Apart from savings, premium bonds also offer the opportunity of safe gambling. They are better than the traditional lotteries because you don't lose money if you don't win any prize. You can continue to try your luck every twice a month for as long as your bonds are still in your hands. You just invest once and you can play for a lifetime. Young or old can benefit from these bonds.
Every bond carries a unique number. A machine will collect all these numbers and then generate the winning numbers. Winners will receive cash prizes instead of interest. This is a secure investment because it is guaranteed by the government. You can also cash in whenever you want and you don't lose a single cent. You can only buy up to 30,000 pounds worth of bonds. The limit is to prevent large corporate bodies from buying in millions so that common people like you can stand a chance to win.
You can increase your chances of winning. If you have a lot of premium bonds, you can increase your odds of winning the grand prize which is worth one million pounds. With 30,000 bonds, your numbers will have a better odd which is 400,000 to 1. The more you save the better your future will be.
The selection of number is random. This means the more numbers you have in your hands, the higher your chances of winning the cash prize.
You can buy the bonds on the Internet or over the phone. Alternatively, you can visit your local post office to purchase them.
Three simple process: buy, save, and win. However, you are not guaranteed to win any cash prizes. These bonds are useful especially when you urgently need the money or you retire.
You need to be at least 16 years old before you can buy them. You can also buy for your children if you plan their education fund. It would be nice to have some money when you start your family provided you started saving at the early years.
The cash prizes are free of taxes. So, when you win 1,000,000 pounds, you get to keep all of them. You can use the money to pay for your college or settle debts. You can do anything with it. So, are you reading to invest in premium bonds? The smallest cash prize of 50 pounds is still something. Just look at the interest rate that your saving account is offering.
Monday, April 7, 2008
Premium Bonds Facts
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Premium Bonds For Non-British Citizens
For the British, premium bonds are the mostly sought after for the purpose of saving. The government will guarantee your money whether you invest 100 pounds or 30,000 pounds. They help the government to finance public projects. They also offer opportunities for the certificates owners to win cash prizes which worth more than a million dollar through the monthly lottery. Unlike other financial notes, you can cash in anytime. You also will get back the money which you invest if you don't win the lottery. Therefore, they are not only investment but also offer fun activities through cash prizes.
So, who is eligible to buy these bonds? As long as you are a resident in Great Britain with the minimum age of 16, you can invest in these saving funds. For the younger generation, they can start their own education fund. For the mature market, it offers a cushion during the bad times or prepares an good lifestyle after retiring.
You don't have to worry about losing your money. Moreover, you have a chance to win 50 to a million bond if your bond number is selected as the winner. In any month, there will be at least two investors who will turn into millionaires.
The postal regulation do not permit mailing of bonds or cash prizes. If you are not a British, you can still buy these bonds provided that you are willing to travel to Great Britain to buy them in person. You can buy directly from the post offices or the National Savings and Investment agency. If you happen to be the winner of the draw, then you need to plan a trip to Great Britain to collect your winning prize. Now when it comes to taxation, you would not be taxed for the cash prize in that country. However, you have to check with your own federal income tax and find out the amount of money you can bring back that is free of tax.
You can redeem the bond at the cash value without loss. As a non-British certificate holder, you may need money and you would travel to Great Britain to convert your bonds into cash. However, you may have to pay certain fees to carry your money back to your homeland. It depend on the amount. In addition, you may need to check the restriction on traveling with large amount of cash. Therefore, you can arrange with the local banks to have your money transfer to your account in your homeland.
You also need to consider the ups and downs of the currency pound. During the exchange of currencies, you may lose some money as the pounds appreciate. Therefore, you need to keep an eye on the money market closely so that you know when is the right time to cash in your bonds.
If you want to protect your investment, you can arrange an agreement with a British resident to buy the bonds on your behalf. When the purchase is made, your counterpart will own the title of the notes. You will have a legally binding agreement with the person so that you can redeem your bonds for cash or claim the money prizes. For the benefit of your counterpart, you will offer an agreed percentage of the prize money. In such cases, you should use a British lawyer and your own attorney of your country.
I hope this article will help those who want to invest in UK premium bonds. You don't have to be a resident in the United Kingdom to buy these notes. In fact, anyone can buy them provided you follow the regulations as laid out by the government of Great Britain.
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Invest In Premium Bonds
As far as investment is concerned, many people prefer to put their money in saving bonds, real estate or stock market. If you have never heard of premium bonds, perhaps this will be the best time to consider them in your portfolio. They offer investment in a fun way. Looking at most bank savings, you are given a fixed interest rate. You don't make much money this way provided you have large funds to place in the savings. The low interest rate on a money market or saving accounts offers very little return which is not justified to purchase a larger home or a brand new car. If you want to redeem it, you may have lose the interest.
Investing in the stock market can exhilarating because you may heard that people make tons of money during the peak of the share prices. As you know the market don't stay high all the times.
A premium bond like the UK one will not give you any interest. But you have something better instead. You can participate in the lottery where you can probably win a million dollars every month. The grand prize of one million dollars are drawn twice a month along with other cash prizes.
Supposing you have invested 10,000 pounds, then your odd of winning is 19%. This can be translated into numerical figures for some people who prefer that way. It means that 1 in 21,000 stands a chance to win the cash prize. This is what make the premium bonds exciting. Unlike the saving accounts where you already know how much you are getting at the end of the day, these bonds provide the element of surprise and excitement.
These bonds are favorites among the British people. More than one third of the population buy these bonds. As you are aware of, the saving accounts and government bonds are fixed. Once you have agreed with the interest rate that they offer, it will stay that way no matter how the economic climate turns out to be. You will not get anything extra when the bank or government makes more money on these debt instruments. The problem with these notes is that you will lose the interest if you decide to redeem early. Usually these investment will only mature after 10 or 20 years. Some may be even longer.
On the other hand, you can redeem your money any time without losing the face value because there is not interest to profit from. Remember there is no guarantee in winning the cash prizes. All you have are the chances or possibilities to win. The smallest payout is anytime better than the interest rate that the bank or government offers you.
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