No, because NS&I is a Treasury-approved and regulated company rather than a bank, your money is completely safe.
Even if you’re a bad luck client who never wins, the money you invest in Premium Bonds is protected. Although not always in terms of money’s true value.
Your money is dwindling in terms of what it can buy unless you win enough to stay up with the rate of inflation, which is currently 0.9 percent.
What are some of the drawbacks of Premium Bonds?
You will not receive a return on your investment until you win a reward in the monthly prize draw.
Premium bonds aren’t for you if you’re looking for a sure thing. The odds of winning a prize based on each £1 bond are currently 34,500 to 1.
There’s a chance you’ll only get back a small portion of what you put in. And unless you’re extremely lucky and win big, your return is unlikely to stay up with inflation.
Do Premium Bonds hold their value over time?
Premium bonds are a National Savings & Investments (NS&I) savings product that gives you the chance to win between £25 and £1 million each month instead of paying interest.
Premium bonds are assigned a unique number for each £1 invested. Every month, all of the numbers are entered into a drawing for tax-free cash awards.
Because it’s a lottery, you could win nothing at all – and because you won’t be earning any interest, your money will lose value over time due to inflation.
However, with current low interest rates on normal savings accounts and Isas, you may believe that the possibility to win a large cash prize is worth the risk.
Is buying Premium Bonds in bulk better?
Q I have £27,000 in premium bonds that were issued in blocks of £2,000 and £1,000, and my winnings have been poor (£600 in the last three years).
Could you kindly tell me whether there is any evidence that holding one entire block rather than having them divided up as they are now would be better? I realize that if this is asked, it can be done, but I will forfeit one month of participation in the drawing.
A There are numerous theories. There is no evidence, however, that owning premium bonds in a single block increases your chances of winning. Otherwise, it would have become well known very quickly.
The R in ERNIE denotes a ‘random’ (Electronic Random Number Indicator Equipment) selection of the winning numbers, which has been the case since the inaugural draw in 1997. Each month, ERNIE is designed to select 2.5 million numbers, which are subsequently matched to 1 million eligible bonds (many of the numbers include bonds not yet sold or those which have been cashed in).
Since the introduction of the national lottery, premium bonds have grown in popularity to the point that total holdings are now about £25 billion, making the odds of winning the single £1 million top prize astronomical. The average payout is set at 3.2 percent net, but this covers all of the rewards given out, implying that the government is borrowing money at a low rate.
The fact that the earnings are tax-free on an investment where you can always get your money back is a major selling point. Unlike the lottery, which is a zero-sum game. You could sell your bonds and then buy them back to cover consecutive numbers. However, as you point out, this will cost you a month in the draw and will not increase your chances of winning. Don’t get too down on yourself. It appears that investors frequently receive nothing or very little for long periods of time before experiencing a run of excellent fortune.
Is there another option except Premium Bonds?
“In the end, savers have a clear, though not always straightforward, choice: receive interest on their assets or risk potentially enormous returns or, of course, none at all!”
“For those looking for alternatives with simple access, both regular accounts (RCI Bank’s Freedom Savings Account) and cash ISAs (Nationwide’s Single Access ISA) are currently offering 1.30 percent.”
“You can choose a fixed rate account for higher rates in exchange for being locked in for the term. Fixed-rate bonds vary from 1.85% for a year (Wyelands Bank and United Trust Bank) to 2.65% for five years (Vanquis Bank, United Bank UK, and Secure Trust Bank).”
“For a one-year fixed rate cash ISA, rates now vary from 1.48 percent (Kent Reliance) to 2.65 percent (United Bank UK).”
“There are other options that pay a fixed rate of interest, as opposed to the variable returns (if any) offered by Premium Bonds – but that doesn’t mean they aren’t worth considering as part of a broader savings strategy.” There are a lot of smaller rewards up for grabs, and even the chance to win the major prize would be enticing to many.”
How long does it take for Premium Bonds to pay off?
What is the time frame for redeeming Premium Bonds? Unless you have chosen to cash in after the next draw, it can take up to three banking days for the money to reach your account, according to NS&I.
