Black Fri deals & duds, 264Mb broadband £17, cheapest iPhone, new guaranteed 0% debt shift, no-brainer energy fix, extra 20% off Kärcher

Plus Martin's Scams Epidemic!, Interrail 25% off, £4k for disabled/ill pensioners, free Santa letter

                                                           

26 November 2024 | View in browser

Banking & Savings Household Bills Deals Insurance Cards & Loans Mortgages Income Reclaim

 

THE TOP TIPS IN THIS EMAIL Black Friday Week Telecoms Deals... - Broadband: Fast 264Mb £17/mth - Sims: 50GB data for £4/mth - Mobiles: New iPhone 16 £35/mth New. Longest guaranteed 0% debt shift Martin: Aged 66+ and ill/disabled? Check whether you're missing £3,800/yr Black Friday week LIVE deals analysis New. Fix energy at 9% LESS than new Jan Price Cap Martin: Energy standing charges cut?  Ends Thu. Extra 20% off Kärcher The Scams Epidemic: A BBC Martin Lewis Podcast Special - must listen! Interrail 25% off Black Fri sale Free letters from Santa Totally FREE National Trust family pass Free Christmas cash: 5 banks pay £150+ £10 to £60 London theatre across 2025 8pm tonight: The Martin Lewis Money Show LIVE £400 Apple Watch £10 via trick Urgent. Use/extend Tesco Clubcard vouchers NOW Hot Diamonds 40% & 50% off codes Premium Bond prize rate to drop again... Join the 1.8m now on the MSE App Crucial leaseholder reform delayed Martin's Pod: How to boost savings now interest rates are dropping & much more New. Extra £30 on £5+ spend Deck the halls for much less lolly - DIY wreaths, cards, baubles & more This week's best buys, including 5.18% savings, 6.1% loan & more Should we sign up to a free kids' book scheme when we can afford books? BEST BUYS & TOOLS MSE Cheap Mobile Finder Credit Club including free credit report 0% balance transfers Compare broadband deals MSE Compare+ Car Insurance Best bank accounts Top savings accounts Credit cards for bad credit Credit Card Eligibility Calculator Loans Eligibility Calculator Mortgage comparison Compare travel money Cheap Energy Club Best Sim-only deals

