5% cash ISA, Easyjet super-cheap summer '26 flights, Top Tesco Trick!, £11/mth broadband, 16 last-ditch holiday checks, new FREE Barclays £175

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15 July 2025 | View in browser

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THE TOP TIPS IN THIS EMAIL Last-ditch TRAVEL CHECKLIST: Save £100s & avoid panic stations... - 2x crucial passport checks - Cheap travel insurance - DO IT NOW - Beat the car hire trap... - Save big on airport parking  - Cheapest way to spend abroad Martin: Cash ISA reprieve... EARN 5% £4,000/yr help for disabled/ill pensioners New. Rare FREE £175 Top Tesco Trick! Turn '£5' into '£20' New. £11/mth for 158Mb broadband Heads up. Super-cheap Easyjet flights Martin vid: Car finance warning £248 beauty box £30 New NHS/emergency worker discounts Summer hol kids' freebies & cheapies Martin: The secret to haggling... Sat only. FREE Lego Update: Got 'do not drive' Citroen or DS? Urgent. Child get free school meals? 'We got £2.5k Council Tax refund + 50% off future bills' Can you get £200 kids' uniform help? Used an eSim on holiday? How was it? This week's best buys: 34mth 0% debt shift, 5.9% loan, Cheap Energy Club Money Moral Dilemma: How do I tell my neighbours I can't afford new fence? 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

