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Forget 1 January, the New Year that matters is 6 April... the start of the New Tax Year, which has a material impact on the money in your pocket. It's when new tax codes start, ISA allowances reset, and this year there are also national insurance cuts and a Child Benefit shake-up. So we've 10 checks to ensure you're financially fit for the (tax) year ahead...

1. EMPLOYED? National insurance (NI) has been CUT for millions - check your take-home pay and tax code NOW. NI is a form of tax that only applies to earned income (as opposed to pension or investment income). On 6 April, the rate for income between £12,570 and £50,270 dropped from 10% to 8% - a tax cut worth roughly £250/yr for someone on £25,000, £450/yr on £35,000 and £750/yr for all those who earn over £50,270.

BUT fiscal drag (frozen tax thresholds) eats some back. NI and income tax thresholds have been frozen since 2021 (though there have been slight changes in Scotland), while earnings have risen. The result... more of your income goes to tax. This way of increasing tax revenue is called 'fiscal drag'. So check our updated Income Tax and National Insurance Calculator to see whether you're up or down for 2024/25.

Equally important is our Free Tax Code Calculator - use it to check if your 2024/25 tax code is correct. Your tax code is a series of letters and numbers (for example, 1257L) which tells your employer or pension provider what tax to deduct. However, millions of codes are wrong each year, so it's crucial to check yours - it's your responsibility, not your employer's or HMRC's.

1257L. Add a 0 and that's how much you can earn tax-free this year. So on this code it would be £12,570. The most common letter is L, which means you've got bog-standard tax affairs. Image links to our Free Tax Code Calculator guide.

2. SELF-EMPLOYED / FREELANCE? NI has been slashed for many of you too, but still aim to put 30% of earnings aside for tax. On 6 April, the main class 4 NI rate (payable on yearly profit between £12,570 and £50,270) was cut from 9% to 6%, plus class 2 contributions have been scrapped (unless you earn under £6,725 in which case they're £3.45/week and they're voluntary). See self-employed NI changes for full info.

Yet fiscal drag also applies here too, so it's vital to get tax right at the start of the year. Martin's rule of thumb is for every £100 you're paid, put about £30 aside in a separate account you never touch, for tax and NI (hopefully this is too high, in which case you'll have saved a touch).

If you don't have money set aside to pay tax, it can be a nightmare when the bill comes in. Martin wrote his warning to freelancers and the self-employed blog over a decade ago, but it's still just as relevant today.

3. PARENT? Child Benefit high income thresholds raised - URGENTLY check if your family is one of 100,000s set to benefit.

In a WIN for Martin and MSE, the cut-off point at which you start paying back Child Benefit and the point at which you lose all financial entitlement to it BOTH went up on 6 April, for the first time since 2013. These changes will benefit 485,000 families but many need to MANUALLY opt back in:

Higher-earning parent on up to £60,000/yr (was £50,000)? You can now get the full amount of Child Benefit, worth £26/wk (£1,331/yr) for a first-born and £17/wk (£881/yr) for each additional child under the age of 16 (or 20 if in full-time education).
Higher-earning parent on £60,000 to £80,000/yr (was £50,000 to £60,000)? You're newly entitled to some Child Benefit. Now, for every £200 you earn over £60,000/yr, you need to pay back 1% of your Child Benefit entitlement. For example, earn £70,000 with one child, and you'll need to pay back 50% - so £666 of your £1,331 entitlement. This is called the high income Child Benefit charge.
Previously opted out of receiving Child Benefit to avoid the high income charge? You must MANUALLY opt back in. If you now qualify for some/all of the Child Benefit payment but have previously opted out of getting it, you need to restart your Child Benefit payments.
Facing a high income charge? It's based on your 'adjusted net income' so first check if you can reduce your bill by increasing pension contributions. If you still need to pay some/all of your Child Benefit back, it's YOUR responsibility to pay it via a self-assessment tax return. For help, see how to pay.
Higher-earning parent on over £80,000/yr (was £60,000)? It's still worth registering for Child Benefit - and opting out of the payment - as you'll get national insurance (NI) credits which count towards the state pension, plus your child will automatically get an NI number before they turn 16.

