This week | MARTIN'S QUICK BRIEFING: For more tips, alerts & awful puns, follow Martin on Twitter Are monthly-fee bank accounts worth it?
£500 mobile, travel & roadside cover for £150? Or a waste of cash? Do you pay a monthly fee for your bank account? Many were flogged it on the promise of corking benefits, but end up paying £100s and don't touch them, wasting cash. Yet for those wanting insurance, with the RIGHT policies, for the RIGHT people, it can save £100s a year.
| 1. |  New Tool: Is it worth it? Which is best? Tell our new Packaged Account Analyser what travel insurance, breakdown and mobile cover you usually pay for. It'll assess if you can save with a fee-paying account, and which is best.
If it does stack up, as well as being less hassle, the included insurance tends to have good cover levels. | | | | 2. | Already got one? Really worth it? Multiply the monthly cost by 12, (£25/mth is £300/yr) then see if you can buy the 'freebies' cheaper elsewhere (see below). If so, either ditch for no-fee, or switch for better value. | | | | 3. | Don't double-cover & ensure you 'activate' benefits. Many don't know their benefits and end up shelling out to buy it elsewhere, so check. Plus, just because you're eligible for benefits, don't assume they're live. Some accounts require you to activate insurance first - see which ones. | | | | Top pick 'free' insurance bank accounts
Full info on each in Best Buy Packaged Accounts, all require credit checks | | | | 4. | £500 of travel, 4x smartphone & breakdown cover for £160. The highly rated (& ethical) Co-op's Privilege Premier* is a corker if you need most of the cover. Its £13/mth fee adds up to £156 over a year, but includes high-end family worldwide travel insurance, cover for the family's 4 smartphones (incl iPhone 5) plus RAC UK & Europe breakdown.
Buying all that separately, even at decent prices, would cost £510. Also its Privilege* account for £9/mth (£108/yr) is the same, without breakdown. | | | | 5. | FREE travel insurance up to age 73. You get European travel insurance (joint account covers both) on Nationwide's* no-fee account (min £750/mth income). As older travellers' insurance can cost £100s, it's a cracker. Worldwide or family cover upgrades are cheap. See Nationwide Info. | | | | 6. | Getting an HSBC mortgage? Consider its Premier account. HSBC Premier holders can save £300 on mortgage fees and get a 0.1% lower rate on some mortgages (£130/yr less on some £200k mortgages), trumping the £300/yr account fee in the first year (some higher earners/savers get that refunded anyway). | | | | Cheapest standalone insurance deals
For many paying monthly fees, just getting these may be cheaper | | | | 7. | Annual travel insurance from £16. Trip away even twice a year and annual cover's usually cheaper. The cheapest policies hitting our min cover levels...
Individuals: Travel Guard* European cover starts from £16 (age dependent), worldwide is £27. To get winter sports cover, PYB* is £33 for worldwide.
Families: Travel Guard* again is from £30 in Europe (age dependent), while for worldwide PYB* starts at £48, or is £58 incl winter sports.
These are basic policies, for higher cover levels (more similar to bank account add-ons) see our 'top value' policies. See Cheap Travel Insurance. | | | | 8. | Smartphone insurance £60/year. The pricier the handset, the higher the cover needed. See Cheap Mobile Insurance, here's a summary.
