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Savings & investments

Archives for December 2015

faster payment sent but not received.
Has anyone sent a payment from their bank to their savings account,but it has not been received due to being sent too late for a fixed rate account? I think I was a bit late in sending a final amount from my HSBC account to a new account with First Save,opened and funded before xmas.That was received and added the same…
About to get inheritance, my plan of action
I thought I'd think out loud here with my plan of action for putting my very imminent inheritance to good use: * Put inheritance into my current bank account, Nationwide FlexBasic, estimating it's £60k * Run free eligibility test for a bad credit CC * If successfully, apply for a Aqua classic card and add a payment or two…
Shares Advice
Hi all, my names Richard, and whilst this is my first post I've been a long time lurker on these pages, so good to finally join the forum. I've got a spare £1k that I would like to invest in shares. I've long followed shares since helping update my dads spreadsheet and am now in a place where I can consider buying some but…
4% isa help to buy
Why should new buyers benefit from such advantageous ISA rates as currently being offered in the Help to Buy scheme - 4% + an extra 25% when cashed in ? When I bought my first house in 1987 - I struggled to pay the mortgage repayments which were huge (interest rates were close to 20% - yet I received no financial aid at…
Selling Canadian Shares with Certificate
Error- mods please delete
have i got enough to start thinking about savings options yet?
Hi all. By mid jan i will have almost £2k in savings, saving at a rate of around £400 per month on average. In the last 3 months i have been focussing mainly on current account switching bonuses, earning £250 so far with more to come hopefully. Obviously this trumps the interest ill get on my savings. I am saving for a…
Saving/investing £150k
Some friends of mine have received an inheritance of around £150k. They are both retired and in their early 70s. They've looked at interest rates for savings account and they are pitiful. My question for all you money gurus - what would you do With the money to get the maximum return relatively safely?
Switching to First Direct
Hi folks, following one of Martin's emails (and a quick calculation on how much I'm loosing with Halifax) I'm VERY tempted to switch to First Direct bank. They seem to have great reviews. One element I'm concerned about is mobile banking. I use it daily and the Halifax app is great. The Apple App Store has a lot of bad…
Tracker funds and ISAs
I am thinking of investing a lump sum of about £100,000 in a tracker fund. I was originally considering a managed fund and with that there was said to be an option of the fund manager putting my £15,400 allowance's worth into an ISA for this year, then transferring the same amount in each year until the total amount is in…
Cashing in Gold Sovereigns
I hope this is the right forum, any MSE wisdom is appreciated. So as life happens, I'm trying to scrape my pennies to buy my first flat. My dad has just redecorated his office and found a bag of coins with my name on it in his safe which he hasn't opened in years. We think they were a christening gift from a godfather.…
Has anyone bought any BitCoin?
Thinking about making a small investment in Bitcoin. I see BitBargain seems to be top in Google but the verification seems a bit OTT and doesn't look overly trustworthy. Can anyone recommend a place to buy them from? I assume I can write down/memorise the Bitcoin key and then transfer use them anywhere?
Ynab
I keep seeing people talking about YNAB on here but only in passing. I've read its 4 principles on its website and it all makes sense and sounds good, but does it really save you enough money to justify the cost? Is a basic Excel budget a good replacement?
What to do with £25k
Hi everyone I currently have £25k and we're looking at saving (both me and partner) for a mortgage. We have both just opened a Halifax mortgage ISA with the max of £1k in each; but also now have £25k. What would be the best way of using this £25k? We want to save the max £200/month in the mortgage ISA, but are likely to…
UK Funds vs US Funds
Hi guys I have just signed up to Barclays and want to invest in funds. I am looking to have investments for about 10 years. I was talking to a friend yesterday, and he said you were better off investing is US funds instead of UK funds. His reasoning was that the US market is a lot better. How true is this? Would you guys…
FTSE 100 predictions for 2016
The newspapers at this time of year have articles giving expert predictions of where the FTSE 100 will be in 12 months time. Are you brave enough to give your prediction of where the FTSE 100 will end the year in 2016? Using my excellent skill and judgement, I confidently predict the FTSE 100 will be 6950 on 31st December…
Help to Buy ISA
Hello, I am a little confused on the rules of opening one of the new help to buy ISA's. I have an existing ISA that i opened in 2014 so in the previous tax year but i have paid into this year as well. To open a help to buy ISA can i just move what i have paid in this tax year back to my savings? and then use some of this…
Current best rates 30.12.15
I'm trying to find the the best 3-year fixed term investment account rate. The MSE website now shows Axis Bank at 2.55% AER. But First Save (the best until very recently) still shows 2.73% on its website (I'm not allowed to post it.) Am I getting something wrong?
Best savings account for Uni student?
My eldest worked for a couple of years before going to Uni and she has approx £7k in savings that is just sitting in a Building Society current account, not earning any interest at all. What's going to be the best place for this money. We've been looking at current accounts as they seem to give the best interest but most…
help to buy isa
Been reading about the help to buy isa with Virgin money. If I have an existing cash isa with Virgin can I transfer it to a help to buy isa. It doesn't seem like I can. So how do I go about opening one? Do I have to close the cash isa first?
Bare Trust Investment Fund
First grandchild arrived this Christmas and I am planning on putting some money away each year for her future. I am thinking of making an investment through a Bare Trust into the Vanguard Life Strategy 80% Equity fund. Charges are low and performance to date has been OK. Before I commit to this I was wondering if anyone…

