“I’ve not always been a model moneysaver, I frequently don’t listen to you, but… heartfelt thanks”
Some emails just makes you smile. We’re fortunate to get many thank yous, but the mood around MSE Towers after the email below was sent around was a real high. And as the MSE community is credited, I wanted to share it with you. Thanks to Mia for her kind permission to print it. I’ve added links...
Why? Because they can!
In journalism, we’re taught there are six key questions: "who, what, why, how, where and when?" My mailbag, whether via Twitter, Facebook or email, is swamped with all these questions, far more than I could ever hope to begin to answer. Among those, by far the most difficult to answer are the "why?" or "how can they...
“So glad you told me to try to reclaim PPI again, I got £10,400”
Mrs MSE and I went out for dinner (it was date night) in a local restaurant the other day. As one of the waiters bounded up to say hello, I remembered we’d been there a year before and he’d told me how he’d tried to reclaim PPI. The bank had said no, so he’d given up. At...
“Once I’ve got a student loan, can the government change the terms?”
Invariably after giving a talk on how student finance 2012 will work, a hand pops up and asks: "can a government change the terms on my loan after I’ve taken it out?". Well, the New Zealand government has done just that, and that may increase those worries. As head of the snappily titled Independent Taskforce on Student...
Parking ticket appeal upheld WITHOUT a fight
I’m slightly stunned. I’ve had unfair parking tickets before, I’ve fought them, I’ve won. But this time – well, it was all thankfully a bit easy really. So if you get an unfair ticket, let it be inspiration to not just pay up, but explain.. Note, this is a personal blog. For step-by-step help on unfair council...
Smoking peace pipes with the Money Advice Service
The Money Advice Service (MAS) is the official agency tasked with closing the advice and knowledge gaps people have about financial services. It also has a new role distributing public funds for debt advice to the various non-profit debt counselling agencies. In June I was asked to give evidence to a Treasury Select Committee investigation on it....
Nerdvana: The important maths of supermarket self-service checkout queue speed.
My heart sank a touch on Tuesday at the potentially dire state of public maths. While queuing at the supermarket, there were two neighbouring banks of self-service tills each with six people queuing. The issue? One had four tills, the other two. This blog is dedicated to the inspiration that is Dr Sheldon Cooper It seems many...
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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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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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?
