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78-506: MoneySavingExpert.com is a British consumer finance information and discussion website, founded by financial journalist Martin Lewis in February 2003. The website's focus is to provide people with information on saving money in the form of deals, tips and journalistic articles, as well as techniques and strategies for exploiting loyalty schemes and incentive-based credit cards. In September 2012, it

156-414: A cash value up to its date of maturation. The owner can access the money in the cash value by withdrawing money, borrowing the cash value, or surrendering the policy and receiving the surrender value. The three basic types of permanent insurance are whole life , universal life , and endowment . Whole life insurance provides lifetime coverage for a set premium amount. Universal life insurance (ULl)

234-474: A "MoneySaving Kids charity" to help educate children about how to be consumers. In December 2006 the book Thrifty Ways for Modern Days was launched by the site. The book was compiled from advice given on the threads of the MoneySaving Old Style section of the site. As the book was created from community knowledge and only edited by Martin Lewis, it was decided that all profits from the book would go to

312-472: A $ 100,000 policy in the competitive US life insurance market. Most of the revenue received by insurance companies consists of premiums, but revenue from investing the premiums forms an important source of profit for most life insurance companies. Group insurance policies are an exception to this. In the United States, life insurance companies are never legally required to provide coverage to everyone, with

390-622: A Governor of the London School of Economics in 2008. He was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2014 Birthday Honours for services to consumer rights and to charitable services through the MSE Charity Fund and promoted to Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2022 New Year Honours for services to broadcasting and consumer rights. Lewis

468-425: A baseline for the cost of insurance, but the health and family history of the individual applicant is also taken into account (except in the case of Group policies). This investigation and resulting evaluation is termed underwriting . Health and lifestyle questions are asked, with certain responses possibly meriting further investigation. Specific factors that may be considered by underwriters include: Based on

546-459: A certain age limit. Some policies also pay out in the case of critical illness. Policies are typically traditional with-profits or unit-linked (including those with unitized with-profits funds). Endowments can be cashed in early (or surrendered) and the holder then receives the surrender value which is determined by the insurance company depending on how long the policy has been running and how much has been paid into it. Accidental death insurance

624-982: A fortune" on ITV Meridian as their Money Saving Expert for the first time. The programme subsequently won the Royal Television Society Educational Award – 2002 Campaigns and Seasons. Lewis created and runs the website MoneySavingExpert.com (MSE), which was originally designed for a cost of just £100 in February 2003. In September 2012 he sold the website to the Moneysupermarket.com group for up to £87m but remained editor-in-chief. The deal saw Lewis receive £35m cash up front in addition to 22.1m shares in Moneysupermarket.com and £27m in future payments. He simultaneously announced his intention to give £10m to charity, of which £1m would go to Citizens Advice . In July 2015 Lewis sold just over half his shareholding in Moneysupermarket.com, obtained in

702-463: A life insurance company would have to collect approximately $ 50 a year from each participant to cover the relatively few expected claims. (0.35 to 0.66 expected deaths in each year × $ 100,000 payout per death = $ 35 per policy.) Other costs, such as administrative and sales expenses, also need to be considered when setting the premiums. A 10-year policy for a 25-year-old non-smoking male with preferred medical history may get offers as low as $ 90 per year for

780-405: A loan secured by real property and usually features a level premium amount for a declining policy face value because what is insured is the principal and interest outstanding on a mortgage that is constantly being reduced by mortgage payments. The face amount of the policy is always the amount of the principal and interest outstanding that are paid should the applicant die before the final installment

858-800: A major setback in November 2009 when the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom ruled that the charges imposed by banks formed part of their fees for current account services and could not be assessed for fairness under the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations. Lewis, along with other consumer groups, hired Ray Cox QC (a barrister with previous experience of banking cases) to look into new legal arguments for account holders wishing to reclaim charges, which might possibly use regulation 5 of

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936-405: A policy is the policy owner, while the insured is the person whose death will trigger payment of the death benefit. The owner and insured may or may not be the same person. For example, if Joe buys a policy on his own life, he is both the owner and the insured. But if Jane, his wife, buys a policy on Joe's life, she is the owner and he is the insured. The policy owner is the guarantor and they will be