Going abroad this summer? Your 16 point last-ditch TRAVEL CHECKLIST to save £100s & avoid panic stations... Passport & GHIC checks, travel insurance, beat the car hire trap, airport parking, cheapest way to spend abroad & more School's now out (or soon will be) across all of the UK, with millions due to head abroad in the next few weeks. So, without further ado, here's our crucial last-minute checklist, to save you stress and hassle. We've done it in order of panic, first things that would stop you going, then those that may (financially) ruin your trip, and finishing with some costly but easily avoidable inconveniences... 1. THE PASSPORT CHECK: Don't risk being turned away at boarding or passport control. There are two checks you should make. But even if you pass them, if you're not far from failing - with seemingly increased border control rigidity - it may be safer to get a new passport (you should allow "up to three weeks" to renew, says the Passport Office). Check now that, on the DAY YOU ENTER THE COUNTRY, for all passports in your party... a) Will there be at least 6mths left (3mths for the EU)? b) Even if so, will your passport be less than 10 years old? If you said no to EITHER, check our country-by-country UK passport rules to ensure you won't be sent back. And if needed, see our full help in cheapest & speediest UK passport renewals. 2. USA BOUND OR JUST PASSING THROUGH? You'll need an ESTA or risk being denied boarding. There's heightened security at the border, due to a pushback on immigration, so carefully ensure your travel docs are in order. See our Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) guide, which'll also show you how to avoid scam links in search results that overcharge. 3. BOOKED BUT NOT GOT TRAVEL INSURANCE YET? DO IT NOW! Martin's been yelling 'get travel insurance ASAB' (As Soon As you Book) for years. Yet still too many excitedly book their holiday, then leave insurance till the last minute. That's a mistake - half the cover's value is protecting you BEFORE you go, in case something stops you going. So if you've booked and not got cover, do it right NOW! As Martin says: "Every year, a few people contact me after something awful, such as a cancer diagnosis that needs chemo, but the airline or hotel won't refund them (they don't have to). I tell them: 'That's what insurance is for, speak to your insurer'. But if they haven't got it yet, no matter how horrid the circumstances, there's nothing that can be done. Don't be that person." Here are our cheapest no-frills, Financial Conduct Authority-regulated options that we can find meeting our minimum cover levels, judged purely on price NOT feedback, for those not too fussed about extras or add-ons, and who just see it as a backstop. If you want stronger cover and feedback, go to our Travel Insurance Finder tool, which includes costlier but fuller options. Cheapest ANNUAL travel insurance policies. If you'll go abroad at least twice a year, even just for weekends, annual cover usually works out cheapest. It covers virtually all trips away, though often has a duration limit of a max 30 days per trip (you can oft pay more to extend this). The exact price depends on age & circumstances, so we give the four cheapest options - check at least a couple. For those under age 66 From £9 for individuals in Europe and starting at £93 for a family worldwide (where all of the party are aged under 66). Check Coverwise (Bronze)*, Admiral* (use discount code MSE15), Leisure Guard Flexi (Bronze) and Urban Jungle (Basic)*. Full info: Cheap travel insurance. For over-65s Costs rocket with age, so we've put a lot of work into our Over-65s' travel insurance guide. Yet briefly, annual prices are from £36 if you're aged 66, and £106 if you're aged 76. Check Admiral* (use discount code MSE15), Urban Jungle (Basic)*, Leisure Guard Flexi (Bronze) and Saga (Standard)*. Couples' policies are available too. Family policies are trickier, unless you've a child aged under 18 (or in full-time education) at home. Cheapest SINGLE-TRIP policies. For those who just want to cover one trip (or may need specialist cover for it), enter the dates you're travelling, even if months ahead, and you'll be covered for cancellation from the moment you pay. For those under age 66 For a week, from £7 for individuals in Europe, or from £63 for a family worldwide. Check Coverwise (Bronze)*, A to Z Insurance (Essential), Admiral* (use discount code MSE15) and Leisure Guard Flexi (Bronze). For over-65s Again, it's best to go to our Over-65s' travel insurance guide, as it's age dependent, but it can be from £21/wk for an individual in Europe (£66 worldwide). Check A to Z Insurance (Essential), Admiral* (use discount code MSE15), Leisure Guard Flexi (Bronze) and Coverwise (Bronze)*. Got pre-existing conditions? If you currently have, or have had, a physical or mental health condition, you'll usually need to declare it to the travel insurer. In some cases, it changes nothing. In others, it may hugely increase costs, or the provider may simply refuse to cover you (either entirely or for the specific condition). There are many variables that we can't summarise easily, so jump to our Top pre-existing medical conditions travel insurance guide. What counts as having travel insurance (ASAB)? - With single-trip policies: You pay for insurance to cover a specific trip away (eg, 10 to 17 August) and then are covered for cancellation leading up to it. So the key here is paying for the insurance - once you do the cover is in place, so if something happens before then to stop you going away, you should be covered. - With annual policies: If you don't have any other cover, you need the start date to be the time you book the holiday (or as soon after as possible), NOT the date you're going on holiday. Otherwise, if something happens before the holiday start date, you won't be covered. If you've already got annual cover but your holiday is after the cover ends, get another policy to start as soon as it finishes. (Most policies will cover you if something happens to a booked holiday which is after your renewal date, as long as you renew or take out a new policy so, crucially, there's no break in cover. But a few insurers don't, so check.) 