When do Premium Bonds enter the draw after purchase?
Premium Bonds are eligible for the draw one full calendar month after they are purchased, according to NS&I. If you buy them in November, for example, they’ll be in every draw starting in January.
Is it possible to sell my Premium Bonds?
Not a member yet? You don’t need to create an online profile to withdraw money from your or your child’s Premium Bonds. All you have to do is complete a little online form. Make sure you have access to your account information.
Please note that in order to withdraw or close the account, you must be the person responsible for the child’s Premium Bonds.
You can withdraw money from Premium Bonds while ensuring that particular Bonds remain in the draw by filling out a form online.
A cashing in form can also be downloaded, printed, and completed. Then send us your completed form along with the Bond certificates that need to be cashed in (if you have them).
Overview
Premium Bonds allow you to invest anywhere between £100 and £40,000. Each month, a draw is held, with Premium Bond holders winning roughly £100 million. A £1 million jackpot is the highest prize.
You are not required to report it on your tax return. Premium Bonds can be purchased by anybody over the age of 16, and you can also purchase them on behalf of your kid or grandchild.
How to use this service
To apply, download the PDF application form from the National Savings and Investment website and mail it back to them.
The following link will lead you to a page with an application form and links to more information about how the bonds work. A copy of Adobe Reader is required to access the form.
How can I verify Premium Bonds that are several years old?
While many NS&I Premium Bond holders check every month to see if they’ve won, others take a more carefree approach to bond ownership.
As a result, there are over 2.1 million Premium Bond rewards worth around £75 million that are just waiting to be collected.
So, if you haven’t done so already, double-check your numbers to see whether you’ve already won.
Prizes for NS&I Premium Bonds are frequently unclaimed due to a misunderstanding. It’s usually because:
In 2020, NS&I reported that 180,000 cheques totaling over £8 million were returned to them, the majority of which were due to winners moving and forgetting to update their information.
So, first and foremost, double-check that NS&I has your current address or change your account so that any prize money is transferred directly into your bank account.
Remember that there is no time limit for collecting your prizes, so no matter how much time has passed, you can still claim them.
The rest of this article will walk you through the procedure, but before we get started, it’s worth noting that the large prize-winning numbers can be found in our Premium Bond winners article, which is published at the beginning of each month.
Viewing your prize history
Your NS&I number was supplied to you when you signed up for the online or phone service, and it can be found on any letter you’ve received since then.
It’s exactly what it sounds like an app that tells you if you’ve won anything. It will display the total value of your rewards as well as the bond numbers that correspond to them.
Your holder’s number, which is used to group all of your Premium Bonds together, is required by the app.
If you’re not sure what your phone number is, it’s either 10 or 9 digits long, or eight digits long followed by a letter.
If that fails, you can contact NS&I for a new bond record by calling 08085 007 007 (UK) or +44 1772 329880 (outside the UK).
The most convenient way to do so is to go online. You can look at the most recent results, unclaimed prize bond numbers from the previous six months, and any earlier awards you haven’t claimed yet (if you won anything).
You may use your Amazon Alexa to look for unclaimed rewards if you have one.
You can also write to NS&I and request your prize history, remembering to include your name, address, date of birth, and NS&I or Premium Bonds holder number. In exchange, you will receive a list of the rewards you have won.
How to claim Premium Bond prizes
You can call NS&I if you discover out you’ve won a reward but haven’t received it, and you’re registered for their online and phone services.
If you aren’t registered and don’t want to be, you must write to NS&I and state that you have won a reward but have yet to receive it.
If your contact information has changed after you won the prize, you must also state your old and new contact information before signing the letter.
Updating your details with NS&I
If you registered online or by phone, you can update your information by logging onto your account or calling.
Callers in the United Kingdom should dial 08085 007 007, while those outside the United Kingdom should dial +44 1772 329880. Make sure you have your NS&I number and password with you at all times.
Those who aren’t enrolled, however, should contact NS&I to inform them of any changes.