- iPhone 5. Insurance2Go* £70/yr (£50 accident excess, £75 loss)
- Other smartphones, older iPhones. Insure And Go* £63/yr (£25 excess)
- Budget (£150 limit). Gadget Cover* £16/yr (£27/yr incl loss), but poor feedback | | | | 9. | Basic AA/RAC cover from £10. Slash basic policies using cashback websites. Grab the AA's £32 cover, and you can currently get £22 back, or £15 on RAC. These and more options in Cheap Breakdown Cover. | | | | 10. | Get paid £125 to switch to top no-fee account & get 8% savings. First Direct's* 1st account is fee-less and bribes you with £125 to switch to it (need min £1,500 monthly income), plus you get access to its 8% regular savings account. Full info, plus extra options, in Best Bank Accounts. |
PS. Warning about the Government's energy announcement. Don't wait for the Government's new energy simplification plans. They're just proposals and will take time to come in. Many are overpaying £300/year, it only takes 5 mins to sort - see Cheapest Gas & Electricity. |
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| The Ones Not To Miss | Wed 21 Nov 2012 |
Last chance. FREE £300 insulation
Energy firms' duty to dole out £100s for cavity wall & loft insulation's ending. Miss it, and you could miss out Big energy firms' CERTs (Carbon Emission Reduction Targets) force them to pump cash into making UK homes more efficient. Failure means big fines. Yet in December CERTs end, and some have already hit targets, so deals are going.  Who can get free insulation? Cavity wall & loft insulation can slice £100s/yr off energy bills. It's available to anyone unless in a housing association / council home, a flat where you can't co-ordinate with other tenants, while the deals below exclude NI. Full info in Free Insulation Deals.
- Urgent. Free £300 loft & cavity wall insulation. Even non-customers can apply for British Gas's free insulation, but must do it by Fri 30 Nov. It'll also pay for £450 scaffolding and £100 air vents if needed. After that, Scottish Power's free insulation's the only 'available to all' deal left. It says there are no plans to end this, but we still say go quick.
- Get paid to get insulation (or recommend it). With British Gas's £50 referral, tell someone on pension credit or families on certain income-related benefits about the free insulation, and you'll get £50 and so will they. If you're on these benefits yourself, Npower's free insulation cash means you get £250 on top.
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| 'Free' £8.50 photo mug (pay £2.50 p&p). MSE Blagged. 2,000 avail. This and more in Photo Deals.  New 24mth 0% low-fee balance transfer (& cuddly monkey) The LONGEST EVER 0% debt shifting deal. Accepted new Barclaycard* cardholders get 24 mths 0%, for a one-off 2.8% fee (low for a long 0% deal) reduced by £30 if you shift £2,000+. Plus, bizarrely, you get a free cuddly monkey. Try to repay before the 0% ends or its 17.9% rep APR. Full best buys and warnings in Top Balance Transfers.
TOP FREEBIES: 800g Fairy washing powder | Thorntons choc bar/Santa lolly | £2 Amazon MP3 credit Selfridges 20% off code & vch. Thu-Sun, 20% off most things. 10% fragrance, wine & beauty. Selfridges Code Black Friday: Amazon, Apple & Build-A-Bear mega discounts?
In the US, the day after Thanksgiving (this Fri) the Xmas shopping season starts, with big ONE-DAY discounts - now it's here.
Likely Amazon Deals incl Kindle Fire & Wiis | Poss Apple Deals 10% off iPads & Macbooks | Build-A-Bear 2 penguins £10 |
Urgent. WOMEN, beat huge car insurance hikes
European ruling means many, especially younger women, may see renewals hiked by £100s or £1,000s By 21 Dec, insurers must comply with a European rule banning gender to set prices, so similar men and women will pay the same. Young men, renew after 21 Dec if poss - if not, include AA, Halifax & Lloyds who've already changed prices.  Why such huge hikes? On average, women pay £315/yr less than men, under-20s £2,000 less. So when prices are equalised, hikes could be huge, even if they meet half way. But different firms will play it differently for their competitive advantage.- Lock in ASAP to beat hikes. If renewal's due now, great, lock in at the cheapest current prices for a year. If there's a while to go, the younger you are, the more it's worth considering a cheap policy at today's price and cancelling your existing one. You'll get a pro-rata refund but factor in £25-£50 exit fees, while you won't earn no-claims for that year.
- Trick - get today's price on 2013 renewal. With Churchill* and Direct Line* you can pay NOW to get policies starting in 90 days, with Aviva* 60 days. So IF it's cheap (we're not saying it will be) & you've the cash, bag a future renewal at current prices.
- Speedily bag the cheapest deal. Full help in Cheap Car Insurance & Young Drivers Insurance. In summary: 1) Combine comparison sites MoneySup*, Confused*, & Tesco Compare, they don't all search the same. 2) Add those missed - Aviva*, Direct Line* and in 2+ vehicle homes Admiral MultiCar*. 3) Adding a safe 2nd driver can slash your risk and therefore, price. 4) Younger drivers, think about pay by the mile insurance.