4. GOING TO THE EU? Ensure you've a valid FREE EHIC/GHIC - 1.9m expire this year. These cards are a valuable addition to travel insurance and give access to state-run hospitals or GPs in EU countries for the same price as a local. So if they don't pay, you don't pay. Yet check your card, as almost two million expire this year. If it shows it's no longer valid, you'll need a new one, now called a Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC). It gives the same coverage as a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). The card should ALWAYS be free - never pay to get a GHIC. And beware shyster sites trying to charge you for 'fast tracks' or other fake nonsense. See how to safely get a free GHIC. PS: If you're already away and don't have a valid GHIC, there is an emergency NHS Provisional Replacement Certificate you can use instead. 5. BOOKED CAR HIRE? Prep to beat the insurance hard-sell at pick-up. If you need car hire and haven't booked it yet, do it sooner - see our cheapest holiday car hire guide for all the top deals. If you have booked, do understand car hire should include basic insurance, yet at the pick-up desk, they almost always try to push 'excess cover' costing up to £25/day so you won't have to pay the excess. They may even tell you scare stories of huge bills for just a scratch, and some even try to make you think it's mandatory. Instead, get cheap standalone 'excess' insurance in advance that does a similar job for just £2/day. Yet even with it, they'll try to put you off, tell you it doesn't work, or try to make you jump through hoops, so be prepared to... - Leave a refundable deposit of possibly £1,000+ on a credit card, specifically a credit card, as often debit cards aren't accepted. - It usually needs to be in the name of the person who booked (though some are the main driver). If not, they won't accept it, so check first. It's also why it's safest for the driver to be the one who books it (as long as they've got a credit card). 6. PARKING AT THE AIRPORT? Book ahead... even if it's on the day. Turn up at Manchester Airport without a booking tomorrow (Wed), and it'll cost you £430/wk to park there, but we found official parking today (Tue) via a comparison site from just £69/wk. Even if you book on the way to the airport, it can be cheaper, but generally the earlier you do it, the better the deal. See how much you can save with our Blagged comparison site discounts (bear in mind the biggest discount doesn't automatically mean the best price): SkyParkSecure 7%-53% off* | FHR 5%-51% off* | Holiday Extras 10%-50% off* | APH 16%-20% off*. For more options and top tips, pull in at Cheap airport parking. 7. CHEAPEST WAY TO SPEND ABROAD: Use the right plastic for the best rates for euros, dollars, dong & more. Spend on your plastic abroad and banks get a virtually perfect exchange rate for that moment, but most add up to 3%-ish non-sterling exchange fees on top of what we pay. So £100 worth of euros costs you £103, and others whack more fees on too. Yet top specialist overseas cards don't add this fee, so you get the same near-perfect, bureaux-beating exchange rates as the banks. Our 3 top-pick overseas spending cards All give near-perfect exchange rates in every country Best overall Barclaycard Rewards Visa CREDIT card Easier to get  Chase* Mastercard DEBIT card via app (no bank switch needed) If you'll switch bank  First Direct* Mastercard DEBIT card via its top-for-service current account Cashback on spending abroad? ✓ Yes, 0.5% on almost all overseas & UK spends until 30 Nov (0.25% after) (1) No ✓ No, but YES. No cashback on spending abroad, but new customers who switch bank to it get a FREE £175 (see top bank accounts below) Can you get it without a hard credit-check? No, though our eligibility calc shows your odds of acceptance ✓ Yes (it's a soft credit-check just for ID purposes, it doesn't impact your credit file, so most can get it) No Interest-free SPENDING & ATM withdrawals? ✓ Yes, if paid IN FULL monthly (avoid if not, as it's 29% rep APR interest) ✓ Yes (as it's a debit card, and there's no overdraft facility) ✓ Yes (as it's a debit card, unless you go over the interest-free overdraft) Fee-free ATM cash? (Individual ATMs may charge) ✓ Yes, up to £500/day ✓ Yes, but just up to £1,500/mth ✓ Yes, up to £500/day Does it have Section 75 protection? ✓ Yes, full Section 75 protection No, though it has lesser chargeback protection No, though it has lesser chargeback protection (1) The Virgin credit card pays a higher 1% cashback, but it only lasts 3mths and the card has high charges for overseas ATM withdrawals. If you've another top card, whether it's worth switching is questionable. These include Club Lloyds, Halifax Clarity, Monzo, some Nationwide debit cards, some NatWest credit cards, some Santander cards, Starling and some Virgin Money credit cards - the above beats them due to the cashback/perks, but it's marginal. Full options in Top overseas cards. Which is YOUR winner? It's quite a clear-cut choice right now... - Willing to switch your current account? First Direct* wins as it's fee-free, pays switchers £175, is top-rated for service, has a linked 7% regular savings account & many get a £250 0% overdraft. We went for that as it's fee-free, but there is another strong contender. The Santander Edge* bank account currently offers £180 cash and a £25 Amazon voucher to switchers via this link. Its debit card is similar to First Direct's abroad. Yet the current account has a £3/mth fee for which you get 1% cashback on bills you pay from it up to a max £10/mth. A strong option - see top bank accounts