Benjamin Taylor

Money Analyst – Banking and Insurance

Benjamin's experience

Benjamin joined MSE in June 2022 as an Editorial Assistant. In his pre-MSE days, he studied English at the University of Sheffield and worked an array of odd jobs.

A little more about Benjamin

He lives in London and enjoys going to Morrisons, seeing friends and family, and just generally walking about. He supports Norwich City Football Club.

Benjamin says...

"As a member of MSE's Money team, I cover everything from credit cards, ISAs, loans and car finance, to pet, cycle and home insurance. I joined MSE to try to help people claw back pounds from big business and love to read about MSE users' innovative successes each week on the MSE Forum."

Latest from Benjamin Taylor

A person holding a mobile phone. Its screen displays the NS&I mobile app, which shows that they have just invested in Premium Bonds.

Premium Bond holders will see NS&I's prize-fund rate fall to 4.15% from 4.4% for its December 2024 draw and beyond. But if you're a bondholder, you may want to consider moving your cash to an interest-paying account now as the interest rate is already lagging behind rates on standard savings accounts.

22 October 2024

Amazon has launched a credit card giving 1% to 2% back on purchases at Amazon and up to 0.5% elsewhere, all paid in the form of gift cards to use at the online retail giant. While this isn't enough to beat our existing top pick cashback cards, the new Amazon Barclaycard could be worth getting if you're a big Amazon spender. Here's what you need to know.

20 August 2024

Barclaycard's cutting minimum repayments – you could be in debt YEARS longer paying DOUBLE the interest.

If you've got debt on a Barclaycard, it's likely the minimum you have to repay each month will be cut from next week, as the bank is changing how repayments are set for millions of customers. If you're unaware and pay interest (so aren't on a 0% deal), and don't act, you could stay in debt for many years longer and pay possibly £1,000s more in interest.

14 July 2024

Expats who bank with Barclays face having their UK accounts closed following a "strategic review" by the bank, leaving some customers worried about the alternatives available to them.

5 December 2023

Credit cards offer vital consumer protection if purchases go wrong. They give two main forms of protection - Section 75 and chargeback - which mean if you don't get the products or services you paid for, you may still be able to get your money back. This short guide runs you through what to try to get a refund when you paid on a credit card.

29 August 2023

The Bank of England has increased the base rate from 4.5% to 5% – taking it to its highest level since the 2008 financial crisis. This rate is used by the central bank to charge other banks and lenders when they borrow money – and so it influences what borrowers pay and what savers earn.

28 June 2023

The Bank of England has increased the base rate from 4.25% to 4.5% taking it to its highest level since 2008. This rate is used by the central bank to charge other banks and lenders when they borrow money – and so it influences what borrowers pay and what savers earn.

14 May 2023

If you've got a Marcus easy-access savings account or cash ISA, you can boost your interest rate to 3.3% in seconds by activating its new 0.34% bonus. It's a no-brainer for those who don't want to switch, though you can get even better returns elsewhere.

8 May 2023

The Bank of England has increased the base rate from 3% to 3.5%. This rate is used by the central bank to charge other banks and lenders when they borrow money – and so it influences what borrowers pay and what savers earn.

20 December 2022

Santander launches 'Edge' current account

Santander has today launched its new 'Edge' current account as a replacement to its popular 123 Lite account. Edge gives 1% cashback on household bills, supermarket and travel spending, and comes with a linked savings account paying 4% interest on up to £4,000. Here's how it works, how the cashback offer adds up and how it compares with other banks' accounts.

22 November 2022

Family Building Society has unveiled a two-year fixed savings account that tracks the base rate. The launch comes as the market braces for further interest rate rises from the Bank of England as the central bank attempts to curb rising inflation.

4 November 2022

The Bank of England has increased the base rate from 2.25% to 3% – the largest single rise since 1989. This rate is used by the central bank to charge other banks and lenders when they borrow money – and so it influences what borrowers pay and what savers earn.

3 November 2022

HSBC has upped the rate of its Online Bonus easy-access savings account to 3%, beating the top market rates. You'll need to have (or get) an HSBC current or savings account, however, and the rate is significantly dented if you withdraw money. Here’s how it compares.

23 October 2022

Barclays has launched a new linked "Rainy Day Saver" savings account for Blue Rewards members, which pays 5.12% interest on balances of up to £5,000 – over double the top open-to-all easy-access account. You need to jump though a number of hoops to get it though. Here's what you need to know.

3 October 2022

Bank of England increases base rate to 2.25%

The Bank of England has increased the base rate from 1.75% to 2.25% – the highest it has been in 14 years. This rate is used by the central bank to charge other banks and lenders when they borrow money – and so it influences what borrowers pay and what savers earn.

26 September 2022

Asda has teamed up with Jaja Finance to launch the Asda Money Credit Card, which offers cashback on purchases at Asda and elsewhere. The cashback can only be spent at Asda though. Below we explain the pros and cons and compare the new deal to other rewards options – where it's largely beaten.

14 August 2022