Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

€25k invested in prize bonds

  • 08-06-2011 4:33pm
    #1
    Registered Users Posts: 802 ✭✭✭pbwinner


    Hiya,
    Thought I'd update this thread on the success (or not) of €25k (yes, €25,000) I invested in PBs since February.

    Purpose of this thread is to give some indication of the success rate of PBs for the ordinary punter as I assume €25k is large amount to invest in one go.

    Planning to keep it in there for a year or so.

    Winnings to date: €25


«134567309

Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 3,181 ✭✭✭bryaner


    I'll follow with interest.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 18,969 ✭✭✭✭syklops


    I got a 100 pounds worth of Prize bond about 25 years ago. Still waiting for a cheque to come in the post.

    Be interested to see how you get on though.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 5,677 ✭✭✭staker


    Interested to see the return on this over the year..


  • Registered Users Posts: 25,292 ✭✭✭✭coylemj


    Prize Bonds like the Lotto skew a lot of money towards the big prizes for publicity purposes so your 25K could win the jackpot or win nothing, the actual amount you win in a given period is meaningless because as a % of the total fund your holding is insignificant.

    If the prize money was dished out as a number of prizes of equal value then there would be some meaning to your results but the imbalance in the distribution of prize money means that no mathematical conclusions can be drawn from how much you win.

    Sorry but I'm treating the discussion as an exercise in probability theory and in the case of a 25k holding what you win or don't win means absolutely nothing.


  • Registered Users Posts: 802 ✭✭✭pbwinner


    coylemj wrote: »
    Prize Bonds like the Lotto skew a lot of money towards the big prizes for publicity purposes so your 25K could win the jackpot or win nothing, the actual amount you win in a given period is meaningless because as a % of the total fund your holding is insignificant.

    If the prize money was dished out as a number of prizes of equal value then there would be some meaning to your results but the imbalance in the distribution of prize money means that no mathematical conclusions can be drawn from how much you win.

    Sorry but I'm treating the discussion as an exercise in probability theory and in the case of a 25k holding what you win or don't win means absolutely nothing.

    Yup 100% agree. The fund is unbelievably skewed towards the €75 prize. Here's the breakdown for 2010 (http://www.prizebonds.ie/downloads/AnnualReport2010.pdf page 17) - quite pathetic really...
    Number of Winners €Value
    12 €1,000,000
    41 €20,000
    265 €1,000
    530 €250
    302,860 €75


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users Posts: 25,292 ✭✭✭✭coylemj


    No, the money is skewed away from the €75 prizes.

    There are 303,708 prize winners each month. Of these, 12 people (0.004% of the prize winners) pick up 12,000,000 which represents 28% of the prize money. The €75 prize winners represent 99.7% of the people winning money but collectively they only get 52% of the prize money. The money is skewed towards the big prize winners.


  • Registered Users Posts: 17,848 ✭✭✭✭Thargor


    bryaner wrote: »
    I'll follow with interest.
    Me too, I had 10k worth for a year, the odd €75 cheque, think it only worked out at about 2% p/a.


  • Registered Users Posts: 25,292 ✭✭✭✭coylemj


    bryaner wrote: »
    I'll follow with interest.

    If I'm not mistaken, that was a pun.


  • Registered Users Posts: 802 ✭✭✭pbwinner


    coylemj wrote: »
    No, the money is skewed away from the €75 prizes.

    There are 303,708 prize winners each month. Of these, 12 people (0.004% of the prize winners) pick up 12,000,000 which represents 28% of the prize money. The €75 prize winners represent 99.7% of the people winning money but collectively they only get 52% of the prize money. The money is skewed towards the big prize winners.
    Ok :rolleyes: Then let me rephrase: the "chances of winning" is unbelievably skewed towards the €75 prize.

    It goes from over 300,000 bonds for €75 right down to a measly 530 bonds for the next prize.

    Anyway, my next update will be after 1230 on Friday.


  • Registered Users Posts: 140 ✭✭Marcus_Crassus


    I have 8000 euro in prize bonds -- they've been sitting there for a year -- and I have won 75 twice and 250 once.


  • Advertisement
  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,530 ✭✭✭TheInquisitor


    I have 8000 euro in prize bonds -- they've been sitting there for a year -- and I have won 75 twice and 250 once.