below. - Overall best card: Barclaycard, as it's a top cashback credit card abroad and a decent one in the UK, meaning you're paid to pay (provided you pay it off IN FULL each month, preferably by Direct Debit, to avoid any interest). Plus, it's the only one you get Section 75 protection on, important if you make big purchases. - Easiest to get, with no hard credit-check: Chase, as there's only a soft credit-check, not a full one, and you needn't switch bank accounts, just open it alongside your existing bank. PS: If you want a card where you can lock in today's rate rather than the rate on the day you spend, you need the cheapest prepaid card. 8. You can INSTANTLY get a top travel card. If you've just read the above, leave tomorrow (or are reading this while on holiday abroad) and are annoyed you don't have a cheap overseas card, there is a route. The Chase* account (details above) can be set up in minutes, then you instantly get its virtual debit card within the app. You can then put this into Google Pay or Apple Pay and use it virtually straightaway. 9. IF THEY ASK 'WANT TO PAY IN POUNDS OR EUROS?' Buy things abroad on a card or take cash out, and the store or ATM will pressure you to pay in pounds. That's so they can ramp up the conversion cost and pocket extra profit. Just say non/nein/no! Always pay in the local currency - full explanation in Martin's Pay in pounds? video & blog. 10. CHEAPEST FOREIGN CASH: Speedily compare 15+ bureaux. While the top plastic beats it, if you just want a little foreign cash in your pocket for safety before you go (or you're going to a country with less card acceptance), or if it helps you budget, then our TravelMoneyMax comparison tool quickly compares 15+ bureaux, factoring in all rates & costs to find your best. 11. ROAMING OUTSIDE THE EU? There's an eSIMple way to cut costs. Your home network will charge up to £15/day for very limited data via a costly add-on - just watching TV can cost a fortune. Instead, buy cheap international eSims online (eg, £8 for 9GB USA data that lasts 30 days), which adjusts your phone's settings and temporarily routes it via another provider, so it provides your data allowance overseas. Prices differ based on your destination and the length of your trip, so as with most purchases, it's wise to compare a few providers to find the best eSim for your needs. Popular providers to try: Airalo* | Amigo* | Breeze* | Easysim* | Firsty* | GoMoWorld | Holafly | Nomad | Saily* | Vodafone*. Frustratingly, feedback on these firms is tough to come by, so we can't vouch for how good the coverage or the speeds are. Even so, don't be put off, many people rave about eSims, including Martin - read his story of trying an eSim from a couple of years ago. (Spoiler: It worked well and was far cheaper.) Plus if you've used one, do let us know about your experience. 12. THINKING OF TINKLING WHILE SWIMMING? Think again - peeing in the sea can get you a holiday fine. Wearing a willy outfit, feeding pigeons & more can also land you in hot water. Getting in trouble or getting a fine could dampen your holiday, so it's worth ensuring you know the local laws before you go abroad - see our holiday fines warning. 13. DO YOU HAVE FREE EU ROAMING? Most big networks don't, many little 'uns do. Vodafone, Three and EE all now charge £2ish/day to use your home phone & data package in the EU. O2 is the only 'big four' network to still be free. Yet many piggyback operators are free-to-EU-roam, including Lebara, Smarty and Giffgaff. With 14m of you out of contract, free to switch and often already massively overpaying, why not ditch and switch to save in the UK and in the EU? Or you can do more specific searches via our Cheap Mobile Sim Finder. If you're going away imminently, it's worth knowing Sims normally arrive within 1 to 2 days, and take 1 working day to set up with a couple of hours of downtime (if moving your existing number across). As examples of deals, currently the following all include EU roaming (and roaming in some other countries) at no extra charge: - Lebara (via Vodafone signal) - 5GB for '£2.72/mth' (includes full allowance). - iD Mobile (via Three signal) - 50GB for '£4.09/mth' (max 30GB abroad). - iD Mobile (via Three signal) - 120GB for '£5.63/mth' (max 30GB abroad). Do put a spend cap in place for when you go abroad to avoid bill shock, and use our tips for using less data. 14. REBOOK TRICK: Is hotel or car hire cheaper than when you booked? If your booking has low-cost or free cancellation, regularly check if you can get the same for less. Try using Skyscanner*, Kayak*, Carrentals* and Trivago*. If you find it cheaper, just rebook, then cancel your original booking (best to do it in that order - check you can actually really get that price before cancelling). Paul emailed us a few months back: "Booked Europcar direct in January, collecting and returning from Carcassonne Airport for one week in August - cost £609. Read your newsletter about rechecking - did so at the beginning of August. Cost £248 [a saving of £361]! Identical terms. Thanks for the heads-up." See step-by-step cancel & rebook hotels and cancel & rebook car hire help. 15. FAMILIES SIT TOGETHER FOR FREE. On BA, Virgin, Tui and more. A family of four could have to stump up £250+ to book seats to sit together on return flights. Yet read up on the rules and your rights via our airline-by-airline seating guide now, and you may be able to do it free (though even we struggle to find a way to overcome Ryanair's charges). 16. FLIGHT CANCELLATION OR DELAY: Bookmark key pages on your phone. You often have a right to £200+ per person compensation. Bookmark our Flight delay & Flight cancellation rights guides, so you can read them if it happens - many read them on the plane after their landing is delayed. Plus, you could be eligible to make a retrospective claim for a delay/cancellation in the last five or six years in light of a new court ruling...

