| | MARTIN'S QUICK BRIEFING: For more tips, alerts & awful puns, follow Martin on Twitter The pound's soared - ensure you benefit
As the pound rises & banks reveal hidden fees... how to beat the system Some joy for UK holidaymakers. Go abroad and finally, your money is likely to stretch further. Over the last year, the pound has risen from €1.16 to €1.22 and $1.48 to $1.67. Yet don't let these gains get eaten up by your bank... | 1. |  Finally, banks come clean about hidden currency charges. Many of you have reported to us your statements showing new currency fees for using debit/credit cards abroad. But it's not the fees that are new, just the fact they're telling you. These fees used to be hidden within the exchange rate, but new regulations starting this year force them to break them out.
How it works: Most banks add a 3% load fee, meaning spend £100 abroad and it costs you £103. They used to just put the £103 on your statement, now they separate the two. However, you can... | | | | 2. | Beat the system - pocket consistently unbeatable exchange rates. There are some specialist (no annual fee) credit cards that are load-free worldwide. This means you get the wholesale rate, which is near enough the perfect rate, smashing owt else every time, including bureaux de change.
To make this work, ensure you always repay IN FULL, preferably by direct debit, or the interest cost dwarves any gain you get from the better rate.
Top pick: Halifax Clarity* (check eligibility) - perfect spending rates & lowest ATM cash interest (c.£1 per £100). Fail to fully repay and it's 12.9% rep APR.
Also load-free worldwide: Saga* (over-50s), Post Office*, Select* (Nationwide custs ONLY) & Santander Zero (not avail to new customers). Fail to fully repay these & they're 11.9%, 17.8%, 15.9% & 18.9% rep APR. Full best buys breakdown in Cheap Travel Cards (APR Examples).
With some cards you pay a month's interest on cash withdrawals (not spending) even if you repay IN FULL, we factor this into our assessment. | | | | 3. | Top card overseas if you've poorer credit. You need to pass a credit check to get a card, and each application to find out marks your credit file. So use our Overseas Cards Eligibility Checker to check which you've the best odds getting. Please only do if you're serious as we pay for each search.
Within it is the easier-to-get Capital One Classic Extra*, which accepts even some with year-old defaults or CCJs. It's load-free worldwide (so perfect rates) and also pays 0.5% cashback on all spending - a useful double purpose (provided you repay IN FULL each month, of course).
However, be wary of its 34.9% rep APR - you'll be charged this (plus a fee) on cash withdrawals even if you fully repay, so use it in stores/cafes rather than withdrawing cash and paying with that. Watch out for its low sub-£1,500 credit limits. See Cheap Travel Cards. | | | | 4. | Top prepaid cards. Here, you load one before travel, then use like a debit card. If you lose it, your cash is protected. However, unlike top credit cards, you get the rate on the day you load/buy, not when you spend, so currency fluctuations may mean you get a poor rate (or a great one).
The top pick cards based on low fees & best rates are FairFX Euro* and FairFX Dollar* - usually £10 but via these MoneySupermarket links they're free, if you load £50+ of currency. And there's no credit check.
The FairFX card charges a fee for cash withdrawals, so if you need to withdraw cash more than spend, consider the Caxton FX* card, which has no fees. You can choose a euro, dollar or 'world currency' card. For more info and other currencies, see Cheap Prepaid Travel Cards. | | | | 5. | Get the best travel CASH rates in seconds. Our TravelMoneyMax rate comparison tool compares rates at about 40 online bureaux, and orders them by how much currency you'll actually get, after all fees and charges. While we're at it, two quick tips...
If you must get at the airport, pre-order. Airport and ferryport rates are usually dismal as they know you're a captive customer. If you leave it too late, at least pre-order online to pick up there to boost rates.