1014-470: A price comparison site whose business motivation is to encourage frequent switching between energy suppliers, after the price cuts, in February 2009, suggested that "Those who were savvy enough to sign up to a competitive fixed-price plan last summer, before some increases in wholesale energy were passed on, are sitting pretty as prices would need to drop by 16% on average before it would be worth moving" but failed to be clear about which specific capped deals it

1092-441: A profit. The cost of insurance is determined using mortality tables calculated by actuaries . Mortality tables are statistically based tables showing expected annual mortality rates of people at different ages. As people are more likely to die as they get older, the mortality tables enable insurance companies to calculate the risk and increase premiums with age accordingly. Such estimates can be important in taxation regulation. In

1170-762: A similar fund in 1769. Between 1787 and 1837 more than two dozen life insurance companies were started, but fewer than half a dozen survived. In the 1870s, military officers banded together to found both the Army ( AAFMAA ) and the Navy Mutual Aid Association (Navy Mutual), inspired by the plight of widows and orphans left stranded in the West after the Battle of the Little Big Horn , and of the families of U.S. sailors who died at sea. The person responsible for making payments for

1248-523: Is a lifelong supporter of Manchester City F.C . Lewis has said he 'has dark days,' that his roles cause him stress and that he does not manage stress well. Life insurance Life policies are legal contracts and the terms of each contract describe the limitations of the insured events. Often, specific exclusions written into the contract limit the liability of the insurer; common examples include claims relating to suicide , fraud, war, riot, and civil commotion. Difficulties may arise where an event

1326-653: Is a relatively new insurance product, intended to combine permanent insurance coverage with greater flexibility in premium payments, along with the potential for greater growth of cash values. There are several types of universal life insurance policies, including interest-sensitive (also known as "traditional fixed universal life insurance"), variable universal life (VUL) , guaranteed death benefit , and has equity-indexed universal life insurance . Universal life insurance policies have cash values. Paid-in premiums increase their cash values; administrative and other costs reduce their cash values. Universal life insurance addresses

1404-565: Is a type of limited life insurance that is designed to cover the insured should they die as a result of an accident. "Accidents" run the gamut from abrasions to catastrophes but normally do not include deaths resulting from non-accident-related health problems or suicide. Because they only cover accidents, these policies are much less expensive than other life insurance policies. Such insurance can also be accidental death and dismemberment insurance or AD&D . In an AD&D policy, benefits are available not only for accidental death but also for

1482-784: Is any coverage that determines benefits based on actual losses whereas "assurance" is coverage with predetermined benefits irrespective of the losses incurred. Life insurance may be divided into two basic classes: temporary and permanent; or the following subclasses: term, universal, whole life , and endowment life insurance. Term assurance provides life insurance coverage for a specified term (usually 10–30 years). Term life insurance policies do not accumulate cash value, but are significantly less expensive than permanent life insurance policies with equivalent face amounts. Policyholders can save to provide for increased term premiums or decrease insurance needs (by paying off debts or saving to provide for survivor needs). Mortgage life insurance insures

1560-528: Is currently a presenter for ITV , on the morning shows Good Morning Britain and This Morning since 2007. He also presents The Martin Lewis Money Show . Lewis was born at Withington Hospital in Manchester in 1972. His family lived in the Manchester suburb of Didsbury . While still a child he moved with his family to the village of Norley , near Delamere Forest in rural Cheshire , where his father

1638-490: Is estimated that £100,000 was donated in the 2006-2007 year. In previous years all money has been given to nominated charities based on the percentage of the vote given by site users, but it has been announced that in the future a new registered charity, the MoneySavingExpert.com Charitable Fund , will distribute the money. It has also been announced that a proportion of the money will fund a feasibility study into setting up

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1716-520: Is not clearly defined, for example, the insured knowingly incurred a risk by consenting to an experimental medical procedure or by taking medication resulting in injury or death. Modern life insurance bears some similarity to the asset-management industry, and life insurers have diversified their product offerings into retirement products such as annuities . Life-based contracts tend to fall into two major categories: An early form of life insurance dates to Ancient Rome ; "burial clubs" covered

