Latest news with #PremiumBonds
Daily Mail
4 hours ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Premium Bond holders typically wait at least three-and-a-half years to win a prize
Premium Bond holders typically wait at least three-and-a-half years to win a prize – and, even then, nine in ten take home less than £1,000, figures reveal. Each £1 bond purchased from the Treasury-owned bank National Savings & Investments (NS&I) has only a 22,000-to-one chance of winning, with the average return 3.8 per cent a year. This is less than in a high-interest instant access savings account that can pay out more than 4 per cent. The long waiting times, revealed through a freedom of information request by the wealth manager Octopus Money, are more likely to be experienced by savers with a low number of bonds. The prize fund lottery pays out tax-free prizes of between £25 and £1 million every month. Some £131.4 billion is deposited by 22.5 million bond savers. And about 440,000 holders won a prize for the first time last year after waiting three years, six months on average. This will come as a blow to the third of people who expect to pick up prizes within six months, according to an Octopus Money survey. Since the minimum prize is £25, it's impossible to get a return of 3.8 pc on small amounts such as £100 – each month you would either win nothing and get a return of 0 per cent, or win £25 or more and get a return of 25 per cent or higher. Last month 5.9 million prizes were given out, meaning 131.39 billion bonds won nothing. In the past five years, 94 per cent of Premium Bond jackpot winners held more than £10,000 in their account, while 75 per cent held more than £25,000. The main reason for investing in Premium Bonds is the perceived lack of risk in losing the initial investment, according to Octopus Money, followed by the tax-free status of prizes and the possibility of a large return. Ruth Handcock, chief executive of Octopus Money, says: 'Premium Bonds work well for some, but others are missing out on alternative strategies that could grow their wealth and hopefully deliver stronger returns over time. 'Premium Bonds are unlikely to outpace inflation, so your money may seem safe but it's shrinking in value over time.'
The Independent
17 hours ago
- Business
- The Independent
Premium Bonds prize checker: When is June's NS&I draw and how can I check if I've won?
Every month, savers have the chance to win big prizes as the Premium Bonds winning numbers are announced. There are now 24 million people taking part in the government-backed savings scheme, with more than £127bn banked. Premium bonds are an investment product from the National Savings and Investment (NS&I), which is owned by the government. Each month, millions of savers are entered into a prize draw to win cash prizes ranging from £25 to £1 million, with two millionaires made at every draw. Every £1 entered has a 22,000-to-one chance of winning. The minimum investment is £25, while the maximum is £50,000. These savings don't accrue interest as with regular bank accounts, but are put up against a random digital prize picker called 'Ernie' – the Electronic Random Number Indicator Equipment. The date of this month's draw is Monday 2 June. The results of this draw are available a day later and released by the NS&I here. What are the chances of winning? There are many premium bond winners every month, but the actual chance of winning remains fairly low. Most people will never win a prize, meaning their investment will stay the same. However, the scheme is also risk-free, meaning money won't be lost either. Analysis by money expert Martin Lewis found that the 'interest rate' on premium bonds accounts is 4 per cent when all winnings are considered – but notes most people won't see anything like this. Many savings accounts in the UK also offer a higher interest rate than this, which will be far more consistent. The distribution of prizes changes slightly every month. Here were the results in January 2025: £1 million x 2 £100,000 x 82 £50,000 x 163 £25,000 x 328 £10,000 x 818 £5,000 x 1,636 £1,000 x 17,163 £500 x 51,489 £100 x 1,987,844 £50 x 1,987,844 £25 x 1,803,871 How to check if you've won To check if you've won a prize on premium bonds, you can visit the NS&I checker on its website and enter your bond numbers. There is also an NS&I app which allows savers to check results on the go.
North Wales Chronicle
a day ago
- Business
- North Wales Chronicle
Premium Bonds June 2025: 4 winners in Wales claim £100k
National Savings and Investments (NS&I) has announced the Premium Bonds winners for this month. The June draw saw 829 people across Wales win a share of more than £2.35 million with prizes ranging between £100,000 and £1,000. Four lucky winners in Wales have won £100,000 each in the June Premium Bonds draw. One of the winners had the bond number 535VS677373. This bond was valued at £49,975 and was purchased in July 2024 with an overall holding of £50,000. The second winner was bond number 343WP833738. This bond was valued at £15,000 and was purchased in November 2018 with an overall holding of £50,000. Bond number 583XG123345 was the third winner from Wales. This bond was valued at £8,950 and was purchased in June 2024 with an overall holding of £21,500. More than 115 people in Wales claimed prizes in the June 2025 Premium Bonds draw - were you one of them? (Image: PA) While the fourth Welsh winner was bond number 410HW199583 from Cardiff and Vale Of Glamorgan. This bond was valued at £20,000 and was purchased in August 2020 with an overall holding of £50,000. Every month, two winners in the UK take home £1 million. There are also prize values of £100,000, £50,000, £25,000, £10,000, £5,000 and £1,000. Welsh bondholders shared in over £1.64 million in the June draw, with four winners claiming £100,000 and another six winning the £50,000 prize. Here is a full rundown of the June 2025 winners in Wales and what prizes they were awarded: To find out if you have won a prize in June on your Premium Bond(s), simply visit the NS&I website. RECOMMENDED READING: Martin Lewis confirms whether Premium Bonds are really 'worth it' Everything to know about Premium Bonds prizes and how they're shared out When are Premium Bonds drawn each month? Everything you need to know Use the NS&I prize checker, but make sure you have your holder's number handy as you will need that to claim your winnings. Your holder number is either a nine or 10-digit number or 8 digits followed by a letter. Prize draws are conducted every month through the service.
