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I'm often asked "What's the best joint bank account?" My rather prosaic answer is usually "same as the best accounts for individuals" as there are few special joint account functions (barring to help with financial abuse). Yet as I'll explain, being in a couple does let you more than double the banking perk gains. As for the key to a good financial relationship...

- Many older couples say just to have one joint account. It keeps things honest and open (55% of over-60s do this, according to my Twitter poll).

- Many younger couples say separate accounts are best, especially if you've different money personalities - such as a saver with a spender (70% of under-60s do it this way). As Louise replied to the poll: "Separate accounts - I'd have no money left if I had a joint account with him! :)"

I'll steer clear of that debate, and instead solely focus on how those in a trusting relationship can manageably maximise the money.

Single? Accounts below work for you too, just ignore the tips for couples.

If you each have an account, you can each get paid to switch. Switching is no biggie, you do it via banks' seven-working-day switching services, which move all money, direct debits and standing orders for you. They then forward all payments to the new account and close your old account. Here are brief top picks (see Best bank accounts for more detail and help), then tips for couples.

Free £200 and £3/month cashback. The Reward accounts from sister banks NatWest* & RBS* pay switchers £200. There's a £2/mth fee, but as long as you log in to the relevant mobile app each month, and have a minimum of two direct debits of £2+/mth, you get £5 cashback, so you're £3/mth up. The min monthly pay-in is £1,250 - it's a way of making you pay your income in, but you can always take it out the next day.
Free £175, top service, £250 0% overdraft, 7% regular savings. First Direct* switchers get £175 free cash, usually an ongoing 0% overdraft of £250, and can save up to £300/mth in its linked 7% regular saver. The account has a 90% 'great' service rating.

To qualify, just pay in £1,000+ once within the first three months (you can take it out the next day) - a good option if one of you doesn't have much income as the other can always pay it in for them.
New. Free £175, plus possible £5/mth free. New Halifax Reward switchers get a free £175, and the account is fee-free as long as you meet the minimum £1,500 monthly pay-in. If not you pay £3/mth (so avoid).

To get further perks there are a couple of hurdles to jump, but if you do, they're decent. You must stay in credit and either spend £500/mth on its debit card, or keep £5,000+ in its NO interest account. Then each month you get £5 or a Vue ticket or two film rentals or three digital mags (your choice is fixed for the year).

Switching tips for couples...

1. Only one account between you? Create a 2nd before switching. To double the switch bonus, one of you can first apply for another account at your existing bank, then once it's up and running, shift that as well as the joint account. Just ensure you meet the terms after.

2. You can switch joint accounts too. If you're wedded to a joint account, you can switch that for cash too (but you just get one lot).

3. Max perks by each getting a different account. As this email from James and Lauren (and baby Phoenix) shows: "We've three accounts between us, switched them all and netted £525 (3 x £175). The joint account was switched to Santander [see below] and it makes us around £9/mth. I also got a Chase [see below] and earned £30 cashback in 6 weeks. So in total that's £564 we've made!"

4. Use joint income to hit minimum pay-ins. If you don't each have the income to meet a minimum pay-in, simply move money from account to account to hit it. Eg, it's paid into one account, then move it (possibly regularly by standing order) to the other, and if needed then another to move it back the next day.

5. Separate accounts doesn't need to mean separate finances. I'm not trying to divorce your finances, it's just that more accounts mean more pay. Once you get them, you can still work them together.

6. You can switch again, again, again. Some make £1,000s. Our how to keep switching bank for cash guide explains it, but to inspire you, here's Paul's email... "Hello Martin, in 2017, after reading your article, I began switching. I kept my main account, and set up a donor one. Over 2 years, I switched 9 times, making over £1,500.

"Enough time has now elapsed, I'm classed as a new customer with some banks, so I've made another £360 switching. I've shared my successes with friends & family, but they say it'll be too much trouble, even though it's easy. Their loss. Thank you again."

If you share a home together, then most bills are joint, so joint bills accounts are common, even for those who keep the rest of the money and accounts separate. You can use this to gain different perks.