1794-439: Is paid. Group life insurance (also known as wholesale life insurance or institutional life insurance ) is term insurance covering a group of people, usually employees of a company, members of a union or association, or members of a pension or superannuation fund. Individual proof of insurability is not normally a consideration in its underwriting. Rather, the underwriter considers the size, turnover, and financial strength of

1872-432: Is reserved only for the healthiest individuals in the general population. This may mean, that the proposed insured has no adverse medical history, is not under medication, and has no family history of early-onset cancer , diabetes , or other conditions. Preferred means that the proposed insured is currently under medication and has a family history of particular illnesses. Most people are in the standard category. People in

1950-410: Is typically determined at the time the policy is purchased, and it is based on factors such as the policyholder's age, health, and occupation. The death benefit is only payable if the policyholder dies while the policy is in effect. If the policyholder outlives the policy, the death benefit is not paid, and the policy will typically expire. Some policies may allow the policyholder to receive a portion of

2028-622: The Browne Review . After subtle changes to student loan repayments were announced in the Autumn Statement of 2015, Lewis appealed directly to the Prime Minister and engaged lawyers to investigate. He said that freezing the repayment threshold would represent a retroactive hike in student loan costs that could "destroy any trust" that students have in the student finance and political systems. In 2016, Lewis launched and provided funding for

2106-563: The Emma Barnett Show on BBC's Radio Five Live . In June 2020 he was a guest on BBC Radio 4 's Desert Island Discs . In December 2022, Martin Lewis appeared with LadBaby on their Christmas charity single, "Food Aid", a spoof of Band Aid 's 1984 charity single Do They Know It's Christmas? . In October 2002 Martin appeared in the Meridian Trust's (now Public Service Broadcasting Trust) live Spotlight Programme "Save yourself

2184-617: The RTS Special Award at the Royal Television Society Television Journalism Awards 2024. The Economist magazine has called Lewis "one of Britain’s most recognisable figures" and possibly "the most influential man in British politics". However, writing in 2022, the magazine argued that his money-saving tips had lost their relevance in a world of rising energy prices. Lewis has a sister. His father

2262-935: The University of Chester . After graduating, Lewis was the general secretary of the LSE Students' Union . He then went to work in the City of London for the Brunswick Group, a financial communications consultancy. After graduating in journalism at Cardiff University , Lewis became a producer for the BBC Business Unit working on the BBC Radio Five Live business programmes and as an editor of BBC Radio 4 's Today programme business slot. Lewis then moved to satellite channel Simply Money , fronted by Angela Rippon , where he cultivated his "Money Saving Expert" persona. From

2340-498: The 1980s and 1990s, the SOA 1975-80 Basic Select & Ultimate tables were the typical reference points, while the 2001 VBT and 2001 CSO tables were published more recently. As well as the basic parameters of age and gender, the newer tables include separate mortality tables for smokers and non-smokers, and the CSO tables include separate tables for preferred classes. The mortality tables provide

2418-800: The BBC to work as a business and personal finance reporter for the corporation's BBC One Breakfast News . In 2005, Lewis presented a daytime television series on ITV called Make Me Rich and in 2008 a peak time programme on Five called It Pays to Watch! . Lewis has also presented money special editions for ITV's Tonight and has featured as a "Money Saving Expert" on several other magazine programmes including Good Morning Britain and Lorraine . Lewis currently appears on ITV's This Morning and as an occasional guest on other news and magazine programmes. In 2012, he began co-presenting The Martin Lewis Money Show , initially with Saira Khan , and more recently with Angellica Bell . He also appeared weekly on

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2496-493: The CQV for the proceeds), was found liable in court for contributing to the wrongful death of the victim ( Liberty National Life v. Weldon , 267 Ala.171 (1957)). Special exclusions may apply, such as suicide clauses, whereby the policy becomes null and void if the insured dies by suicide within a specified time (usually two years after the purchase date; some states provide a statutory one-year suicide clause). Any misrepresentations by

