetings card
Mother's day gift deals. Use new online codes to buy gifts or free personalised card (you pay 50p postage)
Mothers' day is a week on Sunday, but many of these codes end this week. Full info in the Deals List: Discount Vouchers
£15 iTunes giftcard for £10
A fiver off £15 or £25 iTunes giftcards. Yet as 2 x £15 costs the same as a £25 card- do that
On in-store at Morrisons from Thur 4 - Sun 7 March. Full info in the Forum Note: Cheap iTunes Related: Compare MP3 prices
Free house price tools - interrogate a property
Value a home, see what neighbours paid, noise levels, price drops, crime & more
Whether you want to buy, sell, rent or stay put, there are high end tools to interrogate your property's value and we've collected and reviewed them. Assess your home: Now without paying a penny you can value your home, assess crime and flood risks, check out local schools, pubs, transport links, noise levels and more. Monitor local house prices: You can also nose at what friends' & colleagues' gaffs sold for and new secret weapon Property-Bee lets you track when sellers put particular properties on the market, plus when & how much they cut asking prices. FULL free tools in the completely updated and rewritten Guide: Free House Price Valuations Related: Free Printed Remortgage Guide, Ultimate Mortgage Calculator, Council Tax Rebanding. Coming Soon: House Buyers Tips, House Sellers Tips
|
 |
Strada 2for1, Caffe Uno 2for1, Ha Ha 2for1, La Tasca 50% off
New restaurant vouchers! These plus 2 mains for £12 at Pizza Express & Zizzi
Join ASK 2for1 for £1, Crown Carveries £4.59 roast 'n' pud and Ember Inns 2 meals £8 in Daily Deals List: Restaurant Vouchers
|
 |
Loft insulation: £5 for 3 DIY rolls, £99 per house INSTALLED
Can cut £150 off your heating bills annually - so pays for itself within a year. Free for over 70s
There's a big push to get lofts insulated, cutting down heating bills and helping the environment. Yet often at £6 a roll and typically around 15 rolls needed plus any installation costs it can be over £200. Cheap DIY Deals: Currently B&Q is offering a £5 for 3 rolls promotion. Your local councils may be cheaper: Many offer discounted loft insulation including installation, for example if you live in Hertfordshire or Essex you can get it for £99 all in; we need your help to compile a full list. Grants for over 70s: If you're over 70 or are in receipt of certain benefits you can get loft insulation totally free. FULL info and help us compile the list of council offers in the Forum Note: Free & Cheap Loft Insulation Related Guides: Switch Gas & Elec, Cheap Boiler Cover, Grant Grabbing
Cartel 'Debt Write-off' Claims Company being investigated
The Ministry of Justice confirmed it's probing activities of the firm which asked for £495 to 'write off debts'
Plus some MoneySavers claim they paid £100s in fees but never heard back - Cartel denies this. Full info in the MSE News: Cartel Claims Investigation Related: Debt Problems
[[tip_box_in_tip]]
48 nappies for newborns £1! Stock up! In store & online at Asda, normally £4ish, could save £18 over a newborn's first month. See the Forum Note: A rash of savings
Boost your broadband speed...
How to give your web connection a quick kick up the ADSL!
