Save (a bit) for their future

Advantages: Exempt from IncomeTax & Capital Gains. A good introduction for savings
Disadvantages: 5 year period/Child doesn't get an 'actual' present

...spend the fiver just for the sake of it. I wanted an alternative to a Building Society account as the account would have to be in my name as 'trustee', therefore attracting tax. With National savings, the bonds are in his name, with myself as the guardian and I can automatically re-invest for another 5 years. Whilst there are other investments out there with maybe a higher return, Childrens Bonus Bonds can be bought by the relative/friend rather than giving the actual money to the parents to invest on their behalf. ----------------------------------------------------------------- HOW THEY WORK National Savings products can be purchased through any post office. The bonds can be bought in units of £25.00 up to a maximum of £1,000 in each Issue and are invested for a 5 year period. Please note however that new Issues come out...

HotBabes 20.12.2004 · Read review
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Review of National Savings and Investments Premium Bonds

Ernie v National Lottery

Advantages: You keep your original stake money
Disadvantages: Returns are not very competative

...pounds a week on the national lottery. I have won 150 pounds this year on my premium bonds which is not a very good return on my investment that has now built up to nearly 8.000 pounds. On the other hand my original money is still there even if it is not worth as much as it was when it was invested. In addition it is still possible to win large amounts of money each month. The hundred pounds needed to buy a bond now makes it difficult for many people to access them. It is also quite a task to fill in the forms to apply for them and to have to remember your holders number each time is a bit of a pain. I have a friend who has a theory that all your premium bonds should be bought together so that all the numbers are together. He says that there is a bigger chance of getting a hit with a block of numbers. He does not seem to win any...

baeswoman 20.12.2004 (29.08.2007) · Read review
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Review of National Savings and Investments Premium Bonds

Simple tax free savings

Advantages: Good interest rate and convenient to use
Disadvantages: No online facility to date

...I opened my National Savings Cash mini ISA in January 2002 with just £10 (the minimum payment). A mini cash ISA allows you to pay in up to £3000 a year, and the interest you earn on it is tax free! At the time of writing, the interest rate on my National Savings ISA is 4.15%pa, and the interest earned is paid out annually. Accessing the account is relatively straightforward. Money is paid in by post, telephone (with a debit card), at the post office (and lets face it, post offices are pretty common), at any bank/building society or by standing order. Withdrawals are made by post or telephone. Statements are sent out every three months, but you can register to use telephone banking and have a detailed balance given over the phone (after a rigourous security check!). I opened this ISA as a set aside for small amounts...

natfox 08.06.2002 · Read review
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Review of National Savings and Investments

For the less-than daring.

Advantages: A safe investment which is particularly advantageous for the higher rate taxpayer.
Disadvantages: Rates of interst paid are not generous but are partly inflation-linked.

....nationalsavings.co.uk. There is a facility to buy online but you will still need to sign and return a form which will be sent to you. This would also apply to applications made by telephone. If you want to buy certificates the booklet ?Linked? is available at Post Offices and this contains an application form and pre-paid envelope. If you chose to buy the certificates at a Post Office you should complete both parts of the form. The top part of the form will be date stamped and returned to you as a receipt. If you want to buy by post you are requested to complete both parts of the form and make your cheque out to ?National Savings & Investments (Savings Certificates)? and then to send the bottom part of the form and your cheque to National Savings, retaining the top part of the form for your records. You could always be daring and not complete the top bit...

SueMagee 06.02.2003 · Read review
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Review of National Savings and Investments

The Birth Of A Nation

Advantages: Important film in film making history
Disadvantages: Contraversial. I don't agree with the views of the film, a little too long

...The Birth of a Nation is a black and white silent film from 1915. It?s not a film I had heard of before, and the reason I watched it was because it was on the film list for a course I am taking at university. The film is based on a novel by Thomas Dixon called ?The Clansmen?. I had read up a little bit about the film before I started watching it so I wasn?t as surprised as I might have been about the content. The film was (and still is) controversial for promoting white supremacy, and I thought most of it was quite racist! The film was regarded as a very important film in its day as it used many new filming techniques which hadn?t been seen before. This is one of the main reasons that it was chosen as part of my course. I found the film interesting as I had never seen anything like it before, although I understand why it is seen as...

ivytoad 21.09.2009 · Read review
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Review of The Birth Of A Nation (Silent With Music Soundtrack) (DVD)

Premium Bonds Savings/Gamble

Advantages: never loose stake money, prizes up to a million
Disadvantages: never seem to win much!!!