 

 

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.

 

 

 

Martin: Cash ISA reprieve! Limit won't be cut (for now) If you haven't put money in an ISA since April, and you've got savings... EARN 5% tax-free or invest tax-free Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) are designed to encourage saving or investing, by giving you a £20,000 total allowance per tax year to do either, or both, tax-free. A cash ISA is just a savings account you never pay tax on, and currently the top easy-access cash ISAs out-pay most top normal savings. So, if you've money squirrelled away and haven't put any in an ISA since the tax year started on 6 April, it's worth a look. Yet, cash ISAs are in the news, as the Govt thinks many, especially younger people, should prioritise investment ISAs where you, usually, put money in funds (made up of a spread of shares or bonds), which will hopefully grow faster, but with a risk you may lose some money. They're not wrong - a wide spread of global investments will usually outperform savings over the long run. So, protecting yourself from tax on investment gains is a strong ISA use too. Let me take you through what's happening, top cash ISAs, and a little more on investment ISAs too. News. Cash ISAs reprieved, for now... It was widely reported that the Chancellor would announce a big cut to the cash (not investment) ISA limit in her Mansion House speech tonight (Tue). We've now been officially told it won't happen, tonight at least, but the Govt will "continue to consult". The cut was actively being planned; I've had two meetings with the Govt on it. In those meetings, the Govt stressed that the drive wasn't to raise revenue, but to encourage younger people to feel comfortable to invest, rather than save. I support that aim, but made it plain that I felt cutting the cash ISA limit was not the right, or an efficient, way to achieve it. Instead, I urged the Govt to opt for other routes, such as education and guidance, and suggested it launch a 'starter investment ISA' (the link contains far more info on all of this). In the Mansion House speech, it's reported the Chancellor will announce she wants banks to send nudge information to young savers to put money instead in shares - a good sentiment though bank-based investments tend not to be the best, so we await details.  Cash ISAs can beat normal savings, even before looking at the tax benefit Interest from cash ISAs is never taxed, and once money is in there, it stays tax-free year after year. Plus the interest DOESN'T count towards your Personal Savings Allowance (the amount of interest you can earn tax-free each tax-year from any form of savings) - it's an extra allowance on top. For more, see my how savings are taxed video. And just like normal savings, ISAs can be easy-access or fixed. Here are best-buys (rates can change rapidly so click the links at the top of the columns to check for updates)... Top cash ISAs vs normal savings (AER interest) All accounts have the full UK £85,000 savings safety protection Top cash ISAs Top normal savings Top easy-access (variable), where you can withdraw when you want. As the rate's variable it can & will change, so do monitor it and ditch & switch if it's no longer any good. Top rates for newbies (all max £20,000 for new money) - Trading 212* 4.98% for newbies (min £1) including a 1yr 0.88% bonus. For transfers, it's the 4.1% standard rate. - Plum 4.98% for newbies (min £100) including 1yr 1.69% bonus. For transfers or if you withdraw 3+ times a year, it's 3.29%. Top rate for transfers in (allows new money too) - Tembo 4.64% (app only, min £10). Top bigger name  - Leeds Building Society* 4.1% (min £1,000) - this lasts till Sept '27, when it 'matures' into a lower paying account. Top rate for newbies - Chase* 5% (min £1, max £3m), including a 1yr 2.25% newbies' bonus. You get it via its app-only current account, but you don't need to switch to do that, and it doesn't do a hard credit-check so almost anyone can get it.  Top open-to-all rate - Atom Bank* 4.75% (app only, no min, max £100k). Rate falls to 2.5% in any month that you withdraw. Top bigger names include - Cahoot (part of Santander) 4.55% (min £1, max £500k) - it lasts a year, then 'matures' into a lower paying account. - Skipton BS* 4.5% (min £1, max £50k) includes a year's 1.7% newbies' bonus.  Top fixed savings, where the interest rate is guaranteed.  To withdraw, you can close cash ISA fixes early but must pay a 90 to 365-day interest penalty. A useful get-out-of-jail-free card if you need cash in an emergency. 1yr fixes: Vanquis 4.3% (min £1k). Top bigger name: Virgin Money 4.16% (min £1). Or, if you open Hargreaves Lansdown's savings marketplace, Chetwood* 4.35%. 2yr fixes: Vanquis 4.23% (min £1k). Top bigger name: Leeds BS* 4% (min £100). 3yr fixes: UBL UK 4.22% (min £2k). Top bigger name: Leeds BS 4% (min £100). 5yr fixes: Castle Trust Bank 4.24% (min £1k). Top bigger name: Leeds BS 4% (min £100). With normal fixes, your savings are locked away without access during the term of the fix. 1yr fixes: GB Bank 4.58% (min £1k). Top bigger names: Virgin Money 4.31% (min £1) or Cahoot (part of Santander) 4.15% (min £500). 2yr fixes: DF Capital 4.44% (min £1k). Top bigger name: Cahoot (part of Santander) 4.1% (min £500). 3yr fixes: DF Capital 4.43% (min £1k). Top bigger name: Leeds BS 4% (min £100). 5yr fixes: DF Capital 4.47% (min £1k). Top bigger name: Leeds BS 4% (min £100). If you pay tax on savings interest, cash ISA fixes beat normal fixed savings. Taxpayers who earn more interest than their Personal Savings Allowance pay tax on savings interest. All the top cash ISA fixes above out-pay top normal fixes, once 20% tax is taken off them (let alone 40%). PS: With the Bank of England warning interest rates may drop more, if you don't need access to the cash, longer fixes may turn out to be the safest play right now. Already got a cash ISA? You've a right to transfer it. Check its rate compared to the best transfers (all accounts above allow transfers; I've noted if the rate differs from the headline rate). To transfer, just apply for a new ISA, even if you're not adding new money, & fill in the 'transfer section'. It'll then move the money for you. This doesn't use up your £20,000 ISA allowance, only putting new money in does that. For cash ISA fixes, use our fixed-rate cash ISA switch calc to see whether it's worth paying the penalty to move. Stocks & shares ISAs may outperform savings over the long run Most people use investment ISAs to buy shares or bonds, via a collective investment fund. The way you gain from this is if a) the underlying investment performs well so people are willing to buy them off you in future for more than you paid for them; and/or b) firms that are profitable may pay out income to shareholders each year in the form of dividends. Both these would contribute to the growth in the price of a fund you have. Of course, investments can drop in value too, and that is the risk vs reward balance. As for investing in an ISA, there are two main benefits: There's no Capital Gains Tax. This is a tax on profits you make when you sell something for more than you bought it (eg, buy shares at £1, sell at £5). You are usually allowed a gain of £3,000 per tax-year before you pay any tax, above that basic rate taxpayers pay 18% tax, higher & top-rate taxpayers 24%. So if you invest a decent whack (or a little and it has stellar growth), this may be really useful protection. There's no tax on dividends. Outside of an ISA, when you are paid dividends from shares or in a fund, you can usually earn the first £500/yr tax-free. Above that, you pay 8.75% tax as a basic-rate taxpayer, 33.75% as a higher-rate taxpayer, 39.35% as an additional-rate taxpayer.  Now at this point I need to explain. Other than the basics, I don't cover investing as part of my work, nor does MSE, I'm not regulated to do so and it's not my bag. I worry that people read the fact that I focus on savings as me being anti-investing, I'm not. I do it personally, it's just not my professional expertise.  If you're putting money away in a global spread of assets over five or more years, then on the balance of probability, investing will likely substantially outperform saving, and so if you've got money to save, you should have a portion of your assets invested. This is especially important for younger people who have time to ride out the vagaries of the market. I am thinking very carefully about what I can do to try and play a role in helping people understand the importance of investing without crossing the line. More basic help in our Stocks & shares ISAs guide.

