MoneySavingExpert's Money Tips Email

As the Bank of England raises interest rates, the big focus is rightly on mortgages, as some see £100s a month added to their payments. Yet another, less direct, result has seen credit card lenders putting their interest rates up, meaning many who pay interest on card debt are now paying more.

So if you're paying interest, you can't afford not to investigate 0% balance transfers. This is where you get a new card to shift debt on to from existing credit or store cards. After the transfer, your debt's on the new card, but at 0% interest for a set time. And as your repayments clear the debt rather than cover the interest, you get debt-free quicker (provided you don't borrow more).

It worked for Karen, who emailed after reading about balance transfers on MSE... "I've just applied for a 0% card. I was paying £48/month interest, and never thought I'd be accepted for a transfer. Now I'm saving around £620 in interest and will pay a smaller amount each month. Thank you for your article - wish I'd done it a year ago!"

Our top-pick cards are below, yet with balance transfers, YOUR top pick depends on a combination of whether you can get the card, and whether it gives you long enough at 0% to pay it off. To help you choose...

- Use an eligibility calculator before applying. As each application marks your credit file, first use a 0% eligibility calculator which will show your acceptance odds for many of the top pick cards. This means you can home in on the one you're most likely to be accepted for, without any impact on your ability to get credit.

- Aim for a 0% long enough to clear your debt, then look for the lowest fee. Many balance transfer deals charge a one-off percentage fee of the amount of debt you transfer, so minimise that. UNSURE? Play safe and go long.

Top new cardholders' balance transfers
Card	Key info and our view...
Sainsbury's Check your acceptance odds via that link, or apply direct*	Longest 0% card, an 'up to', but 'pre-approval' possible. - Up to 34 months 0%, but some get just 26 months - 2.88% fee, but some are charged 3.88% (min £3) - 21.9% rep APR interest after 0% ends It's an 'up to' card, so some won't get the headline deal. But if our eligibility calculator shows you as pre-approved, you'll get the full 34 months and lower 2.88% fee option.
Santander (not in our eligibility calc)	Longest definite 0% and lower fee. - 33 months 0% - 2.65% fee (min £5) - 21.9% rep APR after 0% ends Here, if accepted, you know exactly what you'll get - and the fee's a tad lower too. And while we sadly can't check your acceptance odds, you can do so on Santander's site before applying.
Sainsbury's Check your acceptance odds via that link, or apply direct*	Longest NO-FEE, an 'up to', but 'pre-approval' possible. - Up to 22 months 0%, but some get 14 months - NO FEE, though some are charged 1% - 21.9% rep APR after 0% ends While it's an 'up to' card, if our eligibility calculator shows you as pre-approved, you'll get the full 22 months and NO FEE - making it an easy winner if you can clear the debt within that time. NatWest & RBS also offer 22 months NO FEE, but only to existing customers.
Santander (not in our eligibility calc)	Longest definite NO-FEE card. - 21 months 0% - NO FEE - 21.9% rep APR after 0% ends All accepted get 21 months at 0%, so if you're not pre-approved for the Sainsbury's 22-month card above, it's worth looking at. Sadly, we can't check your eligibility for it, but you can do so on Santander's site before applying.
Virgin Check your acceptance odds via that link, or apply direct*	Longest definite POOR CREDIT 0% card. - 16 months 0% - 3% fee - High 29.9% rep APR after 0% ends Some rejected for other cards may be accepted here. However, the interest rate jumps to 29.9% after the 0%, so if you've any debt left then, try to balance-transfer again, or at least shift it back to your original card if it was at a lower rate. Alternatively, Vanquis offers 9 months 0% for a lower 2.9% fee.

Do note you can't balance-transfer between cards issued by the same bank or banking group, such as RBS to NatWest - so check which card(s) you're transferring from. See which lenders are in the same groups.

Getting the right card is only the start point. To make it work, follow our Balance Transfer Golden Rules...

Clear debt before the 0% ends. Pay it off or transfer again before the 0% ends or you'll pay the rep APR.
Never miss the minimum monthly repayment. Or you can lose the 0% rate. Set up a direct debit for at least the minimum, then try to make additional manual payments to clear down the debt.
Don't spend/withdraw cash on the card. It usually isn't at the cheap rate - and it's best not to build up more debt while you're paying other cards off.
Do the transfer ASAP. You can normally tell the provider about balances you want to transfer during application - if you're accepted, it'll then shift the debt for you. Some lenders give you 60 or 90 days to transfer balances - but each card's different, so check.