PS: Only ONE parent can be paid Child Benefit, so it's crucial to apply in the right name - often the lower-earning partner's. Full help, including how to transfer the payment, in Wrong partner claiming?

4. SAVER? You've a new cash ISA allowance... but not everyone needs the tax benefits of an ISA. A cash ISA is just a savings account where the interest is always tax-free. You've now got a refreshed £20,000 allowance for the 2024/25 tax year, and there are other changes to ISAs to make 'em more flexible. Full details in Top cash ISAs, but in brief:

- You can now pay into multiple ISAs of the same type in the same tax year.
- Partial transfers of current-year ISA funds are now allowed.
- The minimum age you can open a cash ISA is now 18 (up from 16).

But not everyone needs a cash ISA. Since the introduction of the personal savings allowance (PSA), 20% basic-rate taxpayers can earn £1,000/yr in interest tax-free from all savings, and higher 40% taxpayers can earn £500/yr (top 45% taxpayers don't get a PSA so pay tax on all interest outside an ISA).

Until recently, few could save enough to get close to that, but at current rates, about £20,000 in an easy-access account or £19,000 in a 1yr fix is enough to see a basic-rate taxpayer exceed their PSA. Plus, some cash ISAs currently out-pay standard savings. Even at lower rates, cash ISAs will likely win if:

- You already pay tax on savings interest.
- You're near the limit and likely to pay tax on savings interest soon.
- You want to lock cash away but think there's a chance you'll need access (fixed cash ISAs let you withdraw money, for a penalty).

Below are today's top rates compared to the equivalent top normal savings (links go to our guides, as rates often change)...

	Top cash ISAs	Top savings
Easy access (AER variable)	- Plum 5.17% (min £100) - Moneybox 5.16% (min £500)	- Post Office 5.06% (min £1) ---------------- 5.06% is equivalent to: 4.05% after 20% tax 3.04% after 40% tax
1-year fixed rate	- Cynergy 4.8% (min £500)	- Beehive Money 5.18% (min £500) ---------------- 5.18% is equivalent to: 4.14% after 20% tax 3.11% after 40% tax
2-year fixed rate	- UBL UK 4.71% (min £2,000)	- Beehive Money 5.07% (min £500) ---------------- 5.07% is equivalent to: 4.06% after 20% tax 3.04% after 40% tax

5. INVESTOR? You've a new stocks & shares ISA allowance. The same £20,000 ISA allowance for this tax year applies across cash AND stocks & shares, so you can save in one, both or neither (or use £4,000 of it for a Lifetime ISA). Plus from 6 April, the tax-free dividend allowance and capital gains tax allowance have been halved, making stocks & shares ISAs more attractive for investors. Full info in Stocks & shares ISAs.

6. FIRST-TIME BUYER (OR WANT TO BE ONE DAY) AGED 18 TO 39? Get a FREE £1,000. A Lifetime ISA (LISA) gives first-time buyers a 25% bonus on what they save. You've a new £4,000 allowance for the 2024/25 tax year, so open a LISA and max it out and the state adds £1,000.

If nothing else, most aged 18+ should put £1 in a LISA (if you haven't already) to start the clock, as it needs to be open a year before you can use the bonus to buy a home. We covered LISAs in more depth in last week's email so, if you don't mind, we'll point you there for more info.

7. MARRIED / CIVIL-PARTNERED and not claiming marriage tax allowance? It's worth £252 this tax year. If one of you is a non-taxpayer and the other a basic 20% taxpayer, you can transfer tax-free allowances between you, so you pay less tax as a couple. It's worth up to £252 this tax year, but backdate it the full four years allowed and it can be worth a further £1,006. And once you sign up, you get it every year. Around 2.1 million eligible couples miss out - check you're not one of them in Marriage tax allowance.

An image detailing how non-taxpayers can transfer part of their tax-free allowance to their spouse. A non-taxpayer can shift 10% or £1,260 of their £12,570 tax-free allowance over to their taxpayer spouse, reducing their allowance to £11,310. However, this would increase the taxpayer's allowance to £13,830. Image links to our Marriage tax allowance guide.

