As the cost of living crisis deepens, more and more people are turning to sites like Money Saving Expert for reliable advice on cost-savings and other financial tips. Martin Lewis (the Money Saving Expert himself) is a financial journalist and broadcaster and has become one of UK's most trusted voices when it comes to managing money.
As the swirling mist of financial uncertainty continues to encircle the UK, we often find ourselves wondering... what would Martin do? After all, money (as Lisa Minnelli so beautifully puts in Cabaret) makes the world go round. For just a moment, let's stop counting out the pennies for our next £8,000 tank of petrol ask, what would Martin Lewis do in some of these fictitious Hollywood money-movie scenarios?
Wolf of Wall Street
In Wolf of Wall Street, Leonardo DiCaprio plays Jordan Belfort who makes a huge and decadent fortune defrauding wealthy investors out of millions of dollars. His crimes catch up with him though, as the FBI inevitably close in.
What would Martin do? Martin would sympathise with investors who lost money to Leonardo DiCaprio. He says: "Investing is a long way from putting your cash in a savings account where it sits to earn interest. Instead of the security of guaranteed returns, you're taking a risk with your money. The hope is that you make a lot more than you put in (a juicy profit), but there's the possibility you end up with less (a nasty loss)."
Wall Street
It's Wall Street in the 1980s and Charlie Sheen is a stockbroker doing whatever he can to make his way to the top. It's a cautionary tale of greed, insider trading and underhanded dealing.
What would Martin do? Martin admits stocks and shares aren't his forte. He'd say to those Wall Street investors of the 80s: "You need to do your own research before deciding what to invest in, build your own portfolio and keep track of it. Make sure you take all charges into account – including any platform fees, fund charges, trading charges and exit fees."
Jerry Maguire
Sports agent Jerry Maguire (Tom Cruise) pens a company-wide memo that gets him fired. He starts his own management firm, with single mother Dorothy Boyd (Renee Zellweger) and their sole client, football player Rod Tidwell (Cuba Gooding Jr.). Jerry and Dorothy begin to fall in love as they struggle to make their business work.
What would Martin do? Martin would be rooting for Jerry and Dorothy. And he probably remind them that, if they decided to get married, they could benefit from the marriage tax allowance. He says: "If you're married or in a civil partnership, you may be entitled to a £1,250 tax break called the marriage tax allowance – something 2.4 million qualifying couples miss out on. It's really easy to apply and take advantage of this tax break."
Cabaret
American cabaret singer Sally Bowles (Liza Minnelli) meets British academic Brian Roberts (Michael York) and decadent playboy Maximilian von Heune (Helmut Griem). It's a love triangle that plays out against the rise of the Nazi party and the collapse of the Weimar Republic.
What would Martin do? Martin would almost certainly bop along to Money Makes The World Go Round and at the sane time he'd advise caution on living a playboy lifestyle. That is all.
Gentleman Prefer Blondes
"Diamonds are a girl's best friend" sings Marilyn Monroe.
What would Martin do? Never mind diamonds, Martin would be looking out for a girl's pension instead. He says: "More than 100,000 women are thought to have been underpaid their state pension and could be due a payout – with the average amount being just under £9,000. Married women who hit state pension age before April 2016, including widows, divorcees and the over-80s – whether married or not – should check if they're owed. While some affected women will now get an automatic payment, not all will."
The Big Short
Michael Burry realizes that a number of home loans are in danger of defaulting. He bets against the housing market by throwing more than $1billion of his investors' money into credit default swaps. His actions attract the attention of banker Jared Vennett (Ryan Gosling) and together they take advantage of the impending economic collapse in America.
What would Martin do? Martin has lots of help and advice on Money Saving Expert if you're in danger of defaulting on your mortgage. He says: "If you've missed your mortgage repayments and have payments overdue, then you are 'in arrears'. If you've not spoken to your lender yet, do it NOW. Alerting your lender to the fact you may not be able to pay your mortgage on time is the first and most important step to help get you back on track."
Saving(s) Private Ryan
Saving Private Ryan is a very moving and excellent film about World War Two staring Tom Hanks and Matt Damon. If you've never seen it you should watch it. And we're sure Martin Lewis loves it too. It's nothing to do with money, but savings is definitely something Martin knows all about.
What would Martin do? You can visit Martin's website for the low-down on the current top savings accounts.
Richie Rich
Richie Rich (Macaulay Culkin) has every toy any little boy could ever want but sadly, he doesn't have any friends. When his parents suddenly go missing, Richie thinks they're probably dead. (They're not, don't worry, but it's touch and go for a while).
What would Martin do? Martin would hope Richie's parents had considered inheritance tax before they'd boarded their ill-fated private jet. He says: "Inheritance tax can cost loved ones hundreds of thousands, yet it's possible to legally avoid huge swathes of it – or possibly pay none at all. The rules around inheritance tax can be hard to understand at first, but it's important to get your head around it."
Ocean's 11
Danny Ocean (played by George Clooney) orchestrates the most sophisticated, elaborate Las Vegas casino heist in history.
What would Martin do? In January 2020, Money Saving Expert reported that: "Gambling businesses will be banned from allowing consumers in England, Scotland and Wales to use credit cards to gamble. The ban applies to all online and offline gambling products with the exception of lotteries where the payment is taken face-to-face – for example, if you were to buy a National Lottery ticket in a shop." The new rule came into effect on 14 April 2020.
Other movies about money that Martin Lewis might fancy for a movie night include: Catch Me If You Can, Casino, Brewster's Millions, A Fist Full of Dollars, and Tango and Cash (card.) What about Bond: From Martin With Love, anyone? No, we know we've gone too far now.