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| Urgent. Are you (or do you know?) a man retiring in next 6 mths? Providers are cutting male annuity rates to comply with the above 21 Dec gender laws. Get quotes/help now if buying soon. Printed/PDF Annuity Booklet A rare Accessorize 20% off code, Brantano 20%, B&Q 20%...
Brantano shoes 20% off code (incl Clarks kids) | Accessorize 20% off+free del code | B&Q 20% off £20
Body Shop 35% off+free del code | Figleaves 20% off code | Boden 25% off+free del code. Full list: Discount Vouchers £10 Xmas champers (RRP £24). Pierre Darcys £10, Philizot Brut £13 Comte de Brismand. Champagne Deals QUICKIES: 1-day FLASH Lastminute £10 spa sale | Sains 10p/L off fuel on £60 spend | Krispy Kreme 2for1-dozen vch
50% off FitFlop sale PLUS 10% extra code. Incl £110 winter boots £50, sneakers and sandals. FitFlop Sales Xbox + 3 games (incl Black Ops 2) + Live £189 (RRP £320 separately). This & more: Cheap Games Consoles Pizza Hut Delivery 2for1 code. Plus, until Thurs, Papa John's. See Takeaway Pizza Deals. |
Got credit or debit cards? New ruling - are you owed £100s?
Millions have been mis-sold 'Card Protection' plans. Check NOW - easy route to get your money back Many credit (and some debit) card holders have been flogged 'card protection plans' - cover if you lose your card(s). Check your statement to see if you've got one, it'll be listed as something like "CPP". If so, you could be owed cash.  Why you may be owed £100s? CPP aggressively sold add-ons if your cards were nicked and used. Yet unless you're negligent, lenders cover this, so it's pointless. Regulator, the FSA, says CPP must repay cash on many policies sold post-2005.
- Reclaim it for free. CPP has to repay about £35/yr for mis-sold card protection, £84/yr for ID fraud cover. So if you had both for five years, it could be £500+. Reclaiming is easy, but go quick to be ahead of the queue. Step-by-step info in our CPP Reclaiming Help.
- 'Lost card' protection tool. Tell CardsGone.com what's in your wallet - credit/debit cards, loyalty cards, driving licence and more. It remembers, and then if you lose 'em, provides up-to-date numbers to cancel them.
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| £1 kids' book sale, incl Horrible Histories and Horrid Henry. Up to 80% discounts. Scholastic Deals 'Free' £10-£25 manicure via Always and Tampax. Buy promo packs to use at 300 manicurists. See Beauty Deals. Call USA free (even from mobiles) Thu-Mon. To celebrate Thanksgiving - full info in MSE CallChecker. Spend £50 in Ldn on Amex, get £25 back. This Sat/Sun at 400 participating stores. Full info: Amex Shop West End |
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Urgent. HUGE 6% cashback card deal
Stonking new Christmas spending cashback credit card deal and a cuddly toy to boot (well, to cuddle) Cashback credit cards pay you to spend. So grab one, do normal spending, set up a direct debit to FULLY repay each month to avoid interest, and you're quids in. With Xmas coming, it's the perfect time. All cards require a credit check.  Urgent 6% 'big purchase' cashback deal. The Barclaycard Cashback* card's a corking deal for those who do big one-off spends. Spend 15 times a month and in the first 3 mths, your biggest five spends get 6% cashback, the rest 0.5% (max £120). After that, each month it's a still-big 2% cashback on the biggest five, and 0.5% on the rest.
Why urgent? Apply by 2 Dec and its £24 annual fee's refunded in year 1 (cancel before year 2 if it's not working out for you). Fail to fully repay and it's 19.9% rep APR. - Big 5% cashback on everything. Alternatively, Amex's Platinum Everyday* and Capital One's Aspire World Mastercard* (must be a homeowner) are both no fee and pay 5% cashback for 3 mths (max £100), then tiered cashback up to 1.25%. For full info on all cards, see Top Cashback Cards and Official APR Examples.
