MARTIN Lewis’ Money Saving Expert has named Nationwide and Lloyds among the top bank accounts paying free cash.

Banks often offer incentives to attract new customers, usually in the form of a cash bonus.

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And five major banks, including Nationwide and Lloyds, have launched new schemes to allow customers to pocket free cash when they move current accounts.

All you need to do to get it is switch your current account using something known as the Current Account Switching Service (CASS).

There are also some requirements, like setting up a certain number of direct debits, or paying in a set amount of money, though this will depend on each offer and varies from one bank to the next.

Lloyds revealed that current account holders who switch to its Club Lloyds account can receive a whopping £200, the largest bonus on offer right now.

Nationwide Building Society is offering customers £175 to switch to its FlexDirect, FlexPlus or FlexAccount current accounts.

Switching bank accounts has never been easier thanks to the Current Account Switch Service (CASS), which will move you withing seven days and handles most of it for you (see more on how it works below).

Make sure to check all the terms of the switch and full eligibility criteria so you don’t miss out on the bonus.

Plus you’ll want to check that the account suits your needs too, for example if you need an overdraft that it offers one, or that the bank has a nearby branch if you prefer to do your banking in person.

Here is the full list of banks offering the best switch offers.

Lloyds

Lloyds has confirmed that customers who switch to it Club Lloyds account can get £200.

Both new and existing customers can take advantage of the free cash offer available for those who switch between October 2 and December 10.

Those who switch to the Club Lloyds account can expect the £200 to be paid within three days of the switch completing.

Though this is the highest bonus being paid now, be aware that the account comes with a £3 a month fee unless you pay in £2,000 a month.

To do the switch, customers can either scan the QR code available on the bank’s website or use the mobile app.

New customers can get the bonus, and so can existing Lloyds customers if they don’t already have a Club Lloyds account and open a new one.

Those who already received a switch bonus since April 2020 from Lloyds, Halifax or Bank of Scotland (all part of the same group) won’t be eligible.

The Club Lloyds also offers a range of perks, including a 12-month Disney+ subscription, a choice of Vue or Odeon cinema tickets, a magazine subscription, or a Coffee Club and Gourmet Society membership.

But remember you pay a fee for the extras, so work out if it’s worth paying the fee to get these.

Here are the details and costs of the Lloyds’ account.

• £3 monthly fee, waived each month that you pay in £2,000 or more.
• Earn credit interest on balances up to £5,000,  when you pay out two different direct debits each month.
• Choose a yearly benefit from: 12 months of Disney+, six x cinema tickets at ODEON or Vue cinemas, An annual Coffee Club and Gourmet Society membership, An annual magazine subscription.

The same bonus is also available when switching to the Club Lloyds Platinum Account and Club Lloyds Silver Account but these comes with a £22.50 and £11.50 a month fee, respectively, on top of the £3.

Nationwide Building Society

Nationwide Building Society has launched a new offer of £175 to switch to its FlexDirect, FlexPlus or FlexAccount current accounts.

To get the free money, you must switch through the Current Account Switch Service (CASS).

It’s worth noting that the FlexPlus account does charge a monthly fee in return for benefits such as insurance and breakdown cover.

Currently it’s £13 but that will increase to £18 per month from December.

Once again it’s worth checking that these are worth paying for.

You’ll need to have at least two direct debits coming out of the account and pay in at least £1,000 within 31 days of making the switch.

You’ll also need to pay for something with your debit card, but there are some transactions like gambling that won’t count.

First Direct

First Direct has confirmed that it has relaunched its popular cash switch incentive for anyone who opens a 1st Account.

Customers can receive a payment of up to £175 by using the Current Account Switch Service (CASS).

Users have to switch at least two direct debits or standing orders within 30 days of opening the account to qualify for the cash.

Switchers also need to add at least £1,000 into the account, register and log on to internet banking and use the debit card at least five times within 30 days of opening the account.

Customers who meet the criteria should expect the free bonus in their accounts by the 20th of the following month.

The bank revealed that new customers switching to their current account to first direct can expect several extra perks, including a £250 interest-free overdraft.

You won’t qualify for the switching incentive if you have previously held a First Direct product or opened an HSBC current account on or after January 1, 2018.