 

New. Barclays launches a rare bank switchers' FREE £175, making it the fifth that pays. Many are likely eligible for the new Barclays FREE £175* as it rarely offers switch bonuses, so fewer will be excluded for having had it before. It joins the top payer, Santander's FREE £180 + £25 Amazon* (via this special link) - while you pay £3/mth for it, you get 1% cashback on bills paid via Direct Debit (max £10/mth), which more than covers it for most. See all FIVE get paid to switch banking offers in our guide, which also includes full pros, cons and eligibility criteria. Top Tesco Trick! Turn £5 of vouchers into 1,000pts (£10) and get £10 of rewards too. See Top Tesco Trick. New. Pay just '£11/mth' for 158Mb broadband - the cheapest we've seen in 3yrs. Limited locations. This Hyperoptic 158Mb broadband only (no phone line) deal is a straight £10/mth now (rising to £13/mth from April 2026), making it an average £11/mth over the 1yr contract. While Hyperoptic's well rated, it's mainly only available in some cities and very big towns - click the link, enter your postcode and see whether you can get it. Can't get it? Do a broadband comparison. Heads up. Super-cheap Easyjet summer 2026 flights are about to land... See Easyjet summer '26 seats. Martin vid: Beware car finance reclaiming ads while we await the Supreme Court's decision. You could give away 30% and get NOTHING in return. Watch Martin's car finance warning. £248 of Pixi, Prai, Philip Kingsley & more beauty £30. MSE Blagged. 2,200 available. 9-item make-up/skincare set, with face cream, cleanser, eyeliner and more. Plus a year's free Good Housekeeping digital mag. Beauty box NHS, care or emergency worker? New discounts: 20% off Wagamama and 15% off Oliver Bonas in July, 15% off new Clarks school shoes & more. See 30+ NHS deals. Related: Teacher discounts. Summer holiday kids' freebies and cheapies. Lots going on. £1 kids' and adults' Cineworld tix for some family favourites. There's also free pet workshops, gardening, emoji making & more free learning. And free football, tennis, Zumba, yoga and more sport & fitness. And, while not as cheap, there's Kids Week West End theatre deals. Martin: The secret to haggling... Watch Martin's 1min video, a snippet of his 'Haggle £100s off your costs', and avoid consumer rights rip-offs in a new episode of The Martin Lewis Podcast (listen on BBC Sounds | Apple Podcasts | Spotify & elsewhere). Plus an update on car finance reclaims. Related: See Martin's haggling help from last week's email.