Black Friday Week Telecoms Deals, including Broadband: Fast 264Mb £17/mth Sims: Get 50GB data for £4/mth Mobiles: iPhone 16 £35/mth Martin: Batten down the hatches, it's Black Friday week. Expect promised discounts & promos shoved at you from every angle. We've full Black Friday retail offers analysis below to split the deals from the duds, yet that's all about whether you want to, or should, spend. So I'm leading with our broadband & Sim Black Friday deals analysis as here, if they stack up - and they do - they're genuine cost-savers. Many can slash what they're paying now and get far faster speeds or more data. Then to complete the circle, we've the best handset deals too, though don't be persuaded to spend just because it's a temporary discount - only do it if you planned to anyway. The 'improvements' on the latest models are often only iterative, not revolutionary. So, on to the meat of this - below the team and I take you through the best on offer... Black Friday deals can change at speed: If any of the deals below do change (or are beaten), the link will take you through to the latest info, so may differ slightly from what you click. Broadband Deals: Some of the cheapest rates of 2024 so far Most people pay £500 to £700 a year (£40 to £60/mth) for speeds that are less of a blur, more of a blah. Instead, barring a hyper-speed connection, most needn't pay over £30/mth. Provided you're out of contract, as seven million are, it's easy to ditch, switch & save. As always, the best deals are short-lived switchers' promos via comparison sites (if firms offer cheap prices direct, then they have to match them for existing customers). We amalgamate them all in our broadband comparison tool - here are some highlights: Newbies' broadband deals Postcode-dependent, so links go via our broadband finder tool Deal & equivalent cost (1) Analysis Ends Mon (2 Dec). Virgin 264Mb broadband-only '£17.06/mth' MSE Blagged 18mth contract. Very cheap for very fast. You pay £24/mth and get an AUTOMATIC £125 bill credit on your first bill, so there's nowt to pay for 5mths. Factor that in over the 18mth contract and it's equivalent to £17.06/mth. Available to 60% of homes. Customer service score: 4.9/10 (OK) (2) Ends Thu. Vodafone 150Mb broadband & line '£18.17/mth' 24mth contract. Cheap 100Mb+ with decent service. You pay £24/mth and can CLAIM (don't forget) a £140 voucher (for Amazon, M&S, Tesco, or Sainsbury's) within 4mths. So factor in the voucher value and it's equivalent to £18.17/mth over the 2yr contract. Available to 60% of homes. Customer service score: 6.1/10 (OK) (2)  Ends Thu. Vodafone 500Mb broadband & line '£24.55/mth' 24mth contract. Cheapest blisteringly fast 500Mb fibre. You pay £28.50/mth and can CLAIM (don't forget) a £95 voucher (for Amazon, M&S, Tesco, or Sainsbury's) within 4mths. So factor in the voucher value and it's equivalent to £24.55/mth over the 2yr contract. Available to 60% of homes. Customer service score: 6.1/10 (OK) (2) Virgin 1,130Mb broadband-only '£29.16/mth' 18mth contract. Cheapest blisteringly fast 1,000Mb+ deal. This Virgin deal is nowt for the first 3mths, then £34.99/mth, meaning it's equivalent to £29.16/mth over the 18mth contract. Available to 60% of homes. Customer service score: 4.9/10 (OK) (2) In London, or big UK urban areas?  A host of smaller alt-net providers offer local deals which can undercut the big ones above. Use our cheap broadband tool to check whether they're available for your postcode. These include... - Hyperoptic 158Mb, equivalent to £13.83/mth - Community Fibre 150Mb, equivalent to £15.29/mth - Community Fibre 550Mb, equivalent to £16.05/mth - Gigaclear 200Mb, £17/mth On Universal Credit or similar benefits? Try a social tariff. Many providers offer special discounted social broadband tariffs, which give long-term cheap prices of usually £13/mth to £20/mth for 30Mb+. Add your postcode via the link above and, within your search results, you'll see the social tariffs local to you. (1) For 'equivalent costs' we add all costs, deduct promo credits and average over the contract so you can compare easily. (2) Broadband service ratings tend to be worse than other sectors, so all scores are lower. See our broadband service poll results page. Quick tips for switching broadband... Slow broadband? Before switching, test your speed - is it the Wi-Fi or the connection? Do a speed check - first via Wi-Fi, then by plugging your device into the router (if you can). If Wi-Fi's a lot slower, try our speed-boosters. New 'One Touch' Switching makes it easier. This means your new firm should sort the whole switch for you, so you don't need to contact your existing provider. Want to stay where you are? Use the prices above and haggle. There are huge success rates for haggling with firms when out of contract - our Broadband haggling guide takes you through it step-by-step. Switching usually only means max two hours' downtime. You're told the switch time, and most don't need an engineer to set it up (unless moving to or from Virgin). Most of the fast deals above are 'fibre to the premises', where you have a fibre cable fitted to bring the connection into your home too - if so, someone may need to look at your home's exterior (but they don't usually need to come in, so you don't have to be there). At least 50% of customers must get the advertised speeds at peak times. Plus, all bigger providers must also indicate your estimated minimum speed before you apply. Cashback site members may be able to undercut deals. In some cases, the cashback can mean these sites undercut promos elsewhere, though sometimes the deal differs - so check carefully. More in Top cashback sites. Cheap Sims: Slash mobile costs Unlimited UK calls, texts & 50GB data £4/mth A Sim is the chip in the back of your phone that gives it its identity and sets the tariff you're charged. So you can keep your handset, keep your signal, but just pay far less, as prices have plummeted. 