Leader Live
a day ago
- Business
- Leader Live
Premium Bonds June 2025: 4 winners in Wales claim £100k
National Savings and Investments (NS&I) has announced the Premium Bonds winners for this month. The June draw saw 829 people across Wales win a share of more than £2.35 million with prizes ranging between £100,000 and £1,000. Four lucky winners in Wales have won £100,000 each in the June Premium Bonds draw. One of the winners had the bond number 535VS677373. This bond was valued at £49,975 and was purchased in July 2024 with an overall holding of £50,000. The second winner was bond number 343WP833738. This bond was valued at £15,000 and was purchased in November 2018 with an overall holding of £50,000. Bond number 583XG123345 was the third winner from Wales. This bond was valued at £8,950 and was purchased in June 2024 with an overall holding of £21,500. More than 115 people in Wales claimed prizes in the June 2025 Premium Bonds draw - were you one of them? (Image: PA) While the fourth Welsh winner was bond number 410HW199583 from Cardiff and Vale Of Glamorgan. This bond was valued at £20,000 and was purchased in August 2020 with an overall holding of £50,000. Every month, two winners in the UK take home £1 million. There are also prize values of £100,000, £50,000, £25,000, £10,000, £5,000 and £1,000. Welsh bondholders shared in over £1.64 million in the June draw, with four winners claiming £100,000 and another six winning the £50,000 prize. Here is a full rundown of the June 2025 winners in Wales and what prizes they were awarded: To find out if you have won a prize in June on your Premium Bond(s), simply visit the NS&I website. RECOMMENDED READING: Martin Lewis confirms whether Premium Bonds are really 'worth it' Everything to know about Premium Bonds prizes and how they're shared out When are Premium Bonds drawn each month? Everything you need to know Use the NS&I prize checker, but make sure you have your holder's number handy as you will need that to claim your winnings. Your holder number is either a nine or 10-digit number or 8 digits followed by a letter. Prize draws are conducted every month through the service.
Scotsman
a day ago
- Business
- Scotsman
Premium Bonds checker: winners scoop millions in June 2025
Modest investments have turned into million-pound fortunes 🎉 Sign up to the weekly Cost Of Living newsletter. Saving tips, deals and money hacks. Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Lucky winners from Stockport and Edinburgh each bagged £1 million in June's Premium Bonds draw Both winners hold £5,000 in Premium Bonds, with winning bonds bought in 2005 and 2019 Premium Bonds offer tax-free prizes instead of interest, with jackpots up to £1 million Over 19,000 high-value prizes awarded this month, including 79 payouts of £100,000 Fully backed by the UK Government, Premium Bonds are a secure and fun way to save Two lucky UK savers are celebrating a £1 million windfall after winning big in the June 2025 Premium Bonds prize draw. Premium Bonds, issued by National Savings & Investments (NS&I), offer a unique way to save: instead of earning interest, each bond is entered into a monthly prize draw. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Prizes range from £25 all the way up to a £1 million jackpot. While there's no guaranteed return, your initial investment is always secure. You can purchase Premium Bonds from just £25, up to a maximum of £50,000. They're available online through the NS&I website or by post with an application form and cheque. (Photos: Pexels/Getty Images) | Pexels/Getty Images Winners are drawn at random each month by ERNIE (Electronic Random Number Indicator Equipment), the trusted system that's been powering draws since 1957. Fully backed by the UK Government, Premium Bonds offer a safe way to save – with the added excitement of possibly winning a life-changing prize. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Who are the big winners this month? This month's first £1 million winner is from Stockport and holds £5,000 in Premium Bonds. Their winning bond, 103FE583469, was purchased nearly 20 years ago in November 2005. The second jackpot winner, from Edinburgh, also has £5,000 invested. Their winning bond, 352AC359547, was bought in February 2019. While the million-pound prizes grab the headlines, 79 people won £100,000 each in June's draw, with NS&I awarding 19,581 'high value' prizes in total. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The full list of winners can be found on NS&I's website. To see if your Premium Bonds have won a prize, use their official prize checker. Are you struggling to make ends meet as costs continue to rise? You can now send your stories to us online via YourWorld at It's free to use and, once checked, your story will appear on our website and, space allowing, in our newspapers.
