This week | MARTIN'S QUICK BRIEFING: For more tips, alerts & awful puns, follow Martin on Twitter Warning: Car insurers charging renewal fees
Fight hidden charges and costs with 10 tips to bag cheaper car insurance It's the cusp of March, when new vehicle reg plates launch, meaning many face insurance renewal. Assuming that your existing insurer is cheapest could cost you £100s, especially as the new EU gender law - that, all things being equal, men and women should pay the same - has turned pricing on its head. | 1. | "£500 cheaper as a new customer with same insurer." Nothing better illustrates car insurers preying on slavishly loyal customers than Sarah Cooper's tweet. "My car ins renewal is £1,200. New policy with same company is £690. How do they justify this?" They don't justify it, they just do it.
Insurers often charge ever-increasing amounts each year, knowing inertia stops people leaving. While it's far from best practice, if you do nowt else when renewing, at least call up and try to haggle down the cost. PS. Do tweet me your tales, via @MartinSLewis. | | | | 2. |  Beware renewal fees. As if things weren't bad enough, we've spotted some insurers, like Hastings Direct, levying renewal fees (some up to £50), literally charging people to stay. The only thing worse than this is that some actually pay it - worrying, as if a few insurers get away with it, the rest will follow. | | | | 3. | Speedily find the cheapest by COMBINING comparison sites. No one insurer is cheapest. So the aim's to get max quotes in min time. Comparison sites are great for that, but they don't all search the same. While you've got the info out, combine a couple for max reach. Our analysis shows...
- Top combined search: Check MoneySupermarket* then Confused.com*.
- If you've time: Add Tesco Compare* and Gocompare*.
Comparison sites are great for most people. But for those with unusual circs (medical conditions, past disqualifications) it's also worth talking to a broker. | | | | 4. | Always add the two biggies comparison sites miss. Neither Aviva* nor Direct Line* are included by comparison sites, and can sometimes come up trumps, so always check. It worked for forumite 21castlehill: "Renewal came in at £572, up from £340. Followed the guide and landed up with Aviva at £247. A tidy saving." | | | | 5. | Grab multi-car discounts comparison sites miss. Comparison sites just look at one car, yet if you've two or more in the household, some insurers give discounts. So always manually check Admiral MultiCar* and, if time, Aviva*, Privilege*, Direct Line* and Churchill* all give discounts too.
As forumite Glad I Did says: "Cut 3-car multi insurance renewal bill from just over £1,600 to just under £1,200 - I am very happy, thanks MSE." | | | | 6. | Want it dirt cheap? Don't assume 3rd party beats comprehensive. Many logically assume 3rd party's cheapest as it offers the least cover, only paying out for damage to other people, property or their cars. Yet perversely, for some comp cover is cheaper, as the mere fact you've selected it can put you in a lower risk category. So always check both. | | | | 7. | Special tricks and insurers for the under-25s. Sadly costs of £3,000+ a year aren't rare here, so we've a special Young Drivers' Cheap Car Insurance guide with full help to knock prices down. Key tips include:
- Top comparisons: Check Confused.com* & MoneySupermarket*, then add Direct Line*, Aviva*, and if you've more than one car in the home, Admiral MultiCar*.
- Add responsible older driver (eg, parent) as 2nd driver: This can radically lower the risk average, as mazzyb5 tweeted: "Took ur advice, added my mum to my car insurance and saved £500."
- Too costly? Consider telematics. Get a black box fitted: Pay-WHEN-you-drive: Coverbox* and iKube*; Pay-HOW-you-drive: Co-op* and AA; Pay-AS-you-drive: Insurethebox. | | | | 8. | You need insurance even when NOT driving. Two years ago the law changed so you don't just need cover when driving, now you need insurance just for having a car. So don't let it lapse while on holiday or in hospital - you can be fined.
If you'll not drive it for a long time, the only way to avoid insurance or a fine is to get a Statutory Off Road Notification (Sorn) and park it on private land. Though if the car gets nicked, you won't be covered. | | | | 9. | Beware paying monthly - it could cost 30% more. There's actually no such thing as paying monthly. Insurers just loan you the upfront cost at up to 30% APR (see Car Insurers' APRs list). Check the interest. If it's costly, try to pay upfront; if you can't, consider paying on a 0% Credit Card (ensure you repay within the year). | | | | 10. | Check for possible cashback. Once you've found your cheapest policy, check for hidden cashback/discounts. This can result in ludicrously cheap insurance. Forumite Brockyman found a cracker: "Got insurance for £144, but with cashback, paid £64 - for the year." | | |
Even these 10 tips are the tip of the iceberg. See the full guides...