...BASICS Maximum Holding -- £30,000 Miniumum Purchase -- £100 There is however a 'regular purchase scheme' which enables you to buy monthly at a min of £50 to build up a substantial holding. Similarly a reinvestment scheme for prize money has a minimum of £50 WHO Only adults over the age of 16 may buy bonds but they can be bought for children by parents, grandparents or guardians WHERE Bonds can be bought at the post office, over the phone or online. PRIZES The monthly draw consists of 2 chances to win a million, 6 to win £100,000 and so on down to over a million chances to win £50. PERSONAL EXPERIENCE I have held premium bonds, on and off, for most of my life. I have, however only ever won a maximium of £100 from any bond. I reasoned that my chances of winning a top value prize, would be greatly increased if I...

hunnieoo7 08.02.2006 · Read review
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Review of National Savings and Investments Premium Bonds

You've got to be in it to win it

Advantages: could win up to £1million, can cash in at any time, secure
Disadvantages: high minimum investment, no interest earned

...I became interested in investing in National Savings products after learning about them in my financial studies, and with the recent drop in interest rates that have seen savings accounts become less worthwhile, a bit of diversification seemed reasonable. What is National Savings? National Savings is a government backed savings scheme. It's big selling point is that your money is guaranteed to be completely safe. This compares to only the first £50,000 of your money with the banks, however much you invest with national savings it is completely secure. This makes no odds to me, as I'm not lucky enough to have that sort of money anyway, but it's useful to know! They offer various savings products - fixed term certificates through to children's bonus bonds. What are Premium Bonds? Most people will have heard...

katherineh123 02.11.2009 · Read review
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Review of National Savings and Investments Premium Bonds

Express around the Nation?

Advantages: cheaper than flying/trains at short notice
Disadvantages: much slower than most other transport options

...So after my happy experience travelling the other weekend I'm off on my travels again, this time risking a foray in to the world which my parents inhabit. So as Bolton has no airport, Lydd has no train station but both have bus stops it seems logical that I would consider getting the coach to Bolton. This is as far as I know the only national coach service in the UK (although in Scotland it is run under the City Link name) and is a member of the european Eurolines coach network. I booked my travel using the nationalexpress.com website the site is mildly confusing if you don't want to use one of the their funfare or travel from one of their more popular stops. A full list of their stops is given if you click on the red text below the drop down boxes 'Cant find your destination' which gives you the option of typing your departure...

scuba_angel 24.04.2007 (15.04.2007) · Read review
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Review of National express

Laugh... I cried.

Advantages: See text
Disadvantages: See text

...I?m sorry, I can?t stop laughing. I?ve just been reading the prospectus for the National Savings Ordinary Account and it?s the funniest thing I?ve read in a while. Now I don?t normally find such things funny, but this has to be read to be believed. I?d better give you a bit of background so that you can appreciate the joke as well, hadn?t I? This is the basic Instant Access Account provided by the Post Office. You get a passbook. ?Keep track of your savings with your passbook? says the prospectus, as though you would be incapable of doing so if you didn?t have one. You need a minimum of £10 to open the account and it?s available at more than 18000 Post Offices across the country. The first £70 of interest (or £140 if it?s a joint account) is tax-free. You don?t think it?s funny? In fact you?re actually quite interested? OK...

SueMagee 18.09.2001 · Read review
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Review of National Savings and Investments

National security

Advantages: great action and great humour
Disadvantages: none

...release from prison he starts to search for the man with the tattoo, unwittingly bumping into Earl during another warehouse robbery, as both Hank and Earl happen to be working for the same security company?National Security? With both men now searching for the same target they begrudgingly team up to do it? --------------------------------------------------- *Characters Martin Lawrence - Earl Montgomery Steve Zhan - Hank Rafferty Colm Feore - Detective Frank McDuff Bill Duke - Lieutenant Washington Eric Roberts - Nash Timothy Busfield - Charlie Reed Robinne Lee - Denise Matt McCoy - Robert Barton Brett Cullen - Heston **IN CONCLUSION** I have watched this a few times and have never become bored with the fast action of what is a well written movie? Although the story is nothing new, with it being your standard...

blissman70 24.08.2008 · Read review
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Review of National Security (DVD)