1. Text 'INFO' for free to 85075 to see whether you're out of contract. 14m people are, and thus free to switch. This scheme from regulator Ofcom forces firms to reply (a few ask for your date of birth to validate it's you), unless you've a multi-phone contract. In which case, as a rule of thumb, if you've been on the same tariff for over two years, you're likely out of contract. 2. Out of contract and paying over £5/mth? Switch Sim & save. Right now you can get 100GB data for the equivalent of £5/mth - that easily covers most people's data use, so just use our Cheap Sim Finder to find the right deal for you. If you need to update your handset too, see best handset deals. And if you're unsure of your data use, try our Data Calc. Here are tariff highlights: - iD Mobile (on Three's signal) 30GB/mth for '£3.59/mth' - TalkMobile (on Vodafone's signal) 50GB/mth for '£3.95/mth' - iD Mobile (on Three's signal) 100GB/mth for '£4.80/mth' - Smarty (on Three's signal) Unlimited data for '£10/mth' All these are short-lived promo deals, where you get a voucher or credit, which we factor into the cost over 12mths. They're explained in detail when you click the links. A few people's phones are locked, in which case your existing network must unlock it for free. Not switching because you want to keep your signal? There are only four networks in the UK: Vodafone, Three, EE and O2. All the others use one of those four networks' signals (see who piggybacks on who). Our Cheap Sim Finder tool lets you filter by network to find the cheapest deal on that signal, and get roaming info too. Savings here are nifty, as Kathryn emailed: "Using your info, I changed from a £12/mth Sim contract to Lebara which is currently 99p/mth [a saving of £132/yr]. Thank you and keep up the good work." 3. To keep your number, text 'PAC' to 65075. Then you get a 'Porting Authorisation Code' you can send to your new provider, which'll transfer your number over, usually in one working day (it also tends to mean your existing firm will try to give you a better deal to keep you - if you want that, see our Mobile haggling guide). Hot Handset Deals:  iPhone 16 '£34/mth' and Samsung S24 '£25/mth' Most people don't need a new handset - it's a luxury item, not a necessity - so first check whether a Sim switch would do it for you. Yet if you're all set on some shiny new tech, let's ensure you get the cheapest price. The table below takes you through some of the most popular handsets, but you can also deep dive in our tool to 1) Find me a phone, which picks the cheapest phone based on your need; 2) Find the best phone & deal within my budget; 3) Cheapest handset tool finds the cheapest deal for each type. Cheapest hot handset deals All unlimited mins and texts & all MSE Blagged (as we've negotiated deals undercutting market leaders) Cheapest new iPhones New. iPhone 16 (128GB) released 2024 iD Mobile 10GB data (via Carphone Warehouse) Total £824 over 2yr contract  - Pay £119 upfront - Then it's £29.99/mth - CLAIM a £15 Amazon voucher The handset alone would cost £799 from Apple New. iPhone 15 (128GB) released 2023 Vodafone 550GB data  (via Fonehouse) Total £705 over 2yr contract - Pay £9 upfront - Then £29/mth The handset alone would cost £699 from Apple Cheapest new Samsungs Ends Mon (2 Dec).  Samsung Galaxy S24 (128GB) released 2024 iD Mobile 500GB data (via Mobiles.co.uk) Total £599 over 2yr contract - Pay £9 upfront - Then £24.99/mth - CLAIM £10 Currys / Just Eat / Uber Eats voucher The handset alone would cost £599 via Samsung Cheapest new Google Pixels Ends Mon (2 Dec). Pixel 9 (128GB) released 2024 iD Mobile 500GB (via Mobiles.co.uk) Total £461 over 2yr contract - Pay £9 upfront - Then £22.99/mth  - CLAIM a £100 Currys voucher The handset alone would cost £699 from Google The firms mentioned are resellers, but we only look at big ones with generally decent feedback. Your contract is with the network, so it's responsible for the tariff. Your handset consumer rights are with the reseller. Need a new handset? Why not get a refurbished one for less... Top-grade refurbished models are often just returned from customers who have changed their mind, but they can be far cheaper than buying new, eg: - iPhone 14 (released 2022), 'pristine' condition: £403 - Samsung S23 (released 2023), 'pristine' condition: £390 - Google Pixel 7(released 2022), 'pristine' condition: £220 Though stock is often limited, so it's best to head to our handset comparison tool, which lets you filter on refurbished phones so you can compare refurbs against new phones to find the cheapest way to get one.