Cheap Car Insurance | Young Drivers' Insurance | Van Insurance | Bike Insurance |
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| The Ones Not To Miss | Wed 27 Feb 2013 |
Urgent. £7/mth unlimited broadband AND line rental
The cheapest bundle we can remember, available for just a week. Remember BT standard line rent alone is £15 While the price of line rental alone keeps rocketing, if you're willing to bundle phone and broadband together - wow...  Unlimited broadband & line rental equiv £7/mth. MSE Blagged. From Thurs for a week, TalkTalk Essentials* (avail to 85% of UK) is a super hot deal on a 1 year contract...
- You get a £70 Love2Shop voucher (valid at Argos, B&Q, Iceland, Boots & more).
- You need its line rent. Paying £114 upfront for a year is cheapest (or £14.95/mth).
- Half price unlimited download broadband (so £3.25/mth) - good for TV streaming.
- Evening and weekend calls to landlines included (ie the first 60 minutes per call are free).
Assuming you pay the line rent upfront, the total package is £153/yr. Factor the voucher in as cash, and that's £83/yr, equiv to £6.92/mth. On price this is frankly unbeatable, though it's worth being aware TalkTalk's customer service reputation isn't the best. More on the package, tech specs and customer service in Cheap Home Phones.- Cheapest broadband-only deals. If you're not a TalkTalk fan, or only want broadband, Plusnet* is cheapest at equiv £8.57/mth (10GB download allowance), or O2* offers unlimited broadband-only for £12.75/mth (both avail to c.80% of UK).
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TWO free cinema tickets with free movie streaming trial. MSE Blagged. We've codes for 100,000 signing up to a 30-day free trial of Sky's new Now TV streaming service to get two free Cineworld tickets. With it, anyone can watch Sky Movies via PC, console, tablet, etc. Full info on how to get this in Now TV Trial - it's a corker. 'Free' £8 Mother's Day photo mug (pay £2 p&p). MSE Blagged. 20,000 codes available. See Photo Deals. £20 Converse trainers. Combine code & sale, get hi-top trainers for £20ish delivered. Ends Thu. Converse Deals £30 Body Shop beauty bundle, incl del (costs £80 separately). MSE Blagged. It's selling this pack of 10 products discounted at £50, but we've a code for a further 40% off - good for Mother's Day. See Body Shop Deals. |
21-month 0% LOW-FEE balance transfer
Quick. If you're paying interest on credit card debts, save £100s shifting them right now at half the usual fee A balance transfer is where you get a new card that pays off the debts on existing cards for you, so you owe it instead, at a cheaper rate. There's a one-off fee for doing it (a % of the debt shifted), but right now these are far lower than normal. - The golden rules. a) Repay at least the set monthly minimum, or you may lose 0% rate. b) Aim to clear the debt or shift again before the 0% ends, or rates rocket. c) Don't spend on these cards, it isn't usually at the cheap rate.
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New right to pay council tax over 12 mths, not 10. We get lots of gripes about it, so good news - from April, you can pay council tax direct debits monthly. Some councils aren't keen, so they might not tell you. Council Tax Change Matalan 50% sale, Oasis 30% code, Whistles 25% and more...
Matalan 50% off sale | Dorothy Perkins 20% vch/code | Oasis 30% code in mag | Warehouse 25% in mag
Evans 30% sale | Whistles 25% in mag | H&M 10% code | Aldi £5 off £40 in paper | Full list: Discount Vouchers | Sales 25p cushions, vases and photo frames at Wilkinson. Homeware sale in-store. Limited stock. Wilkinson Deals |
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| 'Free' Mother's Day photo card code (pay 99p postage). MSE Blagged. 5,000 avail. See all Photo Deals. Ends Sun. Family & Friends Railcard £20 code (RRP £28). If you've a card, you and up to three more grown-ups get 1/3rd off travel for a year, if there's at least 1 child (max 4) with you - they get 60% off. See Cheap Trains. Free Wills Month for over-55s. Running in 20 towns and cities in England. Book in March. Check Free Wills. Brantano shoes 20% code (incl Clarks kids, Nike, Adidas). Gets free delivery too, until Sun. Brantano Deals |
Free tax code calc. Can you reclaim £1,000s?
