Archive: MoneySavingExpert's Money Tips Email

Does the taxman owe you £5,000 too? New tax code errors!
Revealed! Another 4.7 MILLION people had the wrong tax code in 2010/11 | Free tool to check

We shouted loudly last year that many were owed £1,000s, now up to 3.5m MORE people are due £1bn of rebates for the 2010/11 tax year, and 1.2m face money-back demands from the Revenue this autumn.

• Every EMPLOYEE and PENSIONER check now. These 4.7m cases are for the last tax year, and there are even more errors from prior years, which you should check for too. Problems are especially likely if you've changed job, get company benefits, took a work break or also get a state or private pension.
  
• Free Tax Code Calculator - record rebate success £5,000. The Tax Code Calculator does what it says on the tin: put in your details, and it shows if the code's roughly right (goes back seven years). Our record reported success is Chris Kendall's: "I read the MSE email, tried the tax code checker, called HMRC and it said I'd get between £5,000 and £7,000 back. Incredible."
  
• Had a money-back demand? How to fight it. Some UNDERPAID through no fault of their own, but are being asked for big money back. The little-known A19 ruling states if the Revenue didn't follow procedures, in some circumstances it must waive demands. About 25% succeed with it, eg, this email: "I am delighted to tell you that my underpayment (£1,700) has been written off under the A19 ruling. The underpayment HMRC had already started deducting from my pension has been refunded.".

Full help in the Updated Guide: Tax Code Error Help Related: Free Benefits Check-Up

New top 19mth 0% LOWER FEE balance transfer
Price war! The cheapest 0% balance transfer EVER for many | Martin's new video balance transfer Q&A

If you've existing credit card debts it may be possible to save £1,000s with a balance transfer, where you shift debts to a new card to get a much cheaper rate. A new range of cards is pushing the boundaries again. All cards require you pass a credit check.

• New! 19 mths 0% with only 2.4% fee. New Barclaycard Platinum* cardholders going through the right links (like this) get 19 mths 0% with the one-off transfer fee reduced from 2.9% to 2.4%. Once the 0% ends, it jumps to 16.9% representative APR.
  
  Another Barclaycard Platinum* has a longer 20mth 0%, but as its fee's a higher 3.2% and APR 17.5%, there are few circumstances where it's cheaper.
• New! 19mth 0% with 2.49% fee (if you've already got a Barclaycard). The next best is another new card: Virgin's* 19mth 0% with 2.49% fee (18.9% rep APR after). Though you can't transfer to this from other MBNA/Virgin cards; for that use Natwest*/RBS* at 18mths 0% with 2.8% fee (16.6% rep APR).

• Find which card is cheapest for you. The mix of 0% lengths, fee sizes and APRs make picking a winner tricky, so use our unique Which Card's Your Cheapest? calculator. Though always try and fully repay or balance transfer the card again before the 0% ends. For more help watch Martin's New Video Q&A.
  

Full info & best buys in Best Balance Transfers (see Official APR Examples). Related: 15 mths 0% Spending, 6.6% Loans

£15 annual travel insurance
If you're not covered for summer do it now | Go away 2+ times a year & annual policies are cheaper

If you've sorted your holiday but not the insurance, if it's cancelled now you mightn't be covered. So we thought it time to update the travel insurance best-buys. Always check policy suitability and check for all exclusions and excesses

• Cheapest Annual Travel Insurance £15 single, £34 family. The rule here is DON'T GO DIRECT. Bizarrely the cheapest providers that meet our min cover levels charge less in Moneysupermarket's* comparison results than on their own sites, as they fight for business there. Individuals: Virgin is £15 in Europe, £24 worldwide, though over 50s pay more so Insurefor's cheaper at £33. Families: Virgin is £34 in Europe and Insurefor's £38 for over-50s. Worldwide Insurefor is £42, whatever your age.
• 'Top Value' Annual Cover £24. Here, we incorporate feedback and payout history from our users and Defaqto, though even then nothing's perfect. Direct Travel* is £24-35 for singles in Europe (age dependent) and up to £66 for families. It used to cover natural disasters such as volcanos automatically, now you need pay £20 extra. AXA's policy from £41 for under 50s in Europe does include that - though we don't have much feedback yet.
• Pay £5/mth but cancel whenever. Sainsbury's Gold* credit card charges a £5/mth fee and as well as being Cheap Overseas Spending card includes free worldwide family travel insurance (up to age 65). At £60 a year it's a good deal and better, you can cancel after a trip if you've no claim. Yet ALWAYS set up a direct debit to fully repay each month to avoid the 9.9% APR and declare pre-existing conditions.
• Single trip policies from £6/week. If you'll only take one holiday this next year including pre-booked UK trips of over 2 days (as travel insurance usually covers them) go for a single trip policy. There are too many options to list best buys, so instead try comparison sites Moneysup*, Confused* and Squaremouth*.

