Latest news with #NSI
Daily Mail
19 hours ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
The bank accounts where you're LOSING money: Millions of us fall into this trap, reveals money guru SYLVIA MORRIS. These three High Street giants are the worst… you need to shift your savings NOW
I think savers have been too hasty to write off the newly improved Guaranteed Growth and Guaranteed Income Bonds from National Savings and Investments (NS&I). NS&I bucked the trend among savings providers last week and raised the rate on these one-year fixed rate products.
Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Times
My expat grandson can't get at his Premium Bonds prize
My 17-year-old grandson has some money from his great aunt saved in Premium Bonds. Although he is a UK citizen, he hasn't lived here since 2014 and is based in New Zealand with his parents. National Savings & Investments (NS&I) has my home in the UK registered as his address. We recently found out that he had won a prize of £25, which was sent as a cheque to my house. This win came as a pleasant surprise but there's a problem: he can't cash this cheque because he doesn't have a UK bank account and we cannot cash it for him. Although he only won £25, who knows if the next prize is a big one? We are worried that if he gets a bigger prize, he won't be able to access and address supplied Premium Bonds are offered by the Treasury-backed bank NS&I and give you the chance to win a prize of up to £1 million each month. The terms and conditions for Premium Bonds state that customers must hold a UK bank account which prizes can be paid into. Yet your grandson's Premium Bonds were bought by a family member on his behalf long before he moved abroad, so he wouldn't have known about this. Your grandson has no plans to move back or open a UK bank account anytime soon. While some UK banks accommodate expats, I thought it was a bit extreme to open an account just so that Premium Bond prizes could be paid into it. The fact that he's not 18 yet would also make it difficult to open an international account. There are two ways of getting a Premium Bond prize: it can be paid directly into your bank account or you can get a cheque (also called a prize warrant). While there's nothing to stop your grandson from trying to cash the cheque in New Zealand, his local bank might refuse to accept a sterling cheque or charge him a fee to process it, wiping out some of his prize money. Thankfully, when I spoke to NS&I it agreed to make an exception on this occasion, although this still wasn't necessarily a quick fix because he needed to send a signed letter to NS&I. NS&I said: 'We are sorry to hear that a customer now living in New Zealand is having difficulty accessing their Premium Bonds prize. We are liaising with him so that, in this instance, he can provide authorisation for his prize to be paid into his grandfather's account.' • We set up a trust for our children, but now we don't speak to our daughter While this solved the immediate problem, it wasn't a long-term solution because he would still have trouble accessing future prizes. He is now planning to cash in his Premium Bonds and close his account, which sounded sensible to me. Given that repayments must be paid to a UK bank account, NS&I told me that he could also authorise a bank transfer to your account so you could send it on to him. This is also a warning to expats: if you don't have a UK bank account, you might struggle to get at your Premium Bond prizes or even your savings. You should also ensure that the country you live in lets you hold Premium Bonds — some might need you to declare your holding for tax reasons. • £1,477,013 — the amount Your Money Matters has saved readers so far this year If you have a money problem you would like Katherine Denham to investigate email yourmoneymatters@ Please include a phone number
New York Post
5 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Tulsi's Russiagate bombshell: Letters to the Editor — July 25, 2025
The Issue: Tulsi Gabbard's charge that the Obama admin hid info on Russia's role in the 2016 election. Thanks to Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and President Trump, the public is now learning the truth about the alleged 'coup' that former President Barack Obama, and his cohorts, tried to force feed to the media ('Clown and 'coup' coo party,' Miranda Devine, July 24). The referral to the Justice Department and the FBI for a criminal investigation is appropriate, as is the formation of a strike force to handle the case. As a former member of a federal organized-crime strike force, I am sure that the investigation will be thorough. We all know Obama has immunity, as per the recent decision of the Supreme Court, so the worst that could happen to him is he'll be disgraced and see his legacy worsened. But that doesn't mean his cohorts are home free. Richard A. Ketay Newark, NJ When Trump announced his candidacy in 2015, he fingered the 'Deep State,' America's permanent bureaucracy as America's worst internal enemy — and, indeed, it was. The lead perpetrators were CIA boss John Brennan, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and FBI head James Comey. These creeps adopted Obama's principal goal: to crush Trump. But after many poisonous committee hearings, two impeachments, four criminal