€25k invested in prize bonds

Taylor365

Nothing here either.

Last win : 04 December
Total won: €50 (0.0035%)
€14k since November

Sligo Quay

Nothing today, last win Sep 11th 2015 €50euro.

Sonnenblumen

Isn't it strange to see so many 'investors' persist in losing money on PB's. Most win nothing and the few who do, tend to average < 1.0% ROI p.a

In contrast, take a FTSE 100, bluechip like National Grid, 2013-now pays annual dividends of 5.0% and SP has increased by 25.0+% in the period.

Combined that is 30.0%, yet a few bumps along the way, but never sleepless nights. That's smart risk averse investing for Dummies. Many more examples.

Investing in PBs reminds me of the punchline from an old joke "you're a bit old to be believing in fairytales".

GLA

Agent Smyth

Sonnenblumen wrote: »

Isn't it strange to see so many 'investors' persist in losing money on PB's. Most win nothing and the few who do, tend to average < 1.0% ROI p.a

In contrast, take a FTSE 100, bluechip like National Grid, 2013-now pays annual dividends of 5.0% and SP has increased by 25.0+% in the period.

Combined that is 30.0%, yet a few bumps along the way, but never sleepless nights. That's smart risk averse investing for Dummies. Many more examples.

Investing in PBs reminds me of the punchline from an old joke "you're a bit old to be believing in fairytales".

GLA

It is strange how a product with no guarantee of a return grows by a mill everyday, but having said that there is a lot of reasons why PBs are a good choice for some people. Not everybody needs, wants or have the balls to take the risk of the stock market, for every success story like the one you mention there are many more that aren't. As an alternative to a deposit account I personally have found the PBs have so far given a better return.

Thargor

Sonnenblumen wrote: »

Isn't it strange to see so many 'investors' persist in losing money on PB's. Most win nothing and the few who do, tend to average < 1.0% ROI p.a

In contrast, take a FTSE 100, bluechip like National Grid, 2013-now pays annual dividends of 5.0% and SP has increased by 25.0+% in the period.

Combined that is 30.0%, yet a few bumps along the way, but never sleepless nights. That's smart risk averse investing for Dummies. Many more examples.

Investing in PBs reminds me of the punchline from an old joke "you're a bit old to be believing in fairytales".

GLA

Well done on picking one company that gave a 30% return but many companies are down by that much and more and since Christmas and it looks like theres more to go whereas nobodies lost money on their bonds. Theres a lot of fear out there at the minute, saying you're in Prize Bonds is no different to saying you're in cash, waiting, which is what Im doing.

Cute Hoor

Obviously easy enough to pick 30% hindsight winners 2013-now, although you wouldn't have known back then that you were sitting on a surefire 30% winner over a couple of years. Of course you could also have invested in a FTSE bluechip like Tesco and now be sitting on a 60% loss, again of course you wouldn't have known back then that you were investing in a dead cert loser. The investor who had invested €10k in both (Tesco & the 30%er) would probably be down around €3k at this stage. The PB holder would still have his/her €20k, maybe a few bob in winnings, the hope of another few bob coming in every Friday, maybe the big Friday, the certainty that the €20k will be there in 6 months, 1 year, 5 years etc, and no sleepless nights. I wouldn't be encouraging anybody to invest in PB's but I certainly wouldn't be decrying their decision either. I'm with Thargor on this, a handy place to leave your money in these hiding behind the couch financial times.

Essex Man

Agent Smyth wrote: »

Are the winnings (if any) tax free for the Irish ??

Be like Slab, dont declare it !

Sonnenblumen

Cute Hoor wrote: »

Obviously easy enough to pick 30% hindsight winners 2013-now, although you wouldn't have known back then that you were sitting on a surefire 30% winner over a couple of years. Of course you could also have invested in a FTSE bluechip like Tesco and now be sitting on a 60% loss, again of course you wouldn't have known back then that you were investing in a dead cert loser. The investor who had invested €10k in both (Tesco & the 30%er) would probably be down around €3k at this stage. The PB holder would still have his/her €20k, maybe a few bob in winnings, the hope of another few bob coming in every Friday, maybe the big Friday, the certainty that the €20k will be there in 6 months, 1 year, 5 years etc, and no sleepless nights. I wouldn't be encouraging anybody to invest in PB's but I certainly wouldn't be decrying their decision either. I'm with Thargor on this, a handy place to leave your money in these hiding behind the couch financial times.

I gave one example, and there are plenty more. I am very confident that most shares (ISEQ/FTSE 100) would have outperformed dead money in PBs over the last 3 - 5 years, and the further you go back the greater the difference is in favour of shares. I am expressing my opinion, if you want to put money in account etc that is an individual choice, but if I went to bed every night worrying about losing, what would be point of living? Look at any of the top 10 shares on ISEQ and show me one where capital value has fallen after 5 years? Picking a short window 1 year or less is not really a viable investment period.