2574-658: The Directors tried to ensure that policyholders received a fair return on their investments. Premiums were regulated according to age, and anybody could be admitted regardless of their state of health and other circumstances. The sale of life insurance in the U.S. began in the 1760s. The Presbyterian Synods in Philadelphia and New York City created the Corporation for Relief of Poor and Distressed Widows and Children of Presbyterian Ministers in 1759; Episcopalian priests organized

2652-502: The GMTV website, and then re-directing them to Martin Lewis' commercial website to obtain that information, the programme was effectively promoting his business. As a result of this promotion, the programme was in breach of Rule 10.3 of the Code." In late 2005, campaigns against what were claimed to be unfair bank charges gained momentum and a few small websites started to highlight the issue. Lewis

2730-509: The Money and Mental Health Policy Institute, a think tank directed by former Liberal Democrat adviser Polly Mackenzie to study the link between mental health issues and debt. Lewis' other large-scale campaigns, with ensuing television programmes, include refunds for missold payment protection insurance . Between January 2011 and December 2019 UK banks paid £38.3 billion in compensation for millions of fraudulently sold policies. Lewis became

2808-546: The MoneySavingExpert.com Charitable Fund. As of September 2020, the site had a global Alexa rank of 8,891 and a UK rank of 175. Martin Lewis (financial journalist) Martin Steven Lewis CBE (born 9 May 1972) is an English financial journalist and broadcaster. Lewis founded the website MoneySavingExpert.com . He sold the website in 2012 to the Moneysupermarket.com group for up to £87 million. Lewis

2886-466: The US population male mortality rates of 1.3 per 1,000 at age 25 and 19.3 at age 65 (without regard to health or smoking status). Upon the insured's death, the insurer requires acceptable proof of death before it pays the claim. If the insured's death is suspicious and the policy amount is large, the insurer may investigate the circumstances surrounding the death before deciding whether it has an obligation to pay

2964-724: The Unfair Terms Act as suggested by the Supreme Court Judgement. This attempt suffered a further setback when, on 22 December 2009, the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) issued a statement saying that it had decided against taking forward such an investigation because it "would have a very limited scope and low prospects of success". Lewis published updated template letters allowing individuals to attempt to recover bank charges on financial hardship grounds on 2 February 2010, and information regarding claims on legal grounds made via courts

3042-482: The above and additional factors, applicants will be placed into one of several classes of health ratings which will determine the premium paid in exchange for insurance at that particular carrier. Life insurance companies in the United States support the Medical Information Bureau (MIB), which is a clearing house of information on persons who have applied for life insurance with participating companies in

3120-729: The action after Facebook agreed to fund an anti-scam project. Lewis has a fortnightly column in The Sunday Post and a regional syndicated column in The Yorkshire Post , the Manchester Evening News and the Express & Star amongst others. He has been a columnist for The Sunday Times , News of the World , The Guardian and the Sunday Express . All his columns are on

3198-439: The agreement of the original beneficiary. In cases where the policy owner is not the insured (also referred to as the celui qui vit or CQV), insurance companies have sought to limit policy purchases to those with an insurable interest in the CQV. For life insurance policies, close family members and business partners will usually be found to have an insurable interest. The insurable interest requirement usually demonstrates that

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3276-521: The appointments commission denied the claimed reasons, stating that some very good candidates were rejected. In 2022, Lewis won the National Television Award for Best TV Expert . In November 2023, he was ranked number four in the New Statesman ' s Left Power List, described by the journal as "having the casting vote" over who can fix the national economy. In February 2024, Lewis won

3354-403: The claim. Payment from the policy may be as a lump sum or as an annuity , which is paid in regular installments for either a specified period or for the beneficiary's lifetime . Death benefits are the primary feature of life insurance policies, and they provide a lump sum payment to the beneficiaries of the policyholder in the event of the policyholder's death. The amount of the death benefit

3432-407: The correct council tax band. Over a number of months an increasing number of people reported £1000s in backdated payouts. On 26 January 2007 Martin Lewis presented a Tonight programme on this following up the successes from the site; it rated 4.5 million viewers and saw the site covered in many national newspapers including the full front pages of the Express and Metro . During late 2005,