Santander Edge - 1% cashback on bills paid from it. Open or switch to the £3/mth Santander Edge* account and you get a linked 4% easy-access savings account you can put up to £4,000 in, and cashback in two different categories, up to £20/mth in total.

- 1% cashback on bills paid by direct debit (water, council tax, energy, broadband, mobiles, home phones, paid-for TV). Max £10/mth. Typical bills would generate £60 to £100/yr. Got a Santander mortgage and/or very large bills? Its 123 account could pay you more (the link has more details).

- 1% cashback on supermarket shops, fuel, and train and bus travel paid for on your debit card. Max £10/mth. (This is doable fee-free elsewhere - see step 3.)

Santander's minimum monthly pay-in is £500/mth and you must also have 2+ direct debits set up.

Do note that if you also went for NatWest/RBS for the switching cash, it requires two direct debits as well, so ensure you keep a couple there, preferably for things Santander won't pay cashback on, such as insurances, gym memberships, credit card repayments.
'Free' travel, breakdown, mobile insurance and home emergency cover. For many couples, especially those with families, a packaged bank account may be a better alternative. Here you pay a fee, but get insurances included. If you'd be paying for these separately it can save you £100s.

Packaged accounts can work well as joint accounts, as perks are often for the account holder(s), so you double the benefit without doubling fees.

Halifax Ultimate Reward costs £17/mth (£204/yr) but currently switchers get a free £175 - so that covers nearly a year's fees, and you can get the same £5 monthly cashback as the Reward account above. Plus...

- Mobile phone cover for each account holder's smartphone (for two that could be £200/yr separately).
- Family world travel insurance (you'd usually pay £100ish separately). Max age 70.
- UK breakdown cover for each account holder (£40ish separately).

Usually Nationwide FlexPlus is our top pick as it covers all the family's mobiles (so good if you've teens), plus gives family travel insurance and European breakdown cover for £13/mth (so £156/yr). But the fact Halifax has just started giving free cash pushes it ahead for most.

Joint account tips...

1. Whose money is the money in a joint account? It belongs to both, and crucially usually either one of you can choose to withdraw it all. It's therefore never a step to be taken lightly, or early, no matter how well you think you know your other half. Or at least don't keep any substantial amounts in there. For more risks, see my financial abuse blog.

2. Beware joint bank accounts if one of you has a poor credit history. It isn't holding hands, kissing or even getting married that links your credit files (meaning your partner's file can be looked at too when you apply for something)... it's joint products, including bank accounts. So if one of you has a poor credit history, think twice before linking. See our how to boost your credit score guide.

3. Joint bills needn't mean equal payment, but do agree it first. It's good to have an agreement between you about how much each will contribute (eg, one may be primary earner, or one has more costs).

4. You can still support each other, even with separate accounts. Take the example of a working couple, where one has a prolonged period off work, eg, for maternity or paternity, and drops income. It may be sensible for the one who's earning to pay money into the other's account to live off. Best though to agree this in advance, a set amount, rather than meaning the non-earner needs to 'ask' as and when.

This is about an app-based current account that's been one of our top picks for around a year. You can open it without having to switch to it (and it only does an ID check on application so it doesn't affect your ability to get credit later), so see it as an add-on.

Chase - unlimited 1% cashback if you activate it by 1 May. Switch spending to the Chase* app debit card and earn an unlimited 1% cashback on normal spending for a year (eg, it excludes buying a car or gambling) then up to £15/mth after that as long as you then pay in £500/mth.

The debit card also gives near-perfect exchange rates, so is also the top overseas card, plus Chase has a linked savings account that pays 3% interest, even on larger amounts.

In a Twitter poll I did last year, nearly 75% of couples said one partner dominates doing the financial chores and sorting the money, such as Rachibelles, who replied: "@MartinSLewis I do it all... I always tell my hubby I could be squirrelling away a fortune to run away with my fancy man and he wouldn't have a clue!"

What feels generous, may be dangerous.

Three women in their 40s to 50s once came up to me after an Ideal Home talk. They weren't together, but one after another, each told me they'd very recently lost their husbands and were desperate: "I'm in dire straits, where do I start?"