 

 

BLAGGED FOR MSE - £248 of Pixi, Prai & more beauty for £30 2,200 available	DID YOU MISS? - HMRC sending 4m Income Tax refund letters - is yours legit? - 25% off lots of Lego at Tesco - Martin: 'Are you owed £1,000s or £10,000s in lost pensions?' - 33% off online prices for Alton Towers, Thorpe Park & more

 

 

Are you (or do you know) a disabled or ill STATE PENSIONER?  You may be due £3,800 or more a year to help with daily living, and it's NOT means-tested (ie, income's irrelevant). Around 1m eligible people may be missing out 'My parents are now £20,000/yr better off after I claimed Attendance Allowance for them!' Martin: "For many older people who are ill or start to face mental or physical disability, life doesn't just get tougher, it gets costlier too. Add to that the fact people's conditions can make it more difficult to spend the time and energy needed to research possible help. That's why 18 months ago we launched our Attendance Allowance (AA) guide and awareness campaign, and successes have flooded in since. Yet it still remains massively underclaimed, with potentially a million eligible pensioners missing out (source: Policy in Practice). "So whether it's you or someone close to you who may qualify, take 2mins to read what the team and I have put below, starting with some inspiration on the domino effect Attendance Allowance can have (in this case for lower-income pensioners)." Dawn emailed last month: "Dear Martin, after watching numerous shows I have successfully claimed Attendance Allowance for both of my parents worth £10,598/yr and Pension Credit worth £1,233/yr. This opened doorways to Housing Benefit worth £9,207/yr, Council Tax reduction of £1,534/yr, a free TV licence saving £169/yr and swapping their phone to BT saving £420/yr. They also received rebates of £3,449 for Housing Benefit and £604 for Council Tax. All in all, they are better off by more than £20,000/yr thanks to you and obviously me for completing the necessary applications! Thank you for everything you do." AA is for those of State Pension age (ie, born in 1959 or earlier) who need some daily help with living. This isn't about specific conditions. It is about the impact of a mental or physical disability/illness on you. You must've needed either help or supervision for six consecutive months (even if you didn't get it). It's common for those with Parkinson's, dementia, terminal illness, blindness, learning difficulties and more. - 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. 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).   It's NOT means-tested, the minimum is worth £73.90 a week - that's £3,842 a year. Eligibility is dependent on need, not finances. So if you need the help, then you can get it. - Need help during the day OR night? You get the LOWER rate of £73.90/wk (£3,842/yr). - Need help during BOTH the day and night? You get the HIGHER rate of £110.40/wk (£5,740/yr). - Have less than 12 months to live? You get the HIGHER rate of £110.40/wk (£5,740/yr).   How you apply matters... You can apply for Attendance Allowance by filling out an online form or calling up and getting a form sent to you. 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. We've further detail in ⁠how to apply. Unless you're confident filling in long forms online and will do it in one go (there's no save & come back later function), it's best to call up and request an application form, as then as long as you fill it in within a reasonable time, claims are backdated to the day you requested the form, not to when it was submitted. Applying can be tricky... do it carefully. If you're struggling, there are helplines available and charities that will help you for free, including Age UK, Independent Age, and Citizens Advice. See organisations that can help in our full guide. You won't usually need to attend an assessment to get it, though it can happen. Best is to read our full help to apply for Attendance Allowance, including how to appeal if rejected, and let us know how you do. Warning. Do you get Personal Independence Payment, Adult Disability Payment or Disability Living Allowance? These are usually worth at least as much as, and often more than, Attendance Allowance, and you can't claim them as well. See our AA clashing benefits help and, if unsure, get free benefits adviser help before doing owt. Attendance Allowance acceptance is a sign you may be due £1,000s of other help too. 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 via the 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 £83/wk extra Pension Credit, or up to £423/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.

