From: "Tumbleweed" 
Newsgroups: uk.finance
Subject: Re: Premium Bond Diary - December & Year end update
Date: Thu, 23 Dec 2004 14:56:35 -0000


"John Smith"  wrote in message 
news:pXyyd.1536$Ox5.215@newsfe1-win.ntli.net...
>3 x £50 cheques in December - better than nothing, although I am lagging
> behind what I could have earned in interest according to a recent Times
> article.
> 


It would be almost miraculous if your premium bond winnings came exactlly to 
whatever the notional interest rate is, its almost certain you'll get either 
less or more than that. Therefore, there is a 50% chance you'll get less. 
Hopefully it will be a consolation to you that there are plenty of people 
who got more, in order to make up the averages. :-)

> withdraw the money in the first week of January and put the money into a 
> savings account where, at least, the interest is guaranteed. I live in 
> South Wales and it has struck me this year that, as far as I can see, only 
> one person from South Wales has won a 'decent' prize - 5K - compared to a 
> ridiculously high number of people in the South East of England winning 
> such prizes and higher. Yes, admittedly, there are bound to be more bond 
> holders in the South East due to a mixture of population numbers and 
> wealth but I do wonder why places like Wales and the North of England do 
> not feature more.

Presumably because you dont have a good statistical understanding of the 
population numbers, the income,and the propensity to buy premium bonds, of 
these different populations?

-- 
Tumbleweed

email replies not necessary but to contact use;
tumbleweednews at hotmail dot com> I will now decide what to do over 
Christmas. My current thinking is to