Full best-buys, incl for over 65s, in the Updated Guide: Cheap Travel Insurance Related: Little Lifesaver printable guide, Official APR Examples

EU cuts roaming costs, but you can do it cheaper
It's not just you who has a party when you go abroad, your mobile phone company does too

Using mobiles outside the UK can cost a fortune; too many people return home with £100+ bills for just a few calls & texts. Our Cheap Mobile Roaming guide can slice the cost right down. Here's a summary:

• EU cuts call costs, but ask for, 'don't-ask, don't-get' discounts: Make calls within the EU and the max cost is now €0.35/min + VAT (about 38p). Yet: networks have cut-price deals they only give if you ask. Some are free, eg, Vodafone's Passport, some you pay for, eg, O2's My Europe Extra at £10.21/mth (just cancel once you're home). See full Roaming Discounts list.
• Beware! You pay to receive, even if it's voicemail. The max you'll now pay to receive calls in Europe is €0.11 (10p)/min + VAT. Elsewhere it can be £1/min and, even if someone leaves a voicemail, you can be charged to receive it (and again for picking it up), so consider turning voicemail off before you go.
• It ain't talk that's cheap, it's text. It's free to receive texts abroad, so get friends to text not call. Be wary of long replies; EU texts are capped at €0.11 (10p); elsewhere it's up to 50p. So y nt lrn 2 spk in txt 2 hlp.
• Call free via your smartphone's wi-fi. You no longer need take a laptop abroad for super-cheap calls home via the web. If you've a smartphone and wi-fi access, just download an app like Skype or Jajah.
• Travel overseas regularly? Get a global Sim. Visit one country regularly and you should buy a local Sim to put in your unlocked handset. If you jet off to multiple destinations, global Sims let you receive calls free and have reduced calling costs, eg, StoryTelecom costs £35, with £25 credit. Calls from Turkey to a UK landline cost 14p/min compared with O2's standard £1.37. More options in Global Sim deals.

Full tips, help & info in the Updated Guide: Mobile Roaming Related: Cheapest Mobiles

The cashback card market's heating up, with bigger, better deals. It's a great way for the debt-free to MAKE MONEY. Just set up a direct debit to fully repay each month, so there's no interest, use it for normal spending and you're quids in. All cards below require you pass a credit check.

• New! Free £15 and 5% cashback for 3 mths. American Express is offering £15 extra cashback to accepted new applicants for its Platinum Cashback* card via this special link (Note - the £15 isn't stated there, but Amex's confirmed it). It pays a huge 5% for the first 3 mths (max £100), perfect if you've big purchases to make, then is tiered up to a max 1.25% after. It has 6mths 0% interest on spending, but after that it jumps to 19.9% representative APR (min £30k household income).
  
• Long term 1.5% supermarket AND petrol cashback. This is a corking deal for drivers. The MBNA Amex* pays 1.5% cashback on petrol & supermarket spending, 0.75% on everything else (repay in full or it's 18.9% rep APR). Plus you can use it alongside Tesco's current 5p off/litre when you spend £50+ (see Cheap Petrol).
• New! 20% off Ted Baker card. Capital One's new Click Card* gives cardholders (must be home owners) specific store discounts. For the first 6 mths it's top deal is 20% off full price clothes and free delivery at Ted Baker (online only). There's also 30% off Zavvi.com among others, sadly excluding big-ticket items like consoles. Ensure you fully repay, or it's 9.9% representative APR. Full details in Credit Card Freebies guide.
• Barclaycard existing customer selective 10% cashback! If you've got a Barclaycard that gives 'Freedom' rewards at Shell, House of Fraser, selective Pizza Express etc, it's jumping to 10p per £1 spent this Thu - Sun only.
  

FULL details and more ways to save in the Cashback Credit Cards guide. (See Official APR Examples)