Deal of the Week

The decision to cap the Universal Social Charge for those holding a medical card at 4% is a good one. That the shortfall it creates is to be made up by lobbing an extra 3% surcharge on self-employed people earning over €100,000 would seem fair but why not extend it to everyone earning such a salary? It seems like undue punishment on enterprising individuals.

Tip of the Week

Every year, PAYE workers miss out on hundreds of euro in tax reliefs. There's a huge range of reliefs that go unclaimed, with rent tax credit and medical expenses accounting for the majority of reviews. You can ask the Revenue to review your tax payments going back four years. The average refund last year was €380.

Bad Value of the Week

Telemarketers seem to be ramping up their cold calling since the start of the year. There is a scam going on where a telemarketer from the UK calls claiming to represent an Irish company and asks for your personal details. Don't give out your details to anyone who cold calls and, even if they are legitimate, ask them to remove you from their database so you don't have to endure their overtures again.

Recession Rates

Credit Cards

Best Rate: AIB Click – 13.6%

Worst Rate: Ulster Bank Classic – 22.6%

Best Cash Withdrawal Rate: NIB Gold – 10.25%

Worst Cash Withdrawal Rate: Bank of Ireland – 21.36%

Best Introductory APR: Tesco Finance – 0% for 8 months

Worst Introductory APR: EBS – 19.3%*

*EBS doesn't have an introductory rate so we relied on its standard rate as the rate you start on
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