Unlike the American lottery system where numbers are picked randomly from ping pong balls, Great Britain uses ERNIE to generate numbers from premium bonds. ERNIE is a random number generator hardware system and has been around since 1957. ERNIE first generated the bond numbers by picking up on signal noise from a bank of neon tubes. It was the size of a mini van and could only generate about 2000 numbers an hour. The first number generator lasted almost seventeen years and was replaced by an updated version in 1972.

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The computer age came to age in the eighties and in 1988 ERNIE 3 was invented. The generator was about the size of a personal computer but ran at no where near the speed personal computers run today. It took ERNIE 3 almost six hours to generate the numbers for the monthly lottery. ERNIE 4 is being used today and it came of age in 2004. Working at speeds five hundred times as fast as the original model, ERNIE 4 uses thermal noise instead of the noise from neon lights. It can compute over a million numbers and hour

Once the numbers are generated, a staff of hundreds validates the generated numbers with real bond numbers that the numbers match. Once matched, prizes are allotted to the public. The machine is checked over monthly to ensure proper validation and to keep the system honest. With over a million and a half winners monthly, the machine keeps every thing running smoothly. The investments pay off as winners are awarded their prizes depending on the order that their premium bond number was generated.

ERNIE is so popular in Great Britain that the machine actually receives cards on holidays such as Christmas. Jethro Tull, a poetic singer and song writer even wrote mentions ERNIE in his song, “Thick as a Brick.” The magic of ERNIE and the thrill of lottery and a chance to win a million has the majority of the population of Britain investing more and more. The idea that your money can earn more than a mere one or two percent that savings accounts earn has the British public flocking to the bank to let ERNIE make them a million.

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By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his top ranked GVO affiliate site: GVO

The big winnings are just the tip of the iceberg with this saving plan. Premium bonds can be put be bought and exchanged for the exact same value as you put in. The cash prizes are just the crème on top of the milk when it comes to earnings. You don’t pay a penalty for withdraw nor do you lose anything except the meager interest that other savings plans have. All you have to do is fill out a repayment form from the National Savings and Investments agency and your money will come back to you. You usually only have to wait about a week to receive your cash in the post.

You can see that there’s practical value in learning more about Premium Bonds. Can you think of ways to apply what’s been covered so far?

The sales of premium bonds are going out of the roof. There is a premium bond bought every ten second in the country and this accounts to about twenty one million bonds bought a day. The accessibility of purchase has increased in the last few years due to the availability of online venues. For those that are less technologically oriented they can go to the post office and purchase them in person. You have to purchase at least one hundred pounds worth of bonds to start your saving and you can even have payroll deductions or account withdrawals that will allow you to save as the purchases are put into savings automatically. You can save a maximum of thirty thousand pounds and just wait for the cash prizes to come to you.

The bonds only cost a pound a piece and this bond gives you a chance to win one of over a million cash prizes awarded monthly. The National Savings and Investment agency has a random number generator that will pick numbers off of individual bonds and then report the winnings to the bond holders. The prizes range from two million pound awards to over a million fifty pound rewards. The bonds are issued consecutively and a single investment will let you be able to keep track of your number between the lowest and the highest. The rewards are also listed online and in most town newspapers.

If you like the thrill of the lottery and the hope of free money coming your way, the premium bonds program is for you. Your money will not just sit in the bank and wait to accrue a meager interest. You will be able to get lump sumps each month if you are that lucky of a person.

That’s how things stand right now. Keep in mind that any subject can change over time, so be sure you keep up with the latest news.

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By Anders Eriksson, proud owner of this top ranked web hosting reseller site: GVO

A premium bond is a savings plan developed by the British government to give the common man a chance to be able to save money and at the same time is able to win money in a lottery instead of interest. The program is very popular and almost a third of have bought premium bonds to add to their savings portfolio. There are several tiers to the prizes and the odds to figure out your chances of winning a certain prize is often difficult. It would take a person several hours to figure out their odds by doing the statistics and many people do not have the math skills to perform the operations. Now there are odds calculators that figure out the odds of winning in comparison to how many premium bonds purchased.

