Martin Lewis: Switching banks and latest deals
‘FREE’ £220 cash for switching banks, 23 month NO fee 0% debt shift, last chance TalkTalk upgrade, Eurostar train sale and boosted January sales. These are our Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis’ Deals of the Week.
Remember, deals can change quickly, even while I’m on the programme. So always double-check the terms and conditions before spending. Plus, while I hope these deals will save you cash, don’t spend if you can’t afford it, don’t need it, or won’t use it.
New free £220 bank switch deal
It’s January and each week banks are launching new deals to get you to switch – for a full rundown see ‘Martin’s Top Pick Bank Accounts’ guide. The most interesting one out this week is from M&S Bank. Switching is far easier than it used to be – since seven-day switching came in, banks do it all for you, shifting all your direct debits and standing orders across automatically. Your old account will then be closed.
M&S has always offered a £100 M&S switchers' gift card, yet now if you deposit £1,000 in it every month (ie, pay in income of over that) it'll add £10 extra to the card for a year. And if you can’t pay in that much you’ll just not get the extra £10 that month. Plus you get a £100 0% overdraft and a 6% linked regular savings account, and it doesn’t have bad customer service either, as 67% rate it 'great'.
For more help on bank account switching watch the Martin Lewis Money Show tomorrow, 8pm ITV.
23 months 0% debt shift card
If you’ve got credit card debt, shift it to a 0% balance transfer card, so yourepay it at a cheaper rate and clear the debt quicker. Usually there’s a fee to do this, but accepted newbies can shift it to up to 23 months 0% with Halifax – the longest ever no-fee debt shift. Remember to always repay at least the minimum and clear the card in full by the end of the deal to avoid its 18.9% rep APR.
Martin’s quickies:
Eurostar seat saleBookonline at Eurostar (not via its app or mobile site) by 11.59pm on Tuesday 12 January and check to see if you can find single train tickets to Paris, Brussels, Lille or Calais from London St Pancras, Ebbsfleet or Ashford International for £29 – so £58 return for Friday 15 January to Wednesday 23 March. These are the cheapest fares I’ve seen for two years.
Ends today.If you’re an existing TalkTalk customer you have until 11.59pm tonight to claim one of four free upgrades (it’s giving this as a ‘thank you’ for sticking with the provider through the hacking crisis). You can choose from free TV channels (normally costing between £5 and £30 a month), a 12-month mobile Sim (usually costs £5), unlimited UK landline or mobile calls (normally costs £7.50 a month) or a broadband and Wi-Fi health check (normally £65).You can upgradeby calling 0800 230 0403, via live chat, or via your online account.
Boosted January salesWe’re at that point now where stores start to increase its discounts to try and clear any remaining stock. ASOS, BHS, Brantano, Debenhams and Office have all now increased its sale from up to 50% off to up to 70% off. M&S has boosted its sale from up to 50% off to up to 60% off, and if you’re willing to wait longer, the discounts could get bigger throughout January. Yet of course there’s no guarantee and stocks could go - so it’s just a point of seeing what you can get.
Web exclusive:
Go online to fashion retailer La Redoute and enter the code EXTRA10 in the 'My order code' box at the checkout before you pay. With it you can get an extra 10% off all sale items (not full-price items) in its 'Better than half price' January sale until 11.59pm on Sunday 10 January. Delivery's £3.99, or you can collect from a local convenience store for free.