| | | For more tips, alerts & inevitable bad puns follow Martin: |  |  |  | | Ensure you'll feel hot, hot, hot, not hard up, up, up. Don't leave sorting your holiday money kit until it's time to go — do it now. Here are the 10 top act-nows.
| 1. | Summer holiday 'lates' are go. Super-cheap package holiday 'lates' go on offer 8-10 weeks before the trip date. So some summer deals are now launching, eg, a week in Greece 3-star B&B £212 per person in June. If you're flexible, leave it later for bigger discounts. Help in Package Holiday Haggling. | | | | 2. |  Ensure you've a super-cheap card for spending overseas. Most credit & debit cards add a hidden 3% load, eg, spend £100 worth of euros and it costs £103. Yet some specialist credit cards are load-free, so you get unbeatable, PERFECT exchange rates in all countries: Halifax Clarity, Post Office*, for over 50s Saga* (and for Nationwide FlexAccount holders, its Select* card).
ALWAYS set up a direct debit to fully repay each month, or the 11.9%-16.9% rep APRs defeat gains. See Top Overseas Cards and Official APR Examples. | | | | 3. | Urgently check your EHIC isn't expired — 4m run out in 2012. EHIC cards mean you get treatment in state-run EU hospitals at the same price as a local. (If it's free for them, it's free for you). Yet many get false comfort as they're holstering out-of-date cards. How to check & update in Free EHICs. | | | | 4. | Get travel insurance when you BOOK - it can be only £16/yr. Don't leave it till you're travelling, or you miss out on cancellation and collapse cover. Full help & best buys (inc over 55s) in Cheap Travel Insurance. For quick links... Cheapest single trip policies:
Use the comparison sites at MoneySup*, Confused.com* and Squaremouth* Cheapest annual policies for under 55s - that meet min cover levels:
Annual wins if you trip away more than twice a year. For 18-30s in Europe, TravelGuard's* cheapest at £16. Otherwise, for Europe or worldwide it's Protect Your Bubble*, from £25-£40 for singles and £34-£56 for couples & families. But Virgin beats them if you do a full comparison at MoneySup*. | | | | 5. | Booking a flight? Do it ASAP. While booking late's cheapest for packages, for scheduled flights early booking usually wins, so you're not left competing against 'need to go at any price' business travellers. Yet ensure you use the right comparison site for the task. Full help in Cheap Flights.
Know when and where: Combine Skyscanner*, Kayak* & TravelSup*
Cheapest budget Europe flights anytime: Try our FlightChecker.
Cheapest charter flights: Combine Flightsdirect*, Avro* & TravelSup*.
| | | | 6. | Sort car hire now and you can get it for £10/day or less. Early booking via comparison sites Kayak* & Car Rentals* can sometimes find cars in Europe under £10/day. Don't let 'em flog you extra insurance, get your own car hire excess insurance at a fraction of the cost. Full help in Cheap Car Hire. | | | | 7. | Don't assume your driving licence & breakdown cover are valid abroad. If you'll drive outside the EU, check if you'll need an International Driving Permit. If you're taking your own car to Europe, ensure you've Cheap European Breakdown Cover and speak to your car insurer. | | | | 8. | NEVER wait till the airport for holiday money. They know you're a captive customer, so give shocking rates (even compared to their own non-airport bureaux). If you must do it, at least pre-order online for better rates — better still, use our Travel Money Comparison to find top rates. | | | | 9. | Going to the USA? You need an ESTA. UK citizens holidaying in the US don't need a visa, but must pay $14 for an ESTA before they go. Beware spam sites flogging these, see ESTA Help. | | | | 10. | Find super-cheap posh secret hotel deals by turning detective. Lastminute* and Hotwire* have heavily discounted anonymous 3-5* UK & world hotels deals, eg, 3 nights Sheraton Dubai £190, not £300. A host of tricks, including Google keyword searches, can Uncover the Secret Hotels. | | | | That's the way to do it. If this site's ever saved you cash, please forward this email to friends & suggest they get it themselves via moneysavingexpert.com/tips | |  Student loan repayments cut for 4 million
Plus over 300,000 graduates to see their interest rates lowered too There are big changes afoot each April for those with outstanding student loans, here's why.... - Post 1998 starters now repay less each month. Repayments were set at 9% of all earnings over £15,000/yr. For the first time, this tax year the threshold rises with inflation so it's now £15,795, leaving £72/yr more in your pocket - though it'll take longer to repay.