The odds calculator will allow you to put in the number of premium bonds that you have saved and through an online connection to the National Savings and Interest agency you can find out exactly the odds that you will win a big prize, the two million pounds, or a smaller prize, fifty pounds. You can even figure out the odds for the multitude of prizes between the higher and lower amount. The odds can change as more and more people buy bonds. They can go up if a lot of people suddenly purchase bonds, and they can go down if people cash in their bonds. Whenever you are in a gambling arrangement, especially with your savings, it is nice to know what kind of odds you have for winning.

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The National Savings and Investments does offer your odds based on the average number of premium bonds that have been bought in the past. This table is a good way to figure around what you might earn off of one bond. If you have multiple bonds, again you would have to do the math to figure out the system. The more bonds you buy the more chances you will have to win and the odds will be closer in your favor. There is speculation that with the newfound interest in premium bonds, the odds will get so far out of reality that many people will opt for a traditional savings plan that will bear them interest. The ebb and flow of bond owners will dictate to changing of the odds and with the calculator you can see what month you will be more likely to win.

Remember that you can pull out of the premium bond program at any time. You will have the same amount of cash that you started with. Life changes and the way you invest also changes. You may decide to opt out of the program if you have a family emergency or have a dire need for cash. The government secures your money so you do not have to worry about it being there when you are ready to cash in. Three may even be a better investment down the road and your nest egg in premium bonds will give you the opportunity to reinvest.

Now that wasn’t hard at all, was it? And you’ve earned a wealth of knowledge, just from taking some time to study an expert’s word on Premium Bonds.

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By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his top ranked GVO affiliate site: GVO

From its conception until the late eighties there was even a beauty contest to celebrate the premium bonds program. The National Saving and Investment agency, the department in charge of the bond program, held an annual Miss Premium Bond competition in which employees of the agency entered during the annual Civil Service Sports and Social Club Day held in Lytham St. Annes. Just like regular beauty pageants, the competitors would walk down the catwalk flaunting their looks and style. They would smile politely to the judges and then answer questions related to the pageant. No other investment company has ever sponsored such an event.

Similar to the American lottery there has been some weird stats derived from the program. Similarities from the statistics include that Hannah is the most frequent name that has won a premium bonds lottery and Sean was the most frequent male name. The ten top readers were all female except for one. Some winners don’t even claim their prizes. There is an unclaimed prize for twenty five thousand pounds waiting patiently for the owner to claim. There are also more than five hundred thousand pounds stored at the agency just waiting for somebody to come and take it home.

If your Premium Bonds facts are out-of-date, how will that affect your actions and decisions? Make certain you don’t let important Premium Bonds information slip by you.

There are even conspiracy theories that call the premium bonds program a scam. There are people who will cash in their bonds and then buy new them so that they will have modern numbers. The first bond ever bought is still in the system, but these people believe that only new numbers will be generated from ERNIE the famous number generating machine.

Other conspiracy theorists have come up with ideas that the machine is prejudiced to what region of Great Britain the winners will be chose from. One man in Wales even has said that the bonds were rigged because Wales had the fewest amount of winners. What he failed to realize was that fewer people in Wales bought premium bonds and that naturally the statistics would favor a larger buying population.

As there is winners there are also losers. You can’t really loose because the bonds are cashed in at the same amount they were bought at. One gentleman reported that he had never won in twenty years. He states he has even stopped looking at the monthly numbers. He could be one of the people who has never claimed the over five hundred thousand pounds that have never claimed.

Hopefully the sections above have contributed to your understanding of Premium Bonds. Share your new understanding about Premium Bonds with others. They’ll thank you for it.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, proud owner of this top ranked web hosting reseller site: GVO

As with most things that are concerned with the government, conspiracy theories are generated to prove or disprove unfairness between two parties or plots to hurt the population. Premium bonds are not isolated from these kinds of attacks. Conspiracy theorists have accused the National Savings and Investments agency of defrauding the public and being bias in the way they hand out the prizes and pick out the numbers of the bonds. These conspiracy theories are meant to hurt the agency and they are being reported in blogs and other methods to bring the idea of premium bonds to a halt.

