MONEY TALK SUE’S GUIDE TO TheCashPowersYou Didn’tKnowYouHad!
Consumer expert Sue Hayward’s savvy finance tips and advice
Did you know you’ve got magic money powers? Here are my top five and how to use them!
Turn a DIY trip to package protection Booking a package holiday means more rights if things go wrong, which you don’t get by booking the bits separately. But there’s no need to buy an “off the peg” package. You can turn a flight-only deal into a package by adding one day’s car hire – which may be cheaper than a taxi from the airport – or a night in a hotel. Credit card cover Pay by credit card for anything costing from £100 to £30,000, and you get automatic legal protection if things go wrong. Under section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act, if goods or services are faulty and the company you buy from won’t play ball, you can ask your card company for a refund.
Turbo-boost your pension pot
It’s not often the Government dishes out free cash, but they do with pension savings. HMRC top up your pension contributions, in the form of tax relief, which means another 20% for basic rate taxpayers.
Six years for refunds
You can get refunds on faulty goods for up to six years after purchase under the Consumer Rights Act. Beyond the first six months, though, it’s down to you to prove the fault was there from the start.
Your own back-up team
Celebrities have an army of people to help them out – and so do you! Some home insurance includes free legal helplines. You can get advice on anything from disputes to redundancy rights, and all for free.
◆ Check consumer rules and rights at the Money Advice Service website: MONEYADVICESERVICE.ORG.UK
◆ Read your home insurance. You may find extra benefits you didn’t know you had!
◆ Need to make a complaint? Here’s a short cut to the top! Find email addresses for top bosses of big name companies at CEOEMAIL.COM. I used this myself and had some speedy results!