Their partners were caring men, who'd hoped to ease their wives' burden by dealing with all the family finances. Yet that kindness was a curse. It loaded financial misery on to grief, leaving them inexperienced and ill-equipped for a solo financial future. One woman was even struggling to access 'his' money to pay the mortgage.

This isn't a gender issue, it could've been true in reverse. The problem is a lack of communication and preparation for the three D's (death, divorce or dementia). It's important, where possible, that both partners are capable of picking up the financial reins. So...

Do a briefing. Sit down to do a beginner's briefing on the family finances for your partner. They may resist, but be blunt that this is so they could take over if needed (blame me if you must).
Create a financial factsheet listing all product providers, from roadside recovery to investments, boiler cover to bank accounts. Keep it somewhere safe that you can both access, but don't put too many security details in, just in case.
Have regular updates. Every few months, have a kitchen table briefing to update and discuss.

DON'T believe the fake 'Martin Lewis' or 'MSE' ads
Lots of scam ads litter social media and even newspaper websites - some of these lie that we or Martin promote Bitcoin, binary trading etc. See Fake ads warning.

Car insurance costs likely to rocket by 20% (or more)
Check NOW to see if you can lock in a price & save £100s

Want to know what'll happen to car insurance costs...? Look at Monday's Financial Times on Direct Line's corporate results: "It swung from a £446m net profit in 2021 to a £45m loss in 2022 as the cost of motor insurance claims spiralled because of rising parts and labour costs." When insurers are hit hard by claim costs, the likelihood is our policy prices will rise. The Association of British Insurers has confirmed costs are already up 8% on average, and big insurers Admiral and Aviva have hiked average premiums by 20% or more. So EVERYONE (even if not at renewal) should check now if they can save - as if you can, you lock in today's premium, forestalling rises for a year. Full help in Cheap car insurance, but in brief...

NEVER auto-renew - instead use our tool, and combine comparison sites for 100s of quotes in minutes. Andrew got in touch by email recently to tell us about his MoneySaving success: "Thank you Martin and MoneySavingExpert, your Car Insurance Compare+ tool is truly FAB-U-LOUS. Renewal quote from current insurer was 51% more than last year (+£163!), used your tool and just saved nearly 40% (£179) by switching. And this year is now 11.4% lower than last year. Happy days." Here's what the tool does...

- You fill in one questionnaire. We've borrowed MoneySupermarket's, so if you've used it before, your answers can be auto-filled. Then...
- Get MSE cost-cutting tips as you answer. Such as our 'best time to buy car insurance' analysis, which can tell you if waiting a day or two to get quotes is likely to give you cheaper prices.
- See your cheapest insurers from the comparison as a benchmark. But of course we want you to beat them...
- Personalised tips to try for an even bigger saving. These include whether you should look to add an additional driver or pay annually not monthly - and some have one-click checks, so you can easily find out if they work for you.
- Whether other sites can help slice down your costs even more. We assess if Direct Line (which isn't on comparisons) is likely to be cheaper for you, and give you our latest comparison site order of others to try, as MoneySupermarket may not be your cheapest.
DON'T think 'this isn't for me, I'm not at renewal'. It's worth checking just in case you can make big savings. If you can, then provided you haven't claimed this year, you can just cancel your policy and get a pro-rata refund if you paid upfront, minus a usually £50ish admin fee - so check that, then get the new policy and cancel the old one. See cancel your car insurance for help. The main negative is you won't earn the year's no-claims bonus, but for big savings, it's often worth it.
If you've more than one car, check if you can save with a multicar policy. Often, multicar newbies get hot offers to suck 'em in, but that advantage can disappear at renewal, so Martin's rule of thumb is: "If you're on a multicar policy, check separate policies to see if you can save. If you're on separate, check multicar." For full info, including how to compare if your cars have different renewal dates, see our Multicar insurance guide.

To show how it changes, Alan emailed: "I've just cancelled a multicar policy and saved £750 by insuring separately. When I rang my insurer to try and haggle they admitted they couldn't match the prices. Many thanks."
Make sure the policy is right for you and complain if you're unfairly treated. As with any insurance, check the policy details and make sure that insurers are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority before you buy. If a claim is unfairly rejected, remember you've a right to take 'em to the free Financial Ombudsman.