The National Savings and Investment agency has issued statements that debunk these theories and preserve their integrity. Their number generating machine, ERNIE, creates random numbers that correspond with the numbers on the bonds. Large drawings are held each month and some people believe that the number generating is fixed. One of the most bizarre theories is that some people believe that ERNIE is a super computer that knows how a person thinks. People have even sent ERNIE Christmas and Valentine Day cards to the computer in hopes that it will sway its picks. This is totally untrue; the machine is totally random and does not have the capacity to know anything.

Psychologists have made the assumption that even the employees of the National Savings and Invest agency does not even know how the numbers are picked by ERNIE. The people that make the theories have a intrinsic need to know how a process works and when they do not know, they will come up with ideas that make them feel more comforted. Ironically, most of the conspiracy theories come from people who have never won any of the cash prizes and they feel that they are not in control of the situation.

Hopefully the information presented so far has been applicable. You might also want to consider the following:

The maximum holding for premium bonds is thirty thousand pounds. A theory exists that only the maximum amount in the system will generate winners for those people only. If you do the statistics thirty thousand pounds has a better chance of winning than if you have just two or three thousand pounds invested in bonds. Again people with the lower amount of money invested are perpetrating the theory. With over a third of the population of Great Britain investing the premium bonds system, so people may never win a cash prize nor see their investment grow.

There is a theory that only new premium bonds are winning. This may be true. Though the program has been going on for decades, there has been a surge of new buying since the one million pound prize was introduced. Again the numbers come into play, the more that people play, the less chance you will win a cash prize. As with any lottery system, the more people that play and save, the more people will lose.

The good thing is larger prizes and more money can be put into the system where people who win will make a larger profit. By doing the simple math, most of these theories are debunking themselves.

Take time to consider the points presented above. What you learn may help you overcome your hesitation to take action.

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By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his top ranked GVO affiliate site: GVO

There are many web pages dedicated to successes of the premium bond program in Great Britain but there are also some false facts that are circulating around the net that gives premium bonds a bad name and puts out false information that would keep some otherwise wise investors from even purchasing their first bond. This report presents some of this false information so that the discerning investor can make clear and logical choices when investing their money in the premium bond system. Remember these are myths and false facts that have been discounted by the government agencies that were selected to monitor the actions of the National Savings and Investment agency.

One myth is that the million pound winner is always notified in person on the last day of the month after the drawing. The winner has to be at home or the prize will be given to another premium bond member or will not be given away at all. The myth also supports another. Since you have to be home to win the prize, the myth says the statistics support the idea that most people that win the million pounds are in their nineties and that they are home all the time anyway. Most people in their nineties live in a retirement community or nursing home and they would not have an address that would support the myth.

Think about what you’ve read so far. Does it reinforce what you already know about Premium Bonds? Or was there something completely new? What about the remaining paragraphs?

There is a ridiculous rumor that nobody has ever met a million pound winner. This myth contends that it is a government hoax and the sole purpose of this hoax is to trick people into giving their money to the government in lieu of taxes. This is completely false. Not only is there a website that lists all the million pound winners, it even lists the towns they live in and what date they won. Of course the National Savings and Interest agency is going to keep them secret because the publicity generated would destroy their privacy and make the million pounds more of a burden than a pleasure.

There is even a rumor about premium bonds and the famous British comedian Bennie Hill. Though Bennie Hill died at the age of 92, the myth says he had just won a million pound prize and he was killed by his jealous grandmother because of the money. Bennie Hill was already a wealthy man and the age of the jealous grandmother would make her about hundred and twenty years old. This does not only make sense chronologically but the woman at that age would have a hard time killing anyone.

There has even been a website posted with these myths and the challenge for anyone that has won a million pounds to come forward and dispute the myths. To this day, no one has posted on the site. This is logical because by posting they would be giving up their privacy as well as the possibility of setting themselves up for a scam. The National Savings and Investment is a sound agency that guarantees your money. These myths are just created to destroy their integrity.

