Return rights – is a shop telling you porkies?
I was scared enough just standing behind the grand dame in the queue. "Give me my money back! This is a disgrace!" she boomed. As for the shop assistant bearing the brunt of this verbal assault face on, her sin was having the temerity to refuse to exchange ‘uncool’ jeans wrongly bought for the lady’s daughter. The...
MoneySavingExpert overtakes M&S in UK’s best brands
I can hardly believe I’ve just written that title. Yet I’ve just seen it in the papers (here’s the Guardian version) from YouGov’s newly-released annual Brand Index. Wow! It’ll only be the site’s 10th birthday in February. Frankly, last year I’d already smacked my gob writing that we’d overtaken Apple as we hit 5th spot. Yet to be...
The MSE Christmas pub quiz 2012 Answers
The MSE Christmas pub quiz 2012 – Answers Last week, I set you the questions. Now it’s time to give you the answers. Though if you’d like to play first, click straight to the Christmas pub quiz 2012. These questions were set as part of the MSE Towers Christmas party where, as I do each year, I...
Is it time to kill off Santa?
SPOILER ALERT! In a time when many are feeling austerity, is it still a good idea to perpetuate the myth of Santa Claus – a man outside the reality of economics who brings free gifts to children around the world? Many will instantly say I’m killing the magic, yet do hear me out. Having taken Scrooge flak...
The MSE Christmas pub quiz 2012
Last Friday was the MSE Towers Christmas party. So as I do each year, I donned my sequinned jacket, slicked back my hair and got into into my quizmeister role. Now it’s your turn to have a go. (NO GOOGLING!) Here are four of the six rounds. I’ll publish the answers next week. (The rounds I haven’t...
Don’t despair – you can get your financial life back on track
At this time of year, many feel the financial stress. Sadly, some feel they’re a lost cause. Only recently, there’s been another public debt suicide. So I just want to reiterate my ongoing message: For as long as I’ve been doing my job, I’ve never once seen a debt case that’s insolvable. Interestingly, as I’m writing this,...
Shame on Nationwide – no, I won’t give you my security details
I never give security details or personal information out to unexpected, unknown callers. Nationwide asked me to do just that yesterday. I believe this is appalling as it risks changing behaviour and makes it easier for the real fraudsters. And it’s not just the simple fact it asked for my security details. At every step of the...
Stopcock tips – can you find yours?
A stopcock is your mains water tap (the off switch). Everyone should know where theirs is, especially at this time of year when pipes can burst due to frost. If you don’t know where yours is, your house could be flooded with water everywhere, while you have no idea how to stop it. Update 10 October 2017....
My new column in Viz!
Many may be surprised that I’ve written a column for Viz. Well, you’re not as surprised as I am. I only discovered it after having read a couple of messages about it from fellow journos. So I duly went out to the shop and shelled out my hard-earned money for the Christmas special, to see what it...
MSE to advertise ‘free PPI reclaiming’ on Google
There’s no need to pay to reclaim payment protection insurance (PPI). However due to spam texts, cold calling, saturation TV ads and huge per-click fees to advertise on Google, many people give no-win no-fee claims management companies 30% of their repayment without knowing that. We’ve teamed up with Which? for nearly a year now to get the...
Latest MoneySaving Tips
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MSE Autoswitch launchesLet us do it all for you
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'Secret' shoe outletsEg, £21 Puma trainers
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NS&I slashes savingsWhat to do?
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New 29mth 0% debt-shift cardPlus NOW check your chances for top cards
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'Can I get a refund on £9k tuition fees...''...if my course is now online?'
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£150 make-up bundle for £3424-piece
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BT Sport & BT TV hikeYour rights
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Biggest upfront bank switch bribesUp to £125 FREE
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Hoover cordless vacuum cleaners 30% offEg, £200 version now £140 del
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£5 off when you recycle clothesAt M&S, H&M etc
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New. Hot 64GB iPhone SE deal with 4GB dataNO upfront cost
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9 new coronavirus need-to-knowsAs UK returns to 'level 4' alert
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?