Customers moving across to the bank will also get access to a regular savings account paying 7% interest, one of the best deals around, as well as a 0% overdraft on the first £250.

Co-operative Bank

The Co-operative Bank has announced eligible customers could receive up to £150.

The first £75 is given when a customer completes a switch to the bank.

Then, the bank is offering three monthly instalments of £25 – another £75 – to make up the £150.

Both new and existing customers can apply to switch to a current account to make themselves eligible for the payment.

Like any good offer, there are a few boxes to tick off before the big payment comes in.

Customers must apply for a Standard Current Account or Everyday Extra account.

To be eligible, customers must not have benefited from a switch incentive at The Co-operative Bank since November 1, 2022.

And to receive the first £75, customers need to follow a series of rules.

They are:

• Deposit a minimum of £1,000 into their new account (this includes balances transferred as part of the switch).
• Have 2 active Direct Debits.
• Make a minimum of 10 debit card or digital wallet transactions (pending payments will not count toward the fulfilment of this criteria).
• Register for our online and/or mobile banking service.
• Set up the debit card in a digital wallet (Apple Pay, Samsung Wallet or Google Pay).

That leaves the three £25 instalments – and there are some rules to claim them too.

Bankers need to deposit at least £1,000 into their account, have two direct debits and make a minimum of 10 debit card transactions.

How to switch current accounts

Switching bank accounts can in most cases be done via the Current Account Switch Service (CASS).

Dozens of high street banks and building societies are signed up, including Barclays, First Direct, Lloyds, Monzo, Santander and TSB.

The full list of participating banks and building societies is on the CASS website.

All you have to do is apply for your desired new current account and the new bank will tell your existing one that you’re making the switch – then they will do the rest of the legwork.

Any direct debits are moved across for you, but there are a few things you can do before applying.

This includes choosing the date you switch and transferring any old bank statements to your new account.

You can get these by asking your existing bank.

TESCO has issued an urgent one-week reminder to shoppers saving for Christmas as they may be able to get a bonus payment.

It relates to the supermarket’s Clubcard Christmas Saver scheme which is designed to help shoppers maximize their savings for the holiday season.

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It works by allowing you to save your Clubcard vouchers throughout the year.

Then, in November, Tesco sends you your vouchers for the value of what you saved, which you can now spend over the busy Christmas period.

You can also receive a bonus for making the savings with Britain’s largest supermarket.

The smallest bonus is worth £1.50 when you save between £25 and £49.50, and the biggest is £12, which you get when you save between £200 and £360.

The deadline to top-up your Clubcard Christmas Savers account is 11.59pm on October 17.

Shoppers should then expect to bank their bonus in their November statement.

You can redeem your bonus vouchers on the Tesco website, in store, or on petrol.

A Tesco Spokesperson said: “Our Clubcard Christmas Savers scheme helps customers to save their Clubcard vouchers throughout the year so they can use them for their big Christmas shop.

“Customers can now top-up their Christmas Savers account online, and manage their account through our website or app, making it easier than ever to earn bonus vouchers to spend at Tesco.”

In order to save your vouchers, ensure you have opted in to the scheme via the Tesco app or online.

You’ll then need to scan your Clubcard at the checkout whenever you shop, and Tesco will hoard your vouchers until the yearly deadline.

This comes after a change to the scheme earlier this year left shoppers worried that it had been axed for good.

On April 1, Tesco stopped customers from being able to make any cash top-ups.

This meant that members could no longer receive a bonus of up to £12 on top of the Clubcard vouchers added to their Christmas Saver.

At the time, Tesco told The Sun that the scheme wasn’t being axed and that it had only paused the ability for customers to make cash top-ups in-store.

However, The Sun can now reveal that cash top-ups for Clubcard Christmas Savers are back for good.

This means those who top up £25 in their account will get a £1.50 bonus voucher.

Those topping up £50 will get £3 back and those topping up over £100 will get a £6 bonus voucher.

To get the full £12 bonus voucher, you must top up your savings to over £200 – up to a maximum of £360.

How does Tesco’s Christmas Savers scheme work?

With the Christmas Savers scheme, Tesco looks after the vouchers you collect when shopping at the supermarket throughout the year and then sends them all in November, before Christmas.