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By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his top ranked GVO affiliate site: GVO

The interest accrued goes into a public fund in which is saved. The interest is divided and monthly cash prizes are awarded in a lottery style give away. So the more bonds you buy, the more chances you have to win the cash prize. The cash prize is nothing to laugh about. Translated to American money, the first prize on the bond lottery can be over a million dollars.

The more authentic information about Premium Bonds you know, the more likely people are to consider you a Premium Bonds expert. Read on for even more Premium Bonds facts that you can share.

There are smaller prizes awarded, so if you are lucky you will receive a huge prize instead of the small percentage the American bond market gives you. Premium bonds add excitement to investing. You don’t have to worry about losing your money or waiting a long time to collect the interest. It’s like being involved in a lottery without going to the connivance store to buy your tickets each week. You bond is involved in each lottery and you can cash it in and pull it out of the lottery if you need the money or you do not want to be involved anymore.

Unlike the American government bond system where you will not get the interest if you pull out the money before the stated agreed upon time, the premium bond system allows you to have more freedom with your money. You can have a nice savings account and at the same participate in a lottery that can set you up for life. A machine generates the winners and like the American lottery, you can check online for the results. The results are even listed in British papers with the bond number, not the person’s name who wins it. It may not have the hype that the American lottery has, but it still is more fun than waiting ten to twenty years for an American bond to mature. When the lottery number is pulled the winner is notified within four days of the lottery.

There are even two prizes in the millions, so there is a chance of winning the big money twice a month. Even the smallest amount won is fifty ponds which is about a hundred and ten dollars. That right there is enough to triple the interest earned in the American bond market. The more premium bonds you buy, the more chances you have to winning the money. So if you have U.S. government bonds or an saving account that is pulling in less than three percent monthly, you might want to look at reinvesting the money into premium bonds and have so fun as well as having a chance to win over a million dollars.

Now you can understand why there’s a growing interest in Premium Bonds. When people start looking for more information about Premium Bonds, you’ll be in a position to meet their needs.

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By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his top ranked GVO affiliate site: GVO

With premium bonds the investor can save up to thirty thousand pounds. The investor buys premium bonds from their local post office or they can purchase them online from the National Savings and Investments agency. They will be issued a physical paper bond that has an distinct, individual number that identifies that particular one pound bond. The owner is also registered as the owner and no person can cash in the bond or collect a cash prize except the person registered to that bond. If that person dies, the bond numbers die with them. They can leave their premium bonds to their surviving spouse, but that spouse cannot cash them in or collect prizes those bond numbers have won. The spouse can turn the bonds in for new bonds with new numbers.

If you don’t have accurate details regarding Premium Bonds, then you might make a bad choice on the subject. Don’t let that happen: keep reading.

Each month the premium bond numbers will be apart of a national lottery. Their numbers may be picked to win up to two million pound prizes or one of the one and half million lesser cash prizes. The investor has about a 27,000 to 1 chance to win one of the prizes. If they win they will receive their prize in about a week after filling out a claim application. The premium bond may be kept in the system and the bond may win more than once. If your bonds do win a prize, even the fifty pound minimum prize, it will be more than the interest than you earn in a savings account or playing the stock market. The bond never loses value and can be cashed in at anytime for use or reinvestment. It is a fun way to save and your money will earn more than sitting in a jar or in the back of a safe.

With over a third of Great Britain saving this way, you can be apart of a national financial phenomenon that has been apart of the British way of life for over fifty years. Almost every citizen has heard of premium bonds and the National Savings and Investment agency is promoting the savings program more now than they ever have before. So unscrew that jar and break open that safe and put your money where it is safe and earns you a profit. You are also helping the government fund public projects, contribute to society, and give British citizens a chance for a better life and a secure retirement.