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| 30 cheap Disney Florida tips. Don't go Goofy over ticket prices. We've 30 tips 'n' tricks to magic 'em for less, incl park-by-park info, specialist discounters, safety tips and more. See Cheap Disney Tickets. M&S 15% off men's coats & leisurewear code. Wed ONLY. MSE Blagged + knitwear, accessories. M&S Deals Code for 1,000 Tesco pts on £50 groceries. Newbies only. Worth £10 in-store, up to £40 Rewards. Tesco Deal
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Restaurant vouchers | Discount vouchers & sales | Top deals |
| The Moneysaving community |
 CAMPAIGN OF THE WEEK | Get help to heat your home
New Home Heat Helpline research says 1 in 10 households are entitled to an avg £160 free help with fuel bills. If you're low paid, over 60, a family with young children or you've long-term health problems, call 0800 33 66 99 or use the Energy Checker to see if you can get grants or discounts. Spotted a campaign? This space is for MSE to support money-based work by other organisations. Send us a campaign of the week suggestion. BOOK GIVEAWAY | We Knit You a Merry Christmas. 25 blagged for MoneySavers. Want one? MONEY MORAL DILEMMA | Whose lens is it anyway?
This week's MoneySaver who wants advice asks... Six months ago our flat received a parcel with no addressee's name. It turned out to be a camera lens worth £180 (according to eBay), so we thought the previous occupiers would collect it. We emailed the letting agent, but never got a reply. After so long, we're tempted to claim it, sell it, and give some of the money to charity. Would getting rid of it in any manner be morally wrong? Enter the Money Moral Maze: Should we sell someone else's camera lens? | Suggest an MMD | View Past MMDs THE GREAT HUNT REVISITED | What costs more if you're poor?
Being cash-strapped means things cost more, like higher energy bills due to prepay meters. We want to tap MoneySavers' collective knowledge on what's pricier if you've less dosh, and what can you do about it. Share yours/read others': What costs more if you're poor?, Past hunts CHEAP FLIGHT SALES ALERT | Airline: Wizz Air Price: From £10 each way Ends: Ongoing
Our pick this week is Wizz Air. The prices are ongoing and include some taxes & charges for flights from London to Poland and eastern Europe. We found flights from London Luton to Warsaw Modlin for £10.34. To find flights quickly, use the FlightChecker on a £20 one-way max search. Extra charges warning: Avoid payment and check-in charges - see Budget Airline Fee Fighting. Related: Cheap Flights, Cheap Hotels, Spending Abroad, Cheap Currency, Travel Insurance THE GREAT HUNT... REVEALED | Best money lessons from your grandparents
We enjoyed reading the responses to last week's hunt, where the overwhelming message was to live within your means and always save. More oft-heard grandparents' MoneySaving sayings were "buy too cheaply, buy twice" and "look after the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves". back to top ↑ |
Quick forum tips | Andrea's freebies |
Martin's blogs | Martin's appearances Thursday 22 November
Shelagh Fogarty, Radio 5, 12-1pm.
Consumer Panel.
Listen to past shows. Tuesday 27 November
Daybreak, ITV1, between 7am & 8.30am. Subject tbc. The Martin Lewis Money Show, ITV1, 7.30-8pm. Premium bonds, eBay vs. car boot, and reclaiming Tesco pts.
Watch past episodes. | Cheap travel money | UK's Best Currency Rates | | £100 will buy you: | | Best | Worst |  | € | 123.51 | 112.73 |  | $ | 158.06 | 144.51 |  | TL | 278.20 | 254.85 | | Rates correct at 4pm Tue | Find all top currency rates
Compare travel cash | |
This week's poll: The "Oi, Cameron, time to sort out..." poll If you could grab the Prime Minister and ask him to focus on sorting out a money/financial issue, which of the following would you choose?
Pick up to three from this top 10: | Poll resultsIs your home phone and broadband provider any good?
The customer service results for the big players were...
- BT was rated 56% 'good' on home phones, but 25% 'poor' on broadband.
