Episode

70 years of premium bonds - are they still worth it?

Podcast
Which?
Published
Apr 16, 2026
Duration seconds
2043
Processing state
not_requested
Canonical source
https://www.which.co.uk/podcasts
Audio
https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/bf236c39-260c-4990-84eb-ad4fb58177d8.mp3
JSON
/v1/public/podcasts/which-1173816/episodes/70-years-of-premium-bonds-are-they-still-worth-it
Markdown
/podcast/which-1173816/70-years-of-premium-bonds-are-they-still-worth-it.md

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Summary

It’s been 70 years since the then Chancellor of the UK, Harold MacMillan announced the launch of premium bonds. But after seven decades and over £40bn paid out in prizes, are they still a worthwhile element of your savings portfolio? In this episode, Which? Researcher Holly Lanyon explains the history of the savings product, how they’ve changed over the years, and how likely you are to win a prize. Holly shares some stories from Which? members who told us why they love premium bonds so much, and why people treat them differently to other types of savings accounts. Plus, we hear from Andrew Westhead, the retail director at NS&I, the company which runs the premium bond draws, who takes us inside their archive to show how big of a part they’ve played in British culture since the 1950s. Read more about premium bonds on our website & sign up for our free weekly Money newsletter Join us for a live episode of Which? Money on Tuesday 21 April - sign up to secure your space in our virtual audience Get in touch with us via email - [email protected] Podcast listeners can get 50% off an annual Which? membership Become a Which? Money member to access 1-to-1 guidance and receive the Money magazine