Money-saving expert issues new warning to Disney+ and Netflix subscribers
There's no time like the present to tighten our belts, with the continued threat of World War III, the looming idea that artificial intelligence will soon take our jobs, and the possibility that alien lifeforms could invade our little planet, all meaning the immediate future isn't looking too bright for the human race.
Unless you're Elon Musk and well on the way to becoming the world's first trillionaire, you're probably reassessing your finances and trying to trim the fat in several areas.
Sadly for the entertainment business, one of the first to go might be our monthly subscriptions to the various streaming services. It's getting harder than ever to pick between Disney+, Netflix, Amazon's Prime Video, Apple TV, and all the rest, although one money-saving expert might be able to earn us a little more cash so we can keep them around for a bit longer.
That's all well and good, but he's still got a warning for Disney+ and Netflix subscribers.
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Speaking on The Martin Lewis Podcast, the savvy shopper told us to look at switching banks and earning some extra incentives instead of sticking with our trusted providers just through fear of loyalty.
As pointed out by The Liverpool Echo, Lewis noted that those in the United Kingdom could earn hundreds just by switching, like Nationwide Building Society, boasting a £175 ($237) switching offer, and Santander offering its own £200 ($270) incentive.
We're also told to look out for 'package bank accounts' that include bundled perks like travel insurance and breakdown cover, although they tend to come with a monthly charge. In fact, Lloyds Bank offers its 'Club Lloyds' account holders 12 months of free Disney+...but what about the catch?
Speaking to those who want to make 'bank' on their bank, Lewis explained: "Unless it's actually giving you really good service and you love it, it is a good time to be looking to see if it could be more financially lucrative for you to move elsewhere. The answer for many people is, 'Yes'."
This led to one listener asking how easy it is, saying that she receives Child Benefit and child maintenance payments into her bank account, as well as direct debits coming out of her current setup.
Promising that as long as you go through a bank's official switching program, Lewis said it should all be automatic: "The process of switching bank accounts is pretty simple as long as you are using their switching services. It's called seven-day switching, it is actually seven working days, so in practice it takes 10 days."
As for his warning to Disney+ and Netflix subscribers, Lewist reiterated that recurring payments on a debit card won't be moved over: "That's where you've given the long number of your debit card - not your bank account or sort code - and that's effectively giving those firms permission to take a payment from you when they want."
Pointing to the likes of your streaming subscriptions, Lewis concluded: "Those won't move, so you will have to manually move those. But I wouldn't worry too much because most of them are not important subscriptions that you couldn't live without for a day.
"They're just ones that you'll suddenly find they tell you, 'Your card no longer works, could you please update your card', and you don't have the service while you're doing that."
Even as Disney+ and Netflix face complaints that their prices continue to go up, an attractive switching bonus from your new bank can take some of the sting out of it, just so you can watch Avatar: Fire and Ash or Reality Check: Inside America's Next Top Model.