3510-702: The cost of members' funeral expenses and assisted survivors financially. In 1816, an archeological excavation in Minya, Egypt (under an Eyalet of the Ottoman Empire ) produced a Nerva–Antonine dynasty -era tablet from the ruins of the Temple of Antinous in Antinoöpolis , Aegyptus that prescribed the rules and membership dues of a burial society collegium established in Lanuvium , Italia in approximately 133 AD during

3588-498: The exception of Civil Rights Act compliance requirements. Insurance companies alone determine insurability, and some people are deemed uninsurable. The policy can be declined or rated (increasing the premium amount to compensate for the higher risk), and the amount of the premium will be proportional to the face value of the policy. Many companies separate applicants into four general categories. These categories are preferred best , preferred , standard , and tobacco . Preferred best

3666-427: The group. Contract provisions will attempt to exclude the possibility of adverse selection . Group life insurance often allows members exiting the group to maintain their coverage by buying individual coverage. The underwriting is carried out for the whole group instead of individuals. Permanent life insurance is life insurance that covers the remaining lifetime of the insured. A permanent insurance policy accumulates

3744-410: The insured on the application may also be grounds for nullification. Most US states, for example, specify a maximum contestability period, often no more than two years. Only if the insured dies within this period will the insurer have a legal right to contest the claim on the basis of misrepresentation and request additional information before deciding whether to pay or deny the claim. The face amount of

3822-411: The issue of reclaiming unfair bank charges was highlighted and a few small websites started to highlight the issue. The site has been one of the main campaigning forces on this ever since. In November 2006 the original article was updated by a step-by-step guide, including template letters which speedily achieved its 1,000,000th download towards the end of February 2007. Other large-scale campaigns for

3900-487: The last seven years. As part of the application, the insurer often requires the applicant's permission to obtain information from their physicians. Automated Life Underwriting is a technology solution which is designed to perform all or some of the screening functions traditionally completed by underwriters, and thus seeks to reduce the work effort, time and data necessary to underwrite a life insurance application. These systems allow point of sale distribution and can shorten

3978-558: The loss of limbs or body functions such as sight and hearing. Accidental death and AD&D policies pay actual benefits only very rarely, either because the cause of death is not covered by the policy or because death occurs well after the accident, by which time the premiums have gone unpaid. Various AD&D policies have different terms and exclusions. Risky activities such as parachuting, flying, professional sports, or military service are often omitted from coverage. Accidental death insurance can also supplement standard life insurance as

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4056-545: The name actuary to the chief official—the earliest known reference to the position as a business concern. The first modern actuary was William Morgan , who served from 1775 to 1830. In 1776 the Society carried out the first actuarial valuation of liabilities and subsequently distributed the first reversionary bonus (1781) and interim bonus (1809) among its members. It also used regular valuations to balance competing interests. The Society sought to treat its members equitably and

4134-405: The number of shares the heirs owned. The Amicable Society started with 2000 members. The first life table was written by Edmund Halley in 1693, but it was only in the 1750s that the necessary mathematical and statistical tools were in place for the development of modern life insurance. James Dodson , a mathematician and actuary, tried to establish a new company aimed at correctly offsetting

4212-544: The outset, the channel suffered poor viewing figures and its main backer, Invest TV Resources, withdrew their support in March 2001. Almost all of its 51 staff, including Lewis, lost their jobs. After the collapse of Simply Money , Lewis contributed to a "Deal of the Week" column in the Sunday Express . Lewis also presented "Money Saving Expert" slots on Channel 5 's daytime show, Open House with Gloria Hunniford . Lewis returned to

4290-448: The perceived disadvantages of whole life—namely that premiums and death benefits are fixed. With universal life, both the premiums and death benefit are flexible. With the exception of guaranteed-death-benefit universal life policies, universal life policies trade their greater flexibility for fewer guarantees. "Flexible death benefit" means the policy owner can choose to decrease the death benefit. The death benefit can also be increased by

4368-504: The person to pay for the policy. The insured is a participant in the contract, but not necessarily a party to it. The beneficiary receives policy proceeds upon the insured person's death. The owner designates the beneficiary, but the beneficiary is not a party to the policy. The owner can change the beneficiary unless the policy has an irrevocable beneficiary designation. If a policy has an irrevocable beneficiary, any beneficiary changes, policy assignments, or cash value borrowing would require

