Archive: MoneySavingExpert's Money Tips Email

"Give me my money back!" Major New Guide
Don't be fobbed off! Reject shoddy goods & services with consumer rights armour
Ever returned poor or faulty goods and had the shop simply dismiss your complaint? Now imagine walking down the high street, or calling up, this time covered in a glistening suit of consumer rights armour! We hope you can wear our new guide like that, so companies' excuses bounce off. Eg, if they say "sorry our terms state you need to send it back to the manufacturer" you can say "yes, but the law states you need to sort it and the law wins"! Iron clad rights: Goods & services must be decent quality, do the job, and last a reasonable length of time. If not, you should get a replacement, repair or your money back if you complain quickly enough. This mammoth, detailed guide takes you through what to do if goods or services go wrong, designed both to read in advance plus save in your bookmarks for when it's needed. Full info in the New Guide: Arm Yourself With Consumer Rights Related: Your Financial Rights, Consumer Power, Section 75 Coming Soon: How to Complain

Free £50 with Halifax bank account!
The bonus is back! Plus get £5 every month you pay in £1,000+
Halifax has relaunched the £50 bonus for switching to its current account. Free £50 & £5/mth: Pay your salary (min. £14,700) into Halifax's* Reward account and you get £5/mth; plus new switchers get a £50 bonus via comparison site Moneysup (the link takes you there). Only do this if you're NEVER overdrawn as charges are high. Free £100 + 5% interest: Santander's* Preferred In-credit Rate account pays more in the short term; if you switch and earn £14,700+/year, it gives a free £100 and 5% in-credit interest for the first year on up to £2,500 (not if you've had A&L, Cahoot or Santander accounts in the past 3 mths). Want good customer service? Sadly, Santander and Halifax focus on grabbing new customers, not giving existing ones good service; they came bottom of our MoneySavers' customer service poll. If you're after great service First Direct* topped the poll, plus pays £100 bonus (min. salary £23,300). 0% overdraft: Go overdrawn and Santander's* Preferred Overdraft rate account gives accepted newbies a year's 0% overdraft (must earn £14,700 a year). First Direct* gives a £250 0% overdraft, and a £100 bonus (min. salary £23,300). FULL pros, cons, how switching works & more best-buys in the Updated Guide: Best Bank Accounts Related: Credit Rating, Budgeting, Bank Charges Reclaiming

Dinky energy devices can slash bills by £100+
DON'T switch to pricey tariffs for a monitor, get one for £20 (free for Eon customers)
We're converted! As Martin's blog says: "Energy monitors (not smart meters) are little boxes displaying your home's energy cost by the second. Initally, I was sceptical, but using one's cut my energy bills as I'm so much more aware of the cost". Don't get energy monitor tariffs: Many energy companies now offer tariffs with free monitors, yet usually these cost around £100/year more than the cheapest deals available so just get the best tariff & buy your own monitor. You can get £15 cashback too via top pick comparison site Energyhelpline* or a crate of wine from Uswitch*. Cheapest energy monitors: The savings should rapidly outweigh the cost, you can currently get a 'micro OWL' monitor for £20 delivered. Free if you're with Eon: It's currently giving away free monitors when you manage your account online regardless of what tariff you're on (though don't switch to Eon just for the monitor). Otherwise see if your local library lends them. FULL info in the Deals Note: Cheap Energy Monitors Related: Cheap Gas & Elec, Cheap Boiler Cover, Energy Grants

Travel insurance: cheapest £14/year, top value £22
Sort travel insurance for next year's hols with cheap annual multi-trip policy
There's currently a cracking deal on our 'top value' pick travel insurance policy. 'Cheapest' v 'top value': Our 'cheapest' are based on price alone, providing they meet min. cover levels, while 'top value' incorporates past performance from us and Defaqto, though even then nothing's perfect. Top value's got cheaper: Big winner Direct Travel's now available cheapest via comparison site Moneysupermarket* - individual European cover for £22/year, and family cover for £40/year. These are £32 and £52, respectively, if you go direct, with lower max. cover levels, so it's a great deal. Yet ensure you get its Standard policy, NOT Essentials, as the first has higher cover. For worldwide or winter sports cover, it's still cheaper to go via Direct Travel*. Cheapest annual policies: All are exclusive prices via comparison site Moneysup (the links take you there). Single Person: Multitrip* is £14 in Europe and £23 Worldwide, with £150 excesses. Couples/Families: Multitrip* wins again, at £26 in Europe and £37 outside. Over 65s: Prices rocket, but options include Flexicover* at £64 for 65-69s (see over 65s section for more). Full info, pros, cons & best buys in the Updated Guide: Cheap Travel Insurance Related: Package Hols, Travel Money, Cheap Flights

Freebies compendium! 200+ from pet food to perfume
Masses of permanently available freebies up for grabs if you know where to look
The web is chock-full of free stuff but to scrap the time spent searching, we've fully updated and redesigned our compendium of online freebies, making it easier than ever to bag booty for nowt! 100s of freebies: Each week this email lists all the urgent ones, but there are lots that aren't short-lived including Lily Allen Remix Album, Lacoste Aftershave, Energy Saving Lightbulbs, Huggies Drynites, Free MOT for Audis & Clipper Tea. Massive thanks! This guide isn't possible without thousands of MoneySaving freebie hunters scouring the UK's websites to find the best free stuff then posting in the forum. See the full categorised list of permanent freebies in the Updated Guide: Freebies, Freebies, Freebies Related: Tips, Tricks & Treats

New! 4% fixed savings for kids
Top kids accounts can beat adult deals, if you save in their name
There are now some blockbusting children's accounts. New 4% AER 3 year fix: Children under 16 can lock away up to £20,000 in the new Northern Rock Little Rock (issue 2) bond for 3 years fixed at 4%, though if UK interest rates rise over that time you can't shift to up the interest. Kids 6% regular saver: The Halifax* children's regular saver pays a fixed 6% AER for a year if you save £10 - £100 every month without withdrawals. Can adults use these? Save in your kid's name and it is then their cash, controlled by them. Most kids don't pay tax (unless they earn £6,475+ /year), so to prevent avoidance, any money given by a parent that generates over £100 interest a year (£200 per couple) is taxed at that parent's rate. Is saving in their name worth it? The fixed rates above can be beaten by Bank of Baroda* at 4.3% for 3 yrs and 4.9% for 5 yrs. Yet £5,000 stashed in the 4% kids bond generates £200 interest a year, tax-free, so it's worth considering. FULL info & more options in the Updated Guides: Children's Savings, Top Savings. Related: Cash ISAs