Do you own premium bonds?

[bigfoot3000]

Have you ever won anything? Read this no. 7 should interest you. http://uk.finance.yah...ele-d81a0fa05432.html

[boxtops]

Interesting, bigfoot - I did have a few but cashed them in ages ago. I won £50 a long time ago.

[caslass]

My father bought me some when they first came out, and I have never won a penny.

[bigfoot3000]

So premium bonds are the UK's biggest saving vehicle with £40 billion held. What exactly is the main attraction of saving via premium bonds?

[boxtops]

I guess it's easy to buy them at the PO, you can get the money out easily, and old habits die hard. My gran used to buy them £1 at a time for us when we were kids.

[Iolanthe]

Yes, we win regularly, and have the full investment. If I don't win once or twice a month, I'd be quite disappointed, even though the bottom prize is now only £25, not £50 as it used to be. It's fun, and works out even Stevens for other investments, and you can still keep your money intact. I also do the lottery each week, which is basically a waste of money, as you lose your original stake.

From the April draw, my husband and I each have 2 x £25 warrants (cheques) waiting to be paid in to the bank, but there are never any guarantees. I keep a list of which bonds have won, on a spreadsheet just for interest, and one of my bonds has won twice.....

[sara3]

↑ the full investment is the clue!

if you have a lot of money invested, you're more likely to win a lot of money.

I won £50 in the first draw I was in, then nothing. when I re-mortgaged I had some money that had to go somewhere for a few moths and I put it into premium bonds. I won £50 every month it was in there. once withdrawn, and back to a 3 figure sum of bonds.. nothing!

[FoxLee2]

My husband and I each hold the maximum amount of bonds and we win prizes nearly every month, in fact we are quite disappointed if we have a 'dry' month. This month I had a £100 prize and hubby 2 x £25. My best ever month was £650 - £500 +3 x £50.

Yes, you could put the money in a safe account and notch up interest but you wouldn't have the possibility of a big win. From time to time, usually after a no win month, we do discuss whether to cash them in and then give it to the end of the year and we do like to see those white envelopes dropping on the mat!

[Kathyan]

I've had a premium bond for 46 years and I have never won a penny!

[bigfoot3000]

Sara and kathyan. With the National Lottery your chance of bagging the jackpot is a decidedly rosy one in 14 million per pound per draw. With Premium Bonds it's an eye-popping one-in-40 billion.

[New Judge]

Indeed.

But the big difference is that with the lottery your stake is lost. With Premium Bonds your stake is refundable any time you choose. In addition your stake is liable to earn a small return in the way of smaller prizes. I have quite a number of PBs in my portfolio and I have remained ahead of building society rate over a period of about fifteen years.

[cassa333]

I have about 3000 PBs and if I get a cheque through the post I think I have died and gone to heaven. I have only 'won' £25 in the last 6 yrs. They were however bought at 50 a month so are scattered around the 'playing board'

I wonder if I cashed them in and resubmitted it all for consecutive numbers would I stand a 'better' chance than scattered numbers?

[New Judge]

No.

[Nosha123]

I had about £25k at one point - from selling our house I put some in bonds.. and while we had them we regularly won £50's.. sometimes two a month... most we got in one prize I think was £100 or £150... though I liked the thought of opening the envelope to see THE BIG ONE...

My Mum knows someone who had the maximum allowed in Bonds and they one over £100k once...

Quite good fun if you have the investment to spare and dont mind the thought of winning nothing!

[brucie1996]

Got £150 worth had them 30+ years won once £100 about 3 years ago