New MSE tagline – Cutting your costs and fighting your corner

You’ll notice being rolled out across the site masthead today is a new slogan, ‘cutting your costs and fighting your corner’, which we think describes the site’s (horrid term coming) mission statement. As we needed to shrink the "MoneySavingExpert.com" bit anyway as we’re running short of space for extra tabs, I thought it was time to enact...

Should insurance be sexless?

Tomorrow morning the European Court rules whether insurers break discrimination laws by pricing men and women differently. For me whether that’s right or wrong is a tough wrestle as there are two different factors at play – each sex’s differing bodies and behaviour. If it brands this unfair, as the hot money suggests, HUGE price changes are likely...

New 30mph limit on the A40 Westway feels dangerously slow

The Westway route just out of central London (to Shepherds Bush) is a three lane dual carriage way flyover, so there are no pedestrians, and yet the speed limit has just been cut from 50mph to 30mph. I find this type of decision quite difficult to understand and it’s made me feel less safe. As a frequent...

The tastiest technical solution – MSE forum’s infrared solution

Recently I was stumped by a nasty in my bedroom – and of course when you’ve got a problem like that, there’s nowhere better to ask than the MSE forum. The question was quite simple. We have a TV in the bedroom with a very bright, blue LED, which keeps me awake. While covering it is the...

I found an ambulance quite moving

Strange blog this, but while driving home on my scooter last night I saw an ambulance with flashing lights in the mirror. As I was near a bend in the road, to allow the ambulance to maintain its maximum speed, I pulled to the side of the road. Then being in the perfect visual position, I got...

Want to buy my wallet? – I’m selling it on Sunday

Absolutely true, this Sunday (20 Feb) my wallet will be for sale. But it’s an urgent one-day only deal, so put it in your diary. Included in it will be money mantras and more. How much do you think it is worth? OK now for a little more detail. This is all part of Oxfam’s campaign where...

Daybreak confusion over pensions today – apology

Just a quick note about Daybreak this morning. I was quite surprised when I got back to get a message from two journalists saying an IFA had complained that I’d made a mistake on income drawdown, and what do I have to say about it? This was news to me as I hadn’t been discussing income drawdown...

I’ve made a fashion faux-pas: the wrong shoes for parliament

I’ve a new purchasing mantra, "always look at the soles of shoes before buying them." I bought a new pair of shoes in the sales for £35 a couple of weeks ago and have just discovered something devilish about them. During a meeting in MSE Towers, MSE Richard just said to me "wow interesting soles!". At first...

Group Buying is NOT collective purchasing

There seems to be growing confusion out there about the concept of ‘collective puchasing’. Rather mistakenly some have fallen for the hype of certain group buying sites, believing they are the same thing. This is especially worrying as I know quite a lot of policy makers are looking at collective purchasing as a model for the future. So...

Martin Lewis – The video life story

I’ve finally managed to get hold of the film GMTV made last year on me in its ‘Lorraine’s life stories’ feature – and thought you may like to see it. I hadn’t seen it until just now and it’s a nice film, but rather strange to see my life and career edited down and condensed into three...