Beware paying for currency on a credit card. Pay a UK bureau by credit card and it counts as a cash withdrawal, so there's a fee + interest even if you fully repay. Try to pay by debit card - they're not allowed to charge fees. | | | | 6. | The cheapest DEBIT card abroad. We normally focus on cheap credit cards, as it's a big schlep to change your entire bank just for cheap spending abroad. Yet some prefer that, so there is one no-load worldwide debit card on offer, and it has the boon of no overseas ATM fees too.
To get the Norwich & Peterborough BS Gold Classic current account you need to pay in £500 a month (£6,000 salary) or keep £5,000 in the account, or there's a £5/mth fee.
Some may also be thinking, "isn't Metro Bank's card load-free too?" From 18 March it'll only be so in Europe - see Metro Charge Info. Existing Metro customers who go outside Europe may want a new card. | | | | 7. | Do you have an overseas debit card FROM HELL? Six debit cards have hellish charges if used outside the UK. Not only do they add a load & an ATM fee, they also charge up to £1.50 each time you spend too.
So, say you spend £5 on the card. Using one of these cards, plus load and spending, it can cost £6.65 - which soon adds up over a holiday.
THE DEBIT CARDS FROM HELL (Check your card's fees abroad)
Halifax | Lloyds | Santander | TSB | NatWest/RBS (hell for small buys) ANY other card, including credit cards (paid IN FULL), are better than spending on these. See full Debit Cards From Hell info. | | | | 8. | "Do you want to pay in pounds or euros?" - SAY EUROS. When paying on a card abroad, you're often asked if you want the transaction to be in pounds or the local currency. As a general rule, never pay in pounds - that means the overseas store/bank is doing the conversion and the rates are awful. For a full explanation, see Martin's 'pay in euros?' blog. | | | | 9. | Should you spend on your plastic, or withdraw cash & spend that? This depends on which plastic you've got. As a general rule, if you're withdrawing cash, do it fewer times in bigger amounts (but be safe).
- Specialist overseas credit card: Both are cheap, but spending is cheapest.
- Specialist overseas debit card: They cost the same, so no issue.
- Normal credit & debit cards: You pay loading for both, but there are additional fees for ATM withdrawals (even on debit cards) so spending wins.
- Debit card from hell: If you have to use it, you're usually better to withdraw cash in larger amounts and spend that, than do small spending on the card.
- Specialist prepaid cards: Spending is usually cheapest (though it varies). | | | 10. | Are you part of the overseas purse and wallet club? Let's get nerdy. I shall say it loud and proud - I have a special wallet just for going overseas.
After all, there are some things you only need when abroad. One is a specialist overseas spending credit card. These cards tend to be pants in the UK (see Top Credit Cards for all the ones to use here) so it sits in my wallet waiting till I go away.
Don't worry, it's not lonely. Alongside it is my free EHIC card for emergency medical issues, my ESTA number for US travel and more. Please take a peek inside my overseas travel wallet. | | | |
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| Wed 19 Feb 2014 |
Urgent: Cut £100s off your broadband & phone bill
Get BOTH for less than it usually costs for line rent alone, or superfast fibre broadband for just a few quid more There are a host of hot 'click now or forever hold thy mouse' promos. Full help in Cheap Broadband, here's a taster...  Check what you pay now, usually it's £300+/yr. Line rent alone's typically £16/mth. Add this to broadband costs and even before calls, folks on non-promo deals typically pay BT £350/yr, Virgin £490, Sky £300, etc. Yet below, it's from £156.- Ends today (Wed): Superfast fibre broadband + line rent, equiv £18/mth - if you pay line rent upfront; if not, it's £23/mth. This is the cheapest fibre deal on the market. Via this Virgin Media* link newbies get free installation on a year's contract for...
i) Up to 30Mb fibre optic b'band. (Avail to 50% of UK, use link above to check.) Cost: £7.50/mth for 6mths, then £15.50/mth.
ii) Line rent's compulsory. It's £16/mth, or after signing up ask to pay £128 upfront for a year (equiv £10.70/mth).
iii) £50 credit: This will come off your first bill (and can be used against line rent and broadband costs).
