Use your ISA allowance before it disappears

It's not often the Government gives a little back and ISAs are its way of returning the tax it normally takes from our savings. But you'll have to hurry to make sure you use your £3,000 tax-free allowance for this tax year.

The tax year ends on Saturday so you only have a few days left to get the account. And remember the allowance is per person - so a couple can squirrel away £6,000 from the taxman. The only downside is if you don't use this year's allowance you lose it forever.

The best cash ISA is currently the Barclays Tax Haven ISA paying 6.5%, although this includes a 1% bonus that lasts for just one year.

When the new tax year starts on 6 April your allowance will go up to £3,600. But don’t hang about as the quicker you put money in then the longer you keep it out of the taxman's grasp.

Complete details of the best accounts are included in Martin’s full Top Cash ISAs guide.

Bank charges case delayed

Annoyingly, there's more confirmation this week that the result of the bank charges reclaiming test case result will be delayed. We had hoped for a judgment during April or May but it’s now not likely to be announced until July.

This means, outrageously, that consumers need to sit on their hands, unable to reclaim, while banks continue to levy these hideous charges. If you haven’t put in a claim yet, and you've had bank charges in the last six years (five in Scotland) put your claim in now. While it won't be acted on, it's important to register it as soon as possible.

For help reclaiming charges, including template letters, read Martin's full Reclaim Bank Charges guide.

 
Get 25% off credit for your mobile

Discounts on pay-as-you-go top-ups are about as frequent as seeing Jordan with her clothes on. So grab this one while you can. Local convenience chain One Stop is offering a generous 25% off mobile phone top-up scratch cards to get rid of stock.

Scratchcards are now old-fashioned as most people use e-top-ups or do it via cash machines. But they are still valid. So if you wanted £20 of credit for an Orange phone it will cost you just £15 if you buy a scratchcard from One Stop. As you'd expect the cards are likely to fly out of the shops.

BOGOF on days out

If you’re desperate to take the kids away over the school holidays, you can grab 2-for-1 deals for a host of theme parks including Alton Towers, Chessington World of Adventures and Thorpe Park.

Alternatively, if you want a more relaxing day, deals are available to visit a host of zoos and aquariums nationwide. Simply buy a 'Zookeeper' promotional packet of Kelloggs cereal and type a code from the box into the Kelloggs website.

Sky customers can get them via the sky.com website, you can get them from promotional packs of Tetley Tea, and you'll get them if you spend at least £10 at Woolworths.

Read the BOGOF Days Out note for full details of where to grab your vouchers.