Archive: MoneySavingExpert's Money Tips Email

New cheapest 0% balance transfer
New low-fee deals much cheaper if you repay in under 21 mths | Save £1,000s on existing debts

Shifting existing debts to a host of new low fee 0% cards cuts the cost for those who can repay more quickly. A balance transfer just means new customers passing the credit check can get it to pay off existing cards, and now owe it instead. Always repay as quickly as possible, beware spending - it isn't usually at 0%, and never miss monthly repayments.

• New! 14mth 0% with low 1.5% fee - cheapest up to 21mths: Shift debts to Lloyds* Platinum and it's 0% for 14mths with a 3% fee, yet currently transfer £1,500+ before 30 June and half the fee's rebated. After the 0% ends, it's 15.9% representative APR. If you're shifting under £1,500 the new MBNA* Platinum 13mth 0% deal has a 1.9% fee (MoneySup exclusive, the link takes you there) and is 18.8% rep APR after.
  
  Why it undercuts longer 0%s for up to 21mths:  Provided you make consistent repayments to clear the debt over that time (if not, longer 0%s are safer) the amount saved on the lower fee more than offsets the interest cost after the 0% ends - as by that stage you have little debt left. If this concept's confusing, try playing with our easy-use Which Card is Cheapest? calc which shows your winner.
• Longest 0% - 20mths with 3.2% fee: If you need longer, Barclaycard* is 20 mths 0% with a 3.2% fee. If you already have one, try MBNA's* 18mth 0% with a 2.88% fee and Nationwide's* 17mth 0% with a 2.95% fee. With these if you take a long time to repay, ensure you balance transfer AGAIN just before the 0% ends or the rates jump to 17.5%, 18.8% and 15.9% representative APR respectively.

FULL step-by-step & best-buys for even longer transfers in the Updated Guide: Balance Transfers (and Official APR Examples) Related: 0% for 15mths on Spending

Cheap weddings. 50 MoneySaving tips
From financing your big day to weddings for a grand, £100 dresses, free invites & more

Now that wedding's over, it's time to help you. The average cost is around £20K - but you can do it for much less. Far too many get into debt and risk ruining a marriage for the sake of one day. We've gone big on financial tips but also crammed it with cheap venue hunting, free invites & favours, how to have a dream honeymoon on the cheap & more.

• Don't let banks steal your wedding cash. If you have debts, be very careful if people give you cash to pay for your wedding. The 'setting off' rules mean if you've debts and savings in the same bank, it can take money from your savings WITHOUT PERMISSION and WITHOUT NOTIFYING YOU IN ADVANCE to pay off debts. For more information see the full Setting Off guide.
• FREE extra consumer protection. Wedding costs are often paid well in advance, so you run the risk of suppliers going bust before you get the goods. Pay on a credit card to get special Section 75 protection on items costing between £100 and £30,000 - it makes the credit card company jointly liable. So if the company goes bust, you should get the cash back from the bank instead.
  
• Weddings for under £1K. Holiday Inn, Old English Inns and Britannia hotels all have wedding packages for £999, including ceremony, toast, food, drinks and disco for up to 100 guests.
• £100 dream dresses. The high street can come up trumps on dresses if you're not precious about where it's from. TK Maxx, Debenhams & BHS all stock dresses from around £100-200. If you're flexible you can get a custom made-to-meaure dress via eBay for around £100. Full details and what to watch for in the guide.
• Cut two thirds off the cost of rings. Spend Tesco points in-store and they're worth 1p, yet convert them to Rewards vouchers and the value can triple. Every £10 Clubcard voucher can get you a £30 Goldsmith jewellers voucher, so a £600 ring costs £200 in Tesco vouchers.

This is just a brief summary. For FULL info see the Updated Guide: MoneySaving Weddings Related: Budget Planner, Boost Your Income

5 min tax check-up - save £1,000s?
Is your first 2011/12 paypacket correct? | Legally avoid tax with salary sacrifice & ISAs

Tax is easily most people's biggest bill - smacking the bottom of mortgages, energy, rent and more. Most working people will have just received their first paypacket for the 2011/12 tax year (started 6 April). It's the perfect time to give yourself a speedy tax check-up.

• Free tax code calculator: Tax codes are a strict instruction to employers about how much to take from your pay. Staggeringly, up to 10m codes have been wrong in recent years, with many owed £1,000s in overpaid taxes. So it's crucial to check the code on your payslip is right (and past years) - our Tax Code Calculator helps.
• What'll you take home this year? To find what you'll earn this year after tax and National Insurance, plug your details into the Income Tax Checker. It also lets you compare this year to past years to see if you're better or worse off, and use the advanced function to more accurately calculate it based on your tax code. Then do a budget.
• Your savings are nicer in an ISA. Even if you've had one before, since 6 April every adult can save a NEW £5,340 in a cash ISA - a savings account where interest's tax-free. Top easy-access variable pick is Santander's* 3.3% which tracks UK base rate for a year, so if it rises as many predict, so will this. Alternatively the AA pays 3.35% but doesn't track and Halifax* pays 3% and lets you transfer past years' ISAs in. All these plummet after a year, so ditch & transfer then. Full info & more best-buys: Top Cash ISAs.
• Sacrifice salary to save tax.  Most now pay the higher 40% tax above £42,475 rather than £43,845. With salary sacrifice you give up some salary to pay for certain benefits with PRE-TAX income (ie you lose £600 in paypacket for £1,000 benefit). The key two are Pension Contributions and Childcare Vouchers - many can gain £1,000s.