4446-440: The policy is the initial amount that the policy will pay at the death of the insured or when the policy matures , although the actual death benefit can provide for greater or lesser than the face amount. The policy matures when the insured dies or reaches a specified age (such as 100 years old). The insurance company calculates the policy prices (premiums) at a level sufficient to fund claims, cover administrative costs, and provide

4524-420: The policy owner, usually requiring new underwriting. Another feature of flexible death benefit is the ability to choose option A or option B death benefits and to change those options over the course of the life of the insured. Option A is often referred to as a "level death benefit"; death benefits remain level for the life of the insured, and premiums are lower than policies with Option B death benefits, which pay

4602-458: The policy's cash value—i.e., a face amount plus earnings/interest. If the cash value grows over time, the death benefits do too. If the cash value declines, the death benefit also declines. Option B policies normally feature higher premiums than option A policies. The endowment policy is a life insurance contract designed to pay a lump sum after a specific term (on its 'maturity') or on death. Typical maturities are ten, fifteen, or twenty years up to

4680-541: The premiums paid if they outlive the policy. The specific uses of the terms "insurance" and "assurance" are sometimes confused. In general, in jurisdictions where both terms are used, "insurance" refers to providing coverage for an event that might happen (fire, theft, flood, etc.), while "assurance" is the provision of coverage for an event that is certain to happen. In the United States, both forms of coverage are called "insurance" for reasons of simplicity in companies selling both products. By some definitions, "insurance"

4758-449: The purchaser will actually suffer some kind of loss if the CQV dies. Such a requirement prevents people from benefiting from the purchase of purely speculative policies on people they expect to die. With no insurable interest requirement, the risk that a purchaser would murder the CQV for insurance proceeds would be great. In at least one case, an insurance company that sold a policy to a purchaser with no insurable interest (who later murdered

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4836-622: The reign of Elagabalus (218–222) that was included in the Digesta seu Pandectae (533) codification ordered by Justinian I (527–565) of the Eastern Roman Empire . The earliest known life insurance policy was made in Royal Exchange, London on 18 June 1583. A Richard Martin insured a William Gybbons, paying thirteen merchants 30 pounds for 400 if the insured dies within one year. The first company to offer life insurance in modern times

4914-718: The reign of Hadrian (117–138) of the Roman Empire . In 1851, future U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Joseph P. Bradley (1870–1892), once employed as an actuary for the Mutual Benefit Life Insurance Company , submitted an article to the Journal of the Institute of Actuaries detailing an historical account of a Severan dynasty -era life table compiled by the Roman jurist Ulpian in approximately 220 AD during

4992-785: The risks of long-term life assurance policies, after being refused admission to the Amicable Life Assurance Society because of his advanced age. He was unsuccessful in his attempts at procuring a charter from the government . His disciple, Edward Rowe Mores , was able to establish the Society for Equitable Assurances on Lives and Survivorship in 1762. It was the world's first mutual insurer and it pioneered age based premiums based on mortality rate laying "the framework for scientific insurance practice and development" and "the basis of modern life assurance upon which all life assurance schemes were subsequently based". Mores also gave

5070-491: The sale of Money Saving Expert, for £25.2 million. On the back of this he gave a further £1m to Citizens Advice and £500,000 each to The Trussell Trust and the Personal Finance Education Group to fund financial triage and education work. In 2018 Lewis started legal action against Facebook for defamation over fake adverts using his face and name, mostly promoting 'bitcoin' and 'investing'. He later dropped

5148-540: The theme of saving money. In 2010 Martin Lewis was a presenter on GMTV with Lorraine , a weekday morning chat show. The programme includes a regular feature called 'Deals of the Week'. Ofcom investigated a complaint that the programme promoted MoneySavingExpert.com, a website owned and run by Lewis as a commercial enterprise. Lewis denied any wrongdoing and continues to do so. However the Ofcom report concluded: "By inviting viewers to obtain further information and vouchers on

