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Urgent. 1.45% easy-access savings, beat mortgage hikes, last chance cheap loans?

It's just over a month since the first base rate rise - from 0.25% to 0.5% - in over a decade, and the effects are already hitting home. If you've done nothing, we're urging you to get off your backside. Lots has changed and you could be throwing away £1,000s through inertia - here's the lowdown...

Most savings rates have NOT risen by anything like the 0.25 percentage points that the base rate rose, yet there are gems among the best buys. So it's time to fight back as millions languish on pathetic rates - some as low as 0.01%. Check your rate and if less than 1%, it's rubbish; if less than 1.3%, it's still beatable. All banks below have full £85,000 UK savings protection...

- Urgent. 1.45% easy access. Here, you can deposit and withdraw when you want, and there's an account worth shouting about. Lloyds-owned Birmingham Midshires now pays 1.45% variable - the best UK-protected rate since Feb 2016. You can save from £1+ though it'll definitely drop in a year so remember to ditch. If right for you, go quick as the top deals have vanished sharpish recently.

If you miss out, Virgin Money pays 1.36% variable (min £1), though once you've made two withdrawals in a calendar year you can't make another till the year after. See Top easy-access savings for more options.

- Fix your rate for 1yr at a higher 1.85%. If you don't need to access your cash for a year you can get higher rates. Top-pick is Atom Bank at 1.85% (min £50), but if you want a Government-backed bank, NS&I is now 1.5% (min £500). You can earn more if you've £25k+, or are willing to lock away for longer. See Top fixes for full details.

- Get up to 5% on smaller amounts (and possible £125 boost). Some current accounts offer regular savings accounts where you can save up to £200-£300/mth for 1yr. Top 5% payers are First Direct and M&S Bank (which both pay £125 to switch), and HSBC and Nationwide. Some current accounts also offer high interest if you meet certain criteria - Tesco Bank pays 3% variable on up to £3k until at least Apr 2019.
For lots more help and options see Top Savings | Top Cash ISAs | Help to Buy ISAs | Lifetime ISAs.

- Quick mortgage checklist. Full info in our Free Remortgage Booklet, here's a quick action plan...

a) Check your current mortgage: Dig out the details and look for its rate, type (fixed or variable), length, exit fees and loan to value - the proportion of your property's value you're borrowing.
b) Benchmark YOUR top deal in 2mins: Use our Mortgage Best Buys comparison to see the best deal you're likely to get.
c) Compare it to your current deal: Check if your winner is cheaper via our Ultimate Mortgage Calc.
d) Will you be accepted? It's harder nowadays. What matters is your credit score (check it via our free Credit Club), whether payments are affordable and if you and your home meet lenders' eligibility criteria - a good mortgage broker can help with all that.

Before we go further, only borrow if it's planned, budgeted for and affordable, or the pain will likely outweigh the gain. But if you really must borrow (eg, for a new car or kitchen) it's sensible to do it quickly.

As most rates are fixed you're not hit if you already have a loan but cheapest deals are disappearing, as we've predicted, with the base rate rise a factor. The cheapest ever rate, at 2.7%, ended last week and, while not certain, some analysts and banks have told us they expect further rises.

Will you get a loan? What counts isn't just the rate, but whether you'll get the loan. Too many failed applications can affect your chances, so use our free Top Loans Quick Eligibility Calc and it'll tell you which you've the best chance of getting, without hitting your creditworthiness.
Lowest rates from £1k-£15k. To help benchmark, we've listed the top deal per tier. For full options see Cheap Loans (unless stated, rates are for 1-5yrs)...

- £7.5k-£15k: Zopa* 2.9% rep APR.
- £5k-£7,499: Tesco Bank 3.3% rep APR (1-7 yrs, not in eligibility).
- £3k-£4,999: Zopa* 5%-6.9% rep APR.
- £2k-£2,999: Zopa* 6.9%-7.9% rep APR (yet credit card loans are often cheaper).
- £1k-£1,999: Hitachi* 7.9% rep APR (2-5 yrs) (yet credit card loans are often cheaper).

Sadly all loans are 'rep APR' which means only 51% of accepted applicants need to be given the advertised rate, the others can be offered a loan at a higher rate.

Loan Golden Rules.
a) Minimise the amount and repay as quickly as you can.
b) Pay on time or you may get a charge and a missed payment marked on your credit report.
c) If you're applying to pay off credit cards, a balance transfer may be cheaper.

The Martin Lewis Money Show, 8pm, Mon 11 Dec, on ITV
How to slash mortgage costs - can you save £1,000s?

Over to Martin... "Interest rates are up. Stamp duty is frozen. So whether you're a first timer, or you have an existing mortgage, I'll show you how to check if you can save thousands. Plus a quick look at parking tickets and overdrafts too. Do watch, or set the Betamax (and you can watch this week's energy show on the ITV Hub)."