€25k invested in prize bonds

Wins on 10th February 2023: €0

Last win: 6th January 2023: €50

Weeks since last win: 5

€134k invested in prize bonds since July 2017

Win ratio: 37 wins in 293 weeks (13%)

2017 (Jul-Dec): 5 x €50 = €250

2018 (Jan-Dec): 4 x €50 = €200

2019 (Jan-Dec): 5 x €50 = €250

2020 (Jan-Dec): 10 x €50 = €500

2021 (Jan-Dec): 2 x €50 = €100

2022 (Jan-date): 7 x €50 = €350

2023 (Jan-date): 1 x €50 = €50

I did in December, and got paid my first %2 anual interest this January (average of all uninvested cash held during the month). I moved 10k first, to see how it went. Pretty straightforward, and a great app to follow up everything. I don't use TradeRepublic for investing (got it elsewhere) but for cash that I don't want to invest, and is sitting in my low yielding Irish bank account, why not? It's actually held in a Citi account in Ireland, covered by the Deposit 100k blabla. Takes 1 business day to transfer, as it's a SEPA transfer back and forth. If you need them, 1 day to recover your funds. They only pay 2% for the first 50k of uninvested cash.

I started with bonds last year, because of the same reason: I had cash that I did not want to invest, just sitting in low yielding accounts. Therefore I moved it to bonds. Got one prize the second week (wow! Lucky) and nothing else. So now that there's an option, I am moving away from bonds. It's a pity because I like them, but 0.35% it's just ridiculous. So every month I move more and more from bonds to Trade Republic.

I got a referral code, if you are interested DM me, I think they're giving a bonus of a share/fraction of €50 for registering through a referral.

Nothing in January on €170k.

How do I play ?

Hadn't realised that cashing-in facility was now online - have just cashed in a load too - so much easier than doing all the paperwork.

Around 2012 there used to be over 9,000 €75 prizes every week, against around 4,500 €50 prizes now. Even though there was probably well under half as much in the fund as there is now. Because the interest rate was 3%, nearly 9 times as much as currently.

There was a discussion about interest rates on the radio this morning. Listen at 1 hour 48. The conclusion was that there will be no increase anytime soon, because the banks are stuffed with money, and they don't need to attract any more. Same with Prize Bonds, they had to put an upper limit to deter the high rollers piling in with millions. And they keep reducing the interest rate.

https://www.rte.ie/radio/radio1/today-with-claire-byrne/programmes/2023/0213/1356365-today-with-claire-byrne-monday-13-february-2023/

Too confusing unfortunately 😕 I'll try set it up later

Thanks to pbwinner25k and PB2018 for showing us real world returns from investing in Irish prize bonds.

Nothing for me in the month of February.

February count. The same 18 million bonds BCG to BCX in each of the four draws.

Friday 03. 120 prizes. Highest BCP 12, lowest BCM 1.

Friday 10. 111. BCG & BCJ 10 each. BCV & BCX 3 each.

Friday 17. 89. BCG & BCR 10 each. BCT zero.

Friday 24. 112. BCN 11. BCU 3.

Highest overall BCN 32 (7,8,6,11) Lowest BCM 16 (1,5,6,4)

72 million bonds won 432 prizes, average per million 6.0. x 52 x €50 = €15,600. Divided by 62.5 to get what €100K would win in a year with the same luck = €249.60, nearest to 5 x €50.

€50 for me this week. First prize of the year.

The €50,000 winner on 24 February was bought in 2002. There is a new notice on the website asking people to update their details if they have Ulster Bank or KBC accounts.

"A Tipperary resident may be €50,000 richer today after a Prize Bond purchased in 2002 won the €50,000 prize.This week’s star prize goes to lucky Prize Bond number  DV 649765 which was sold in County Tipperary."

"Important: If you have an Ulster Bank or KBC account for Prize Bond prizes and repayments, you must provide us with your new bank account details as soon as possible to avoid delayed payment."

Drugs, firearms, and Prize Bonds.

€50 - first since midJan