Martin Lewis: Are you an overdraft prisoner? How to escape it

The old adage – that banks will lend you an umbrella when the sun shines, and ask for it back when it rains – feels like a modern reality for many with overdrafts. 

A year ago Santander 123 halved its interest to 1.5% – now most should consider ditching it

Update Note: 12/12/2017. I wrote this blog just before November’s base rate rise, predicting then UK rates would rise and Santander 123 wouldn’t follow. Well UK rates did rise, and Santander’s confirmed it won’t follow. So everything below still stands. Some of the alternative accounts and rates have shifted slightly, but most are pretty similar – just click...

If Santander 123 drops interest to 2% is it still worth it?

Update, 1 November: Santander has now slashed the headline rate paid from 3% to 1.5%. Read my Santander 123 slashed – should you ditch it? analysis for what to do if you’re one of its customers. The Santander 123 bank account has been my and this site’s top savings pick for four years. It pays 3% interest if...

Santander 123 fee’s more than doubling – should you ditch it?

'Greed, pure greed!' Last September when Santander announced it would hike the fee on its hugely popular 123 account, many glued the horns of Beelzebub on it. Now the dust has settled, and the fee hike is nearly here – it hits next Monday 11 January – I want to do an updated number crunch to answer the most common question I'm getting, "Should I ditch it?"