8. ON A LOW INCOME? Check if you now qualify for means-tested benefits. Most benefits (including Universal Credit) went up by about 6.7% this April. As they've gone up by more than most people's wages, some low-income households will now likely qualify for help for the first time, even if they didn't last year. Check now if YOU could with our 10-minute benefit checker.

9. PENSIONER IN POOR HEALTH? Some non-means-tested benefits have also been boosted. Our 10-min benefit calc will give you a rough idea if you qualify for any of them, but a biggie is Attendance Allowance, which is financial support now worth up to £5,645/yr if you're aged 66+ and require help with certain daily living tasks. Around one million pensioners are missing out, often due to misconceptions around what it is and who can get it. So don't just assume that you - or someone you know - won't qualify. Take the time to check. See Attendance Allowance.

10. AGED 40 TO 73 AND NOT DUE A FULL STATE PENSION? Boost it by turning £800 into £5,500+ (free for some). To get the full state pension, you'll need 35ish (only 'ish', as it can be more for some) complete NI years - most get these through working or claiming benefits.

If you've gaps in your NI record, check if you can fill them for free. If not, you can buy missing years from 2006 to 2016, which can be incredibly lucrative, though you'll need to do it before 5 April 2025. Don't leave it till then though, as it's not quick. We've full help on who should do this in boost NI years.

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.

New. Top all-rounder 0% credit card
One application gets... 1) 21mths 0% spending - the longest + 2) decent 20mth 0% debt shift + 3) £20 cashback

We told you about 'debt' all-rounder credit cards - which combine 0% spending and 0% debt shifting - a month ago. Yet we make no apologies for doing it again as the top picks have since got better. And as it's a 2for1, it's only one application on your credit file, which is good as too many in a short time can affect your ability to access credit.

The two top all-rounder cards are the two LONGEST 0% spending deals available. That's where new purchases on the card are interest-free for a set time. Though as this is new borrowing, be careful - only do it for planned, NEEDED one-offs (eg, a new fridge), where you've budgeted and can afford the repayments. Plus, they both let you do a 0% balance transfer - where the new card pays off debt on existing cards, so you owe it, but it's interest-free. This means your repayments clear the debt, not just cover the interest.

- Use our 0% eligibility tool to see which card providers will accept you - this minimises unnecessary applications.
- Balance transfers have a one-off fee as a percentage of the amount transferred. Aim for the LOWEST FEE with a 0% time long enough to clear your debt. If unsure, play safe and go long.

TOP-PICK NEW CARDHOLDER 0% DEALS
ALL-ROUNDER New. Barclaycard Link goes via our eligibility calculator, or apply direct*	- Up to 21mths' 0% spending - Up to 20mths' 0% balance transfer (3.45% fee) - £20 cashback on £250 spend - 24.9% rep APR interest after	Longest 0% spending on market + £20 cashback, but an 'up to'. So unless you're showing as 'pre-approved' in our eligibility calc, you could get just 10mths 0% on spending & transfers, though Barclaycard says most will get the full deal. To get the £20, you need to be a Barclaycard newbie, apply via our links by 23 Apr & spend £250+ within 90 days.
ALL-ROUNDER MBNA Link goes via our eligibility calc (not available direct)	- Up to 21mths' 0% spending done in first 60 days - Up to 21mths' 0% balance transfer (3.49% fee) - 24.9% rep APR interest after	Joint longest 0% spending on market - but only for first 60 days' spending. It's an 'up to', so again some may be accepted & get just 12mths 0% on both. Unusually, you only get the 0% spending on payments made in the first 60 days - most cards do it for the whole period.
BALANCE TRANSFER Barclaycard Link goes via our eligibility calc, or apply direct*	- Up to 28mths 0% (3.45% fee) - 24.9% rep APR interest after	Longest 0% balance transfer, but an 'up to'. If you're not 'pre-approved' in our eligibility calc, you get just 14mths 0% - though again, Barclaycard says most will get the full deal.
BALANCE TRANSFER Virgin Money Link goes via our eligibility calc, or apply direct*	- 27mths 0% (3.25% fee) - 24.9% rep APR interest after	Longest definite 0% balance transfer. All accepted get the full 27mths 0%, so it's worth considering if you get good odds for it in the eligibility calc, and aren't pre-approved elsewhere.
NO-FEE BALANCE TRANSFER NatWest Link goes via our eligibility calc, or apply direct*	- 13mths 0% - NO FEE - 24.9% rep APR interest after	Cheapest balance transfer if you can repay quickly. No fee, so clear the debt within 13mths and it's totally free. Plus our eligibility calc can tell those pre-approved whether they'll get the credit limit they need. Also offered by its sister banks RBS and Ulster Bank, but they're not in our calc.