Full help in Best balance transfers, though we answer some common questions below.

A balance transfer can be simple - if everything works out. But what do you do if you've low acceptance odds or you don't get a high enough credit limit? We've answered your key balance transfer questions...

Should I apply if my best eligibility score is only 20%? If cutting the cost of your debt is important (and unless you're about to apply for a mortgage or other important credit, it should be), go for it. While 20% odds are low, it means we estimate two in 10 who apply will succeed, and it could be you. And if you're rejected, barring a minor application mark on your credit file, you're no worse off.
What if my credit limit's not high enough to transfer all my debt? If you get a card but the credit limit isn't big enough, don't give up. The application's already on your credit file - so shift as much of your highest APR debt as you can to the new card. Then use our 0% Balance Transfer Eligibility Calculator to see your chances of acceptance for other providers' cards.
What if the eligibility calculator says I've "no chance" for all cards? If you can't get a new 0% card, you can sometimes use existing cards to move debt where it's cheapest. For example, if one credit card charges 18% and it isn't up to the credit limit, but your 30% card is, you may be able to shift debt from the 30% to the 18% card, saving you cash. Ask your lender if it allows this.

Some cards also have 'existing-customer balance transfer offers' - for example, 12 months at 0% for a 3% fee. Not a great offer compared with the top cards, but at least it provides a respite. See the credit card shuffle for how this all works.
Should I pay off my credit cards or my overdraft first? Some try to repay their biggest debt first, or spread repayments equally. However, it's the debt with the highest APR that's growing most quickly, so that's the priority to pay off. For many, this'll be an overdraft charging 40% interest. Focus all spare cash on clearing that, paying just the minimum on everything else (this may include your newly transferred credit card debt). Once it's clear, focus on the next highest APR, and so on.

If you can't meet your credit card repayments and coping with what you owe is a struggle, forget balance transfers - you likely need a different tack. Answer these three questions...

Do you have sleepless nights or depression/anxiety over debt?
Do you struggle to meet minimum monthly payments?
Is your total debt (excluding mortgage/student loan) over a year's salary?

If you answer yes to any of these, get free, one-to-one debt-counselling help from Citizens Advice, StepChange or National Debtline. And if you need emotional support, try CAP. They're there to help, not judge. And the most common thing we hear after...? "I finally got a good night's sleep."

For additional inspiration, see the Debt-Free Wannabe forum, where people share their own journeys to becoming debt free. Plus, we've more help in our Mental Health & Debt and Debt crisis guides.

DON'T believe the fake 'Martin Lewis' or 'MSE' ads
Lots of scam ads litter social media and even newspaper websites - some of these lie that we or Martin promote Bitcoin, binary trading etc. See Fake ads warning.

4 tips to get a grip on your state pension, including...
How much you'll get | Pay £800 for up to £5,500 more | The boost worth £3,300/year | Are you owed £10,000s?

The state pension is not only notoriously complicated, it's also a political hot potato. But while we wait to find out if state pensions will go up in line with the 'triple lock', which would mean a 10.1% rise from April, now's a good time to check that you're getting paid everything you're due (or that you're on track if you're not yet 66). Everyone's situation is different, though - so treat this as 'things to check', and then explore further if you think they might apply to you...

Check how much state pension you'll get (or are getting). When you were born, how long you've been paying national insurance (NI) and even what type of private pension you saved into during your working life all factor in to how much you'll get. In brief...

- Reached state pension age on or after 6 April 2016? The maximum new state pension is £185.15 a week.
- Reached state pension age before 6 April 2016? The maximum basic state pension is £141.85 a week.

Yet some people will get less than this and some will get more. If you're not yet at state pension age, check your state pension forecast to see how much you're on track to get. And whether you're yet to claim or already claiming, read on to see whether you can boost your (future) amount.
Aged 45 to 70? Can you turn £800 into £5,500 by paying to boost your state pension? State pension payouts are based on the number of 'qualifying national insurance years' you have. Most people acquire these while working or when getting NI credits (for example, for bringing up children). But if you've 'gaps' in your NI years record, you can often pay £100s to fill them, which could mean £1,000s of extra pension. Use our Step-by-step state pension top-up guide to check if it's right for you.
Already claiming state pension? URGENTLY CHECK if you qualify for a £3,300/yr top-up. It's a national tragedy that there are around 800,000 people who qualify for pension credit but aren't currently claiming it. If you've reached state pension age and have an income less than £190 a week, it's worth checking whether you qualify - the average payout's about £3,300 a year. Plus, claiming pension credit entitles you to other boons, such as the £324 cost-of-living payment, a free TV licence, council tax reductions & more. Check if you're eligible in Pension credit.
Around 230,000 women have been underpaid state pension. Check if you're one - you may be owed £10,000s. Due to errors with the Department for Work and Pensions' computer systems, some women who hit state pension age before April 2016 - mainly married women (including widows and divorcees), and over-80s (whether married or not) - are being underpaid. Some affected women will get an automatic payout, but not all will. Find out if this affects you and how to get what you're due.

