Get rich quick

By Neil Simpson
Updated: 00:00 BST, 12 October 2003

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AT last, the secret of getting rich quick is out - buy 賞与金 社債s. The 最新の three 月毎の 勝利者s of the £1 million prize all waited いっそう少なく than 12 weeks between buying their 社債s and hitting the jackpot.

国家の 貯金 & 投資s sent its incognito 'スパイ／執行官 Million' to Tyne and Wear to 現在の the big 税金-解放する／自由な cheque for October to someone who had bought the luc ky 社債 in July.

September's 勝利者, from Yorkshire, also bought the 火刑／賭ける in July. And in August, the £1 million 勝利者, from Surrey, had bought the winning 社債 only two months earlier.

So is it time to 急ぐ out and buy 賞与金 社債s in the hope of a quick 勝利，勝つ?

Many people 明確に believe it is. Sales are at an 史上最高 with £4.75 billion in the year to April and more than £3 billion sold since then.

The 最大限 持つ／拘留するing was 増加するd from £20,000 to £30,000 in May and more than 50,000 people have already bumped up their 火刑／賭ける in 社債s to the 限界. Yet while the big 勝利者s are getting lucky 急速な／放蕩な, worrying changes are around the corner.

At 現在の, Ernie - the Electronic 無作為の Number 指示する人（物） 器具／備品, which 生成するs the winning numbers from its base 近づく Blackpool - 支払う／賃金s 2.25% of the total 投資するd in 月毎の prizes. Next month that will be 削減（する） to a 記録，記録的な／記録する low of a paltry 2.15%. However, 国家の 貯金 （人命などを）奪う，主張するs it is still a good 取引，協定.

Its 社債 専門家, Jonathan Ackerman, says: 'The 半端物s of winning a prize in each draw will stay at 30,000:1 in November. And the 減少（する） in the payout level is far いっそう少なく than July's 削減（する） of a ４半期/4分の1-百分率 point in the Bank of England base 率, which it 反映するs.'

HE 追加するs: 'If you have 普通の／平均（する） luck and 持つ／拘留する the 最大限 number of 社債s, you still stand a good chance of winning a prize a month.'

Ackerman also 拒絶するs （人命などを）奪う，主張するs that Ernie favours 最近の 買い手s over long-称する，呼ぶ／期間／用語 支えるもの／所有者s. He points out: 'More 社債s are 存在 sold, so it's little wonder 最近の numbers come up so often. But old ones still 勝利，勝つ. This month someone who bought £10 of 社債s in 1958 was one of the two £100,000 勝利者s while someone who had £40 of 社債s from 1959 won £5,000.'

Nine- year-old Harriet Underwood is one modest bondholder who has seen a big return on her 投資.

Her parents, 示す, 39, and Tracy, 37, bought Harriet £100 of 社債s when she was left some money by her aunt as a baby. いっそう少なく than four years lat er, she won £500, which the family, from Tettenhall, West Midlands, spent on 社債s for Harriet's brothers, Benjamin, 5, and Samuel, 3.

示す, an 独立した・無所属 財政上の 助言者 with Wolverhamptonbased Torquil Clark, says: 'It turned out to be a better return than she could have earned with a building society or on the 株式市場.'

示す says 賞与金 社債s are an ideal short-称する，呼ぶ／期間／用語 home for spare cash. 'You know you can get it 支援する on 需要・要求する, but you might get lucky in the 合間,' he says.

'All you are giving up is the 利益／興味 from a 貯金 account, but this is now so low that people are 用意が出来ている to make this sacrifice in the hope of winning a big prize.'