How long does it usually take before you receive your voucher? We're getting the family allowance, and I know you've got to register for that in order to get the voucher. That was about six weeks ago, but we haven't got the voucher through yet.

Also, has anyone got any good recommendations on where to invest it?

I can't remember how long it took for us to get our voucher (sorry, cosycub's voucher, lol) but I wouldn't hesitate to ring and check if you can find a number, if you get concerned.

I invested cosycub's with Co-operative Bank's financial group, is it CIS? Guaranteed ethical investments only, and I went for middling risky rather than safe, and he's done fabulously well so far - I'm very impressed with them.
If you don't get their leaflet with all the other bumpf you end up with from Bounty packs, pop into the Co-op bank, or you might be able to get a leaflet from the Post Office.

I know Boots give you a good rate on points, and vouchers, as do lots of people, but I had a hippy moment and decided I wanted to build his future on ethical grounds, so didn't get any free gifts except a booster of self-righteousness, lol.

Good luck, whatever you decide.

I quite like the idea of the co-op's ethical banking, i'll get hold of a leaflet. Think i'll give them one more week then phone up about the voucher. The sooner it's invested the sooner it can start earning more money (hopefully)!

I second Cosywolf's Co-Op recommendation. I didn't really look at the return but did want ethical banking.

Hels,
Lily's child trust fund voucher turned up about a week ago - it takes about 8 weeks from the first child benefit payment you receive (8 weeks from the payment, not the application). I was worried about where mine had gone, too, so rang the people up about it.

it's on it's way, don't worry!

babychickensx

Aw thanks babychickens, we've got a few weeks before we can expect it then.

Ours took the same amount, around 8 weeks after payment.
Invested ours with our normal bank, mostly because we don't have any faith in it. Martin Lewis, the money guru did a programme which showed that an ISA is far superior and guaranteed. So we put their payment into our banks trust fund account and opened high interest accounts for each of them instead, once they can legally access the money I shall encourage them to transfer it to a high interest account until they are 18.
It's worth working out the stats and look for the accounts which guarantee that the money will be there and not at a loss in 16 years, it is possible tragically.

Sorry to drag an old thread up!!
I have my voucher but haven`t a clue what to invest it in :help: My heart is telling me to go for the simple gain a little interest safe option! but should I go for the one, where it`s invested in shares? How do you know what shares are being invested in? I haven`t a clue what to do with it investment wise. I never had this problem with my other children. I have no one to discuss this with,so any views will be appreciated,:) I may have this all wrong, and misunderstood how it all works altogether so if anyone can advise please do.

We came to the conclusion that we didn't have enough faith in them to invest enormously so maybe it depends if you plan to add to it?
We won't, we opened seperate savings accounts for our girls instead and we put money in there, the trust fund account is low interest but safe and now we'll ignore it until they're 16.
Their savings account is for children anyway so it should be better in the long run IMO.
Don't apologise for renewing an old thread - it's good that you looked for it:)

my feelings - go for an ethical one (like the co-op option), that way you don't have to worry about funding tobacco/defence/pharmaceuticals. the returns on a ctf voucher are small enough that what you invest in probably won't make a huge difference to the final value of the ctf (unless you add your tax-allowed £1200 per year, also, in which case it might make £1000s difference).

you should review the ctf every few years - remember that when you move the fund, you can only move it to another ctf, and some come with incentives (£20 mothercare voucher, for instance) - make the most of them, too. there are currently no stats available to show with ctfs are the most successful, as the scheme hasn't been running long enough yet, but hopefully there should be some figures within the next year or two.

be wary of 'lifestyling' - this is where your child's share-based ctf is moved (by the investment company) to 'safe' (ie less likely to decrease in value, but also less likely to increase much) investments when the child reaches 13. personally i would run the risk of losing some ctf value and not take the lifestyling option.

We decided not to add to the CTF, we are only going to pay in the two vouchers.
But we have opened a saving account for monsterbaby and we put money in that every month.
At least monsterbaby will not get to it when it's 18, just in case we think it is not advisable as he might not e very responsible at that time. I remember what I was like with 18, I would have spent it in something stupid and really regretted it later.

We decided not to add to the CTF, we are only going to pay in the two vouchers.
But we have opened a saving account for monsterbaby and we put money in that every month.
At least monsterbaby will not get to it when it's 18, just in case we think it is not advisable as he might not e very responsible at that time. I remember what I was like with 18, I would have spent it in something stupid and really regretted it later.

this is what i have done too.. its a little rsky investing them so mini sav has the £500 the govenment gave her plus about £100 i paid in to trust fund and a regular saver and noral saving account..

I have however started her a pension, you can get stockholder pensions for kids and i only pay a few pounds a month but at least its a start!

Thankyou all I don`t think I`d be adding that much to the fund. I thank all those who replied. Babychickens I too was worried what we might be helping to fund.Any more opinions greatly appreciated.

Does anyone know of a low risk savings account to invest my daughters £250?

Preferably a high interest savings account with no fees.

Any ideas? :confused:

Threads merged.

Does anyone know of a low risk savings account to invest my daughters £250?

Preferably a high interest savings account with no fees.

Any ideas? :confused:

babybaby has a ladybird account with teh saffron waldon building society (which can be opened and operated entirely by post). i chose that one because it was the one with the highest interest and was consistently a good bet (according the the magazine of the consumer association, which?). don't recall off hand what the itnerest rate currently is, but you do get a nasty badly painted ladybird money box. 5.5%, possibly.

Does anyone know of a low risk savings account to invest my daughters £250?

Preferably a high interest savings account with no fees.

Any ideas? :confused:


if this is the child trust £250 i do not think you can put it into savings, i think its got to be the stockholder schemes.

if this is the child trust £250 i do not think you can put it into savings, i think its got to be the stockholder schemes.

i guess i didn't notice that. a very valid point. ignore my previous post. guess my mind really is elsewhere this evening...

My little boys fund is with the Nationwide - its called their cash trust fund and its pure interest only low risk account (been stung by a badly performing endownment so dont trust stocks and shares base stuff). It was the highest interest rate when we first opened it - dont know what its like now though. There was areasonable interest rate which was enhanced if you put in extra payments see here (http://www.nationwide.co.uk/pdf/savings/P8574_ChildTrustFund.pdf) for more info.

I put my little girl's CTF voucher into F&C Investments (http://www.fandc.com/new/IT/Default.aspx?id=65059) as they had lower charges to run it.

We decided to put ours into a shares fund as our take is that, its £250 we would never have, so we might as well risk it. I'm opening another normal cash savings account for her, where I'm going to put her birthday money and stuff into it.

I put my little girl's CTF voucher into F&C Investments (http://www.fandc.com/new/IT/Default.aspx?id=65059) as they had lower charges to run it.

We decided to put ours into a shares fund as our take is that, its £250 we would never have, so we might as well risk it. I'm opening another normal cash savings account for her, where I'm going to put her birthday money and stuff into it.

Good choice doodle, it's interesting to hear people talk about 'low risk' as if it's the sensible option. £250 invested at 2% over inflation for 18 years gives you about £350 in real terms, i.e. your guaranteeing that the fund is going to be worth little more in real terms at the end than it is now - how is that sensible?

It's £250, how big is the downside of investing in a shares based fund? The potential upside is a fund worth many times that of a high interest account.