 - Interest rates cut due for 300,000. This week March's RPI inflation was revealed as 3.6%. This has always set student loan interest for the next academic year, so assuming that happens ...
Pre-1998 starters: From September your interest will drop from 5.3% to 3.6%
Post-1998 starters: Interest is the lower of RPI inflation or base rate + 1%. So unless base rate changes dramatically by Sept, you'll still pay 1.5% as now. If it does rise, it's now capped at 3.6% (was 5.3%).
- Don't pay more off student loans than you need. Many with savings ask whether they should use it to clear their student loan. For most it's a big NO. Full help & calcs in the Should I Overpay My Student Loan? guide.
Also see Student Loans 2012: 20 Key Facts and the 50 Ways For Students to Save Cash | Earn 4.5% on ISAs new AND old
Hottest rates for years | Transfer old ISAs to earn up to 4.5% and merge new money in too
Since the tax year started 10 days ago, every UK over-16 has been able to save a totally new £5,640 in a cash ISA. It's just a savings account where the interest isn't taxed, so if you've got savings, it's a no-brainer. Yet it isn't just about this year's money...
- Combine new & old ISAs - boost earnings and keep it simple. Some old ISAs have slashed rates as low as 0.1% - check yours now and keep rates high with a cash ISA transfer. But having many different accounts can be a nightmare, so consolidating old & new in one makes future switching easy. There's mostly no/little difference between the top accounts accepting transfers, and the top which don't. On £20,000, some can gain £800/yr.
For more information, see Top Cash ISA Transfers. For the best deals for new money alone, see Top Cash ISAs. All accounts listed have the full UK £85,000 per person Safe Savings. | Debt-free? Get PAID 5% when you spend
Two NEW top 5% cashback cards | Earn £100s a year just by getting new plastic
If you pay on plastic, and don't use a cashback card, you're giving money away. These credit cards pay you when you spend on them. So provided you ALWAYS repay in full each month (set up a direct debit) to deny them interest, you're quids in. Full help in Top Cashback Cards — here's an update.
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 New top 5% cashback card. Capital One's Aspire World Mastercard* pays 5% cashback for 3 mths (max £100), perfect for big planned purchases, then tiered rates up to 1.25% after. Unlike the card it's replaced, you needn't be a homeowner to apply, but must earn £20,000+ & have a decent credit history. Fail to fully repay, and it's 19.9% representative APR.
Amex Platinum's* also 3mths 5% intro cashback then 1.25%, plus spend over £10,000/yr and you get 2.5% for a month. Yet it has a £25 annual fee and is less accepted than Mastercard. Fail to fully repay & it's 14% rep APR. - New 'elite' big earner & spender mega-cashback. For those with top credit histories earning £50,000+/yr, the new Capital One Aspire Elite World Mastercard* pays 5% for 3mths (max £200) then up to a big 2% after, plus access to a free 'concierge' service. Yet the J-Lo sized but is a £120 annual fee. We've number-crunched and the card is a winner if you'll definitely spend £40,000+/yr on it (eg, putting expenses on it if allowed). Fail to fully repay, and it's 17.6% rep APR. See Official APR examples
| 'I saved a whopping £367 on home insurance'
Never auto-renew | Massive savings possible with little effort | Updated MSE system
Don't just stick with your current insurer. Always check for better. Huge savings may be posssible as forumite Tara1 discovered: "Halifax were charging £557 to renew, and tried to put me off switching. Via a comparison its sister Lloyds gave a £250 quote, then £60 cashback, taking it down to £190." To sever costs, use our full Cheap Home Insurance guide. Here's a taster...
- Don't think you must use mortgage provider's cover — others pay you to switch. If you pay for buildings and/or contents insurance alongside your mortgage, it's often awful value. Even midway through the year, switching can be worth it. Some insurers, eg, the AA*, Churchill* & Direct Line*, pay up to £25 of the cancellation fee for you (always compare - see below).
- Correctly combine the right comparisons for you. Our latest analysis of the order is...
Overall: Combine CompareTheMarket* & Confused*, then add the two biggies they miss: Aviva* & Direct Line*.
1-bed homes: Combine TescoCompare & MoneySup* then add the missed Aviva* & Direct Line*.
Made past claims: Combine CompareTM* & Confused* add Aviva* & Direct Line*, consider protecting no-claims.