 

 

DON'T believe the fake 'Martin Lewis' or 'MSE' ads Lots of scam ads litter social media and even newspaper websites - some of these lie that we or Martin promote Bitcoin, binary trading etc. See Fake ads warning.

 

 

 

Don't leave credit-card debt to fester over Christmas - take 2mins to sort it now! New. Longest GUARANTEED 0% debt shift, so all accepted get the full 29mths 0%, and it has a lower fee too If you're paying interest on existing credit or store card debt, you can't afford not to check out whether you can cut the cost. Many might leave it now to sort in the New Year, but that's a mistake - it means the debt keeps compounding and things get worse, especially if you're borrowing more on top too. Fortuitously, the balance transfer market has been improving over the last few weeks, which opens a window to make it easier or better to sort it.  A balance transfer is where you get a new card that pays off debt on existing credit & store cards for you - so you now owe it instead, but at 0% interest for a set period. That way, more of your repayments go towards the debt rather than just interest. Three tips first... 1. Apply via an eligibility calc to protect your ability to access credit. Ours will show which cards you're most likely to get. 2. Go for the lowest fee within a 0% period long enough to clear your debt. Generally, the longer the balance transfer, the bigger the one-off fee you pay. So if you can clear quicker, aim to minimise fees. Unsure? Play safe & go long. 3. Usually rejected when you apply? MSE's free Credit Club (available via the MSE App on Apple | Android) can analyse the problem, plus you can also access our eligibility calc from there, to see which cards you can get. Top-pick newbies' 0% balance transfers (ordered by length) Some of these give all accepted customers the full 0% length - but Barclaycard, HSBC, M&S and NatWest are 'up to' cards.  Barclaycard. Link goes via eligibility or apply direct* - Up to 30mths 0% - 3.45% fee - 24.9% rep APR after Joint longest 0% ... yet it's an 'up to' card. Good lengthy time to repay & lower fee compared with the card below. If you're 'pre-approved' in our eligibility calc you'll get the full 30mths - if not, it could be 15. HSBC. Link goes via eligibility or apply direct* - Up to 30mths 0% - 3.49% fee (min £5) - 24.9% rep APR after Joint longest 0% ... yet it's an 'up to' card with a tad higher fee. Similar to Barclaycard, if pre-approved via our eligibility calc you'll get the full 30mths (so if you can get this & not Barclaycard, it's a winner). If not, it could be 26 or 14mths. New. Winner for many. Tesco Bank. Link goes via eligibility (1) - 29mths 0% - 2.95% fee - 24.9% rep APR after Longest guaranteed-length 0% and a lower fee. Many are pre-approved via our eligibility calc. If you're not, and you've decent acceptance odds, then you know if you do get it, you will definitely get the full 29mths 0%. So it's a strong choice, plus the fee is lower. M&S Bank. Link goes via eligibility or apply direct* - Up to 27mths 0% - 3.49% fee (min £5) - £30 M&S voucher if transferring £1,000+ - 24.9% rep APR after Strong deal if transferring £1,000+ ... yet it's an 'up to' card. Those who shift £1,000 or more of debt get a £30 M&S voucher they can use on food, clothes etc. If you'd have spent that anyway this essentially reduces the 3.49% fee you pay. So it can be a winner for many. If you're pre-approved via our eligibility calc you'll get the full 27mths - if not, it could be 20mths. New. Tesco Bank. Link goes via eligibility (1) - 18mths 0% - 0.99% fee - 24.9% rep APR after Far lower fee if you can repay quicker and guaranteed-length 0%. For those who can repay a bit quicker, this has a much lower fee, just £10 per £1,000 shifted, which is substantially cheaper than the long cards. All accepted get the full 18mths. NatWest. Link goes via eligibility (1) - Up to 12mths 0% - NO FEE - 24.9% rep APR after Longest NO FEE 0% card ... yet it's an 'up to'. Until recently, all accepted got 13mths 0% - now it's shifted to an 'up to' deal & gives accepted new cardholders 12 or 10mths. Still, if you can repay within that time, it's a winner. One bright spark - via our eligibility calc if you're pre-approved you'll be told which length you'll get before applying (so unlike other cards, here you get accepted or rejected - there are no odds). (1) Tesco Bank and NatWest have asked us to send people via eligibility, not direct. ALWAYS follow the Balance Transfer Golden Rules: a) Never miss the minimum monthly repayment, or you could lose the 0% deal and it'll cost far more. b) Aim to clear the card (or balance-transfer again) before the 0% ends, or the rate rockets to the higher APR. c) Don't spend or withdraw cash. It usually isn't at the cheap rate & withdrawals may hit your ability to access credit. d) If you don't transfer at application, you've usually only 60 to 90 days to get the 0%. Do check your card's terms. Quick balance transfer FAQs (click links for Martin's answers) Q. Is it worth applying if my eligibility odds are low? | Q. What if my credit limit isn't big enough? | Q. Can I shift debt to existing cards too? | Q. Should I try to pay off my biggest debt first? SPOILER: NO. Full help and info, including options for poorer credit scorers, in Best balance transfers.

