MSE's weekly round-up

MSE's Money Tips email: Earn up to 4.62% in a top cash ISA, bag some bargains as a teacher, cut the cost of car insurance & more

Some highlights from this week's email include...

• Shelter your savings from tax in a top cash ISA, paying up to 4.62%. It's a new tax year, when providers vie for your savings custom, meaning rates can change rapidly. Plus, we've seven other ways to get financially fit in 2026/27, from tax checks to income top-ups.
  
  

• Are you a teacher? Nab these well-deserved discounts. From 35% off Ocado to 20% off Disney+, teachers qualify for a range of special deals in recognition of their hard work and effort.
  
  

• Use our Compare+ tool to lock in a cheaper car insurance deal. After two years of car insurance price drops, costs are rising again. However, you can still secure significant savings by using our Compare+ Car Insurance comparison tool.
  

READ THE FULL WEEKLY EMAIL

Hot deal: Get a year's 2for1 gardens in £10 magazine

• Buy the May 2026 issue of BBC Gardeners' World to grab a pass offering 2for1 adult entry to over 360 gardens across the UK.
  
  

• The pass is accepted at attractions including Leeds Castle, Mottisfont Abbey and Floors Castle, giving savings of up to £38 a visit. It's also valid at over 90 National Trust and National Trust for Scotland locations, and 13 English Heritage gardens.
  
  

• This edition of Gardeners' World is on sale until Thursday 21 May (or while stocks last), so go quick if you want one.

SEE THE FULL 2FOR1 GARDENS DEAL

Key MSE News: Nationwide completes takeover of Virgin Money – what it means for you

• If you're one of the 6.6 million customers with Virgin Money, we've full info on what happens now to any savings, current account, mortgage or other product you have with the bank, now that its business has transferred over to Nationwide Building Society.
  
  

• We detail the three main need-to-knows if you have savings with Virgin Money, including what happens now regarding critical Financial Services Compensation Scheme protection.
  
  

• Our news story also has key info on what will happen to other products including credit cards and personal loans, as well as the effect of the move on Virgin Money bank branches.

READ THE FULL VIRGIN MONEY TAKEOVER STORY

What's new on MSE: Decide whether solar panels are worth it with our updated guide

Working out whether solar panels are worth it financially can be a tricky decision for even the brightest among us.

So the MSE Utilities team has crunched the latest Energy Price Cap figures to help you understand roughly how long it would take you to recoup the cost of solar panels.

Plus, if they're right for you, we've a way to get £550 off if you request a quote before 11.59pm on Tuesday 14 April.

READ OUR FULL SOLAR PANELS GUIDE

From the MSE Forum: Which household bill do you currently find the most stressful?

Rising household bills remain an unfortunate reality, with global events driving prices higher. With that in mind, we want to know: which household bill do you find the most stressful at the moment?

Do let us know via the link below. You can also follow it to discuss anything and everything bills-related, and much more, with our forumites on the MSE Forum.

VOTE IN OUR HOUSEHOLD BILL POLL

And finally, from our social channels: Know this about 'Pay by Bank'

'Pay by Bank', offered by retailers such as Amazon and eBay, is a quicker and easier way of doing a standard bank transfer.

HOWEVER, as MSE Petar warns in our recent Instagram post, if you use Pay by Bank, you lose important purchase protections known as Section 75 and chargeback, which ARE often available when paying by debit or credit card.

Alongside our social post, we've more on how Pay by Bank works and what to watch out for in our dedicated guide.

READ OUR FULL PAY BY BANK GUIDE