High-value contents: Don't overinsure, use the Hiscox Calc, then combine Confused* & CompareTheMarket* and add Aviva* & Direct Line*. For high-value contents, try Hiscox*, John Lewis Specialist* & Home & Legacy.
Full help incl how to get cashback, in the Updated Guide: Cheap Home Insurance Related: Cheap Car Insurance | Use a special number to HALVE the cost of calling mobiles
Updated guide | When calling mobiles from home, a special number can cut costs to 3p/min
The cheapest way to call a mobile is from another mobile within a free calls allowance. Calling from a home phone can be prohibitive, but our updated Cheap Calls to Mobiles guide shows how to slash costs. Here's a taster...
 Special number to cut costs. With 'override' phone firms, you get a number to dial to access their system, so you pay their cost. The cheapest is 3p/min for mobiles in daytime, compared to BT's 11p/min or Virgin's 19p-32p/min (depends on network called). So on a 30min call, you could cut costs from £10 to £1. The cheapest depends on your home phone provider. Find yours & instructions with the UK CallChecker tool.- Cheaper line rental than BT AND free weekend mobile & international calls. The Post Office's* £12.25/mth (£2.50 less than BT standard) line rental package includes unlimited weekend (6pm Fri - 6am Mon) calls to mobiles and 40 countries, plus eve & wknd calls to landlines. There's no contract and it includes new line installation. See Cheap Home Phones.
| | |  | Have you insulated your home?
If you've had wall and loft insulation, a low energy boiler, solar panels or double glazing to reduce energy use, the Office of Fair Trading wants to hear from you. It's concerned about high numbers of complaints and wants you to help its Home Insulation team (also see our £300 of free insulation guide) know why, what and how you choose what to buy, or not to buy, by 2 May. Suggest a campaign: This space is for MSE to support the work of other charities, community groups and campaigners. Send your campaign of the week suggestion. | | | | | | | | | | | Thursday 19 April
Lorraine, ITV1, between 8.30 & 9.30am. Real Deals. Shelagh Fogarty, Radio 5, 12-1pm.
Consumer Panel.
Watchdog, BBC1, 8-9pm. PIP – no that's not a typo for PPI, it's about implants. Friday 20 April
Jeremy Vine, Radio 2, 1-2pm. Water bills. Tuesday 24 April Daybreak, ITV1, between 7 & 8.30am.
Subject tbc. | | All Martin's Appearances | | | | | | UK's Best Currency Rates | | £100 will buy you: | | Best | Worst |  | € | 121.04 | 106.14 |  | $ | 158.97 | 139.37 |  | TL | 278 | 241.27 | | Rates correct at 5.30pm Tues | Find all top currency rates
Compare travel cash | | | | | | | Which of these is nearest to your situation for your main summer holiday? Individuals / couples No holiday | Vote | Nothing this summer, I / we go away at other times | Vote | Staycation (holiday based at home) | Vote | Staying away in the UK | Vote | Trip in Europe / the Med | Vote | Trip further afield | Vote | Undecided / not sure | Vote | Families with dependent children No holiday | Vote | Nothing this summer, we go away at other times | Vote | Staycation (holiday based at home) | Vote | Staying away in the UK | Vote | Trip in Europe / the Med | Vote | Trip further afield | Vote | Undecided / not sure | Vote | | | | | When do you get paid?
Over 25,000 people voted this week. 68% of people get paid monthly, with a big 48% being paid in the fourth or fifth week of the month. 9% get paid weekly. See Full Results | | | | | | | Q: I've had an Amex Platinum card for some time. It's just offered me the new version with a £25 annual fee. Is it worth switching? Satpal, by email MSE Dan's A. Amex changed its cashback card offer for new applicants last year, and I think ideally it'd love to get everyone onto one system. Whether you should let it depends mainly on how much you normally spend on it. If you'll spend £3,500+ per year the new Amex will earn you more cashback, even after the £25 annual fee. However, if you're an irregular user, as the £25 fee will be charged, if your yearly spend's lower than expected you could lose out. See Top Cashback Cards. Please suggest a Question of the Week (we can't reply to individual emails). | | | | Commemorate the death of a beloved daughter In the site's early days, regular user Don ran the London Marathon in memory of his daughter who'd died two years before at 50 days old. We asked all site users who saved money that week to sponsor him for the Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths. Now, 10 years on, he's doing 10 challenges in her memory. So we're asking again, if you save, give a pound. We hope you save some money, Martin & the MSE team | | |
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