 

BLACK FRIDAY week LIVE deals analysis... The MSE Deals team will help you sort the bargains from the bull in our constantly moving live Black Friday analysis. Check via retailer: Amazon | Boots | Argos | Currys | John Lewis | M&S | Adidas | Nike | Apple | H&M | Related: Watch Martin's video on when's the optimum time to buy. New. Fix energy bills for 18mths at 9% LESS than the new Jan Price Cap. On Fri it was announced that the new Jan Energy Price Cap would rise 1.2%, and it's not expected to drop much in 2025. This makes a cheap fix the no-brainer option. Currently you can fix for 18mths at 8.9% less than the Jan Cap (7.8% under current Cap). As your cheapest depends on location & pay method, use our Cheap Energy Club comparison - which is whole-of-market by default - to find your winner. Martin: Will they cut energy standing charges? Many expected Friday's Price Cap announcement to include results of regulator Ofgem's standing charges consultation. It didn't. Yet Martin thinks it'll be announced within weeks, though it may not be good news... read Martin's new blog on whether standing charges will be cut. Ends Thu. Extra 20% off Kärcher code, eg, £110 window vac £64. MSE Blagged. It's already lowered some prices (& won't be reducing further for Black Fri), but our early-access code gets an extra 20% off, even if already-reduced. Kärcher The Scams Epidemic: A BBC Martin Lewis Podcast Special. How devious, psychologically-adept criminals are coming for your money, with no regulations to stop them - how to protect yourself! Martin meets Des, the victim of a £75,000 scam that used a deepfake of Martin, and they analyse step-by-step how he was dragged in. Then it's on to questioning regulator Ofcom, the police and bank bosses over the UK's non-existent regulations, and why so few are arrested. A must-listen via Spotify | Apple | BBC Sounds or wherever you get your pod fix. Interrail 25% off Black Friday sale - unlimited travel on European trains & some ferries. Its strongest sale this year - eg, 7-day pass as low as £182, works on multi- and many single-country passes till Oct/Nov 2025. Interrail sale Free letters from Santa. He has elves stationed at the Post Office, RNIB and NSPCC ready to help him get replies to children. Full info in free letters from Father Christmas. Totally FREE National Trust family pass (normally £30ish). Excl Scotland sites. 30,000 available. National Trust Free cash for Christmas: five banks speedily pay switchers £150+. See last week's bank bonanza rundown. £10 to £60 London theatre tickets across 2025: Wicked, Les Mis, Mean Girls, Starlight Express & more. Once only for Jan/Feb shows, now it's across the year. London theatre tickets The Martin Lewis Money Show LIVE, ITV1, 8pm tonight (Tue). Martin: "Tonight it's a potpourri of fiscal facts - we'll be talking how to save for your first home: Lifetime ISAs or Help to Buy. Plus, the 1m ill or disabled pensioners missing out on Pension Credit. There's the Energy Price Cap rise and lots more. If you've a question on these or anything, ask via #MartinLewis on X (Twitter). Do watch or at least set the VHS."

 

 

BLAGGED FOR MSE - Virgin 264Mb broadband & line '£17/mth' Ends Mon 2 Dec - Extra 20% off Kärcher Ends Thu 28 Nov - Hot Diamonds up to 50% off Ends Tue 3 Dec - Topcashback £30 cashback on £5+ spend 15,000 available	DID YOU MISS? - £280 Ninja air fryer £140 with code - Amazon's Black Friday sale has ALREADY started - Martin's last pod:  Who are Premium Bonds good for? - £93 of No7 beauty & skincare £39

 

 

