Premium bonds

How lucky you all are! Admittedly we only have a few hundred between us but we have never won anything. I can understand that bigger holdings will give you more chances, but can't think that buying more nudges Ernie. Surely every bond has an equal chance if it is random.

Perhaps now I have posted this, I'll be lucky! Fat chance!

Does anyone oversee this or could there be a fix?

I think I am lucky if I win £25!

Isn't that strange? If they were tickets drawn from a tombola drum I could understand it. Perhaps they are - and all this high tech stuff has been a con from day one. Electronic Random Number Indicator Equipment my eye. It's somebody's Uncle Ernest turning a big handle.

I saw that as well, Maggiemaybe, plus the 2, million pound winners, both bought their winning bonds in Oct 2011,plus the 2 winning bonds started with the same number. What are the chances!!!?

I saw that as well, Maggiemaybe, plus the 2, million pound winners, both bought their winning bonds in Oct 2011,plus the 2 winning bonds started with the same number. What are the chances!!!?

I'm a bit with ERNIE today. Just checked out the big prizewinners on line (ever the optimist), and both of the million pound winners are from West Sussex. Fair enough, but so are another four big winners. In West Yorkshire, with three times the population, there is just one, from Bradford, who's won the smallest "big prize" of £5000. Either the North South divide is much more pronounced than I'd thought, or we're being short-changed up here.

Shake 'em up, ERNIE!

I thought you only got an updated list every time you bought more bonds. I didn't get an updated list with my last win.
And yes, when I get the last updated list, about two years ago, I did a bit of housekeeping and shredded all the old lists. Just got about thirty other files in the filing cabinet to do now....

We also find that ours give a far better return than any bank account or Issa. We will be hanging on to them until at least the interest rate improves. Question, now when you have a win they send you an updated list of your holdings. Does this mean it is safe to dispose of all earlier lists and bonds? If so, we have a serious amount of shredding to do.

My premium bonds have always given me a better return than any bank account. I find that if you purchase more bonds it appears to prod Ernie into picking one of your numbers at the next draw. I know it is completely random and some people are more lucky than others but I usually make between £600 and £800 per year in winnings

We had ours for ages, but returns were pretty poor the past few years. Cashed all mine in and gave the money to dd to help her move to a nicer house. I do rather miss checking each month, even though it was hardly ever much to shout about. Dh still has some. He bought his first £5 worth back in the 60s and promptly won £25 so he's always been keen on them.

Martin Lewis's view on PBs.
www.moneysavingexpert.com/savings/premium-bonds

Sorry, got distracted by DH.
Also wanted to say to NonnaW don't give up hope of winning just dig your certificates out...you never know.
Couldn't help feeling that it would have been lovely had one of the other children's numbers come up and maybe won the big prize. Sod's law I guess.

We had a letter a couple of months ago informing us that DS1 had won £25 which would have been lovely had he not died 29 years ago.
The bonds were bought for all three children in 1981, filed away and forgotten about. There must be millions of pounds worth of bonds in the draw each week that will never be claimed due to over sights like ours in failing to inform of a death or house move.

I've always bought bonds especially since the lottery started as, of course, you keep your capital.
My dear sister and I inherited a few thousand each from an uncle and we both bought bonds and we regularly had cheques between £25 and one £100 but neither of us has won anything for a long time. Perhaps there is something in this "keeping the numbers fresh"!
I decided to buy latest DGD some bonds thinking I could just "top it up" each year. As others have said what a palava! DD had to furnish some paperwork within a month which she didn't do so my money was returned. I persisted but now I have to do the WHOLE thing again if I want to buy her anymore-not likely!

You never know NonnaW, yours could be the million£ one!

I've never won a penny on my premium bonds. Do you think that might be because
A) I have no idea where they are, so have not updated address, or
B) I only had £2.00 worth ( and I think I won those!)?

We used to have the max in.bonds each andDH monitored and calculated that the return was about 5% Much better than anywhere else you can park it these days except property .

We have just given both our DCs very large sums of (inherited) money towards property purchase .We had to do statements for both saying it was an outright gift and there was a limit of £10,000 per day being transferred I think .Presumably to check for money laundering .But I don't recall filling in anything else

When I was working ( pre marriage, many years ago!) 8 of us paid 2/6 per week, bought one bond, and each took turns taking the bond. I have about 200. One of our colleagues died, so we abandoned the practice, but the Bodach stumped up 2/6 that last week, and took possession of his bond. He has won TWICE with his bond, while I've won nowt!

Premium Bonds are a good return if you have a lot of money in there.

I used to have all of our bonds in my name. We won every month. When my children became older I split the money so there was about 9K each and they win only occasionally now. I kept the balance of £1700 and I have only won £25 in the six years since I split them up.

Before this we were winning anything up to £300 per month. I wish I had left them in one place now

It is strange how the prize numbers fall - my mother had less bonds than I have now - not many at all really but won £25 or £50 quite a few times a year. I think I have had about three wins over twenty years! On the other hand a nephew of mine had two given to him when he was born and whe he was a bout 18 he had one of them win one month and the other the next!
Someone I knew worked out what his annual bills on the house were and divided it into monthly amounts and bought bonds to that value each month. When he had a bill come in he simply took out enough to pay it - of course he had started with quite a few accumulated before he ever bought a house. He said that as he was keeping his name and numbers to the fore each month he thought that was why he won so frequently - rarely a month went by without him getting a cheque.

Oh I agree but the change in prizes has been kept fairly quiet.

trisher that is as maybe but at least I have the thrill of thinking that maybe I may win more than £25 or like this month, £25x2. Interest rates elsewhere are abysmal so what else can I do with the amount I have there? When interest rates rise we will be in a better position to win more frequently (I hope!)

Odds of a bond winning change in June from 1 in 26000 to 1 in 30000, so maybe you will find your return diminishes. www.nsandi.com/premium-bonds

Just thought you'd like to know that we now have our new, extended conservatory and it's lovely - much more fun than having the money in premium bonds!