Millions are being sent tax codes right now. Check yours now to ensure you don't under- or overpay Over recent years millions of tax codes have been wrong, leaving many due payouts and some facing hefty back-tax bills. Our unique Tax Code Calculator analyses whether your tax code is correct and what to do if it's wrong. In summary...  What's a tax code? It tells your employer or pension provider what your personal allowance is - the amount you can earn tax-free - so it can work out how much tax you should pay. As there are big rises in allowances for the new 2013/14 tax year, many will have the standard 944L code (add a zero to see you can earn £9,440 tax-free). - Find your code. Those with simple affairs aren't sent one, but it will appear on payslips, P45s and P60s. Many with more than one job, or some specific company benefits, will receive their code by post in the coming weeks. Get help finding your tax code.
- Urgent. 'I got £3,000 back' The Tax Code Calc also lists past years' codes and how to reclaim overpayments. The deadline for claiming 2008/9 overpayments is 5 April, so go quick. You may be due big money like Angiedub: "I'd been on emergency tax since 2008. I've now got letters about what I am owed, it adds up to over £3,000. Thank you."
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| 'Free' £6 bangers & mash with £1 drink. Sign up, print vch & use at 148 venues. See Great Traditional Pub Deals. 2for1 Ideal Home tix. MSE blagged. 1,000 pairs of weekday (£12) or weekend (£14) tickets. Ideal Home Show. Ends Thurs: Change the UK in 50 words. We're putting your suggestions for small changes that'll make the UK a better place in our Moneyfesto, going to all UK party leaders. Suggest a 50-Word Moneyfesto idea. Forum Hottie. 4 medium Easter eggs £3 incl Rolo, Flake, etc. Forumites scrambling for 'em. Easter Egg Deals
Free visit to 10 Downing St's garden. It's a ballot with just 40 tickets, though. Open Garden Squares Forum Hottie. Free Felix cat food pouch. 'Like' and play Facebook game. 50,000 avail. Purrfect. See Felix Deals. 2x 'free' Alton Towers tix via paper (RRP £92). Collect 9 tokens - needs date flexibility. Alton Towers Deals |
Stash any savings in an ISA now - use it or lose it
The cash ISA year ends in six weeks. The top payer is 2.5% TAX-FREE and YOU DONT NEED TO LOCK CASH AWAY Got savings and not opened an ISA this tax year? Do it. Once cash is in a cash ISA, it's tax-free year after year, but don't use this year's £5,640 allowance by 5 April, & you'll lose it. Our Top Cash ISAs guide has full info & a Q&A. Here's a taster...  2.5% AER without locking cash away.The Cheshire BS variable ISA Saver (min £1,000) lets you withdraw cash when you want. 2% of this interest is a 'bonus' till July 2014, effectively a minimum rate guarantee. It allows you to transfer old ISAs in too.
- 2.8% if you'll lock it away for 60 days. To get a higher rate for new cash ISA money, the Coventry BS variable ISA requires 60 days' notice or a 60-day interest penalty to withdraw. Also, see Top Fixed-Rate Cash ISAs.
- Cash ISA golden rules. 1) Monitor your ISA's rate. If it drops, ditch and ISA transfer. 2) NEVER just withdraw cash to transfer. Ask the new provider to shift it for you. 3) The rules say you can put £5,640 IN an ISA this year, eg, put £4,640 in and you've £1,000 left. Take £2,000 out, you've still only £1,000 left. 5) All accounts listed have full £85k savings safety.
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| Flash 10% extra off Lastminute.com secret hotels code | Puma Hotels £50 Mother's Day rooms. For 24hrs from Thurs, 4,000 codes boost Lastminute's discount. Plus £50 smart Puma rooms (usually £79-£250). Hotel Sales Tesco 5p/L off fuel with £50 spend. Get a voucher for its forecourts in-store or online. See Cheap Petrol. Asda currency FLASH sale - ends 8am Fri. Incl dollar, euro & 8 others. See how it stacks up: TravelMoneyMax.com
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Restaurant vouchers | Discount vouchers | Top deals |
| The Moneysaving community |
 THE GREAT HUNT:
Top-selling items at car boot sales?