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MSE News

Ofgem proposes new 'no standing charge' Price Cap – but Martin Lewis warns vulnerable customers need to be opted in or it won't work
Ofgem has today launched detailed proposals for a major shake up to its Energy Price Cap that dictates the price over 80% of homes in England, Scotland and Wales pay for their energy bills.
Lloyds, Halifax and Bank of Scotland to cut overdraft rates for millions but hike them for others – here's what's happening and full help
If you're a Lloyds, Halifax or Bank of Scotland current account holder, the interest rate you're charged for using your overdraft could change soon as part of a fees shake-up. The Lloyds Banking Group, which owns all three brands, says millions of its customers will pay less after the changes – but a "few" will pay more.
Warm Home Discount expansion confirmed with millions more eligible for the £150 top-up this winter – here's what we know
Around 2.7 million more low-income households, including 900,000 families with children, will become eligible for the £150 Warm Home Discount this winter, as the Government has confirmed it will remove the existing 'hard to heat' eligibility criteria. The extension has only been confirmed for winter 2025/26, with further changes possible for future years.
Martin Lewis: At last a chance to fix Council Tax flaws impacting millions – debt collection, difficulty challenging your band, discounts and more
Major flaws in the Council Tax system in England could finally be fixed in future, as the Government has launched a wide-ranging consultation to review hideous debt collection practices, the difficulty of challenging your band, the overly complex and horribly-named Severe Mental Impairment discount and more. MoneySavingExpert.com founder Martin Lewis, who has long campaigned on these issues, shares his response and analysis.
Energy complaints to be dealt with more quickly and Energy Ombudsman to get new powers under Government plans
If you have a complaint about your energy firm, it may be resolved more quickly in future, as the Government has announced a raft of proposals to strengthen consumer protections in the energy market. The planned changes include giving the Energy Ombudsman new powers to force firms to comply with its decisions – but it's still very early days. Here's what we know so far.
Warm Home Discount expansion confirmed with millions more eligible for the £150 top-up this winter – here's what we know
Around 2.7 million more households, including 900,000 families with children, will become eligible for the £150 Warm Home Discount this winter, as the Government has confirmed it will remove the existing 'hard to heat' eligibility criteria. The extension has only been confirmed for winter 2025/26, with further changes possible for future years.
Base rate held at 4.25% – here's what it means and when it might be cut next
The Bank of England has held the base rate at 4.25%. Below we explain why, when it might be cut, plus what it means for your mortgage and savings.
Applied for South West Trains 'boundary fares' compensation? Act now to claim it
If you applied for compensation from South West Trains before the deadline in January 2025, you now need to provide your bank details to the claim administrator so it can be paid to you. Here's what you need to know.
Winter Fuel Payments to be reinstated for millions – Martin Lewis explains how it'll work, what it means and if it's an improvement
All State Pensioners in England and Wales will receive a Winter Fuel Payment this winter, though those who earn over £35,000 will see it clawed back through the tax system. It means nine million pensioners will get the £200 or £300 top-up. Here MoneySavingExpert.com founder Martin Lewis shares his instant response and analysis, and we include answers to your key questions.

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