€25k invested in prize bonds

dxhound2005 · 05-03-2017 1:13am

I can sort of verify that. I have a bond dated 4 Jan 2016 which is ABT759845 and one dated 31 Dec 2016 which is AFW063022. Very roughly that is 106,300,000 bonds issued in the year value €664 million. Which means that about €200 million would be cashed in to get your net growth figure.

Apart from the €10K which I mentioned before, I also have more substantial holdings which together return about 2.5 wins per month on average. Including a €1000 win in 2010 and again in 2015. I opted to have my winnings reinvested, which means I get new bonds in the post regularly. I can do an exercise with the serial numbers going back for years to tell how many bonds were issued in a particular period, or in a full year.

My two most recent wins were 27 Jan 2017 (2x€50) which gave me new bonds starting with AGF452451 and 17 Feb 2017 AGM171723. Which means that in those 3 weeks 6,719,271 bonds were issued to a value of €41,998,256. Again very roughly that would give a total of €728 million sales for 2017 if that average keeps up.

nice_guy80 · 05-03-2017 2:17pm

How do they notify the prize winners?

honey12345 · 05-03-2017 3:04pm

Haven't won anything since December on 30k putting another 50k into prize bonds then end of the month.

Negative_G · 05-03-2017 4:27pm

nice_guy80 wrote: »

How do they notify the prize winners?

You can check online at 12.30 every friday.

Otherwise, a postal notification is sent out to the prize bond holders address, you generally receive it the following Tuesday and then the bond follows after in a separate envelope, generally by the following Friday.

Negative_G · 05-03-2017 4:29pm

dxhound2005 wrote: »

Apart from the €10K which I mentioned before, I also have more substantial holdings which together return about 2.5 wins per month on average. Including a €1000 win in 2010 and again in 2015. I opted to have my winnings reinvested, which means I get new bonds in the post regularly. I can do an exercise with the serial numbers going back for years to tell how many bonds were issued in a particular period, or in a full year.

Out of interest would you mind sharing what your holdings are to give a return of 2.5 wins per month? I currently have 70k of bonds and see a win every 4-6 weeks on average.

Sligo Quay · 05-03-2017 6:44pm

Nothing for me this week, last win 24th February €50 euro, I've had 3 wins €50euros on 30k batch purchased June 2016.

7 wins €50euros on 20k batch purchased August 2015.
Interest rates so low on regular savings, still worth a gamble on maybe winning big, one jackpot win, set me up for life LOL
On a total combined holding of 50k I've never won anything above €50 euro in a single win.
100 bonds from the 1980s, won €75euro in 2012, another €75euro in 2013, holding 100 PBs for over 20 years then winning 150€euro, it shows what the odds are.
Maybe some day my big day will come.
I live in hope, I dream big, there is always next Friday.

tuisginideach · 05-03-2017 7:34pm

Negative_G wrote: »

You can check online at 12.30 every friday.

Otherwise, a postal notification is sent out to the prize bond holders address, you generally receive it the following Tuesday and then the bond follows after in a separate envelope, generally by the following Friday.

My cheque arrives the following Tues/Wed

dxhound2005 · 05-03-2017 9:22pm

Negative_G wrote: »

Out of interest would you mind sharing what your holdings are to give a return of 2.5 wins per month? I currently have 70k of bonds and see a win every 4-6 weeks on average.

I won't tell you that but you should be able to figure it out, by getting an actual average for your own wins, per month or per week. 4-6 is not an average. Of course that will only work if you have held the bonds for a substantial period, in order to iron out short term anomalies, like some I have posted about.

I think 70K is a big enough number to allow you to get around the 0.85% if you average it over a few years. You should be hitting around €600 a year, which is obviously 12 wins x €50.

The National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA) sets the variable percentage rate used to calculate the annual prize fund. Effective from July 2016 this variable percentage rate is set at 0.85% of the total value of prize bonds outstanding.

Agent Smyth · 06-03-2017 8:25am

The only average that matters is the amount of wins since the rate change last July

pbwinner · 06-03-2017 9:43am

Winnings on 3rd March 2017: 0
Last win 23rd December 2016: 50
Total winnings since Feb 2011 on 25k: 2300

Negative_G · 06-03-2017 8:02pm

tuisginideach wrote: »

My cheque arrives the following Tues/Wed

Would cheques possibly be issued at a different time than more bonds if your choice is to reinvest? I'm just guessing.

On all of my wins so far I receive the "congratulations you have won" letter on Tuesday and the prize bond generally follows on the Thursday/Friday.

