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Legal, pensions and money

Premium Bonds. No wins.

(86 Posts)
watermeadow Sun 15-Dec-19 20:01:02

I know the number of prizes has been cut but I want to know whether other people think that prizes have been more or less abandoned?
How many wins did you get during 2019 compared to previous years?
I bought £10,000 worth a year ago then the same again in April and have won nothing at all. Am I the only one?

GrannyGravy13 Sun 15-Dec-19 20:04:52

I have won something every month apart from December, amounts varying from £25-£100.

Abuelamia Sun 15-Dec-19 20:38:44

I seem to win every two or three months. Only £25 but still nice . Perhaps you may be lucky and win a really big prize.

kittylester Sun 15-Dec-19 20:50:25

More or less the same as grannygravy. I think numbers dont enter the draw immediately.

Scribbles Sun 15-Dec-19 20:52:20

My uncle sent me £1 for Christmas 1957 and, in January 1958, I used it to buy a Premium Bond. My mother said it was an investment and would benefit me far more than just spending it on chocolate.

I still have that bond; I've updated my address details every time I moved house and it has never won anything. Not a soddin' brass farthing. I wish I'd bought chocolate!

MawB Sun 15-Dec-19 20:53:48

I do have £35,000 but my “winnings” in 2019 have ranged from £50 to £275 and only 1 month there has been nothing. Since buying them 18 months ago I have received a total of £1750 smile

Urmstongran Sun 15-Dec-19 21:11:04

Sadly, through necessity all ours have been cashed in now.
?

The most we ever won was £50 one month and a couple of £25 wins.

I used to love that frisson of excitement on 2nd of each month. Ah well.

Daisymae Sun 15-Dec-19 21:15:27

Martin Lewis has a premium bonds calculor on his website. Bonds average 1.4 percent, with a 10k investment you could expect to win £100 pa. However it a risk you could win nothing or a million.

janeainsworth Sun 15-Dec-19 21:19:14

watermeadow if you invested £20K in a stocks and shares ISA you could get at least £600 (3%) a year in income from it, as well as capital growth, while your premium bonds are losing value at the rate of inflation.
I don’t understand the attraction of PBs. It’s just a form of gambling.

notanan2 Sun 15-Dec-19 21:23:22

I had wins this October and November.

Overall this year I have won more than I would have had in a savings account, and its a bit of fun

threexnanny Sun 15-Dec-19 22:08:26

I've won small sums most months this year. It adds up to better than any savings account interest rate.

Nannytopsy Sun 15-Dec-19 22:17:57

Funds in Premium bonds are immediately accessible janeainsworth, which can be important. I am getting about 1.5% on mine.

Callistemon Sun 15-Dec-19 22:25:23

I used to rarely win anything but in the past year have won £25 or 2 x £25 most months.

Could you sell them and repurchase a single block? That may stand a better chance.

Granny23 Sun 15-Dec-19 22:38:33

I had almost forgotten that I have Premium Bonds. I have had some from the start and bought a £1000 block with money received when my Uncle died. In the first few years I won 2 x £25 but not a single win for the past 20+ years.

Callistemon Sun 15-Dec-19 23:46:44

Was it a £50 win Granny23?

The minimum prize used to be £50, then they got rid of some of the larger prizes when interest rates went down but introduced the £25 prize to keep people happy and invested.

Or not, reading this thread.

janeainsworth Mon 16-Dec-19 08:06:10

nannytopsy Funds in Premium bonds are immediately accessible janeainsworth, which can be important. I am getting about 1.5% on mine

The funds in my Santander Select current account are immediately accessible and I get 1.49% interest on balances up to £20K, cashback on direct debits for utility bills, and every month there are different retailer offers. Last month it was 10% at Morrison’s.

love0c Mon 16-Dec-19 09:06:09

Have a £1000 bond. Won £25 in nearly three years. MawB you have done well! smile

Charleygirl5 Mon 16-Dec-19 09:40:28

A friend of mine has the full £50,000 in bonds and most months she gets from £25 to £100. Usually the latter. Rarely zilch.

I usually win at least £25 and mine is reinvested each time. It is the frisson of excitement I enjoy.

Greeneyedgirl Mon 16-Dec-19 09:54:38

I have checked the site and the biggest winners usually have over £35,000 invested.

Theoretically each bond has the same chance of winning the million and the odds are not as great as the lottery, plus you only lose a small amount with inflation if you don't win.

I have had small wins but keep mine for the bit of excitement each month, and they are instantly accessible if necessary.

DanniRae Mon 16-Dec-19 10:10:58

I am lucky enough to have £50,000 and have won prizes every month but Jan and Dec - a total of £525 this year and I am very happy with this.
I get an email saying that I have won a prize and check on their web site to see how much. I find it all very exciting!

BTW I actually think that there has always been a £25 prize Callistemon??

craftyone Mon 16-Dec-19 10:17:38

I win most months £25 to £125 and I bought the dgc premium bonds 2 months ago. One won £50 this month. Nice to have winnings tax free

henetha Mon 16-Dec-19 11:05:05

I've won 2 x £25 this year. I usually get something most years,
but I agree it seems to be getting less likely to win anything.

JenniferEccles Thu 19-Dec-19 12:49:48

It might be classed as gambling but that’s a slightly misleading term as our money is perfectly safe unlike other forms of gambling of course.

I win quite regularly, most months and I don’t have the full £50,000.

I am sure the odds of winning are no less this year than last.

As someone said, the average return is 1.4% which these days isn’t too bad. Ok some do better and some worse but it’s a bit of fun each month.

janeainsworth Fri 20-Dec-19 09:48:50

jennifereccles the average return is 1.4% which these days isn’t too bad. Ok some do better and some worse but it’s a bit of fun each month
And inflation this year has been 1.8% so even if you win the average amount, you’re still giving money away.
I’d rather keep my money somewhere where I’m going to get a guaranteed return, and spend it on actual fun.

Septimia Fri 20-Dec-19 09:51:47

FiL had a substantial amount in premium bonds and frequently won £25. They were very good when he died and we had to cash them in - they included all the prizes that he hadn't claimed because he'd lost the letters.

On the other hand, DH and I have had just a few bonds since we were children and have never won a thing.