cases and a huge civil case against him, Trump ran for president again in 2024 and won by a large margin. In the coming days, we may see the unraveling of 12 years of bad decisions. Richard Klitzberg Princeton, NJ Miranda Devine puts a focus on President Obama's handprints on the Russian hoax. Perhaps some insight into where he learned to cause upheaval like that could be found in the 20 years he listened as a congregant at Rev. Jeremiah Wright's church. Harry Ruffalo Phoenix, Ariz. As satisfying as it is to finally open the files on the Democrats' attempted destruction of Trump, it is being met once again with resistance from the legacy media. When Democrats cry out about the 'destruction of democracy,' they must be referring to the legacy media. Colette Curry Staten Island The Issue: Forbes Media Chairman Steve Forbes' column on the need for nuclear power. In response to Steve Forbes' July 20 opinion piece: The Nuclear Threat Initiative actively supports the rapid expansion of safe, secure and cost-effective nuclear energy through the Nuclear Scaling Initiative (NSI), in partnership with the Clean Air Task Force and the EFI Foundation ('A Win for Nuke Reality,' PostOpinion). NSI's goal is to enable the scaling of more than 50 gigawatts of nuclear capacity annually by the 2030s — advancing climate goals, energy security, nonproliferation and economic development. Working with Warren Buffett and the International Atomic Energy Agency, we launched the IAEA Low-Enriched Uranium Bank in 2017 to enable the peaceful spread of nuclear power globally. We welcome a conversation about the future of nuclear energy, but it must be grounded in facts. Scott Roecker Vice President Nuclear Threat Initiative Washington, DC If the nuclear industry can eventually deliver a truly low-carbon, safe and affordable solution that deals with the nuclear-waste problem, climate groups will fully support it. The greatest opponents of nuclear power, when it is fully developed, won't be climate groups. It will be Trump's first love, the fossil-fuel industry, which already is treating it as a threat. Frederick Hewett Cambridge, Mass. Want to weigh in on today's stories? Send your thoughts (along with your full name and city of residence) to letters@ Letters are subject to editing for clarity, length, accuracy, and style.
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
NS&I launches new one-year British Savings Bonds: How does the rate compare?
National Savings & Investments has launched a new one-year fixed-rate bond for those wanting to lock their money away. The Treasury-backed bank is offering fresh issues of its one-year Guaranteed Growth and Guaranteed Income Bonds, known as British Savings Bonds. These are open to new customers as well as existing ones whose bonds are maturing. The new one-year bonds pay 4.18 per cent, on both the growth and income options. This is more than the previous issues of the bonds, released in April this year, which paid 4.05 per cent. However, the rate still falls well short of the best-buy one-year fixed deals available elsewhere. There are plenty of one-year fixed deals paying more than 4.18 per cent, which you can find on This is Money's best-buy savings rate tables. Blow to NS&I savers with maturing bonds It also comes as a blow to the thousands of savers who took out NS&I's 5.15 per cent one-year fixed rate bond last summer, which is due to mature from the end of this month. NS&I has not confirmed whether it will unveil another exclusive one-year deal for these savers, as it did last summer when its best ever 6.2 per cent one-year bond came up to maturity. When NS&I launched its 6.2 per cent one-year fixed-rate bond in August 2023, 225,000 savers rushed to take it out and piled £10billion in. It was replaced by an issue paying 5.15 per cent last summer, exclusively for existing savers. Around 80 per cent of savers who had the 6.2 per cent one-year fix matured into the version paying 5.15 per cent, meaning around 180,000 savers will now be faced with a decision about what to do with their savings next as this bond comes up to maturity. Laura Suter, director of personal finance at stockbroker AJ Bell said: 'With interest rates edging down and other providers trimming their fixed-rate deals, NS&I has clearly tried to find a middle ground that will be attractive enough to draw in some money, but not so generous that it's swamped by demand.' What are the best one-year fixed savings rates? Savers can do better elsewhere. The top one-year fixed rate bond on the market pays 4.53 per cent, and is offered by providers GB Bank and Conister Bank. On a £20,000 balance the NS&I deal would generate £836 in interest in one year and on £50,000 it would be £2,090. A best-buy 4.53 per cent rate would net you £906 and £2,265 respectively. For this reason, Andrew Hagger, founder of personal finance website MoneyComms says: 'I wouldn't be surprised to see a few NS&I customers looking elsewhere when their current deal expires.' NS&I retail director Dax Harkins said: 'In launching this new Issue, NS&I continues to balance the interests of its savers, taxpayers and the broader financial services sector – and to work towards its annual net financing target. NS&I has a net financing target of £12billion within a range of plus or minus £4billion for the financial year 2025/26.