    That's 5% return which is better than what you'd get in a bank


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 78 ✭✭jc_eire


    How could you have won €25 to date, I thought the minimum prize was €75!!??
    pbwinner wrote: »
    Hiya,
    Thought I'd update this thread on the success (or not) of €25k (yes, €25,000) I invested in PBs since February.

    Purpose of this thread is to give some indication of the success rate of PBs for the ordinary punter as I assume €25k is large amount to invest in one go.

    Planning to keep it in there for a year or so.

    Winnings to date: €25


  • Registered Users Posts: 802 ✭✭✭pbwinner


    Sorry yes that was a typo! It was indeed €75

    Winnings from today's draw: €0


  • Registered Users Posts: 802 ✭✭✭pbwinner


    Winnings from today's draw: €0


  • Registered Users Posts: 842 ✭✭✭pjproby


    I received a gift of 1000 euro in prize bonds, three years ago. Over the last two years I have won 6 prizes of 75 euro.
    I also have 1500 in prize bonds accumulated over many years. They have never won.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,162 ✭✭✭Wyldwood


    I have bonds that were a gift to me when I was a smallie over half a century ago. They were worth £50 (old money) this was a lot when they were bought. I have never won anything & they're not worth cashing in now:(


  • Registered Users Posts: 802 ✭✭✭pbwinner


    Winnings from today's draw: €75
    Total winnings to date on €25k: €150


  • Registered Users Posts: 14,232 ✭✭✭✭SteelyDanJalapeno


    How many bonds does 25k represent?


  • Posts: 0 ✭✭✭ Lucas Helpful Skier


    Horgan wrote: »
    How many bonds does 25k represent?

    4000 prize bonds. they're €6.25 each (used to be £5)


  • Registered Users Posts: 14,232 ✭✭✭✭SteelyDanJalapeno


    4000 prize bonds. they're €6.25 each (used to be £5)

    I know nothing about prize bonds, excuse my ignorance.

    They're state funded right? very little chance i'd lose any money?


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users Posts: 1,501 ✭✭✭thomasm


    Grandparents got the kids 6k of prize bonds in March. Have had 3 €75 wins to date


  • Posts: 0 ✭✭✭ Lucas Helpful Skier


    Horgan wrote: »
    I know nothing about prize bonds, excuse my ignorance.

    They're state funded right? very little chance i'd lose any money?

    ya, and state guarenteed.
    all winnings are tax free.

    it's impossible to lose money


  • Registered Users Posts: 802 ✭✭✭pbwinner


    it's impossible to lose money

    Unless you take the loss of interest that you would have gained from a good saving account and increasing inflation eroding the value of your money over time, into account...


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 511 ✭✭✭col.in.Cr


    I have two prizebonds since the 80's with zero prizes so far


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 328 ✭✭TOMP


    Does anybody on here know of anyone who has won the one-million monthly prize? I know they dont release the names of the winners, but there must be dozens of prize bond millionaires out there . . .you hear of people who won the lottery but not the top PB payout. . . . just curious. . .maybe its all a big scam


  • Registered Users Posts: 18,357 ✭✭✭✭kippy


    I have about 5 prize bonds that were bought for me when I was very ickle. Never won anything - I wish I had more money to put into them!

    Just on the million euro winners, it's not a scam, well at least I would hope not, but I would guess a lot of institutions invest in bonds (is there a break down somewhere?) so perhaps these bonds tend to go there more often as there are more of these type investors?

    I'd love to get a call about the bonds that were bought for me back in the day, I'd say the chances of winning are well worse than the lotto!
    How many bonds have been issued I wonder?


  • Registered Users Posts: 697 ✭✭✭okiss


    I brought €12,000 worth of prize bonds in May 10 and have won 5 €75 prizes =
    €375 which is more than the interest I would have earned on this money.
    I can get this money back at any time and I plan to use some of the money for other things at a later date.
    I have brought other pb since then in smaller amounts but I have yet to have luck with them.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,451 ✭✭✭Onikage


    OP, how did you pay for so many? Cheque? They don't seem to accept bank transfers.


  • Registered Users Posts: 43 casandra


    If Ireland defaults on its debts and is bankrupt, how safe would prize bonds be then ?


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users Posts: 18,357 ✭✭✭✭kippy


    casandra wrote: »
    If Ireland defaults on its debts and is bankrupt, how safe would prize bonds be then ?

    As safe as houses...........


Advertisement