Could be the postal system but I live in a large urban area so I would be surprised.

tuisginideach · 06-03-2017 9:39pm

I've never reinvested my winnings - although members of my extended family have won on single/small amounts of bonds, I haven't won in the last three years (since I started keeping records) on any batch of bonds worth less than €4300. So my €50 euros is spent straightaway on groceries!

tuisginideach · 10-03-2017 1:35pm

Nothing today

Cork Lass · 10-03-2017 2:33pm

2 X €50 for us today. Happy days

pbwinner · 10-03-2017 3:28pm

Winnings on 10th March 2017: 0
Last win 23rd December 2016: 50
Total winnings since Feb 2011 on 25k: 2300

Agent Smyth · 10-03-2017 3:51pm

Negative_G wrote: »

Would cheques possibly be issued at a different time than more bonds if your choice is to reinvest? I'm just guessing.

On all of my wins so far I receive the "congratulations you have won" letter on Tuesday and the prize bond generally follows on the Thursday/Friday.

Could be the postal system but I live in a large urban area so I would be surprised.

If I remember correctly the cheque is dated and issued on Friday and then probably posted on Monday. What date is on the Prize Bonds??

FoolsGold1 · 10-03-2017 4:20pm

€50 for me today - getting me back on track I hope!

Okon · 10-03-2017 7:51pm

Thargor wrote: »

You wont be winning anything with 5k anyway.

You were wrong on that one! Looks like I won €50 today. My first win ever!

jon1981 · 12-03-2017 12:55pm

100 euro on 3800euro worth of bonds since 2011 ... so you might be right, the return is negligible

glennbhoy · 14-03-2017 11:19am

Last year returned 0.77%

Was on a 5 month drought finally broken last friday

danwhite88 · 14-03-2017 8:07pm

When cashing out do you send the prize bonds in the post or just put the bond numbers on form?

tuisginideach · 15-03-2017 12:58am

danwhite88 wrote: »

When cashing out do you send the prize bonds in the post or just put the bond numbers on form?

You must return the bonds.

dxhound2005 · 16-03-2017 1:52pm

The draw is on 16 March because of St Patrick's Day. I have a winner today, notable for being one of the bonds I got by reinvesting winnings from my main holdings. From memory this happened twice before over the years.

Congratulations you have new winners.
Draw Date Prize Value Bond Number
16 March 2017 €50 NG682203

Big C · 16-03-2017 2:07pm

Not doing well, 1 €50 in 15 mths,

For curiosity i put my 3 letters plus all numbers ***0000000 to ***999999 just to see how many wins in that range for 6 months, result was 340 wins all for €50,

Has anyone 3 lucky letters ??????

Negative_G · 16-03-2017 2:36pm

Winnings on 16th March 2017: €50
Last win 13th February 2017: €50
Total winnings since Feb 2015 on €50k: €900
Total winnings since Oct 2016 on €20k: €0

tuisginideach · 16-03-2017 4:52pm

Hadn't even struck me change of day due to St Patrick's Day - just logged on now - 2 X €50! Good man St Patrick!

:)

tuisginideach · 16-03-2017 4:56pm

Big C wrote: »

Not doing well, 1 €50 in 15 mths,

For curiosity i put my 3 letters plus all numbers ***0000000 to ***999999 just to see how many wins in that range for 6 months, result was 340 wins all for €50,

Has anyone 3 lucky letters ??????

Just for curiosity, I put in the letters of my largest batch (only 2 letters so a good bit older than 15 months) - only 288 prizes (but one for €500 - not mine alas) so 340 prizes for your 3 letters bodes well!

Edited to add - you have me interested now - I put in random 3 letters ABA - 313 prizes including 3 X €1000!!!! ADA, AFA and AGA each won €1000.

abff · 16-03-2017 5:27pm

Big C wrote: »

Not doing well, 1 €50 in 15 mths,

For curiosity i put my 3 letters plus all numbers ***0000000 to ***999999 just to see how many wins in that range for 6 months, result was 340 wins all for €50,

Has anyone 3 lucky letters ??????

Statistically, that's just over 90% of the number of wins you would expect to get if you held 1,000,000 bonds for 6 months. However, the likelihood is that not all the bonds are still in issue, which would bring the number of wins more into line with expectations.

It probably also explains why the number of winners beginning with ABA is smaller, at 313. As those bonds are older, it is likely that a greater proportion of them has been cashed in.

Thargor · 16-03-2017 5:33pm

€50 for me aswell, that's the beers paid for tomorrow night, happy St Patricks everybody.

FoolsGold1 · 16-03-2017 7:58pm

Nothing for me today.
Last win €50 last week, 10th instant.

Sligo Quay · 17-03-2017 3:30pm

No St Patrick luck for me this week:( last win last win 24th February €50euro.

Cork Lass · 17-03-2017 4:13pm

Nothing for us either this week.

Jellybaby1 · 17-03-2017 10:21pm

I'm suffering from sour grapes at the moment reading about all these wins and we've never won anything, so I think I will just cash 'em in now.