Important energy bill updates... Martin's key video briefing: Will Government cancel 20% rise (he asks Shapps), should you fix? & more. Can you save by switching to Octopus Agile? Prices change every 30mins but some can save large. Prepayment customers to pay less for energy from July. The prepay premium will be ended.

Supermarket coupons: free 79p Evian, Sainsbury's £4 off frozen food. See March's list of 50+ coupons.

Got an old mobile handset? You may soon lose internet access. Networks are starting to switch off 3G signals - check if your handset is affected and what you need to do about it. See 3G switch-off.

Shift credit card debt to 31 months at 0%. A balance transfer's where you get a new card that pays off old cards for you, so you owe it instead, but at 0% interest. MBNA's up to 31 months 0% (3.49% fee)* is now the longest 0% deal, though NatWest's 30 months 0% (2.99% fee)* has both a lower fee and with it, if you're accepted you'll definitely get the full 0% period (with MBNA some get 14 months). Check if you'll be accepted: Our 0% Eligibility Calculator shows your personal chances of being accepted for most top cards. Golden rules: Repay at least the monthly minimum, and clear the card before the 0% period ends, or MBNA's rep APR is 22.9%, NatWest's is 23.9%. Full help in Top balance transfers.

Boots up to 90% off clearance, such as £20 Soap & Glory set £2 - can you find a bargain? It's boosted its sale, but from what we've seen stock is very limited. Boots sale. Related: Boots to cut Advantage points earned on spending.

Want to watch the Budget with Martin & MSE? (12.30pm Wed) Follow Martin's live Twitter analysis and then hit MSE News as we explain in detail what it means for you.

Are your savings safe? Big news this week after Silicon Valley Bank collapsed, affecting its UK arm too. The Government arranged for HSBC to take over all these business accounts. Find out the protection on your savings.

£37 Ted Baker prescription specs or sunglasses (normally £135). MSE Blagged. Via code. SpeckyFourEyes

An unpleasant but important watch. ITV, The Martin Lewis Money Show Live, Tue 8pm. Over to Martin: "Yes this week I want to tackle the issues people rarely want to talk about - how to mitigate the financial impact of the three D's: death, divorce, dementia. It sounds unpleasant but the real unpleasantness comes if we ignore it. I'll be talking wills (including how to get them free), Power of Attorney, managing finances in relationships, funeral plans, equity release and more. An important watch for anyone, even under-30s, so do join me or at least set your VideoPlus to record."

BLAGGED FOR MSE

- £135 Ted Baker prescription specs or sunnies £37 Ends 6 Apr

DID YOU MISS?

- Use our new April energy price hike calc
- Stamp prices hiked by up to 15% - act fast to save
- Hot Diamonds 40% off EVERYTHING
- FREE Grand Designs Live tickets

10 ways to cut the cost of drugs

Prescription costs (Eng) to rise in April, but many are massively overpaying for medication

On Friday, we learned that NHS prescription costs in England are going up by 30p to £9.65 an item from 1 April: yet another price rise to contend with this spring. Yet there are smart ways to keep the cost of your medications low - detailed help is in Cheap & free prescriptions, but here's a quick check-up of what you need to know first.