Disabled or ill and State Pension age? (You, or someone you know) Martin: It's likely over 1 million are missing out on NON-MEANS-TESTED daily living help worth a min £3,800/yr 'I never thought I'd qualify [for Attendance Allowance], but I do. I got £1,260 backdated and £290 every four weeks. Thanks for all your work' Financial support for many pensioners has been cut this year with the means-testing of Winter Fuel Payments, making it even more important that those who need help get it. Roughly a year ago, we launched our Attendance Allowance (AA) guide and awareness campaign, and successes have flooded in since. Yet it still remains massively underclaimed, and the risk is up to 1.1 million eligible pensioners miss out, according to Policy in Practice's 2023 calculations. So whether it's you, or someone you know who may qualify, take two minutes to read this. Last week, Andrea sent us this email... "Following your advice re: Attendance Allowance, I submitted my application in June and within 2 weeks I was thrilled when I received a £1,259 lump sum backdated 3 months. I now get £290 every four weeks, which helps to pay for my mobility needs. I do not have extreme needs, so never thought I'd qualify, but I do. Thanks for all your work." AA isn't means-tested - it's for state pensioners who need some daily living help. With AA, your finances are irrelevant. To get it, you must be of State Pension age (currently at least 66). There's no specific conditions list. It can be a mental or physical disability/illness, what counts is its impact on you. You must've needed either help or supervision for six consecutive months (even if you didn't get it)... - Help means: Assistance with daily living / bodily functions, eg, washing and eating, so even if you don't think of yourself as disabled, you may be eligible - it's worth clicking the link to read the detailed definitions. - Supervision means: Someone to watch you to avoid danger to yourself or others. - It's common for those with Parkinson's, dementia, terminal illness, blindness, learning difficulties and more. Want to help someone else claim it? You can apply on someone's behalf too. If you're looking after someone who meets the criteria, you can apply for them as long as they can sign the form (or you've Power of Attorney to sign).   The minimum you get is the lower rate of £73 a week - that's £3,778 a year. - Need help during the day OR night? You get the LOWER rate of £73/wk (£3,778/yr). - Need help during BOTH the day and night? You get the HIGHER rate of £109/wk (£5,644/yr). - Have less than 12 months to live? You get the HIGHER rate of £109/wk (£5,644/yr).   How you apply matters... It's best to call up and request an application form, as then claims are backdated to the day of that request (do it online and there's no backdating). When applying, do have your National Insurance number, GP prescriptions and hospital records handy, and fill in the form with as much detail as possible. Applying can be tricky, but there are organisations you can call for help, most people get it without needing to attend an assessment. Do read our full help to apply for Attendance Allowance, including how to appeal if rejected, and let us know how you do. Warning. Beware if you get Personal Independence Payment (PIP) or Disability Living Allowance (DLA). Both PIP and DLA are usually worth at least as much as, and often more than, AA and you can't get both. See our AA clashing benefits help. If you're not sure, get free benefits adviser help before doing owt if you're on these. Attendance Allowance may unlock access to £1,000s of other extra help. AA is often the key to eligibility or an indicator you may be due other help, including... - YOU WILL qualify for a Disabled Person's Railcard. Costs £20, and gets you & a companion 1/3 off rail travel. - YOU MAY be accepted for a blue badge to park in places others can't, often for free, but it's council by council. - YOU MAY get Council Tax help with the horrible-sounding severe mental impairment (SMI) discount, which can mean 25% off for some or 100% off for those who live alone (or with someone else with an SMI). - LOW INCOME? You may also get up to £81/wk extra Pension Credit, or up to £416/mth extra Universal Credit. - HAVE A CARER? If someone close to you looks after you unpaid for 20 to 35 hours a week, your AA may mean they get Carer's Credit. If they do over 35 hours a week on low pay, then they may get paid Carer's Allowance, though how this interacts with AA is complex - see Carer's Allowance with Attendance Allowance help. - LIVE-IN CARER? If you live with someone who cares for you, you may be entitled to a Council Tax discount.

 

Pay £10 for a new £400 Apple Watch 10, plus get 50% off gyms, via private medical insurance trick. If you're a young(ish) regular gym-goer, you need to see our Vitality Apple Watch trick from last week. Ends Sat. Tesco shopper? Last chance to use/extend £18m of expiring Clubcard vouchers. See Tesco alert. Hot Diamonds 40% off full-price code & 50% off reduced outlet items code. MSE Blagged. Alongside free delivery code - and yes, you can stack all three codes together. Hot Diamonds Premium Bond prize rate to fall to 4% in Jan - are they worth it? See Premium Bonds analysis. 1.8 million have now downloaded the MSE App - try it today. It's the MSE site in app-form, plus MoneySaving alerts, easy Credit Club access, bill tracking and more. Download free for Apple or Android. Leaseholders set to wait even longer for crucial reforms. Long-awaited measures on lease extensions, service charges and more have been delayed. For the latest, and your options, see leasehold reform update. Martin's New Pod: How to boost your savings now interest rates are dropping | Is Black Friday about deals or duds? | Acts of financial kindness (restores your faith in humanity). These and more in the new Martin Lewis Podcast (which is separate from the special scams one above). Listen via BBC Sounds | Spotify | Apple or wherever you get your Martin fix. New. Extra £30 cashback when you spend £5+ online. MSE Blagged. Topcashback newbies can bag an extra £30 cashback, our biggest cashback site bonus so far this year, by signing up via our link and spending £5+ via it. Topcashback Deck the halls for much less lolly. If you're doing your Christmas decorations soon, take inspiration from the MSE team's DIY wreaths, cards, baubles and more, made out of scavenged, recycled (and often free) materials. Homemade decs