 

Sat only. FREE Lego mini panda. Build and take home from The Entertainer stores. Limited stock. Free Lego Updated: Got a 'do not drive' order from Citroen or DS? Your rights explained. We've added more info to our 'What are your rights?' MSE News story. See Citroen recall. Urgent. Does your child get free school meals? Apply for holiday support now. The Holiday Activity and Food Programme (HAF) in England gives children aged 4+ at least one meal a day, plus free activities, for at least six weeks a year during the main school hols. Access to the programme isn't automatic, and some councils have deadlines which are getting close, so get more info & apply now. There's also a scheme available in Scotland. 'We got a £2,500 Council Tax refund and a 50% reduction on future bills - thank you.' Success of the week. 100,000s of people considered to be 'severely mentally impaired' (SMI) could be missing out on a Council Tax discount worth £100s - and backdated payments worth £1,000s. As Abraham emailed last week: "When my father passed and it was just my mother and my brother, who has an SMI, living together, I helped them to apply for an SMI discount on their Council Tax bill, and they received a 25% reduction. But after reading your 3 June email, I realised that - as my mother is my brother's carer - they should be receiving a 50% discount. I helped them to apply and have just had confirmation of a whopping refund of £2,571 backdated to my father's passing. Thank you for your amazing work." If we've helped you save (on this or owt else), send us your successes. Can you get a school uniform grant of up to £200? If you claim an eligible benefit (eg, Universal Credit) & qualify for means-tested free school meals, check if you can get one. We've council-by-council help for Eng, plus info on NI, Scot & Wal. Used an eSim on holiday? How did you find it? Give us your eSim feedback.

 

 

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AT A GLANCE BEST BUYS 0% balance transfers Longest 0%: NatWest (check eligibility) up to 34mths 0%, 3.49% fee, 24.9% rep APR interest No-fee 0%: Barclaycard (check eligibility) up to 14mths 0%, 24.9% rep APR interest Best bank accounts Free £180 + £25 Amazon voucher: Santander Edge Free £175 + top service: First Direct 1st Account Broadband top picks Fast fibre (100Mb+): Virgin '£22.54/mth' Superfast fibre (500Mb+): Sky '£27.25/mth' On Universal Credit or similar? Check all discounted social tariffs Cheap insurance Car: Use our Compare+ Car Insurance tool Home: Try our Compare+ Home Insurance tool Cheap loans £5,000 to £7,499: People's Choice (check eligibility), 7% rep APR interest (6.5% on £7,000 to £7,499) £7,500 to £15,000: M&S Bank (check eligibility), 5.9% rep APR interest Top savings accounts Top easy-access savings: Chase 5%, min £1 Top easy-access cash ISA: Trading 212 4.98%, min £1 Top one-year fix: GB Bank 4.58%, min £1,000 Top energy deals Use our whole-of-market Cheap Energy Club Cheap Sims Up to 3GB data: Lebara, '£2.70/mth' for 3GB 4GB to 9GB data: Lebara, '£2.72/mth' for 5GB 10GB to 30GB data: Lebara, '£3.70/mth' for 10GB 31GB+ data: iD Mobile, '£4.09/mth' for 50GB

 

MONEY MORAL DILEMMA How do I tell my neighbours I can't afford to pay towards replacing our garden fence? My back garden is separated from my neighbours by a fence that blew over in a storm a few months back. It's a shared fence, but my neighbours paid for it before I bought my house five years ago. They've asked me to pay for half of the replacement fence, but I can't afford to - even food is a bit of a luxury for me right now. I told them this, and they offered to pay for it and said I can owe them, but that would be yet another debt to add to my existing debts. Is there a way to say that I simply can't afford to pay for it without causing friction? Enter the Money Moral Maze: How do I say I can't afford to replace a garden fence? | Suggest a Money Moral Dilemma (MMD) | View past MMDs

 

 

MSE TEAM BLOG - MSE Forum highlights: Badgers, basil & beetroot

 

 

MARTIN'S APPEARANCES (TUE 15 JUL ONWARDS) Thu 17 Jul - Ask Martin Lewis, BBC Radio 5 Live, podcast only, from 4pm-ish Tue 22 Jul - This Morning, phone-in, ITV1, 10am

 

 

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