PS: Find lost pensions to top up your retirement income. This isn't about the state pension, but it's worth checking if you have any pension pots you've forgotten about from old jobs.

£2 off pumpkins, £1.50 off Nestlé cereal, Sainsbury's £15 off £60 - it's our October coupons update. See our latest list of 50+ supermarket coupons.

Ends 11.59pm Thu. Cheapest 200Mb broadband we've ever seen - just '£18/month'. MSE Blagged. Newbies can get this eye-wateringly fast Virgin Media 213Mb broadband & line deal for £23.95/month, with an automatic £100 bill credit (so nowt to pay for 4 months, unless you make calls). Over the 18-month contract, it's equivalent to £18.40/month - we've only ever seen it this cheap twice before. Available to 55% of homes. Not in your area / just want the cheapest deals? Use our broadband comparison.

FREE £200 bank switch cash, FREE Greggs, FREE wills & 15 more freebies. It was mega-popular last week, so if you missed it, do follow the links - there's everything from cash to sausage rolls. Freebies, freebies, freebies

'I'll earn £380 in extra interest on my savings this year.' Our success of the week comes from Amy, who listened to Martin on the radio and was inspired to ditch low-interest savings. With easy-access accounts paying up to 2.75% and fixes from 4.5%, Amy said: "Our savings were split across one ISA and three other accounts with rates as low as 0.15%. We've now switched and - if amounts and rates stay the same - we'll earn an additional £386 a year in interest. Two hours well spent. I'll be banging the drum for friends and family to do the same. Thank you so much." If we've helped you save money (on this, or anything else), please send us your MoneySaving successes.

FREE jacket potato & beans at Morrisons cafes. Normally £5. See how to get it in Morrisons deals, and please spread the word to others who'd appreciate the help.

They're back. Boots 'Star Gifts': £138 of No7 skincare for £41. Many MoneySavers wait for these Star Gift deals each year - and this set's currently reduced from its normal price of £85. No7 skincare

It's beginning to look a lot like... cheap Christmas train tickets are now available. Some advance fares for the festive season are now on sale - see how to track down cheap Christmas fares.

3 months' free access to 6,000+ magazines & papers, including Hello, The Guardian, Gardeners' World. MSE Blagged. For Readly newbies. Mag-nificent

Tonight (Tue 8pm), ITV - The Martin Lewis Money Show 10^th BIRTHDAY special. Over to Martin: "An uplifting, must-watch show for our birthday. As well as debt help and urgent ways those over 45 can boost their state pension, we'll be showing some of the biggest-ever successes over our decade. Lots to get in, and lots of your questions to answer. PS: I've also the new The Martin Lewis Podcast via BBC Sounds."

BLAGGED FOR MSE

- 200Mb Virgin Media broadband & line for '£18/month' Ends Thu
- 3 months' free access to 6,000+ mags & papers Ends Tue 8 Nov
- £125 of Ciaté nail polish for £35 2,500 available
- 15GB data Sim for '£4.62/month' Ends Mon
- 24 craft beers for £28 delivered (normally £69) 1,000 available

DID YOU MISS?

- Cash ISAs now pay up to 4.35%, so many can up their interest
- Mini-budget undone: Energy price guarantee to end in April
- £50 No7 Advent calendar gives £184 worth of beauty & make-up
- Get 'PAID' to recycle old clothes, make-up, phones & more
- Royal British Legion launches up to £2,400 grants for veterans

'I saved £400 using the revolutionary MSE Car Insurance Compare+ tool'

Check now if you too can save - even if not at renewal

Motorists are now paying an average of £70 more for car insurance than this time last year, according to comparison site Confused. But you don't need to just accept higher prices - see if you can save with our tried and tested cost-cutting system. It's been in our car insurance guide for years, but a few months ago we souped-up that system with our Car Insurance Compare+ tool.