- Plusnet was 88% 'good' on home phones, 81% 'good' on broadband.
- TalkTalk's broadband was voted 'poor' by 34%.
11,971 people voted. Click to see the full results. |
Question of the week Q: I was told there is now no age limit for holiday insurance under age discrimination laws. Insurance companies are still showing age limits so I am wondering if this is true. Peter, by email. MSE Tony's A: Insurers are exempt from age discrimination laws, so can set upper age limits on travel insurance, above which they won't cover you. Even once you find companies who'll sell you a policy, the older you are, the pricier it gets. The big jump really happens around the age of 80, where the cheapest European policies leap from around £60 to over £200, and only go up from there. See the Over-65s Travel Insurance section for the best-buys. Please suggest a question of the week (we can't reply to individual emails). | Board of the week The Olympics Legacy - Sports and Fitness MoneySaving Board Share advice and tips on how to keep fit the MoneySaving way. Discussions include Standing on a vibrating platform gives heart a workout?, Home workout routine and Gym Membership and a Fee. |
 Archna's free game of the week: Nightflies |
Ever seen a giant, pop-up, Lego Buddhist temple? No? What have you been doing all this time? A Lego fanatic wasn't satisfied with building a MASSIVE temple out of the tiny blocks, he made one which folds in half too. Well, why not? Worship the Lego skills. We hope you save some money, Martin & the MSE team |
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What you need to know This info does not constitute financial advice, always do your own research on top to ensure it's right for your specific circumstances - and remember we focus on rates not service. We don't as a general policy investigate the solvency of companies mentioned, how likely they are to go bust, but there is a risk any company can struggle and it's rarely made public until it's too late (see the section 75 guide for protection tips). We often link to other websites, but we can't be responsible for their content. Always remember anyone can post on the MSE forums, so it can be very different from our opinion. Please read the Full Terms & Conditions, Privacy Policy, how this site is financed and Editorial Code. Martin Lewis is a registered trade mark belonging to Martin S Lewis. MSE, Money Saving Expert, MoneySavingExpert and Moneysavingexpert.com are registered trade marks belonging to MoneySavingExpert.com Limited. More about MoneySaving Expert and Martin Lewis What is MoneySavingExpert.com?
Founded in February 2003, it's now the UK's biggest consumer help website with over 6 million people getting this email and nearly 10m using the site. In September 2012 it became part of the MoneySupermarket Group PLC. Its focus is simple: how to save cash and fight for financial justice on anything and everything. The site has over 30 full time staff about half of whom are editorial researching, analysing and writing to continually find ways to save money. More info: See About MSE Who is Martin Lewis? Martin set up and runs MSE, he's an ultra-focused money saving journalist and consumer campaigner. He has regular slots on Daybreak, Lorraine, Radio 2 Vine, BBC1 Watchdog, Radio 5 Consumer panel and presents ITV Tonight. He is a columnist for amongst others the Sunday Post as well as an author. More info: See Martin Lewis' biog What do the links with a * mean? Any links with a * by them are affiliated, which means get a product via this link and a contribution may be made to MoneySavingExpert.com, which helps it stay free to use. You shouldn't notice any difference; the links don't impact the product at all and the editorial line (the things we write) isn't changed due to it. If it isn't possible to get an affiliate link for the best product, it's still included in the same way. More info: See how this site is financed. As we believe transparency is important, we're including the following 'un-affiliated' web-addresses for content too:
Unaffiliated web-addresses for links in this email co-operativebank.co.uk, nationwide.co.uk, travel-guard.co.uk, uk.protectyourbubble.com, insurance2go.co.uk, gadget.insureandgo.com, gadget-cover.com, firstdirect.com, barclaycard.co.uk, aviva.co.uk, directline.com, churchill.com, moneysupermarket.com, confused.com, admiral.com, natwest.com, thederbyshire.co.uk, sainsburysbank.co.uk, americanexpress.com, capitalone.co.uk, energyhelpline.com, uswitch.com, santander-products.co.uk, primussaver.co.uk, productsandservices.bt.com, comparethemarket.com.
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