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PREMIUM BONDS AUGUST/SEPT 2024

950 replies

Blondeshavemorefun · 03/09/2024 10:02

New thread and I've been asked to give some basic info. Feel free to add stuff

PB have been about since 1957

Been 30yrs (April 2024) since a million was then the highest prize

nsandi-corporate.com/news-research/news/30-years-premium-bonds-ps1-million-jackpots#

Each bond is £1. You have to buy in minimum of £25 so means 25 chances to win.

Bonds have to be in for a clear month before going into the draw

If you want to cash bonds in then usually takes 3 days to go into your account

Winnings can be reinvested if holdings are under £50k

This means they will go into the next months draw without losing a month

Or sent to named bank account if over /want winnings in bank account

More info here

www.moneyhelper.org.uk/en/savings/types-of-savings/premium-bonds

The best time to buy premium bonds is on the last day of the month, as this means they are only held by NSI for one month and one day, without being entered into the prize draw.

PB to me is the fun and thrill each month of what if I win big and a millionaire - to then hoping win thousands to a day or two later being grateful if win £25😂

I have nowhere near the maximum and probably never will unless I win £50k + on pb

But only takes one £1 to win that million !!!

I love seeing the low holdings win high amounts

We've seen over the years £100 win £100k and £50 win £25k and £1 win £25k

Maximum is £50k per person so some do have all for family- mum dad and 2 kids so £200k etx

Those on the thread are varying from few hundred /thousand - to 20/30k to full holdings of £50k

Everyone is welcome to join in whether small or full holdings

One would expect if had full holdings of £50k to win something every month and think over the year to earn the same as if in a high interest account to win around £1925 in prizes

If have £5k average luck is £175 winnings a year

Obviously some people have better 'luck' than others and some worse - Ie full holdings and not winning anything a month or two

PB odds calculator below

moneymarvel.co.uk/calculators/premium-bonds/

Or this one is quite good as shows the interest rate of the winnings - obv anything over 5% is good as if in an account you wouid be taxed so be more like 3.75%)

www.candidmoney.com/calculators/national-savings-premium-bond-calculator

From google (august 2023) - The consistent winners are the 1.16 million people who have the maximum £50,000.

They hold almost half of all premium bonds and, at current odds of 21,000:1, can expect a monthly stream of tax-free prizes: two a month and three almost every other month, 28 or 29 a year totaling £1,925

From google (Jan 2024) Tho equally With Premium Bonds, for every person who wins £1 million, a lot of people have to win nothing. So the median average will always be lower than the mean average.

This means that, with average luck, most people will win less than the prize rate each year, regardless of how many bonds they hold

But many on here do have £50k and then consider moving it to an account that pays 5/6% if their bonds aren't doing very well as would then def get extra money

But remember savings /interest get taxed

PB and their winnings don't

So they do dither whether to pull out from pb and put in high interest account if not winning anything

If you have PB but not sure if you have ever won esp if moved about a lot

you can write to NS&I. Include these details in the letter:

	Current name

	Current address

	Premium Bond holder number 

	All previous addresses where you might have registered bonds

	Your signature 

You can send your letter to:

NS&I,
Sunderland
SR43 2SB.

There are 2 apps afaik

Cream - prize checker and if won previous month will show a pic - which we all get excited over 😂😂😂

Blue - the app its self works but the showing early often doesn't work for me but those who reinvest their winnings say it shows if won the day before app shows 🙀🙀🙀

Seems the higher the winnings the earlier it shows and can be from 6pm the night before the app shows

And to confuse things I have a White app that is a bookmark - which shows info/list 😄😄😄

Now this has been debated on MANY times but seems to be correct

When do we find out if going to get a visit from AM 😂

The two winners of 
the £1million prizes will be contacted by Agent Million (AM) 😂😂 the day before the first working day of the corresponding month.

There may however be 
exceptions to this, such as when the first working day of the month is a 
bank holiday, for example.

So

Day before first working day - Millionaire knock /call

First day of working month - list showing all winners million to £1k winners - which I always put up for those who can't find it

Day after first working day , including weekends - cream app showing all winnings

You can also check to see if have won via this link with your holders number

www.nsandi.com/prize-checker

Hopefully I've covered everything

Good luck one and all 😄

OP posts:
Thread gallery
6
Doublesidedstickytape · 02/11/2024 12:01

Happiestathome · 02/11/2024 11:40

I’ve worked out that my husband and I have made just under 3% in the last 12 months. Rates have been available at 5-6% in that time. Currently 5.1% on the ISA. We are losing too much potential interest to ignore, but I also don’t want to give up the small chance of a life changing sum. 😞

This is exactly me!

