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

High street banks including Lloyds and NatWest will close at least 81 more branches this year. We've rounded up the planned closures for each bank and what the alternatives are if you still want face-to-face banking.

29 March 2023

Barclays has announced a fresh round of bank branch closures, with 14 more locations set to shut in the summer – in addition to the 55 it had already announced would close this year. The latest closures now mean Barclays will close at least 69 branches by the end of 2023. Below we list the branches disappearing and what the alternatives are if you still want face-to-face banking.

26 March 2023

Martin Lewis rounds up the key Spring Budget announcements

The Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has today announced a range of new tax, benefits and energy measures in his Budget. But, as MoneySavingExpert.com founder Martin Lewis points out, income tax thresholds will remain frozen – meaning millions will be pulled into paying more tax through a process known as 'fiscal drag'. Below we round up the key announcements and you can also watch Martin's instant reaction.

17 March 2023

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Energy companies have agreed to stop forced installations of prepayment meters, industry regulator Ofgem has confirmed. This includes the remote switching of smart meters into prepay mode, as well as physical meter installations through the use of court warrants. It follows reports that some households were being forcibly switched despite being clearly vulnerable.

14 March 2023

Economic Secretary to the Treasury Andrew Griffith MP has confirmed he will read and seek official advice on the proposals for freeing mortgage prisoners put forward in a recently published report by the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).

10 March 2023

The NHS prescription charge in England will increase by 30p to £9.65 from 1 April, the Government confirmed today. The cost of prescription 'season tickets', which let you prepay for multiple prescriptions over a set period, is also rising – so if you regularly pay for prescriptions, it's worth checking if you should buy a certificate now, before prices go up.

10 March 2023

A landmark new report published today by the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) puts forward costed solutions to the horror of the situation facing up to 200,000 mortgage prisoners, who have been trapped on high rates after their loans were sold by the state to 'closed book' inactive lenders.

10 March 2023

A social tariff is the best way to stop millions of vulnerable people overpaying for energy, according to a new report from Citizens Advice published today. The consumer charity says eligible households could save up to £1,500 a year on their bills under the proposals. A social tariff is something MoneySavingExpert.com founder, Martin Lewis, has also long argued for.

8 March 2023

People in England aged up to 60 who want to study, train or retrain will be able to access flexible student finance to help them do so from 2025, the Government has confirmed today. The new higher education loan scheme, dubbed the 'lifelong loan entitlement', will be worth the equivalent of four years of post-18 education. Here's what we know so far.

7 March 2023

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The Government has today confirmed that it will "carefully consider" the costed and practical proposals for freeing mortgage prisoners put forward in the recently published report by the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).

7 March 2023

Millions more households on low incomes may now be able to get Virgin Media's discounted broadband social tariffs, as the provider has expanded the list of qualifying benefits and made it easier to sign up. Below we explain who's eligible for the cheaper deals, how they compare and how to get them.

1 March 2023

Buy now, pay later provider Klarna will start charging borrowers who miss repayments fees of up to £5 from next month. Below we explain how the new fees will work and how to avoid them.

27 February 2023

Pay monthly Tesco Mobile customers whose contracts expired before 1 February 2023 will see their mobile bills increase this spring by 14.4%, the mobile provider has announced. Going forward, you'll also need a Clubcard to avoid mid-contract price rises. But affected users can sign up to a new plan or cancel penalty-free to avoid this year's hikes. Here's what you need to know.

21 February 2023

Scottish households on certain benefits can get £150 off their energy bills under the Warm Home Discount scheme – but, unlike in England and Wales, many in Scotland still need to apply. Yet payments are made on a first come, first served basis and some suppliers are starting to close their schemes – so apply as soon as possible to ensure you don't miss out.

17 February 2023

Millions of O2 and Virgin Mobile customers will be hit with price hikes of up to 17.3% in April, the mobile providers' parent company has confirmed. Below we explain what's happening and what you can do about it.

15 February 2023

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Draft laws which will bring buy now, pay later services into regulation and give borrowers crucial rights and protections, have today (14 February) been published by the Government. But the new rules, which will be overseen by the Financial Conduct Authority, won't come into effect for at least several months.

14 February 2023