

The Martin Lewis Podcast
BBC Radio 5 Live
Martin Lewis answers your financial questions, offering valuable money-saving tips.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jul 24, 2025 • 1h 5min
A beginner’s guide to savings & how to maximise your interest
Dive into the essentials of saving with insights on maximizing interest through ISAs and the Help to Save scheme. Discover tips tailored for first-time buyers and the importance of balancing easy access with earnings potential. Hear a humorous mix-up that leads to crucial advice on pension entitlements, especially for women. Explore the challenges between mortgage overpayment and saving strategies, along with new regulations on broadband contracts. Listeners share their saving mishaps, making for a lively and informative discussion.

Jul 17, 2025 • 1h 8min
A beginner’s guide to investing… who should, how much & where to do it
Martin Lewis on Saving v Investing: which is right for you and how to do it…In this special podcast Martin is joined by two professional investment advisers to talk about:- What is going to happen to the ISA limit.
- Whether you should be saving, investing or doing a combination of the two.
- A beginners guide to investing and where you should put your money for the long term.
- What type of investment firm you should be looking at.
- Martin also gives an explanation of Bitcoin and what could happen if you want to invest in it.Get in touch with the podcast by emailing martinlewispodcast@bbc.co.uk

Jul 11, 2025 • 58min
Testing your consumer rights and haggling skills
Martin Lewis records the podcast from Lords to share his money saving tips while watching the cricket.An explanation of your statutory return rights with a focus on what the law explicitly outlines as the timeframe you have to return online purchases.We also run through the top 10 companies to haggle with in the UK, with haggling tips and how to make big savings from service firms in mature markets, such as mobiles, where everyone already has the product so companies need to retain existing customers.He gives an update on the potential payouts for mis-sold car finance.Martin makes a suggestion on how to get young people investing WITHOUT cutting the £20,000 tax-free cash ISA limit, as reports suggest Chancellor Rachel Reeves may be about to do.Tell Us is about your longest financial innings and includes advice on the best bank current accounts that are currently available.And Mastermind is swapped for Test Martin Special, or TMS for short, Eleanor Oldroyd and former England player Steven Finn help Adrian answer a cricket-themed question about what counts as legal tender.

Jul 3, 2025 • 58min
Free £1,000 a year for wannabe first time buyers | Will cash ISAs be cut | LISA v Pension
Discover the ins and outs of Lifetime ISAs and how they can be game-changers for first-time buyers. Martin dives into a recent energy bill drop and what it means for your wallet. He also discusses potential cuts to cash ISA limits and the public's reaction. Get the lowdown on consumer rights under Section 75 and the quirks of festival life with some amusing anecdotes. Plus, learn about a new top savings account that’s stirring things up and why early planning is vital for navigating the housing market!

Jun 26, 2025 • 1h 2min
The cheapest way to spend abroad, stop paying to pay! And find old pensions worth £10,000s!
With £31 billion in lost or unclaimed pensions in the UK, Martin tells you how to find your old pensions - which could be worth £10,000s! Plus, Martin’s top holiday money need-to-knows to help you stop paying when you spend abroad and get the most bang for your (Vietnamese) dong. And you tell us the worst financial advice you were given by your parents and grandparents.

Jun 20, 2025 • 1h 12min
Council Tax Money Back Special **UPDATED 20/6, after Government consultation launched**
***This episode was first published on 5th June. It was updated on 20th June to reflect the launch of a government consultation on the administration of Council Tax.***Martin goes through step by step everything you need to know about Council Tax. He explains:- How to check you are in the right band.
- How to challenge your Council Tax band.
- The Council Tax deductions you may be entitled to.
- How to collect and claim if you are owed Council Tax creditMartin also gives his response to this week’s Winter Fuel Payment news from the Chancellor Rachel Reeves

Jun 19, 2025 • 60min
Four easy-speedy steps to slash your mobile bill
Martin goes through his four easy steps to help you reduce your mobile bill. Plus, with energy bills likely to rise due to conflict in the Middle East, should you fix now? What do the Warm Home discount changes mean? And you tell us your children’s financial tips.

Jun 12, 2025 • 47min
Winter Fuel Payment – How it’ll really work (Eng & Wales) | And are you drinking enough beer
The Winter Fuel Payment will again be a universal payment in England and Wales for state pensioners this winter, yet it’ll be clawed back via the tax system where someone earns over £35,000. How will this work in practice? What counts as £35,000 earnings, and what if there are two, three or more pensioners in a house.Martin also answers questions on saving for a pension, who should opt out of receiving winter fuel payment and how to avoid being scammed.Pint rights: we also look at how to make sure you get the pint you paid for.

May 23, 2025 • 11min
Mini-pod: Energy Price Cap drops 7%, but it’s still pants!
Martin reacts to the latest Energy Price Cap announcement from the regulator Ofgem. The new cap coms into force from July, and applies to households in England, Scotland and Wales on variable tariffs. But what should you do now? With fixes on the market well below the cap rate, Martin explains how to get the best deals on your energy.

May 22, 2025 • 1h 2min
Free £310 bank switch | Winter Fuel Shenanigans | Energy Price Cap to fall but you should still fix
Martin Lewis looks at the Energy Price Cap and what your best options are for your bills.He gives his view on the recent announcement that the Winter Fuel Payment will be expanded. A guide on how to get paid to switch bank accounts.Tell Us this week is all about when have you saved a fortune by pure accident?Mastermind explains the difference between annual and compound interest.