Sallyingon · 02/11/2024 12:07

Nothing for me on 4.5k and nothing for my son on 8k.

BuyingButterAndSatinSandals · 02/11/2024 12:26

The 'Hold Tight!' message on the NS&I website finally changed at about 3am:

Three small prizes in our house of 1x£100 and 2x£50 totalling £200.

That makes a total of 5 small prizes totalling £450 in 8 months: nothing April-June, one in July, nothing August-September, two in October and three in November. Nothing at all for one DC in that 8 months though.

As advised by a pp, I think I'll take a 'Hold Tight!' notice as a good sign in future, as DC's account was showing 'no luck this time' straight away.

Congratulations to all this month's winners, especially those who really needed a win including @Bimblesalong - those four-leaf clover pumpkin carvings must have done the trick! Commiserations and wishing better luck next month to everyone disappointed this month.

I don't think it will seem as long a wait this month as waiting for the November draw did. I think the time between now and Christmas always goes more quickly, unless you're a DC waiting keenly or anxiously for Santa!

Good luck for the December draw everyone and the very best of luck to those really needing a win for something very important. 🍀

BiscuitlyBoyle · 02/11/2024 12:30

I had ‘hold tight’ but win nothing. I find repeatedly bashing the button seems to work.

CoastalCalm · 02/11/2024 12:45

Negroany · 02/11/2024 11:59

It's funny, this is the first year I've ever had a FH, so now I check the prizes every month and the wins come to me. In the past, they were reinvested so I didn't care that much and didn't really pay any attention.

It's not a great interest rate but it is tax free. I don't have any other tax free allowances to use - ISA all full this year (plus have enough to fill next years) and I can't put more in the pension. So, nowhere to move it to if I wanted to. A taxed account would need to return a lot more as I'm a higher rate tax payer.

I’m in same position , paying higher rate tax means I need to win £1500 a year on PB’s to be comparable to 5% savings bond so I’m tracking against that for a while to see how FH performs - £600 in two months so far so bodes well to beat the interest I’m missing out on - 10 draws left to win £900 !

BuyingButterAndSatinSandals · 02/11/2024 12:47

Sorry to hear that @BiscuitlyBoyle . I won't take it as a good sign in future then as I don't want to falsely get my hopes up! In between looking after a DC and making cups of tea I did keep bashing the button but to no avail. DC had just dropped off at 3am and so I kicked the laptop for once last time before giving up and getting some sleep. At least finding a win cheered me up a bit in my sleep deprived state! Good luck to you next month.

ColdinSeptember · 02/11/2024 12:54

£200 for DH on FH
£150 for me on FH
Nothing for DD on £4k

Marmut · 02/11/2024 13:00

Chocolatelover13 · 02/11/2024 11:20

£750 for DH on FH
£100 for me on FH

Happy with this month. Total so far £1300 in 5 months.

So, a total of £100k in premium bond? Were the money saved in a fixed term isa, you could easily get (guaranteed) £4k a year. Each to their own 😃

www.moneysavingexpert.com/savings/best-cash-isa/

Eaumyword · 02/11/2024 13:02

Oh dear - £50 across 2.5 FH...

CoastalCalm · 02/11/2024 13:07

Marmut · 02/11/2024 13:00

So, a total of £100k in premium bond? Were the money saved in a fixed term isa, you could easily get (guaranteed) £4k a year. Each to their own 😃

www.moneysavingexpert.com/savings/best-cash-isa/

But you could only have £40k in ISA and rest would be taxed which changes the situation

Marmut · 02/11/2024 13:14

CoastalCalm · 02/11/2024 13:07

But you could only have £40k in ISA and rest would be taxed which changes the situation

Fair enough. I didn't really think of that scenario. I never earn enough to maximise my ISA per year and at the same time maximing pension contribution and JISA 😆

I think ISA allowance is £20k/year. Even with that level of allowance, it is already a struggle for me to put away £10k/year. Wish you a better luck next time 😃

Chocolatelover13 · 02/11/2024 13:16

Marmut · 02/11/2024 13:00

So, a total of £100k in premium bond? Were the money saved in a fixed term isa, you could easily get (guaranteed) £4k a year. Each to their own 😃

www.moneysavingexpert.com/savings/best-cash-isa/

I’m aware of that but have maxed out ISA and wanted to minimise tax in this year for various reasons so this is a way to get the money to work for us in an efficient manner as discussed with our IFA. It’s an unusual situation for us this year due to one of us being made redundant.