 

 

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AT A GLANCE BEST BUYS 0% balance transfers Longest 0%: Barclaycard (check eligibility / apply*) up to 30mths 0%, 3.45% fee, 24.9% rep APR No-fee 0%: NatWest (check eligibility, NatWest's asked us to link only to our eligibility calc) up to 12mths 0%, 24.9% rep APR Best bank accounts Free £180 + £36/yr cashback: NatWest Reward Free £200 + perks: Club Lloyds Broadband top picks Fast fibre (100Mb+): Virgin '£17.06/mth' Superfast fibre (500Mb+): Vodafone '£24.55/mth' On Universal Credit or similar? Check all discounted social tariffs Car insurance Try our Compare+ Car Insurance tool Cheap loans Cheapest for £5,000 to £7,499: Santander (check eligibility / apply*), 7.2% rep APR Cheapest for £7,500 to £15,000: Tesco Bank (check eligibility / apply*), 6.1% rep APR (for Clubcard holders) Top savings accounts Top cash ISA: Plum, app-only – 5.18%, min £100 Top standard easy-access: Monument 4.81%, min £25,000 Top one-year fix: SmartSave 4.76%, min £10,000 Top energy deals Try our relaunched Cheap Energy Club Cheap Sims Up to 3GB data: Lebara, '£2.83/mth' for 3GB 4GB to 9GB data: Lebara, '£3.13/mth' for 5GB 10GB to 30GB data: iD Mobile, '£3.59/mth' for 30GB 31GB+ data: iD Mobile, '£4.80/mth' for 100GB

 

THIS WEEK'S POLL Have you haggled on the high street? Haggling isn't just for call centres and market stalls, some even do it at high street chains. If you have, have you succeeded? Whether it's asking 'em to throw in some extras or negotiating a discount - let us know. Vote in this week's poll. Nine in 10 MoneySavers have car breakdown cover (well done) and over 60% bought it as a standalone policy. Last week, we asked whether you have car breakdown cover and, if so, where you bought it and who with. More than 5,000 of you responded. Of the 90% who have cover, almost a quarter (24%) are with the AA, followed by a fifth (19%) who are with RAC. The vast majority (65%) are paying less than £99/yr for their policy. See full car breakdown cover poll results.

 

 

MSE NEWS - Top story: NatWest reduces the amount of time mortgage-holders have to lock in new rates

 

 

MONEY MORAL DILEMMA Should we sign our child up to a free book scheme when we can easily afford books? A well-known children's book charity scheme now covers where we live and each month, any child enrolled in it receives a high-quality, age-appropriate book free of charge until age five. Our household income is three times the UK average and we can easily afford to provide books for our child. With that in mind, do you think it's acceptable for us to sign up to the scheme or should we avoid using its limited resources? Enter the Money Moral Maze: Should our child get free books? | Suggest a Money Moral Dilemma (MMD) | View past MMDs

 

Some Advent competitions... - Win daily prizes from the Royal Mint - Win furniture from DFS - Win prizes from Kent venues and attractions ... from the MSE Forum comps board - Win Swarovski jewellery and Christmas ornaments - Win dog accessories and other canine goodies - Win a trip to Vienna

 

 

MARTIN'S BLOG - Will energy standing charges be cut?	MSE TEAM BLOG - MSE Forum highlights: Allotments, chess sets & cutting food spending

 

 

MARTIN'S APPEARANCES (TUE 26 NOV ONWARDS) Tue 26 Nov - The Martin Lewis Money Show Live, ITV1, 8pm Wed 27 Nov - Peston, ITV1, 10.45pm Thu 28 Nov - Ask Martin Lewis, BBC Radio 5 Live, midday Tue 3 Dec - This Morning, phone-in, ITV1, 10.20am

 

 

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