The Independent
6 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
NS&I ‘bucks trend' by launching one-year bonds with higher rates
Savings giant NS&I has launched new versions of its one-year British Savings Bonds with increased interest rates. One finance expert described the move as bucking 'the trend in a falling market'. British Savings Bonds are fixed-term issues of NS&I's Guaranteed Growth Bonds and Guaranteed Income Bonds. They are available to new customers and those with existing bonds which are due to mature. The new rate for the one-year Growth and Income options, on sale from Thursday, is 4.18% AER (annual equivalent rate). The previous rate was 4.05% AER. Andrew Westhead, NS&I retail director, said: 'I am pleased that we can offer savers – both new and those with our existing one-year bonds which are about to mature – this new opportunity to save. 'In launching this new issue, NS&I continues to balance the interests of its savers, taxpayers and the broader financial services sector – and to work towards its annual net financing target.' NS&I is backed by the Treasury, so money held with it has 100% security. Guaranteed Growth Bonds and Guaranteed Income Bonds are available to customers wanting a guaranteed rate for a fixed-term of one, two, three or five years. Funds cannot be withdrawn early with fixed-term accounts. Savers need a minimum investment of £500 and can invest a maximum of £1 million per person in each issue. After the fixed-term period, savers have the choice to withdraw their cash or reinvest into a new term. Guaranteed Growth Bonds are a lump sum investment that earns a fixed rate of interest over a set period. Interest is added to the bond on each anniversary of the investment. Guaranteed Income Bonds are a lump sum investment that pays out monthly income at a fixed rate of interest over a set period. Earlier in July, NS&I launched some new versions of its two, three and five-year British Savings Bonds with lower rates than previously offered. It also also lowered the rate on a Junior Isa from July 18, from 4.00% to 3.55%. Many commentators expect the Bank of England base rate to be cut further this year, which could be a further blow to savers. Sarah Coles, head of personal finance at Hargreaves Lansdown, said: 'NS&I has bucked the trend in a falling market and boosted the rate on its one-year bonds. 'Elsewhere, savings have been gradually dropping across the board. Fixed terms have generally held up slightly better than easy access accounts, but they're still trending downwards. 'NS&I itself cut the rate on its bonds fixed for two, three and five years earlier this month – along with cuts to the Premium Bond prize rate in August. 'It's not worth getting too excited about though. The one-year bond went back on sale in April this year, and the rate at the time was a dismal 4.05%. 'NS&I has to offer a rate somewhere in the middle of the pack, so it doesn't tend to be market leading, but clearly at this rate it wasn't pulling in enough cash. 'The rise today still leaves it well behind the market leaders – which offer more than 4.5% – but it will be hoping it has done enough to retain savers with maturing one-year bonds and to attract new cash.'