The golden rules...
i) Never miss the min monthly repayment, or you could lose the 0% deal and it'll cost far more.
ii) Clear the card or balance-transfer again before the 0% ends, or the rate rockets to the higher APR.
iii) Don't withdraw cash. It usually isn't at the cheap rate and withdrawals hit your ability to access credit.
iv) Don't spend on the non-all-rounder balance transfer cards - they're not usually at the cheap rate.
v) You must usually balance-transfer within 60 or 90 days to get the 0%.

£300 Ninja air fryer & multi-cooker for £165 with code - cheapest we've ever seen it. MSE Blagged. With 11 functions including air fry, slow cook & steam. 4,000 available. Ninja

NHS prescriptions to rise to £9.90 in England on 1 May - can you get 'em cheaper? Almost one million people are missing out each year by not buying a season ticket - see prescription price hikes.

£1 to £6 ex-high street clothes, shoes & accessories via 10% off code, plus free delivery. MSE Blagged. Everything5pounds (well, it's not all £5) sells a mix of ex-high street & non-branded items. Everything5pounds

Are you one of 5.7 million missing out on a £160/yr water bill cut? Every water company (in England & Wales) has a social tariff scheme for those on low incomes which can lower bills or cap what you pay. Many firms have just updated their criteria for 2024 - to see if you qualify, check our firm-by-firm explainer.

A YEAR's 2for1 at 400+ UK gardens (including Leeds Castle, Haddon Hall) + free seeds, with £9.50 mag. Always popular - just one visit often saves you the cover price. Gardeners' World

Ends Thu. HOT superfast 500Mb Sky broadband '£26.45/mth'. Sky newbies can get this Sky 500Mb broadband & digital line deal for £32/mth, available to 60% of homes. Plus, CLAIM a £100 prepaid Mastercard or voucher within 4mths and, factored in, that makes it equivalent to £26.45/mth over the 18mth contract. You pay £5 upfront but get that back as bill credit. See all top broadband deals: MSE broadband comparison.

Flogging clothes on eBay is now free (though you'll still pay on hats, shoes & more). The auction site's taking on Vinted by scrapping fees on clothes listings. See what's free and what isn't in eBay selling.

Spotify prices to rise by up to £24/yr - check if you can save. See Spotify hikes.

FREE Lego Harry Potter, Animal Crossing or Friends toy. At Smyths stores this weekend, limited stock. Free Lego

BLAGGED FOR MSE

- £1 to £6 ex-high street shoes & clothes Ends Sun
- £300 Ninja multi-cooker for £165 4,000 available
- Extra £21 cashback on £5 spend via Quidco Ends Tue 30 Apr
- £74 8-piece Bondi Sands set for £35 2,000 available

DID YOU MISS?

- Call-centre workers' insider tips: Skip waiting on hold & more
- Ends Thu. TWO pairs of specs £14 delivered
- FREE gym passes, tennis lessons, fitness classes & more
- Nearly 850,000 missed out on cheaper passports last year

Home insurance costs UP over 40%

Check NOW if you can LOCK IN a price till 2025 & save £100s

Home insurance costs are up a HUGE 41% on average - the biggest yearly rise since research firm Consumer Intelligence started tracking prices a decade ago. Renewal prices have more than doubled for some, with labour and material costs both having risen, making claim costs higher. So EVERYONE should check now whether they can save, lock in a decent price today, and forestall any rises. Our Cheap home insurance guide shows you how in detail, but in brief...