Ben used it, and emailed us with his saving: "Last year I paid £1,062 for car insurance. But this year, following your tips & tricks and using your revolutionary car insurance tool, I'm happy to report my new quote is £659 - a whopping £403 saving. Nothing had changed, it's the same car. So thank you very much." Here's how it works...

Fill in one form and we give you quotes, plus our tips to cut costs further. Use Car Insurance Compare+ and you...

- Fill in one questionnaire. We've borrowed MoneySupermarket's (we're part of the same group), so if you've used it before, your answers can be auto-filled.
- Get MSE cost-cutting tips as you answer. Such as our 'best time to buy car insurance' analysis, which can tell you if waiting a day or two to get quotes is likely to give you cheaper prices.
- See your cheapest insurers from the comparison as a benchmark. But of course we want you to beat them...
- Personalised tips to try for an even bigger saving. These include whether you should look to add an additional driver or to try multicar policies - and some have one-click checks so you can easily find out if they work for you.
- Whether other sites can help slice down your costs even more. We assess if Direct Line (which isn't on comparisons) is likely to be cheaper for you, and give you our latest comparison site order of others to try, as MoneySupermarket may not be your cheapest.
Not at renewal? DO check if you can save by switching mid-term. Even with rising prices, you may still be able to save. So even if your renewal's not for months yet, do take a few minutes to check if you can find a cheaper deal. If so, you can usually cancel an expensive policy mid-year. As long as you haven't claimed, you'll likely pay a £50ish admin fee (factor that in) and get the rest of the year refunded. Use Car Insurance Compare+ to check quotes now.

Steve checked: "I was with my insurer for over 30 years, but as a result of your tips I switched and saved myself over £400. The car insurance was mid-term but even with admin charges, it was worth me changing." See switching mid-policy.

On tax credits? Second £324 cost-of-living payment due from Wed 23 Nov. See how to check if you qualify and how it's paid in cost of living payments.

Amex cardholders - check if you can get £5 off Co-op, £50 off BA & Selfridges and more. We've rounded up our picks of Amex's latest cashback offers - plus see more ways to boost rewards in American Express tips & tricks.

Ciaté nail polish Advent calendar for £35 via code (worth £125). MSE Blagged. For a daily treat in the run up to Christmas, or split 'em up to give as gifts. 2,500 available. Ciaté Advent code

Ends Monday. 15GB data Sim just '£4.62/month' - cheapest we've seen for this amount of data. MSE Blagged. Until Mon 31 Oct, newbies to Lebara (uses Vodafone's network) can get a 15GB/month Sim with unlimited mins & texts for £1.34/month for the first six months, then £7.90/month - so an average £4.62/month over a year. Yet it's a one-month contract, so you can cancel at any time. Or, Lycamobile (uses O2) also has a 15GB/month Sim for an equivalent £4.62/month that ends on 31 Oct, but it doesn't offer Wi-Fi calling, or 5G signal on iPhones. Want less/more data, or a new phone? Use our Cheap Mobile Finder.

24 craft beers for £28 delivered (normally £69). MSE Blagged. For Flavourly newbies only - 1,000 boxes available. Hop to it. (Please be Drinkaware.)

Sainsbury's Bank slashes Nectar points earned on credit card spending from next week. From Tue 1 Nov, cardholders will get just one point per £2, down from two points per £1. Here's what's happening - and alternatives

Poll: The MSE Annual Census. Every year we want to know "Who are MoneySavers?" And we reckon the politest way to find out is just to ask. So please fill in the ninth MSE Annual Census.

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AT A GLANCE BEST BUYS

Longest 0%: Sainsbury's Bank (check eligibility / apply*) - up to 34 months 0%, 2.88% or 3.88% fee (21.9% rep APR interest)
No-fee 0%: Sainsbury's Bank (check eligibility / apply*) - up to 22 months 0%, no fee or 1%, or NatWest - 22 months 0% if you're a NatWest/RBS customer (both 21.9% rep APR interest)

£200 to switch + 5% interest: Nationwide
£175 to switch + TOP service: First Direct

Top easy access: Sainsbury's Bank 2.75%, min £1,000
Top one-year fix: Shawbrook Bank 4.5%, min £1,000

Try our new Car Insurance Compare+ tool

Cheapest for £5,000 to £7,499: Sainsbury's Bank (apply), 4.3% rep APR interest (Nectar cardholders) or 4.5% rep APR
Cheapest for £7,500 to £15,000: Sainsbury's Bank (apply), 4.3% rep APR interest (Nectar cardholders only)