Total cost? Factoring in the £50, if you pay line rent upfront it's £216 for a year (excl calls), equivalent to £18/mth. Monthly, it's £280 for the year, that's equiv £23/mth - still far cheaper than other Superfast Broadband. - Broadband + line rent, equiv £13/mth - if you pay line rent upfront, if not, it's £18/mth. Far cheaper than BT standard line rent alone, going via this link gets TalkTalk* newbies a year's contract with the following:
i) Unlimited broadband: This is £2.50/mth (avail to 85% of UK, use the link to check).
ii) Compulsory line rent: It's £15.40/mth, or during sign-up opt to pay £126/year upfront (equiv £10.50/mth).
iii) Need a new line? If you don't have a (non-cable) line, it costs £50, but then £50 is credited to your first bill.
Total? Pay line rent upfront & it's £156 for 1yr (excl calls), equiv £13/mth or £18/mth paid monthly. Cheap B'band
Are you an EE mobile customer? If so, you can beat this deal with broadband & line rent (paid upfront) equiv to £14/mth AND we've a code for a £100 Amazon vch (takes 3mths to arrive). Full info: EE Broadband Code back to top ↑ |
Naked Wines £40 off £60 newbies' code. MSE Blagged. Delivery's £5. Works on any case, so you can get the cheapest for £25 all in. Existing customers? 50% off its 'luxury welcome case'. FULL info: Wine Deals. Please be Drinkaware. £25 designer specs, £10 replacement lenses & FREE eye test vch.
Free £15 Optical Express eye test vch* | £25 Jeff Banks specs usually £95 | £10 replacement lenses code. See Cheap Glasses Hot iPad and Samsung tablet codes. Asda has a £20 off all tablets code, meaning it wins for most. PLUS, this can be combined with a Samsung £50 off code, so that's £70 off in total. See Hot Bargains. Free £5 Crabtree & Evelyn hand cream trade-in. Get £5 cream swapping ANY used cream. Ltd stock. Crabtree |
20 online dating tips. "I met my wife on a free site"
NEW guide to seeking cheap love love online without breaking the bank. Top free sites, winning profiles & more If you spent last Fri cosying with a korma for one & hope for a different Valentine's next year, our new 20 Online Dating Tips guide could help. Don't be embarrassed, our mini-poll shows 98% see it as socially acceptable. Let's seduce you in...  Free can pay. A host of MoneySavers met Mr or Ms Right (or Jones) this way, such as nfollows1982: "I met my wife on a free dating site. We had a beautiful baby girl in Jan, so it can work. It took me two weeks to message her, as I felt she was out of my league looks-wise, but it's the best thing I ever did." See a full Top Free Dating sites rundown, including our own MSE Forum - we've 5 married couples who met there.
- 20 online dating tips. Our Cheap Online Dating guide is brimming with tips, here are five for starters...
- Cheap dates. There are tons of ways to cut costs. See Free Museums, Cheap Zoos & Restaurant Vouchers.
- Stay safe. Most use sites without hassle, but read our Safety Need-To-Knows first.
- Go on a pre-date. Arrange a quick pre-date to check if you want to invest the time/money on a full date.
- Truthful is attractive. Sell your best bits, but be truthful. Your date will realise you're not a seven-foot human rights lawyer who rows for Team GB (unless you are, in which case, please contact MSE Archna).