NEVER auto-renew. Always check what's out there. Your insurer's not necessarily going to have the market's cheapest policy, as Justin found: "My home insurance renewal was up 111%, from £353 to £745, even though there have been no claims for 5+ years. Taking your advice, I used a comparison site and got a like-for-like quote for £411. While still an increase, it's easier to stomach. Many thanks."
Establish what cover you need. Everyone should consider contents cover, but buildings insurance is typically only for freehold homeowners (though do check your lease/contract). To work out what's covered by each, imagine turning your home upside down. If it falls, it's contents. If it stays, it's usually buildings.
- Contents insurance: beware underinsuring. If you're thinking "I'd never claim for everything", and only insure half your contents' worth, you may only get half the payout. Use a contents calculator.
- Buildings insurance: beware overinsuring. What counts is how much it would cost to rebuild your home if it were knocked down or gutted by fire - usually less than its market value. Use a rebuild cost calculator.
COMBINE comparison sites for 100s of quotes in minutes. These sites speedily zip your info to dozens of insurers. Don't just use one though, as a) they cover different insurers, and b) they can have different prices for the same firms.

Our current order is 1) Compare The Market*, 2) MoneySupermarket*, 3) Confused.com* (see how we order it). These sites are best for those with standard circumstances - if that's not you, and you find it tough to get quotes, see help if you're struggling to get insurance.

When it comes to getting quotes, timing matters. The nearer you get to renewal, the more expensive your cover will be - our analysis shows, on average, the cheapest time to get quotes is 21 days ahead of your renewal, though a few days either side won't matter much. Watch Martin's video on why timing is everything from his ITV show.
Now see if you can beat your cheapest comparison site price. If you've time, add insurers that comparisons miss, plus promo deals and cashback sites - doing so could bag you a cheaper price.

- Coverbaloo* gives a £25 Amazon voucher (comes within 90 days).
- Urban Jungle* gives a £15 Amazon voucher after seven months when you use code MSE_OFFER.
- Home Protect* gives the option of a food hamper or five bottles of wine (comes within 90 days).
- Biggie Direct Line doesn't appear on comparisons and can be competitive for some.
- If you're a member of cashback sites Quidco or Topcashback, you can do a comparison through them, and get up to £34 back. But check prices are the same (or cheaper) as through the main comparisons. See cashback help info.
Haggle. Want to stick with your existing firm? Tell it this but ask it to match your cheapest price from steps 3 and 4 - it will often work. See home insurance haggling help.
Not at renewal? It's still worth checking if you can save. Check prices now and if you can make a substantial saving, provided you haven't claimed this year, you can cancel your policy and usually get a pro-rata refund if you paid upfront, minus a £35ish admin fee (though you won't earn the year's no-claims discount). Plus you forestall rises for another year. See switching home insurance mid-year for more help.
Ensure the policy's right for you before buying. Go through the main terms to check you're happy, and check the provider is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. And remember, if you have a claim unfairly rejected, you have a right to escalate any complaints to the free Financial Ombudsman.

New. FREE £21 when you spend £5+ online. MSE Blagged. Newbies to cashback site Quidco get an extra £21 cashback when they sign up via our special link & buy something via it costing £5 or more. Full info in Quidco deals.

NS&I's British Savings Bond launches with a 'meh' 4.15% for 3yrs. Announced in March's Budget, the account can easily be beaten by many standard accounts. See our full analysis.

New. Get £50 cashback when you invest £250. If you plan to invest, this Wealthify deal offers a tidy boost, though it's not as strong as it's been in the past. Keep the £250 invested for at least 12mths & you'll get £50 cashback. This isn't a Wealthify recommendation - we don't do investment tips - just if you're going to use it anyway, you can get cashback. Full info in Robo-investing cashback.

£74 Bondi Sands eight-piece self-tanning set for £35, via code. MSE Blagged. 2,000 available. Bondi Sands

'I saved £1,000 a year reviewing my Direct Debits thanks to MSE.' Our success of the week comes from Sarah, who said: "I have just reviewed all my Direct Debits, prompted by MSE, and have saved just over £1,000/yr. I used to work for a bank & assumed no savings could be made but the review was well worth it. Thank you for the help & your app, it is much appreciated." If we've helped you save (on this, or owt else), send us your successes.

Ends Fri. Greater Anglia train ticket sale, including £12 same-day London-to-Cambridge return. For travel until 11 June, with no limit on numbers available. Just the ticket

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AT A GLANCE BEST BUYS

Longest 0%: Barclaycard (check eligibility / apply*) - up to 28mths 0%, 3.45% fee (24.9% rep APR interest)
No-fee 0%: NatWest (check eligibility / apply*) - 13mths 0% (24.9% rep APR interest)

£175 to switch + top service + 7% regular savings: First Direct
1% cashback on bills & travel: Santander Edge

Fibre (30Mb+): Vodafone '£23.71/mth'
Fast fibre (100Mb+): Virgin Media '£21.78/mth'
Superfast fibre (500Mb+): Sky '£26.45/mth'

On Universal Credit or similar? Check all discounted social tariffs

Try our Compare+ Car Insurance tool

Cheapest for £5,000 to £7,499: Santander (check eligibility / apply*), 7.3% rep APR
Cheapest for £7,500 to £15,000: TSB (check eligibility, TSB has asked us to link only to our calculator), 5.9% rep APR

Top easy access: Post Office 5.06%, min £1
Top one-year fix: Beehive Money 5.18%, min £500

Try our relaunched Cheap Energy Club

Up to 3GB data: Lebara, '£3.20/mth' for 3GB
4GB to 9GB data: Lebara, '£3.45/mth' for 5GB
10GB to 30GB data: iD Mobile, '£5.34/mth' for 30GB
31GB+ data: iD Mobile, '£7.92/mth' for 100GB

THIS WEEK'S POLL

What proportion of your income do you spend on your mortgage or rent? Take what you pay on your mortgage or rent (including any service charges or ground rent but NOT council tax, insurance or other bills), and let us know roughly what percentage of your monthly take-home pay/income that is. Vote in this week's poll.

Almost one in five MoneySavers could be missing big water bill savings. Following 1 April's 6% average rise in water bills (in England and Wales), we asked you how your bills are worked out. More than 4,000 people responded - and two-thirds (67%) of you have a water meter. A meter is likely to save you money, according to Martin's rule of thumb, if you've more bedrooms in your home than people, or the same number. Yet almost one in five (17%) of respondents in these households DON'T have a meter, potentially missing big savings. See full poll results.

MSE NEWS

- Top story: Subway customer? Use your loyalty points by 14 May or lose 'em
- Ted Baker to close 15 stores as it falls into administration

MONEY MORAL DILEMMA

My daughter is selling the clothes I bought her - should she have offered them to me first? Last year, I bought my daughter some new clothes to help her out as she's been struggling with money. I recently saw that she's put them up for sale on a popular buying and selling app. We wear the same size and I would have loved them. Should she have asked me if I wanted them before trying to sell them, or at least offered me a share of what she gets for them? Enter the Money Moral Maze: My daughter's selling the clothes I bought her | Suggest a Money Moral Dilemma (MMD) | View past MMDs

MSE TEAM BLOG

- MSE Forum highlights: Patches of woodland, pet tortoises & punctures

MARTIN'S APPEARANCES (TUE 9 APR ONWARDS)

Tue 16 Apr - This Morning, phone-in, ITV1, 10.15am

CANDY FLOSS, EYELASHES AND IPHONES - WHAT WEIRD VENDING MACHINES HAVE YOU SEEN?

That's all for this week, but before we go... after MSE James recently spotted a vending machine selling frozen ready meals at his local train station, we wanted to know what weird and wonderful things you've spotted in these machines. Sweet-toothed shoppers can get their fix with candy floss in Camden, London, strawberries in Holland, cakes in Texas and green-tea ice cream in Japan. Can you guess where you can get baguettes and cheese... bien sur, c'est la France! And apparently you can grab false eyelashes in Sunderland, and iPhones in Qatar - you'll need more than a few coins to get one of those. Perhaps the most useful, spotted by a MoneySaver in Hong Kong, was the machine selling umbrellas - surely a business that would thrive in the UK. Let us know your weird vending machine sightings in our Facebook, Twitter and MSE Forum conversations.

We hope you save some money,
The MSE team

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