In addition to collecting points, you can top up your Christmas Saver account with up to £360 in cash.

This is optional but can help you save even more and you’ll be rewarded with a bonus voucher worth up to £12.

The supermarket sends statements throughout the year to allow customers to keep track of their savings.

To sign up for the scheme, you need to create a Tesco account and access the Vouchers Scheme by visiting https://secure.tesco.com/clubcard/christmas-savers.

You’ll then need to scan your Clubcard at the checkout whenever you shop, and Tesco will hoard your vouchers until the yearly deadline.

The final opt-in and top-up date for the Clubcard Christmas Saver is October 17.

In November, you will receive all your saved vouchers, including any bonus vouchers, in one go.

This lump sum can help cover the cost of Christmas shopping, making the holiday season more affordable.

However, it’s important to note that Clubcard and top-up vouchers are valid for two years, and bonus vouchers are valid for three months.

As we approach the end of 2024, the outlook for the US stock market – which makes up almost 65% of the global equity benchmark – appears finely balanced.

Headwinds such as slowing growth, high market concentration, full valuations and election uncertainty are offset by several supportive tailwinds, including robust corporate earnings, moderating inflation and continued monetary policy easing.

Given these competing forces, a higher level of overall market volatility is expected moving forward. While this can be unsettling, it is a positive backdrop for active stockpicking, as company valuations and fundamental quality come into focus.

Currently, the S&P 500 is trading at 20x forward 12-month earnings. This still feels lofty

With corporate balance sheets still looking healthy and further room for manoeuvre on interest rates as the Federal Reserve is less fearful of inflationary pressures, a soft-landing scenario still looks like the most likely outcome.

From here, we expect a slow, steady grind forward, with periods of heightened volatility as markets react to macro data and earnings.

While many of the drivers behind the sharp correction we witnessed in August have been diluted, they have not disappeared. Given most of this year’s market rally has been driven by stocks becoming more expensive – with little change in their earnings potential – it is not surprising valuations remain elevated in the US, although they have slightly moderated. Currently, the S&P 500 is trading at 20x forward 12-month earnings. This still feels lofty.

The most recent earnings season proved positive for the most part, with the breadth of upside surprises looking strong versus previous quarters. For example, within the S&P 500, 80% of companies beat expectations versus the long-term average of 76%.

One of the more surprising features of the August correction was that markets overall behaved quite rationally

However, markets are forward looking, and there are some concerns surrounding the outlook for earnings. The magnitude of upside surprises across most sectors has generally weakened. Across technology, for example, the size of earnings per share was the lowest for a number of quarters.

One of the more surprising features of the August correction was that markets overall behaved quite rationally – most sectors performed in line with their respective earnings per share revisions. Stocks that missed expectations were punished severely.

With a potentially weaker growth environment ahead, and the prospect of more muted market returns, the importance of consistent, process-driven, stock selection increases. This year has already presented favourable opportunities for adding value, and this trend appears likely to continue, particularly as stock correlation – or the degree to which stock prices move together – decreases. As you might expect, stock correlations picked up noticeably during the recent August volatility but remain below medium-term averages.

Markets will likely continue to have bouts of volatility in the short term as sentiment shifts and markets move on emotions. In the long term, however, a company’s stock price tends to accurately reflect what it is economically worth.

Trump has repeatedly floated a 10% border tax on all goods coming to the US from abroad and a tariff as high as 60% on imports from China

While absolute returns may be pressured in the near term, this environment moving into 2025 should yield some good opportunities for stockpickers who stay anchored to fundamentals and reject false narratives.

Finally, when discussing the outlook for US stocks, it is also important to consider the upcoming election – the differing approaches of the candidates could have important implications for markets, industries and geopolitics during the next president’s time in office and beyond.

Former president Donald Trump and some of his key advisers have tended to regard significant trade deficits with other countries as potential signs of unfair competition and a detriment to the US economy.

In the run-up to the election, Trump has repeatedly floated a 10% border tax on all goods coming to the US from abroad and a tariff as high as 60% on imports from China. Setting aside feasibility and the specific numbers, these pronouncements signal that a second Trump administration would likely take an aggressive stance on trade policy that would extend beyond China.