Fibre (30Mb+): Shell Energy '£14.27/month'
Superfast fibre (55Mb+): Shell Energy '£16.05/month'
Megafast (100Mb+): Virgin Media '£18.40/month'

On universal credit or similar? Check discounted social tariffs

Up to 3GB data: '£2.57/month' for 3GB, Lebara or Lycamobile
4GB to 9GB data: '£3.40/month' for 5GB, Lebara or Lycamobile
10GB+ data: '£4.62/month' for 15GB, Lebara or Lycamobile

THIS WEEK'S POLL

The MSE Annual Census. So who are MoneySavers? For the ninth year running, rather than data mining, we reckon the politest way to find out is just to ask. Plus, we think you may like to find out a little bit more about who else uses this site (or more accurately, who uses this site and answers the polls). So please fill in the ninth MSE Annual Census.

Two-thirds of MoneySavers use less than 2GB of mobile data each month. Last week, we asked how much mobile data you use - over 3,500 of you responded. Overall 63% said they use less than 2GB a month - though younger MoneySavers were more data-hungry, with 43% of under-25s using 10GB+ each month. See full mobile data poll results.

MSE NEWS

- Top story: Octopus and Ovo offer £100 to reduce peak electricity use
- McDonald's to scrap 'free' coffee stamps scheme
- TalkTalk is hiking the price of its TV service to £5 a month
- HSBC to offer current-account holders 3% 'easy access' on savings
- Vodafone launches cheapest social tariff for those on benefits

MONEY MORAL DILEMMA

Is it fair for my parents to penalise me for not having children? My parents are making their will, and have told me that they're splitting their assets equally between my brother, his two children and me - so we each get 25%. I'd assumed they would split them equally between me and my brother, and then we could reallocate them as we saw fit. As it is, it feels like my parents are penalising me for not having children, while rewarding my brother for having them, which seems unfair. It'll be difficult to tell my parents how I feel, but should I say something, or respect their wishes? Enter the Money Moral Maze: Is it fair to penalise me for not having children? | Suggest a Money Moral Dilemma

MSE TEAM BLOG

- MSE Forum highlights: Paperbacks, packaging & Peru

MARTIN'S APPEARANCES (WED 26 OCT ONWARDS)

Tue 1 Nov - This Morning, phone-in, ITV, 10.20am
Tue 1 Nov - The Martin Lewis Money Show Live, ITV, 8pm

MSE TEAM APPEARANCES (SUBJECTS TBC)

Tue 1 Nov - BBC Radio Cambridgeshire, Mid-morning with Jeremy Sallis, from 10.45am
Thu 3 Nov - BBC Radio Leicester, Mid-morning with Jo Bostock, from 11.30am

SCARY MAKE-UP, HOMEMADE BLOOD AND OLD WHITE SHEETS... YOUR FREE OR CHEAP HALLOWEEN IDEAS

That's all for this week, but before we go... MSE Laura F frightened friends last year by using make-up to draw a second set of eyes, nose and mouth on her face. Simple, cheap... and actually terrifying! So this year she asked MSE Forumites for their free or cheap Halloween ideas. One said dressing as a shadow, all in black with tights over your head, works well, while other options included toilet-paper mummies or a black bin-bag dress to achieve that witchy look. And homemade blood just needs syrup, food colouring and cocoa. Yet the classics are often the best - such as the simplicity of eye holes in an old white sheet to turn you into a ghost. Tell us your frightening (& frugal) tips in the Cheap Halloween costumes MSE Forum discussion.

We hope you save some money, stay safe,
The MSE team

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More about MoneySavingExpert and Martin Lewis

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Founded in February 2003, it is now the UK's biggest consumer help website, with more than 12 million users each month and about 8.5 million receiving this email. In September 2012 it became part of the MoneySupermarket Group PLC. Its focus is simple - saving cash and fighting for financial justice on anything and everything. The site has over 80 full-time staff, more than a third of whom are editorial - researching, analysing and writing to continually find ways to save money. More info: See About MSE.

Who is Martin Lewis?
Martin Lewis CBE is the founder and executive chair of MSE, as well as the founder of the MMHPI charity. He's an ultra-focused MoneySaving journalist and consumer campaigner with his own prime-time ITV programme The Martin Lewis Money Show, Radio 5 Live Wednesday show Ask Martin Lewis and weekly slot on This Morning, among others. More info: See Martin Lewis' biography.

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