The investor who invested € 20k on a diversified share portfolio over the last 3 years would be close to € 50k or more now. But it isn't for everyone, right, nor is the hope of winning an occasional € 50 about every 12 months for € 3k of tickets whilst capital cost loses (inflation) at 1.0 - 1.5% pa? That is not a sustainable 'hide behind the sofa strategy' ?

Sonnenblumen

Thargor wrote: »

Well done on picking one company that gave a 30% return but many companies are down by that much and more and since Christmas and it looks like theres more to go whereas nobodies lost money on their bonds. Theres a lot of fear out there at the minute, saying you're in Prize Bonds is no different to saying you're in cash, waiting, which is what Im doing.

Investment is for the longer term, and like everything else in life, there are winners and losers. Like the other poster wrongly suggested there is nothing to do with hindsight, you invest for the future growth, and along the way you take the hits/gains. One can always adjust etc.

I disagree, there is a difference between PBs and cash, the latter can generate a certain return (interest) whereas PB's 'might' (but going by this discussion a declining number and amounts) produce a occasional win whilst the 'investment' over time declines in 'real term' value?

Thargor

Nobody predicted the bull run from 2012, so hindsight definitely something to do with what you're saying. I doubt you'll find anyone in this thread that agrees that Prize Bonds pay more than stock market investment so no point arguing that either. And with interest rates in the toilet you might as well have some fun while you wait in cash, a couple of €50 wins and you've beaten every current account and most of the savings options available. For me anyway PBs are just a temporary parking place while we wait for the current uncertainty to subside a bit and then I will be back in the markets but for a lot of people they're anokay parking spot with interest at 0%.

tuisginideach

tuisginideach wrote: »

They'll contact you.

Nothing today for me.

Nothing today either.:(

piston

Nothing today either

pbwinner

Winnings on 19 February 2016: €0
Last win 29 January 2016: €50
Total winnings since Feb 2011 on €25k: €2150

Negative_G

Winnings on 19 February 2016: €50

Last win 18 December 2015: €50

Total winnings since Feb 2015 on €50k: €450

Fish out of water

Nothing again today

honey12345

50 euro win today on the 30k prize bond total winning 200 euro
No win on the 10k prize bond (withdrawing that one)

Sligo Quay

Nothing today, last win Sep 11th 2015 €50

Speaking of stock markets, bank shares where a dead cert a few years ago but lots of people lost lots of money, shares are high risk and there are no guarantees, that's fine if you can live with that, an old saying ''never gamble more than you can afford to lose''

FoolsGold1

Starved since 18/12/15 when I won grub money of €50.

tuisginideach

€50 today.

Agent Smyth

Is it just me or is the PB site nearly impossible to log into around 12:30 on a Friday ??

carrickbawn

Lucky millionaire in Limerick today,,,bond only bought in July 2015..

piston

Nothing

FoolsGold1

Nothing for me either since the €50 on 18th December, 2015.

tuisginideach

I find the new PB site appallingly slow most of the time.


Yes - nice one for Limerick!

pbwinner

Winnings on 26 February 2016: €50
Last win 29 January 2016: €50
Total winnings since Feb 2011 on €25k: €2200

paulers06

carrickbawn wrote: »

Lucky millionaire in Limerick today,,,bond only bought in July 2015..

Pity it wasn't me. Out of interest, how do you know when the bond was purchased?

AineK77

Meant to add my tuppence worth on this a while ago, we invested €10k a year ago and won 2 x €50 just before the 1st anniversary so got a 1% tax free return - my mother bought €5k worth around the same time and won €50 just prefer her first anniversary - do they keep an eye out on people and give them their 1% to keep them sweet I wonder?????? I'm not cynical I swear

carrickbawn

paulers06 wrote: »

Pity it wasn't me. Out of interest, how do you know when the bond was purchased?

Because I have a reinestment one from a win near to that number and mine was issued at that time..(close, but no cigar)

_Tombstone_

AineK77 wrote: »

Meant to add my tuppence worth on this a while ago, we invested €10k a year ago and won 2 x €50 just before the 1st anniversary so got a 1% tax free return - my mother bought €5k worth around the same time and won €50 just prefer her first anniversary - do they keep an eye out on people and give them their 1% to keep them sweet I wonder?????? I'm not cynical I swear

Similar comments throughout the Thread^^. The "draw" is supervised by someone from the NTMA.

I wouldn't have much faith in it myself.

Agent Smyth

AineK77 wrote: »

Meant to add my tuppence worth on this a while ago, we invested €10k a year ago and won 2 x €50 just before the 1st anniversary so got a 1% tax free return - my mother bought €5k worth around the same time and won €50 just prefer her first anniversary - do they keep an eye out on people and give them their 1% to keep them sweet I wonder?????? I'm not cynical I swear

Its the 1st anniversary present that we all get