Of course, what sells at car boot sales varies from location to location and from season to season. But some items, such as branded toys, tend to sell fast regardless. For all you avid car-booters out there, which items sell best and how do you get top dollar for them? Share yours/read others': Top-selling items at car boot sales Past topics: View all MONEY MORAL DILEMMA:
Should I pay for my neighbour's plants?
This week's MoneySaver who wants advice asks... I recently paid for a replacement garden fence. Even though it's shared, I didn't ask my neighbour for any contribution towards the cost. The work was completed to a high standard, but later my neighbour said the workmen had pulled up and thrown her plants away, and she insists that I pay for replacements. I've spoken to the company and they've assured me it didn't happen, but I feel as though I should just pay for her plants to keep the peace. Enter the Money Moral Maze: Should I pay for my neighbour's plants? | Suggest an MMD | View Past MMDs BOOK GIVEAWAY RESULT:
The Good Hotel Guide 2013. 25 blagged for MoneySavers. Find out if you got one. CHEAP FLIGHT SALES ALERT:
Airline: Monarch Offer: £20-£30 off code Ends: Ongoing
Our pick this week is Monarch's £20-£30 off return flights code. Depending on the destination, you can get £20 or £30 off the price of travel when flying from six UK airports, including Birmingham, Gatwick and Manchester. Enter the promo code FLY2FUN at the checkout to get the discount on travel till Wed 17 Jul 2013. To find flights quickly, use the FlightChecker on a return search. Extra charges warning: Avoid payment and check-in charges - see the Budget Airline Fee Fighting guide. Related: Cheap Flights, Cheap Hotels, Spending Abroad, Cheap Currency, Travel Insurance THE GREAT HUNT... REVEALED:
Free activities to do with kids
Treasure hunts are always popular with youngsters and can be worked into everyday activities, such as snack time. Or, if the weather's good, you could go scavenging outdoors with your children. Local libraries often have activity sessions for kids, so it's well worth a visit to see what's going on. back to top ↑ |
Quick forum tips | Freebie |
Martin's blogs | Martin's appearances Thursday 28 February
Daybreak , ITV, 7.35-7.45am.
Deals of the Week. | Thursday 28 February
Shelagh Fogarty, Radio 5, 12-1pm.
Consumer Panel.
Listen to past shows. | |
MSE team corner - Team appearances:
- No team appearances this week
| Board of the week The Techie Stuff Board Share advice and tips on anything technical. Discussions include Anti Virus No No, Printing costs and Alternative to Spotify. | Cheap travel money | UK's Best Currency Rates | | £100 will buy you: | | Best | Worst |  | € | 115.36 | 103.09 |  | $ | 150.51 | 136.97 |  | TL | 266.50 | 244.40 | | Rates correct at 4pm Tue | Find all top currency rates
Compare travel cash | |
This week's poll: How do you spend abroad? Which of these is your most common method? | Poll resultsWould you buy horsemeat if it saved you cash?
Over half of meat-eaters say they would buy safe horsemeat, with the rest saying "neigh".
- 46% said they'd buy safe horsemeat.
- 42% wouldn't, even if it was free.
- 12% were vegetarian, or wouldn't eat it for a religious reason.
13,930 voted. See the full results. |
Question of the week Q: My husband and I have a joint bank account which I manage, but it seems impossible to get a joint credit card account. Why is this? Michelle, by email. MSE Dan's A: In fact, there's no such thing as a 'joint' credit card. With joint bank accounts or mortgages, both are equally responsible for the account, but with credit cards it's technically one person's account. The other just has access. This means the account holder is on the hook for any debts run up by the named cardholder. However, the arrangement does avoid the potential problem of financial linking - where two people's credit histories are linked and impact upon one another. There's more info on that in our Credit Rating guide. Please suggest a question of the week (we can't reply to individual emails). |
 Archna's free game of the week: Koutac |
Are you bright enough to spot the problem?
That’s it for this week, but before we go, take a look at these pictures and see if you can spot the unintended gaffes, big and small. Head-palm time.
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:
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