Should MSE be recommending the ‘best PPI claims handlers?’
Reclaiming payment protection insurance (PPI) has gotten much easier since the banks threw in the towel a month ago and put £6 billion aside to pay out consumers. But claims handling agencies are leaching on top of this, charging 30%+ to process claims most people can EASILY do themselves. We currently have a ‘don’t use ’em’ stance...
Is being a cheapskate an insult or a compliment?
Is it time to reappropriate the word cheapskate as a badge of pride rather than an insult? That’s only a partially tongue in cheek question (tongue half in cheek). The point is, should we really deem it socially acceptable to make fun of people not wantonly spending? This was prompted by a post on my Facebook page...
Student Finance 2012 changes – it’s time to tackle the ignorance
Update Note 13 June 2011: Now see the new Student Finance 2012 the facts guide (direct link www.studentfinance2012.com I had a good meeting yesterday with David Willetts (Minister for Universities and Skills) and Simon Hughes MP (Advocate for Access to Education). While I’m not the greatest fan of the 2012 changes, I do believe a chunk of...
Am I really “the most powerful man in retail” as The Grocer magazine says?
It’s a strange thing to read about yourself. The Grocer magazine’s ‘Power 100’ list is just out and has "No. 1 Martin Lewis, founder of MoneySavingExpert.com" ahead of the new boss of Tesco at No. 2. Yet, as I tweeted when I first officially heard…how come I still have to queue for 15 minutes at Morrisons? When...
Is it time to teach uncertainty in schools?
Sometimes there just isn’t a right answer, or at least not without a crystal ball. This simple fact is one many people struggle to grasp. My focus is financial, but this impacts all elements of life including relationships, work and health. The Government is looking to try and boost our happiness, perhaps ensuring the understanding of uncertainty...
My Curb Your Enthusiasm moment, “You talk too fast horrible man, I’ll never watch you”
Heart sinks. Take a breath. Try not to look bothered! I was having coffee in London’s Westfield shopping centre with two BBC big wigs, Jeff Anderson the Editor of BBC1 Watchdog and Jo Vaughn-Jones the Senior Producer, discussing how we’ll be doing PPI reclaiming on next week’s programme… when it happened. Jo had just asked me, “do...
Is the Olympics sponsored by Wonga.com?
The first Olympic ticket payments will begin to be taken today and the 1.8 million applicants need to urgently ensure they’ve enough cash in their account to pay – or they face bank charges. The entire system feels designed to cause people major cash flow issues, it’s a surprise it’s not sponsored by Wonga.com. The organising committee...
PPI Twitter clinic questions and answers
I’m experimenting with live Twitter Q&A clinics on my Martin Lewis Twitter feed. Yesterday it was payment protection insurance (PPI) reclaiming, following the huge climb down by the banks – and their putting over £6 billion away to foot the bill. So, I thought it would be useful to recap the answers here. This is a direct...
The new Scrabble words – a player’s analysis of how useful they are
The new Collins Scrabble dictionary is out today with a host of newly accepted words. As a self-confessed Scrabble nerd, I thought I’d attempt to analyse how useful some of these new words are to players. Apparently 3,000 have been added and I’ve not seen the full list yet, so I’m just going to share my notes...
Financial education MP named ‘MP of the month’
It’s great to see the campaign to get financial education in schools getting recognition within political circles. Congratulations to Justin Tomlinson MP for being named ‘MP of the month for May’ by Total Politics magazine, one of the main in-house political journals read by politicians. This is a crucial step, both as an indication that there is...
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Recent Blogs
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Is it time to ban Christmas presents?
14 September 2020
Update September 2017: It’s eight years since I first braved this subject, expecting a snowstorm of protest. Instead, year after year more join in, like Julia who recently tweeted me, “@MartinSLewis, finally took your advice and told my family I can’t afford Christmas presents. What a weight off my mind. Thank you.” One year even the Archbishop of... -
Martin Lewis: I confess, I did a 'decoy effect' experiment on my Twitter and Facebook followers… and it may be why they're buying more Jaffa Cakes
7 September 2020
Behavioural economics is a powerful science. Some retailers are undoubtedly using it to make us pay more to get less. One element is the 'decoy effect' – where a higher-priced item is sold, to make items next to it look like bargains. So I wanted to do a little experiment to test it -
Martin Lewis: Payment holidays extended – but should you take one? Mortgages, credit cards, loans, payday loans, car finance and more
11 August 2020
Within the last week, we've seen the extension of coronavirus credit card, personal loan and overdraft help to 31 October 2020, with mortgage payment holidays already extended. The regulator's other help schemes are also likely to be extended too, including car finance and payday loans, yet should you do it?