- Write a pucker profile. Be upfront, but avoid cringe-inducing cliches. See Profile-Writing Tips. back to top ↑ |
| Reminder: Longest ever 31mths 0% balance transfer. Accepted new Barclaycard* cardholders can shift debts to it for 31mths 0% for a 2.99% fee, next's Halifax* 30mths 0% (3% fee). Shift the debt again or repay before the 0% ends or they jump to 18.9% rep APR. All best buys: 0% Balance Transfers (APR Examples) & Balance Transfer Eligibility Checker Big discounts off clothing, incl George, Dotty P, Laura Ashley
New sales: Laura Ashley 30% off EVERYTHING | Sains Tu 25% off EVERYTHING | George 25% off kidswear | High St Sales
Codes: Dotty P 25% off code/vch | Gap 30% off kidswear code | Body Shop £5, £10, £25 off code/vch | Discount Vouchers The UK's mortgage ticking time bomb (Mr Osborne, will you help?)... Read Martin's The mortgage ticking time bomb blog. Related: First Time Mortgage Booklet, Remortgage Booklet |
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| Code gets EIGHT Nails Inc varnishes £20 all-in. Fri ONLY. Use free del code with offer. Ltd stock. Nails Inc Got your CPP reclaim form and need help filling it in? Many of you have asked us for help. We're working on it, and next week we'll have templates to help you. Until then, use our CPP guide. |
"I got £1,225 of monthly bank fees back"
Successes are piling in with our reclaim packaged account fees campaign. If you pay/have paid a fee, read on They're the Marmite of banking. Packaged bank accounts, where you pay a monthly fee and get added 'extras', are a great deal for some, a total con for others. We launched our Reclaim Mis-sold Package Account Fees campaign in January 2013. The Ombudsman says complaints are up by 150%, with millions of pounds being paid back.  The danger signs - they added it without asking, or told (sold) you to upgrade. If they asked you about upgrading, they needed to ensure the policy was suitable for you. Hywel via email: "My mother (88) unknowingly paid £17/mth for a Lloyds TSB Platinum account. It was inappropriate and it refunded £1,225. We're delighted." - What counts as mis-selling? The common ones include: 1) The added insurance was unsuitable, eg, people were sold travel insurance when they were over the age limit or had pre-existing conditions. 2) You were told it was compulsory to get a loan or overdraft. 3) You were upgraded without your permission. For more help, see guide & template letters: Reclaim Packaged Account Fees
- If you're going to pay, then there's a cracking deal... Current top pick's £10/mth Nationwide's FlexPlus*, which gives worldwide family travel insurance (max age 74), Europe breakdown cover, covers all family smartphones and an extra year's extended warranty on electricals. If you were to buy them individually they could cost up to £600/yr - this way it's £120. See the Packaged Account Analyser.
- Bank charges reclaiming is different. This is about monthly account fees. If you've charges for going beyond your overdraft, you may be able to reclaim if they've put you in hardship. See Bank Charges Reclaiming.
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Show Best Buys
MoneySavingExpert will NEVER call you. Some PPI claims firms and others are again abusing the site & Martin's reputation. We NEVER call you. We don't endorse claims firms. We don't sell data. IGNORE. Please report imposters Half-term deals for your little darlings/monkeys, including...
Activities: Cineworld £1 kids' films | Ripley's Believe It Or Not £40 family tix | Knowsley Safari Park 50% off | All Days Out
Kids eat free: Prezzo Mon-Fri, 12-7pm | La Tasca till Sun (£10 spend) | Table Table Mon-Sat till 5pm | All Vouchers
Free museums: Coventry Transport Museum | House of Marbles Games factory | 190+ Museums Free mobile broadband Sim, incl 100MB data. Great for tablet/mobile data. 1) This MobiData* link gets a free Sim with 100MB UK 3G mobile broadband. 2) You can opt to pay £5/mth for 1GB/mth, which also gets 100MB/mth of inclusive data-roaming in 39 countries, incl USA, Oz. You can stop anytime with 1mth's notice. Full info: Mobile Broadband |
Shrewd tips to slash smartphone insurance to £57/year
Many pay £150+ a year. Check now. Big savings are possible, you can insure a whole FAMILY's mobiles for £120 Smartphones are getting more expensive, hi-tech and addictive. The fear of being without means insurers make a mint flogging cover, but it needn't be costly. Full help in Cheap Mobile Insurance, here's our short message...  The best buys: All cover accident, loss and theft & have acceptable feedback.
iPhones incl 5S (max £750): £70/yr Insurance2Go* with a £50/£75 excess.