FoolsGold1 · 17-03-2017 10:51pm

Don't give up so easily! 'Tis that "Depths of Despair" location. If you are NOT in, you certainly won't win, though you've noooo guarantee even if you are! Better days coming.....Good Luck!:)

Jellybaby1 · 18-03-2017 1:47am

Naw, 40 years is too long to wait!

pbwinner · 20-03-2017 9:13am

Winnings on 16th March 2017: 0
Last win 23rd December 2016: 50
Total winnings since Feb 2011 on 25k: 2300

danwhite88 · 23-03-2017 11:44am

Cashed out on this last week. Posted the form on Thursday and received cheque in post yesterday. Surprised it went through so quickly.

snor · 23-03-2017 12:02pm

Half thinking of doing the same Danwhite. Is it the lack of return that made you cash in?
I have a tracker mortgage, but could clear a good chunk of it if I cashed in my prize bonds. Would save more money by paying off the 0.75% tracker than I am making on the prize bonds at the moment!

danwhite88 · 23-03-2017 12:55pm

snor wrote:

Half thinking of doing the same Danwhite. Is it the lack of return that made you cash in? /quote]

I've had these bonds for just over one year and I have not won anything. My bonds are alot less than what some people have in this thread.

When I got my quarterly bank fees bill last week I decided to put my bonds into my bank to qualify for free banking. So while I didn't make any money over the year with prize bonds, I now know I will save 30-40 per quarter on banking fees.

snor · 23-03-2017 1:11pm

Good move. At least you know you are getting some return rather than living in hope!

Cute Hoor · 23-03-2017 1:33pm

snor wrote: »

Half thinking of doing the same Danwhite. Is it the lack of return that made you cash in?
I have a tracker mortgage, but could clear a good chunk of it if I cashed in my prize bonds. Would save more money by paying off the 0.75% tracker than I am making on the prize bonds at the moment!

Good move by Danwhite, getting rid of his ripoff bank charges.

In your case snor I'm not so sure, a 0.75% tracker is as close as you can get to free money, not saying leave it in prize bonds but you should be able to put your money somewhere that will pay better than the 0.75% you are paying on the tracker. I reckon the financial institution would love to see you paying off (part of) your tracker at that rate.

topper_harley2 · 23-03-2017 11:17pm

topper_harley2 · 23-03-2017 11:18pm

danwhite88 wrote: »

snor wrote:

Half thinking of doing the same Danwhite. Is it the lack of return that made you cash in? /quote]

I've had these bonds for just over one year and I have not won anything. My bonds are alot less than what some people have in this thread.

When I got my quarterly bank fees bill last week I decided to put my bonds into my bank to qualify for free banking. So while I didn't make any money over the year with prize bonds, I now know I will save 30-40 per quarter on banking fees.

E30-40 per quarter?! Check out EBS, they have a fee-free current account called Money Manager, that requires no minimum balance, or minimum deposit per month: https://www.bonkers.ie/compare-current-accounts/ebs/T7ZTPH/moneymanager-account/. That way you can keep the PB and keep dreaming every Friday

snor · 24-03-2017 12:01am

Cute Hoor wrote: »

Good move by Danwhite, getting rid of his ripoff bank charges.

In your case snor I'm not so sure, a 0.75% tracker is as close as you can get to free money, not saying leave it in prize bonds but you should be able to put your money somewhere that will pay better than the 0.75% you are paying on the tracker. I reckon the financial institution would love to see you paying off (part of) your tracker at that rate.

would love me to pay it off indeed! hard to get a low risk return of 0.75% at the moment. And there is something psychologically very appealing about being mortgage free. maybe I will win big tomorrow and change my mind!

pbwinner · 24-03-2017 1:47pm

Winnings on 24th March 2017: 0
Last win 23rd December 2016: 50
Total winnings since Feb 2011 on 25k: 2300

tuisginideach · 24-03-2017 2:26pm

Nothing on my bunch today.:(

scotchy · 24-03-2017 3:59pm

scotchy wrote: »

That's correct. I've added about 10- 12k over the last 8 months or so but have not been having any extra wins, anyway, the first thing I do when I get a win is post here.:rolleyes:

.

€50 today. That's the second €50 for 2017 on about €38K

.

FoolsGold1 · 24-03-2017 4:28pm

€50 on 10th March but "Sorry" today.

Cork Lass · 24-03-2017 6:29pm

€50 for us today - a nice birthday surprise

Sligo Quay · 24-03-2017 10:55pm

€50 for me today, last win 24th February, exactly 1 month ago, both wins on €30k batch, 4 wins on this batch purchased June 2016.
Last win on €20k batch 30th December 2016.

€25k invested in prize bonds

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