Petar Lekarski

Assistant Editor – News & Investigations

Petar joined MoneySavingExpert in 2019, but his passion for all things MoneySaving goes back much further – as evidenced by his 'Part of the furniture' badge on the MSE Forum.

He developed his in-depth knowledge of bank accounts, credit cards, loans and savings in the Money team before moving across to MSE News. He has written about a wide range of personal finance topics, covering everything from mobile roaming charges to supermarket loyalty schemes to railcards.

In 2021, Petar researched and wrote MSE's comprehensive and massively popular guide to diesel emissions legal claims, and he continues to maintain it as the cases progress.

Petar has also worked directly with Martin Lewis as his researcher, supporting the MoneySavingExpert with his eponymous ITV show and other media appearances over a period of 18 months.

When he's not polishing prose or crunching numbers, you'll find Petar at the cinema, eating spicy food or cycling around London on a rented bike. He also enjoys playing video games, bouldering and lists of three.

Latest from Petar Lekarski

Sainsbury's Bank reveals plans to stop offering loans, credit cards, savings accounts and more – here's what you need to know

Sainsbury's Bank plans to eventually stop providing banking services including loans, credit cards, savings accounts and more, the firm has announced – but it's still very early days and there's NO change for new or existing customers right now.

18 January 2024

'Terrible' inflation-busting mobile and broadband price hikes to be probed by Chancellor after Martin Lewis interview

"Terrible" inflation-busting mobile and broadband price hikes are to be probed by the Chancellor after Martin Lewis grilled him on the issue. In an interview with the MoneySavingExpert.com founder, Jeremy Hunt said he would write to the competition and markets watchdog and "get to the bottom of it".

10 January 2024

Every primary age child in London will get free school meals in the 2023/2024 academic year, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has confirmed. Here's what we know so far.

9 January 2024

Rail fares in England will rise by up to 4.9% next year, the Government has announced. The increases will come into effect on 3 March 2024.

22 December 2023

Banks will be required to refund most victims of bank transfer scams – known as "authorised push payment (APP)" fraud – from 7 October 2024, under new rules confirmed today (Tuesday 19 December). But you'll still need to be cautious when making a payment, as banks will be able to refuse refunds where you haven't been "sufficiently careful" – and they can charge an excess on claims.

19 December 2023

More than two million Premium Bond prizes worth a combined £81 million remain unclaimed, according to the latest figures. Most bondholders now get prizes paid automatically, though this may not be the case if you have older bonds. Plus, prizes paid by cheque may be unclaimed if you haven't kept your address up to date or simply forgot to cash them in. See what's unclaimed, plus how to check if you've missed a win.

12 December 2023

Online gardening retailer Precious Plants has fallen into administration. If you've ordered from the firm – including via offers featured on MoneySavingExpert.com – and didn't get what you paid for, here's what you can do.

12 December 2023

Borrowers with mis-selling claims against Morses Club likely won't now get the full amount they're owed, after the High Court approved a new scheme put forward by the firm to limit payouts and set a time restriction on claims. But don't let that put you off if you think you've been mis-sold, as you could still be due £100s.

7 December 2023

Barclays will shut at least 214 of its bank branches throughout 2023 and 2024 – more than a third of its entire UK network – after announcing a further 18 branch closures. Below we list the branches disappearing and what the alternatives are if you still want face-to-face banking.

1 December 2023

Bank of Scotland, Halifax and Lloyds, which are all part of the Lloyds Banking Group, will shut at least 276 of their bank branches in 2023 and 2024, after the Group announced a further 45 closures today (Wednesday 29 November).

29 November 2023

Martin Lewis: What the Autumn Statement means for you – including wages, benefits, pensions, ISAs, national insurance and more.

The Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has today announced a range of new tax, benefits and savings measures in his Autumn Statement. MoneySavingExpert.com founder Martin Lewis has shared his instant reaction and explained what the changes mean for you, and we've added more detail on them below.

22 November 2023

Sainsbury's has quietly relaunched its popular Nectar 'double-up' promotion for some shoppers. The offer, now called 'Points Power Up', lets you swap your points for vouchers worth twice the normal amount. However, it's only open to some Nectar cardholders this year. Here's what you need to know.

20 November 2023

The top 10 ways households cut their energy use.

In a major survey of 3,000 people, MoneySavingExpert.com today reveals which firms paid customers the most to cut their energy use during peak times last winter, and how people did it. Crucially, despite most saying they earned less than £20 in total for their efforts – only 21% earned more than £20 with top payer Octopus – the majority WOULD sign up again.

7 November 2023

Tesco Mobile is to start charging new and recently joining customers to use their mobiles in Europe from next year. The change means you'll have to pay to use your mobile data in 48 European countries and destinations – but you'll still be able to use your included calls and texts at no extra cost.

24 October 2023

E.on Next to cut winter bills by up to 50% for some customers on low incomes – here's what is happening.

If you're an E.on Next customer, look out for a message from the firm offering you up to 50% off your bills this winter. The supplier has launched a new support scheme for some of its existing customers on low incomes or with medical needs.

12 October 2023

Millions of Virgin Media broadband, TV and home phone customers will see their bills increase this spring by an average of 13.8%. The telecoms provider has also announced that its prices will rise above inflation in future. But affected users can cancel penalty-free this year – here's how to beat the hikes.

19 September 2023