Cheap broadband is one thing, but what if it's just not zippy enough? Here are a few tips to soup up your speed (full explanation and how tos in the article). Free Speed Test: Do a free speed test then compare to your streetstats to see if it should be faster. Clear up your signal. Find the best socket and consider installing a special iPlate gadget to help. Retune your router. Beat WiFi interference by moving and retuning your router. Faster Browser: Grab a new, faster web browser, check/update your anti-virus program, and spring clean your machine for faster load times. Stop bandwidth suckers. Change your settings to stop programs like BBC iPlayer using your connection while you aren't looking. Cheap Broadband: Of course check you're paying the least per month first; for standard speed get Plusnet for £4 month via broadband choices* with the code 4monthsBB, for faster, 20Mbps costs from £10/mth with O2, and 50Mbps starts at £27/mth with Virgin Media - see the Cheap Broadband guide for more top picks. FULL info on boosting your broadband in the New Guide: Broadband Boosting Related Guides: Best Web Browsers, £9.15/mth home phone line rental
|
 |
Cheap iPhones: Save £100 if you got an O2 3GS at launch
Cheapest new deals, plus how O2 customers can downgrade tariff to save
It's never going to be totally MoneySaving, but there are ways to cut the cost. See the Deals Note: Cheap iPhones
New! Amazon launches 50+% OFF outlet clothing store
Amazon launches new bargain brands section, but finesse more discounts using special Discount Finder
The launch of the Amazon outlet store* has seen lots of publicity; it collates 50%+ discounted clothes, shoes, jewellery and watches specifically for big brands inc. D&G, Timberland and DKNY. Finesse your search: In many ways its new launch replicates our own Amazon Discount Finder tool, but with less flexibility. Outlet's been added to our tool: We've added the new store as a category, so you can now search for bigger discounts like Outlet Clothing 75%+ off*, Outlet Shoes 75%+ off* and Outlet Watches 75% off* plus you can also see ALL 75% off watches*, clothing*, shoes* as well as DVDs*, video games* and more. Narrow it to free delivery: If you want to exclude items with postage charges (which means it's a third party seller), click the tool's ‘free supersaver delivery’ option. Warning: Remember, even a big discount doesn't automatically make it cheapest or worth buying. Always check. Full info in the Updated Guide & Tool: Amazon Secret Bargains Related: Cheap Online Shopping
Two FREE Alton Towers tickets (worth c. £70)
Collect 7 tokens from The Sun (so 6 x 20p plus 1 x 60p on Sat) to get the free tickets - valid during summer
Though you need be flexible as you must pick from a date range. This & more in the Daily Deals List: Cheap Theme Parks
Ripped off by your bank? New figures show most complaints WIN
The MAJORITY of complaints to the Ombudsman succeed & you can charge for your time!
If you feel unfairly treated by banks, credit card companies, insurers or other financial institutions, and they reject your complaint, you've a RIGHT to go to the free Financial Ombudsman. New stats show it gave redress to 53% of consumers (it can award £1,000s in compensation) whose complaints were resolved in latter half of 2009. Bank-by-bank hall of shame! Major companies that had more than average complaints upheld include... A&L 58%, Barclays 65%, Black Horse 89%. Capital One 78%, Egg 82%, HSBC 57%, ING Direct 79%, MBNA 85%, Northern Rock 65% and Ocean Finance 100%! Don't believe bank complaint rejections: These figures prove they often reject complaints to put you off taking it further, even though they know if you do you'll win. Disgraceful. How to successfully complain: Put your issue to the company first, and if rejected just fill out a form from the Ombudsman. Charge for your time: You can even ask for up to £10/hr for the time it's taken to sort it out. FULL financial complaint help in the Updated Guide: Your Financial Rights News: Bank By Bank Financial Complaints Related: Bank Charges, Consumer Rights, Setting Off
|
 |
A nation educated into debt but never yet about debt
Financial Education joins the curriculum. What'll be taught, how it'll work & free lessons now for teens
Read Martin's thoughts after meeting Children's Minister Ed Balls. Editorial Comment: Educated out of debt Related: Free Teen Cash Class
Last Chance! Free £100, 0% overdraft & free travel insurance
Nationwide's ended its bonus early, and the free £100 for switching to Alliance & Leceister ends Sunday
The on-off £100 for switching to Alliance & Leicester's* best buy bank account ends this Sunday, so if you want it grab it now, it could be months before it resurfaces. What's the deal? New customers who earn over £6,050 can grab its Premier account. As well as the £100 bonus it also offers a year's 0% overdraft and free European annual travel insurance (worth c. £30). Though to get all this you need to properly switch to it, which means paying your salary in there and moving direct debits to it. Alternatives: Higher earners (over £23,300 salary) can also get £100 bonus from First Direct*, though there's no interest - but it has a strong customer service reputation. Want a bank for the long term? If you're not the type of person who'll move again, are always in credit (its overdraft is an expensive £1 a day) and pay in your salary of over £15,000, Halifax* will pay you £5 month - a good long term option. FULL pros and cons, and more best buys in the Updated Guide: Best Bank Account Related: Top Savings, Top Cash ISAs
Latest weekly email