Understanding companies’ exposure to overseas supply chains and their potential to increase prices in response to rising costs will be critical

A Kamala Harris presidency would likely take its cues from Joe Biden’s trade policies. During his presidential term, Biden left in place the tariffs that Trump levied on Chinese imports. His administration also took targeted actions on trade that tended to be informed by national security considerations and efforts to strengthen domestic industry.

In addition to focusing on strategically important industries, a Harris administration would probably favour a multilateral approach to trade policy, seeking to engage traditional US allies.

For investors, understanding companies’ exposure to overseas supply chains and their potential to increase prices in response to rising costs will be critical.

Justin White is portfolio manager of the T. Rowe Price US All‑Cap Opportunities Equity strategy

ALDI has launched a new glow-in-the-dark wine just in time for Halloween – and shoppers can’t wait to get their hands on it.

The latest spooky Specialbuy is in-stores now for only £7.19.

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Aldi has unveiled the limited-edition version of its already-popular Rebrobates Red Wine just in time for Halloween.

The Reprobates Ghouliburra Red has a new glow-in-the-dark label – perfect for any spooky party.

By day it may look like your average bottle of wine, but at night, a vibrant, glowing skeleton is visible – ready to light up the room.

According to the supermarket giant, the red wine is “a smooth, medium-bodied Australian blend” with red berry aromas, complemented by oaky vanilla and chocolate notes.

And for those who are fans of the original Reprobates, Aldi has introduced a 1.5L box version – the equivalent of two bottles.

It’s priced at only £13.99 and is ideal for a Halloween party this year.

It comes as Aldi launched their “most divisive product of 2024” just in time for Halloween.

The supermarket uploaded a video showing off their new Monster Munch Mayo that has arrived in stores ahead of Halloween.

The limited edition bottles of pickled onion-flavoured sauce is available to buy now and will set you back £1.99.

In a clip, an Aldi staff member said: “The most divisive product of 2024 has landed at Aldi.

“We’ve got our new, scarily good Heinz Monster Munch Mayo.”

They then asked team members whether they were “Team Monster Munch Mayo or Team Absolutely No Wayo?”

One said: “Pickled onion flavour is my favourite Munch Munch crisps, so I’m going to give this a go just because they’re my favourite crisps.”

Another said: “Oh, my God—10 out of 10. I need to try this!”

However, others weren’t as sold.

One said: “It’s an interesting concept, and I’d probably try it once, but maybe not again.”

A second added:” I think I’ll stick with normal mayo.”

Aldi shoppers also took to the comments to share their views on the launch.

One said: “Has anyone tried this? I’m tempted but scared.”

And one wrote: “This sounds rank.”

Some Aldi shoppers who had already tried it raved about the taste.

One commented: “Brought it today, was shocked, it’s tastes just like the crisps, will be great with chips or on a ham sarnie.”

And one agreed: “It’s absolutely lush.”

Are you a director of a Ltd company who is keen to save towards your retirement? Well, Self-Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs) offer a variety of ways in which you can invest for later life. When considering long-term investments such as pensions savings, key considerations should include your needs, level of risk, accessibility of pension pots, fees involved, and how to withdraw your pension. Let’s explore the ins and outs of Pensionbee and Penfold which are popular SIPPs options available.

Both Pensionbee and Penfold provide contemporary and efficient ways to access and engage with personal pensions. Despite the subtle differences between both providers, PensionBee has a higher overall customer rating and is more user friendly. But, whichever option you choose as your investment provider, bear in mind that pension investments fluctuate so your initial capital may be at risk of loss of value. The great news however, is that SIPPs attract a minimum of 25% government bonus on each contribution (depending on tax band) and they also offer generous tax savings – first 25% of your pension drawdown is tax free! Investments in Pensionbee and Penfold are also protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) so up to £85,000 of your investment is protected by the government in the event that these regulated financial providers fail.

In this episode of the Weekend Essay podcast, Lois Vallely recounts her experience with a recent email hack and discusses the growing prevalence of phishing scams. She highlights the vulnerabilities financial firms face and shares practical advice on protecting sensitive information better. Join Lois as she emphasizes the importance of being aware of cyber risks and adopting proactive measures to ensure cybersecurity in both personal and professional settings. Listen now: