Cash skilled Martin Lewis has met with Conservative Get together chief Kemi Badenoch to speak about pupil mortgage reimbursement.
The assembly follows an incident earlier this which Ms Badenoch was ambushed live on air by Lewis throughout an interview about private finance coverage.
“If you want to help the middle-earning students, the most important thing is the repayment threshold should have been increased,” he said.
“Lowering the interest rate now will only help those who can clear [the debt] within the 30 years, which means lower and middle earning graduates won’t benefit from that change. If you have £1bn to help students, the most direct thing that would help all students would be not freezing the repayment threshold.”
His remark comes amidst increasing debate round plans for a 3 yr freeze of the brink wage at which a graduate begins repaying their pupil mortgage.
Right here’s all the pieces it’s essential know in regards to the cash skilled, from his web value, to which TV exhibits he’s appeared on, and whether or not he’s married and has youngsters.
Shopper champion Martin Lewis questioned the Chancellor (Kirsty O’Connor/PA)
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Martin Lewis is a 53-year-old finance journalist, who was born in Witherington, Manchester, on Might 9, 1972.
After faculty, he studied Authorities and Legislation on the London College of Economics, earlier than branching out into broadcast journalism on the Univeristy of Cardiff.
After graduating, he landed a job as a producer for BBC Radio in addition to 5 Reside.
The journalist was appointed an OBE (Order of the British Empire) within the 2014 honours listing, for his providers to shopper rights in addition to charitable providers.
He was additionally made a CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) within the 2022 Honours Record for providers to shopper rights and broadcasting.
Martin tragically misplaced his mom to a automotive accident when he was younger, and in later life made the transfer to change into a patron of the kid’s bereavment charity, Grief Encounter.
Martin Lewis’ precise web value is unknown, however, in line with the Sunday Occasions Wealthy Record, he’s actually put his cash coaching to good use, with a projected worth of £123million.
Martin established Moneysavingexpert.com for simply £80 in 2003, and, since then, has bought it for £87 million in 2012.
What TV exhibits has Martin been on?
Martin has been on numerous TV exhibits all through his profession, and since 2012 he’s co-presented The Martin Lewis Present on ITV alongside Angelica Bell.
In 2020, he revealed that he was quitting Good Morning Britain after 17 years as a result of he “can’t cope” along with his busy workload.
The skilled has additionally commonly appeared on exhibits equivalent to It Pays To Watch!, Tonight, Watchdog, and Lorraine.
Is Martin married and does he have youngsters?
Martin married Lara Lewington in 2009, who’s a presenter, journalist and former climate lady.
Martin Lewis and Lara Lewington
PA
She’s additionally labored as a reporter on BBC’s Click on which covers shopper expertise information, since 2011. The couple welcomed their first youngster Sapphire Susan in 2012.
What’s Lewis’ Price of Residing disaster recommendation?
Martin has a complete vary of various items of recommendation for these combating the present price of dwelling disaster.
Listed here are numerous simple issues to strive.
- Examine your cellphone contract
Cash Saving Knowledgeable recommends utilizing worth comparability instruments to evaluate whether or not you can lower your expenses in your cellphone contract, roughly £200 a yr.
- Examine your broadband deal
You might also be capable to lower your expenses in your broadband deal, so it’s value purchasing round to test that you just’re paying the minimal worth for what you want.
Some firms present social broadband tariffs for as little as £16 a month for these on decrease incomes.
- Management your direct debits
‘Recurring funds are little identified, and hidden,’ it reads on Cash Saving Knowledgeable. ‘That is the place you give corporations permission to take a “fee” every month out of your debit or bank card.’
- Promote what you don’t want
MSE recommends promoting one thing if you happen to haven’t used it for a yr. Something from outdated smartphones and units, to garments, books and furnishings might be bought on-line as of late. Strive web sites like eBay, Fb Market, Vinted, Gumtree and Shpock.
- Get a NHS prescription certificates
If you happen to use multiple NHS prescription a month, it’s worthwhile investing in a certificates, which is a one-off charge that covers all prescriptions for a interval of 1 month to a yr.
- Use the climate to your benefit
If the climate is nice, dry laundry exterior, as an alternative of utilizing a tumble dryer. This might see you save roughly £28 a yr.
- Squeeze all you may out of what you will have
In very powerful occasions, it is perhaps essential to chop corners wherever you may, whether or not that’s squeezing the final quantity of toothpaste from a tube, or chopping dishwasher tablets in half – each little helps!
- Hold an eye fixed out for worth reductions
Get to know your native grocery store and once they’re almost definitely to place the little yellow stickers on content material symbolising a sale. Be sure that to buy at these occasions.
After the scrapping of the tampon tax, there are different methods to cut back the month-to-month prices, together with reusable sanitary merchandise.
- Get meals, drink and extra without cost
As an alternative of throwing meals away when there’s nothing mistaken with it, share it among the many neighborhood utilizing Olio. Huge retailers like Tesco, Pret and Planet Natural have teamed up with the app to present away their surplus meals too.
- Change your debt to a zero-interest bank card
Martin mentioned: “Paying bank card curiosity? STOP. A stability switch bank card can prevent £1,000s by slashing the curiosity you pay.”
He added: “With a 0% stability switch you get a brand new card to repay debt on outdated credit score and retailer playing cards, so that you owe it as an alternative, however at 0% curiosity. A card may have a 0% interval, throughout which you pay no curiosity – for instance, 28 months – and typically you will pay a small charge. It means you change into debt-free faster, as extra of your repayments scale back the debt, relatively than pay curiosity.”
Over 1 / 4 of individuals (27 per cent) have had a fee taken from an account that they thought that they had cancelled, current knowledge from Evaluate the Market had revealed.
It’s value reviewing the direct debit and standing orders out of your checking account, ensuring to contact the corporate charging you if you wish to cancel it.
Some firms will refund prospects who’ve mistakenly stored paying regardless of not utilizing the subscription.
- Think about a fixed-tariff power deal
Households might need to contemplate a fixed-tariff power deal, which can be as a lot as 14 per cent decrease than the value cap price.
- Problem your council tax
Over 43,000 folks challenged their council tax band in 2024, and near 1,000 have been in a position to decrease their band by two locations or extra, in line with The Impartial.
Evaluation signifies that roughly 400,000 households are within the mistaken band, which implies they’re paying an excessive amount of council tax. A problem might end in a backdated refund.
- Evaluate your Tesco ClubCard
Check out your Tesco Clubcard vouchers as a result of £11 million value are as a consequence of expire on February 28 by midnight.
The Cash Saving Knowledgeable (MSE) web site says: “If you happen to’re uncertain when yours expire and you’ve got nonetheless obtained them in paper format, test the date on the voucher itself. If you happen to’ve misplaced your paper vouchers, or are uncertain if you happen to had any within the first place, you may test on the Tesco Clubcard website or app.”