Free ID fraud and anti-virus protection
Urgent protection and tips after huge Sony hacks - beat online fraudsters

The news that millions of UK Sony gamers (PlayStation, Facebook & more) had personal data - names, addresses, dates of birth, passwords and possibly credit card details - stolen (see Sony hack news) should make everyone sort their online safety - follow these vital steps.

• Beat card fraud. If your plastic's details have been compromised (as Sony may have let happen), all providers will be told so you don't need to act. Though if you need to use it soon, eg, on holiday, speak to the issuer now to avoid cancellation. Then keep an eye on statements, report dodgy transactions, and check your credit file for free in six weeks' time.
• ID fraud protection for FREE. This insurance - which offers credit file update alerts and help resolving the aftermath of fraud - is hugely expensive and often useless. Yet if you want it, get it free (for all cards) by having a Capital One Classic Visa* (34.9% rep APR) or World Mastercard* (12.9% rep APR) - though if you ever spend on these, always pay off in full. Full details in the ID Fraud Protection guide.
• Get free anti-virus protection. This protects against malicious software (known as malware) designed to infect your device and steal your data. For free anti-virus, firewalls, anti-spyware and more programmes (incl special deals for MBNA, Barclays, Natwest & Santander customers), see the Free Anti-Virus Software guide.
• Soup-up your passwords. Inventing then remembering a long list of different, secure passwords can be a struggle - Martin's password tips blog has some top pointers. The Sony hackers grabbed log-in details, so if you've been hit and use the same passwords elsewhere, change them NOW.

Also see 25 Ways To Stop Scams guide for details of dodgy websites, email phishing & more (and Official APR Examples).

New cheapest personal loan - 6.7% APR
Lowest rate since 2009 - top way to borrow if you need a big lump sum

Loan rates are dropping, the cheapest deal we've seen in two years launched this week. Here's a full rundown of the cheapest rates for whatever amount you need to borrow. Ensure all borrowing is necessary, planned, budgeted for and affordable, and never borrow more or for longer than you need.

• New 6.7% APR loan. If you need to borrow £7,500-£15,000, Sainsbury's* (if you've a Nectar card) has cut its rate from 6.9% to 6.7% representative APR for 1-3 year loans and 6.8% rep APR between 4-5yrs. For non-Nectar folk, Alliance & Leicester* is offering 6.9% rep APR for 1-5 year loans.
• Borrowing less than £7,500? For loans between £5,000-£7,500 Sainsbury's* (need Nectar card) is 8.2% rep APR if you can repay in 1-3 years or 8.3% for 4-5 years. Alternatively, the Post Office is 8.4% rep APR.
• Can you repay within 15 months? Drop below £5,000 and rates rocket. The cheapest route is grab a 0% spending credit card - Marks & Spencer* gives 15 months 0% (15.9% rep APR) and Tesco* 13 months 0% (16.9% rep APR after). Always plan repayments to clear the cards the 0% period, though even after the APRs are comparable to loans. FULL info and how to get a cash lump sum in Cheap Credit Card Loans.

More in the Updated Guide: Cheap Loans Related: Problem Debt Help, Budget Planner, Official APR Examples

The energy market is hotting up. Industry rumours are rife that prices will rise by as much as 15%, as early as summer, with some movement possible earlier. If you haven't already compared & switched, what are you waiting for?

• Not on a cheap online tariff? Go quick! Another two cheap online tariffs were pulled last week, on top of three earlier last month. However, some good deals remain; the cheapest is £895 on average, compared to £1,100 standard prices. But they're likely to go soon so act quickly. Use comparison sites below to find cheapest.
• Switching takes 5 mins & can save £200/year. There is no one cheapest supplier, it depends on where you live & how much energy you use. Switching takes five minutes using a comparison site and it's no big deal. Only price and customer service change; you get the same gas, electricity, pipes, meter & safety. Top Pick: Energyhelpline* pays £15 cashback per switch whether to a single fuel (gas or electricity) or both. Dual fuel only: MoneySupermarket* pays £30 in cash, Uswitch* offers a crate of wine, SimplySwitch* £40 cash (via those links).
• Martin's new Q&A video. To help navigate the energy storm, Martin's filmed a new Q&A video guide to complement the written version. Thanks to the 100s who suggested questions. It includes info on how to switch if you're a pre-pay user, fixed tariffs, heating oil savings & billing issues.

FULL tips and watch the video in the Updated Guide: Cheap Gas & Elec Related: Fixed Tariff Ending?, Cheaper Water Bills