Now might be a good time to write down the main points covered above. The act of putting it down on paper will help you remember what’s important about Premium Bonds.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his top ranked GVO affiliate site: GVO

Premium bonds have been debated for decades over their ability to actually beat out interest bearing savings plans and conventional banking practices. Premium bonds allow the bond buyer to participate in a monthly lottery that picks out individual bond numbers. If your bond number is picked you are awarded a cash prize that can range from fifty pounds to a million pounds. Your investment is safe and the government uses the money to fund public projects. There have been conspiracy theories and other grumblings about the premium bond system and now there are religious concerns.

A recent ruling in the Islamic world has made premium bonds ownership against Islamic law. Muhammad Adam al-Kawthari has interpreted the Koran in stating that contrary to shares, premium bonds are a loan instead of a partial owning of a company as in shares. The act of making money off of your own money in the form of interest is considered usury and takes away from the pillar of faith that represents being charitable. Islamic scholars have declared all bonds that produce interest as unlawful. Even a premium bond cash prize is considered apart of interest and cannot be allowed.

How can you put a limit on learning more? The next section may contain that one little bit of wisdom that changes everything.

Is the Islamic religion is against premium bonds, imagine what the sales with be like if it was suddenly made lawful. The sale of bonds would go up and the odds would be skewed a little. The Moslem population in Britain might bring many millions of pounds into the government coffers. The funds generated could help Britain pay its war debt and at the same time finance British troops occupying Islamic countries. The Cleric might have made the decision to degree premium bonds unlawful for this very reason. It might be a good idea for the National Savings and Investments or the government to issue a statement that the funds will not be used for military or war funding.

The government is working on a way for the Islamic citizens to be able to participate in the premium bond programs. The Islamic financial systems work on investing on a fixed asset and even Pakistan has Islamic bonds issues to finance its roadways. If the British government figures out a way to do this then they will be able to be the first Europeans ever who are able to allow the Islamic world to participate in the premium bond market. This will boost sales and allow the British Islamic citizen to have fun and save their money in a secure way.

The National Savings and Investments are running against other investing firms that are trying to secure financial relationships with the Muslim communities. Lloyds TSB, one of the largest banks in the country, announced that they have structured Islamic accounts that will be offered to Muslim investors. The account will remain respectful to the Islamic law and at the same time give the investor a secure way to keep their money in a bank and earn money without the idea of interest. Premium bonds may not be the allowed in the Islamic world, but new plans are on the way.

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By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his top ranked GVO affiliate site: GVO

There are ways to improve your odds. For example the more bonds that you buy and hold the more chance you will have in winning a cash prize that can equal as much as one million pounds. Statistically you have about 23,000 to one shot with a one pound premium bond. By buying more bonds, your odds of winning increase significantly. The system is designed to choose number randomly so the more numbers you have in the system the more money you will make as a cash prize. You can even sign up for a monthly fifty pound savings program where you can have the money automatically drawn from your regular checking account.

Those of you not familiar with the latest on Premium Bonds now have at least a basic understanding. But there’s more to come.

A thirty thousand pound investment would give you a little of four hundred thousand chance to one for winning the big million pound prize. So the more you save the more chances you have of winning enough money to set you up for life. You can even buy the premium bonds online or over the phone. You can even purchase the bonds at your local post office. It’s that easy. Purchase, save, and win. Of course not all bonds are going to win you money, but you will have a nice nest egg to help you in your advanced years or if you run into financial troubles.

You can buy the bonds for a child or if you are sixteen you can buy them yourself. It is a great way to save money for college or to put away some extra cash for when you meet that special someone and want to start a family. If you win a high end prize you can even pay for your college with the winnings. The big prize of a million pounds would be enough to set you up for life. So don’t let your young age keep you from purchasing and holding premium bonds. Even if you are a senior citizen, it is never too late to put away some money for a cloudy day.

If you win a cash prize, it is free of taxes. So when you win those million pounds, you get to keep the whole million. You can reinvest and at the same time live the quality of life you always dreamed of. Even if you one the minimal prize of fifty pounds, you would have made more money on your investment than you would have if you put it in a savings account at the bank.

The day will come when you can use something you read about here to have a beneficial impact. Then you’ll be glad you took the time to learn more about Premium Bonds.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his top ranked GVO affiliate site: GVO