5226-423: The time frame for issuance from weeks or even months to hours or minutes, depending on the amount of insurance being purchased. The mortality of underwritten persons rises much more quickly than the general population. At the end of 10 years, the mortality of that 25-year-old, non-smoking male is 0.66/1000/year. Consequently, in a group of one thousand 25-year-old males with a $ 100,000 policy, all of average health,

5304-407: The tobacco category typically have to pay higher premiums due to higher mortality. Recent US mortality tables predict that roughly 0.35 in 1,000 non-smoking males aged 25 will die during the first year of a policy. Mortality approximately doubles for every additional ten years of age, so the mortality rate in the first year for non-smoking men is about 2.5 in 1,000 people at age 65. Compare this with

5382-456: The website include reclaiming council tax, payment protection insurance , reclaiming mortgage exit fees and reclaiming credit card charges all of which have had over 100,000 people using template letter downloads. The site also provides support for saynoto0870.com , a website that provides geographical alternative telephone numbers to 0870 numbers and similar. MoneySavingExpert.com regularly contributes to charities nominated by site users. It

5460-497: Was Head Master of a Special Educational Needs School in Norley , Cheshire . His mother was killed following a horse riding accident on 7 May 1984. Lewis married 5 News weather presenter Lara Lewington on 31 May 2009. They have one daughter. Lewis is Jewish and practises the Jewish faith. As of 2021 The Sunday Times Rich List estimates his net worth at £123 million. Lewis

5538-514: Was appointed headmaster of Delamere Forest School, a Jewish school for students with special educational needs. His mother Susan Lewis, died following a horse riding accident, involving a collision with a lorry, when he was aged 11. In later life he became a patron of the children's bereavement charity Grief Encounter and an advocate for life insurance . Lewis attended The King's School , an independent school in Chester . Lewis has stated that he

5616-400: Was at the forefront of the media campaign to reclaim what he states are unfair and unlawful fees charged by UK banks. He presented the first mainstream television programme on how to reclaim bank fees ( ITV1 's Tonight ) and in November 2006 published a step-by-step guide, including template letters as well as regularly appearing across the media to champion the issue. His campaign suffered

5694-545: Was basing this assertion on, and when it was sensible to have committed to a capped rate deal. In 2011, Lewis launched the Independent Taskforce on Student Finance Information with former National Union of Students president Wes Streeting and backed by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills , to provide information to potential students about the changes to tuition fees and student loans resulting from

5772-412: Was bought by the moneysupermarket.com group for a value of £87M. Since 2015, Lewis has taken on the role of executive chairman, overseeing 100 staff and editors reviewing and updating the site. The website has launched three petitions: Both of these campaigns have been the subject of Parliamentary early day motions . In August 2006 the site started to develop a system to check whether people were in

5850-588: Was named the Best Personal Finance Broadcast Journalist in 2020 by ADVFN. Lewis requested to be created a crossbench peer in the House of Lords but was rejected by the House of Lords Appointments Commission , which encouraged him to apply again in the future. He believes he was turned down due to work and family obligations leaving him with limited time for parliamentary work but a spokesperson for

5928-629: Was published on 24 February 2010. In summer 2008, Lewis appeared on several television and radio programmes exhorting consumers to "cap your energy bills now", based on the prediction that there would be a further round of price increases at the end of 2008. "Capping prices" involved consumers locking themselves into rates higher than prevailing un-capped rates. After that point British Gas announced an increase of 30% on its un-capped prices, though in January 2009 UK energy companies' un-capped prices were reduced by up to 10%. Information published by uSwitch ,

6006-625: Was subjected to anti-Semitism as a school boy in Chester, remarking that as one of only two Jewish boys in his year he was given the nickname "Jew" by other pupils. He went on to read Government and Law at the London School of Economics and in 1997 became a postgraduate student in Broadcast Journalism at Cardiff University 's Centre for Journalism Studies. In 2013 he was awarded an honorary doctorate in Business Administration from

6084-519: Was the Amicable Society for a Perpetual Assurance Office , founded in London in 1706 by William Talbot and Sir Thomas Allen . Each member made an annual payment per share on one to three shares with consideration to age of the members being twelve to fifty-five. At the end of the year a portion of the "amicable contribution" was divided among the wives and children of deceased members, in proportion to

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