SwedishEdith · 02/11/2024 13:23

£75 this month. I think I'm on about 4.5% return so I'm okay with that. Not remotely FH.

Thfrog · 02/11/2024 13:36

Marmut · 02/11/2024 13:00

So, a total of £100k in premium bond? Were the money saved in a fixed term isa, you could easily get (guaranteed) £4k a year. Each to their own 😃

www.moneysavingexpert.com/savings/best-cash-isa/

Do you not think people would have researched their options?

RedHelenB · 02/11/2024 13:44

Nothing for me, a bit disappointing.

Nourishinghandcream · 02/11/2024 14:00

Marmut · 02/11/2024 13:00

So, a total of £100k in premium bond? Were the money saved in a fixed term isa, you could easily get (guaranteed) £4k a year. Each to their own 😃

www.moneysavingexpert.com/savings/best-cash-isa/

Both partners with max PB holdings is not unusual in my experience.
We have as do most other members of our wider family (apart from the younger ones of course). Several work colleagues were also in the same situation and results day in the office was always lively with colleagues comparing wins.

It does not make sense to put all your eggs in one basket but if you already have multiple ISA's, shares and other investments then maxing out your PB holding can be a sensible (and fun) way of keeping money immediately available (well 3-days) whilst knowing it is completely safe.

Marmut · 02/11/2024 14:12

Thfrog · 02/11/2024 13:36

Do you not think people would have researched their options?

Yes and no. Some do research their options and some don't. You can see from some of the questions asked on money matters. Some of them are pretty basic questions.

Just visiting this thread out of curiosity. I know from reading here and there (cant afford IFA), if I do have some left over, I will probably consider Premium Bonds only after maximising mine and spouse's ISA, pension contribution (work and SIPP), JISA. Although, if one is lucky enough to win big prizes, then it is definitely worth it to own PB.

1975wasthebest · 02/11/2024 14:22

Also - according to Martin Lewis, if you have FH and at least average luck, then the chances of winning a million are 1 in 100,000, so much better than the national lottery and pretty good odds.

hobblingAlong · 02/11/2024 14:45

Just visiting this thread out of curiosity. I know from reading here and there (cant afford IFA), if I do have some left over, I will probably consider Premium Bonds only after maximising mine and spouse's ISA, pension contribution (work and SIPP), JISA.

It was our IFA that suggested premium bonds to us for somewhere to stick money that was 'safe' and accessible. And what a lot of people who just look at interest rates forget is that if you pay a higher tax rate then you get a lower saving interest allowance.

And everyone's finances, appetite to risk, long term plans etc are different.

And for some of us life is that just bit more exciting every month thinking 'will I win big' 😀

hobblingAlong · 02/11/2024 14:53

Forgot to add this month's winnings.

300 on two FH this month.

BiscuitlyBoyle · 02/11/2024 14:55

Yes you could have ISAs and other such stuff but there isn’t any fun in that.

ColdinSeptember · 02/11/2024 15:07

Marmut · 02/11/2024 13:00

So, a total of £100k in premium bond? Were the money saved in a fixed term isa, you could easily get (guaranteed) £4k a year. Each to their own 😃

www.moneysavingexpert.com/savings/best-cash-isa/

I won £50k 6 months ago. It’s the potential that outweighs guaranteed interest. And that’s tax free.
We’ve also won £3k on top of that. Which I think is a good return with the chance to win more on top.

Neddevine · 02/11/2024 15:18

Just £100 for DH and £50 for me this month.

Hoping for a bigger December win!!

Chewbecca · 02/11/2024 15:23

Nothing on just over full holding between two of us. A tad disappointed!

Minikievs · 02/11/2024 15:28

Nothing for me or DC1. Three months in a row at zero for me.
£100 for DC2 who's clearly broken their run of terrible luck.
£27.5k between us