Samsung (max £750): £57/yr via code in the link Insurance2Go*. Excess £25/£50.
Other smartphones (max £750). £60/yr code via Insurance2Go*. Excess £25/£50.
Thickphones (non-smart) (max £150). Gadget Cover* £27 incl loss. Excess: £25. - Cover ALL family smartphones for £120/yr: The trick to this is one parent/partner switches to the highly-rated Nationwide FlexPlus* £10/mth (thus £120/yr) bank account, which includes cover for the whole family's mobiles (max £1,000 per phone), provided you all live together and the children are under 19 (or 22 if in full-time education). It also gives worldwide family travel insurance (max age 74) and European breakdown cover for the account holder. See Bank Accounts with Benefits for more.
- Mobile insurance golden rules. 1) Are you a loser? If you're likely to lose or damage it, insurance usually pays. Yet if you've had a handset clipped to your belt for a decade with no issues, self-insuring, where you put money aside, is likely a winner. 2) Check if already covered. You may be protected under your home insurance or bank account. 3) Is replacement speed key? If so, you'll need to pay more and go with your network's cover.
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| Pound shop beauty finds, incl £8 Revlon nail polish. We've checked latest blags. See Pound Shop Deals. Forum Hottie. Free Ella's Kitchen Very Veggie book for babies. Just join free baby club. 10k avail. Sainsbury's We're recruiting - want to work at MSE? We're hiring for a total of 11 job roles (a mix of permanent & contract), including our journalistic team, developers, designers and administrators. Based in London. See MSE Job Opportunities.
Show Best Buys |
| Show Vouchers and Top Deals |
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 CAMPAIGN OF THE WEEK
What do you think of the Green Deal?
The Government-backed scheme to help households cover the upfront costs of energy-saving measures is now over a year old. MPs are looking at how successful (or unsuccessful) it's been. Have you heard of it? Have you tried to use it? Does it work? Tell 'em what you think via their online form before Fri 28 Feb. Then tell us your views in the MSE Forum. BOOK GIVEAWAY
Arabic For Dummies. 25 blagged for MoneySavers. Find out if you got one. MONEY MORAL DILEMMA
Should I send wedding invites to people who can't come?
This week's MoneySaver who wants advice asks... We're getting married this year, but haven't sent invitations yet. A few of my relatives can't come at such short notice, but my mum insists I still send them invitations. This means doubling the number of invites, and money's tight. The last thing I want is to upset people, but it feels a waste. Enter the Money Moral Maze: Should I send wedding invites to family who can't come? | Suggest an MMD | View Past MMDs THE GREAT HUNT
What do you regret skimping on?
We're all for keeping costs down where possible here, but some things really are worth paying more for (a hostel with hot water and a decent haircut are just a couple that spring to mind). We want to know what you've skimped on in the past, then wished you hadn't. Share yours/read others': What do you regret skimping on? Past topics: View all CHEAP FLIGHT SALES ALERT
Airline: Thomson Price: £30 off return flights Ends: Ongoing
Our pick this week is Thomson's ongoing sale, which includes taxes & charges. It's for flights between May and October to 65 international destinations from 19 UK airports. To find flights quickly, use FlightChecker on a return search. There's no code to enter, the discount appears automatically. 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
Which 'world foods' can you recommend?