In England, do you qualify for free prescriptions? Quick calculator. Prescriptions in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are free for all, but in England you must qualify - they're free if you're under 16, over 60, pregnant (or have given birth in the last 12 months), on certain benefits, or suffering from some illnesses. Use the NHS free prescription calc to see.
Over 1 million overpay for prescriptions - use a 'season ticket' to ensure you don't. More than a million people in England missed out on savings in the 12 months to April 2022 because they paid for each prescription rather than getting a prescription 'season ticket'. These cost £108.10 for a year, or £30.25 for 3 months, and cover all prescription costs. The price rises in April, so do it now. The maths is simple - use 13+ prescriptions in 12 months and you save with a season ticket.
Going through the menopause? Cheaper HRT prescriptions from April. This currently costs some £200+ a year but a cheaper HRT prescriptions 'season ticket' costing £19.30 will come in soon.
Is over the counter cheaper than prescription? If you're prescribed common medication such as painkillers, antihistamines or dermatology creams, check if it's cheaper to pay over the counter. A 500ml tub of aqueous cream is £3.59 at Boots - around a third of the cost of the prescription fee.
It's a medicine's 'active ingredient' that counts. The rest is largely irrelevant, unless you've certain allergies (for example, you're allergic to dairy). If the active ingredient's the same, the medicine will have the same effect (though liquid capsules do deliver it quicker). So you can often pay up to 70% less by picking a cheaper generic unbranded or own brand one over the more expensive big brand. MSE Sarah found Nurofen tablets with 200mg ibuprofen (the active ingredient) for £2.29 at Superdrug, yet the same store sold Bell's 200mg ibuprofen for 55p.
You can buy IDENTICAL medication for almost half the cost - it's all about the PL number. It's a unique licence number assigned exclusively to a particular product made by a particular manufacturer, which may be sold under different brands. The packaging may be different, yet if the PL numbers on the packet match, it's the SAME product.

For example, the Sudafed and Boots capsules pictured have the same PL number (12063/0073) - but Boots is £2.99 compared with Sudafed at £5.
Ask your GP for a bigger prescription. If you know you'll be coming back for more and the medicine's not dangerous if overused, ask for a bigger prescription (though doctors may only be able to prescribe enough to last a certain period).
Summer's coming (eventually...) - get 180 hay fever tablets for £4.79. Not to be sniffed at, and useful as the pollen count starts to rise. See Cheap hay fever meds.
Do you qualify for pension credit? It can pay £1,000s AND give access to free NHS treatment and more. Aimed at pensioners on low incomes, pension credit can add an extra income of £65/week on average, yet 100,000s don't claim. Martin's rule of thumb is that if you earn under £200 a week (or £300 a week as a couple), check if you qualify. If you do, it's also a gateway to other benefits, such as free NHS dental treatment, glasses and help with hospital transport costs. The rules are complex - see full info and eligibility in Pension credit.
Healthcare cash plans can cover NHS or private dental, optical and physio costs (and some cover prescriptions, too). Few have heard of these but many should consider them. If you shell out for NHS or private treatments, you send off the receipt and the plan reimburses you up to an annual limit. Our Healthcare cash plans guide explains how they work, things to watch out for and our top-pick policies. Related: Private medical insurance.

ISA warning for you... use it or lose it, plus boost your pension. This and more in the new The Martin Lewis Podcast - listen through BBC Sounds, Apple, Spotify and more.

5 Odeon cinema tickets £25. For screenings any day up to 30 March - you needn't use all tickets in one go. See this deal and others for Cineworld, Vue and more in 23 cinema savers.

Last-minute Mother's Day prezzies, including FREE gift cheques & in-store flowers from £1. It's this Sunday, but you don't have to spend a lot (or at all) to treat mum for Mother's Day.

'Thank you, I'm getting £2,200/month in benefits I didn't know I was eligible for - it's life changing.' Our success of the week is from Jill, whose life changed after she did our 10-minute benefits check. She emailed: "I saw your article about checking if you can claim benefits. I didn't think I would qualify due to my income, but I checked anyway. We were entitled to £2,200 a month. I'm a parent of two primary-age children with severe disabilities, and this has been life changing. I'm able to work fewer hours and give my children the support they desperately need. Family life now is completely different from how it was a year ago and we have MSE to thank for that." If we've helped you claim or save money (on this, or anything else), please send us your MoneySaving successes.

2for1 Alton Towers, Thorpe Park, Sea Life and more via £1 to £4 cereal & snacks. Get the voucher on special packs for a free adult ticket with any full-price ticket, including kid's tickets. See 2for1 Merlin attractions.