MoneySavers are as adventurous when it comes to cooking as they are savvy. Tips include wiejska (Polish sausage), Barry's Irish tea and loads more. Thanks to cruzinka for the list of Polish food translations - inspiring forumites to try 'em out. back to top ↑ |
| | Freebies |
Martin's blogs | Martin's appearances |
MSE team corner - Team appearances:
- No team appearances this week.
| Discussion of the week Am I overreacting? A pal offering to make a birthday cake for a meal then changing it to a 'maybe' has one forumite hot under the collar. Is this an overreaction? Share your thoughts on the Am I overreacting? discussion. | Cheap travel money |
This week's poll: Is it acceptable to haggle in a charity shop? Haggling sits up there with comparing prices, vouchers, codes and deals in a MoneySaver's shopping skills arsenal. However, recently we've heard of people haggling in charity shops and wanted to get your views on whether you think it's permissible, even though it's decreasing a charity's take.
Is it acceptable to haggle in a charity shop? Which is closest to your view? | Poll resultsHow do you rate your bank account's service?
First Direct is still number one for great customer service (as it has been in every poll we've ever done), while Santander's 123 account came second again.
- 93% of First Direct customers voted its service "great".
- 74% of Santander 123 customers voted it "great".
- 41% of non-123 Santander customers voted it "great".
- 21% of non-Reward Halifax customers voted it "poor".
8,915 voted. See the full results. |
| Q: Is it true letting reference agencies can only see CCJs, IVAs and public records, not defaults? Matt, via Twitter. MSE Helen S's A: Yes. If a letting agent does a credit check on you as a potential tenant, it can only see public records. This will include CCJs, IVAs or any other court-administered debt management scheme. It won't include credit card defaults or financial details, as these are between you and the bank (sometimes a credit reference agency too). But watch out if the letting agent asks for a reference from your bank. If your current account history is patchy - perhaps you've gone over your overdraft limit - then it's likely to reveal this. More in our boost your credit rating guide. Please suggest a question of the week (we can't reply to individual emails). |
 Debs' free game of the week: 5 Differences |
Who would play you in a movie? That's it for this week, but if you've ever wondered which Hollywood star would play you in a film, check out this (surprisingly accurate) 'who would play you in a movie?' quiz. We hope you save some money, Martin & the MSE team |
| Important. Please read how MoneySavingExpert.com works We think it's important you understand the strengths and limitations of this email and the site. We're a journalistic website, and aim to provide the best MoneySaving guides, tips, tools and techniques - but can't promise to be perfect, so do note you use the information at your own risk and we can't accept liability if things go wrong.
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. 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, and still writes this email each week (unless it says so). He's an ultra-focused money-saving journalist and consumer campaigner with his own ITV prime-time The Martin Lewis Money Show, weekly slots on Radio 5 Live, This Morning and Daybreak, amongst others. He’s a columnist for publications including the Telegraph and Woman magazine. More info: See Martin Lewis' biography 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 halifax.co.uk, postoffice.co.uk, nationwide.co.uk, capitalone.co.uk, fairfx.com, caxtonfx.com, eharmony.co.uk, virginmedia.com, talktalk.co.uk, opticalexpress.co.uk, barclaycard.co.uk, lloydsbank.com, moneysupermarket.com, gocompare.com, dataroam.co.uk, directline.com, aviva.co.uk, admiral.com, sainsburysbank.co.uk, insurance2go.co.uk, gadget-cover.com, santander-products.co.uk, confused.com, comparethemarket.com, postoffice.co.uk, productsandservices.bt.com.
Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) Note Referring people to insurers or insurance intermediaries can in some circumstances constitute an FCA regulated activity. For this reason, pages with links which take you to the sites of insurers or insurance intermediaries are hosted by MoneySavingExpert.com Limited on behalf of MoneySupermarket.com Group PLC. MoneySupermarket.com Financial Group Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN: 303190). The registered office address of both MoneySupermarket.com Group PLC and MoneySupermarket.com Financial Group Limited is MoneySupermarket House, St. David’s Park, Ewloe, Chester, CH5 3UZ. To change your E-mail or stop receiving the weekly tips (unsubscribe): Go to: www.moneysavingexpert.com/tips |
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