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AT A GLANCE BEST BUYS

Longest 0%: MBNA (check eligibility / apply*) - up to 31 months 0%, 3.49% fee (22.9% rep APR interest)
No-fee 0%: NatWest - 19 months 0% (23.9% rep APR)

£200 to switch + £36/year cashback: NatWest / RBS
£175 to switch + TOP service: First Direct

Top easy access: Chip 3.4%, min £1
Top one-year fix: SmartSave 4.33%, min £10,000

Try our Car Insurance Compare+ tool

Cheapest for £5,000 to £7,499: AIB (NI) (apply), 5.6% rep APR
Cheapest for £7,500 to £15,000: Sainsbury's Bank (check eligibility / apply*), 4.8% rep APR (must have Nectar card)

Fast fibre (55Mb+): Vodafone '£20.63/month'
On universal credit or similar? Check discounted social tariffs

Up to 3GB data: Lebara, '£2.94/month' for 3GB
4GB to 9GB data: Lebara, '£3.70/month' for 5GB
10GB+ data: iD Mobile, '£4.67/month' for 15GB

THIS WEEK'S POLL

How much do you pay into your pension? According to new data, 12.5 million people are not saving enough into their pensions to maintain their current standard of living when they retire. And with reports of big changes coming to how much you can put in, we want to know, how much do you pay into your pension?

Hurrah! Most MoneySavers do have a will. Last week we asked if you have a will, and if not, why not. Of the 4,600 people who voted, 60% said they have one - although of those, around a quarter admitted theirs isn't up to date. There is a big age divide, with the majority of under-50s not having one, while most aged 50+ do. Of those without one, "not getting round to it" was the most common reason why. See full will poll results (and for help on getting one, see our Cheap wills guide).

MSE NEWS

- Top story: Help for struggling mortgage borrowers confirmed - but Martin says it's a 'thin sandwich'
- Barclays to shut another 14 branches this year - here's the full list, plus alternatives
- Treasury will look at proposals to free mortgage prisoners, minister confirms in letter to Martin
- Energy social tariff could save vulnerable households up to £1,500 a year
- 'Lifelong loans' to launch in 2025 to help those in England wanting to study or retrain later in life

MONEY MORAL DILEMMA

Should we ask the bride and groom for help towards the cost of attending their overseas wedding? My wife agreed to be her friend's maid of honour, but the bride has since divulged that the wedding will be in Cyprus. It will cost more than £2,000 to attend, and mutual friends have declined invites because of this, so we won't know anyone else there. Given the bride was my wife's maid of honour, and we got married locally and paid for as much as we could at the time, should we ask the bride and groom to make a contribution towards our costs? Enter the Money Moral Maze: Should we ask the bride and groom for help towards our costs? | Suggest a Money Moral Dilemma

MSE TEAM BLOG

- MSE Forum highlights: Shrubs, shirts & schnapps

MARTIN'S APPEARANCES (WED 15 MAR ONWARDS)

Wed 15 Mar - Ask Martin Lewis, BBC Radio 5 Live, 2.15pm
Thu 16 Mar - The Martin Lewis Money Show Live - Budget special, ITV, 8.30pm
Tue 21 Mar - This Morning, phone-in, ITV, 10.20am
Tue 21 Mar - The Martin Lewis Money Show Live, ITV, 8pm

MSE TEAM APPEARANCES (SUBJECT TBC)

Tue 21 Mar - BBC Radio Cambridgeshire, Mid-morning with Jeremy Sallis, from 10.45am

NORDPAK SPREAD & SEAL BARS... WHAT ARE YOUR FAVOURITE DUPES?

That's all for this week, but before we go... MoneySavers of the MSE Forum have been discussing their favourite 'dupes' (cheaper versions of branded products - see our Downshift Challenge). There's praise for Aldi: apparently it does a soup that rivals the more expensive Heinz, ready-made pastry rated as good as Jus-Rol, and Nordpak spread as an acceptable, cheaper version of Lurpak. Morrisons' Fine Green Ginger Wine got a mention as a decent alternative to Crabbie's, as did Lidl's Gelatelli ice cream as a Magnum dupe, while Aldi's Seal Bar, its Penguin-equivalent, splits opinion. For more examples and to add yours, join the Best dupe you've tried? MSE Forum discussion.

We hope you save some money,
The MSE team

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