Income Bond

Invest a lump sum and have the added flexibility of taking an income

  • Invest from £5,000 to £150,000
  • We guarantee after five years, you will get a minimum of your initial investment less any withdrawals
  • Option to take an income of between 1 and 5%
  • Possible annual and final bonuses

If you surrender in the first five years a surrender penalty will apply, meaning you may get back less than you invested. Tax treatment depends on individual circumstances and may be subject to change in the future. Bonuses are not guaranteed.

Product information

  • About this policy

    The Income Bond provides you with the ability to invest a lump sum, whilst having the option to take an income if required. This type of plan is designed for the medium to long-term, with the added flexibility of taking an income straight away, or leaving the money invested to build up bonuses until you are ready to take an income.

    You can then choose to take an income of between 1% and 5% either monthly, quarterly, half-yearly or annually - with no immediate tax implications. The minimum investment for taking a withdrawal of under 2% is £30,000 and the minimum investment for taking a monthly income is £10,000.

  • What are they?

    The bond is a single premium life policy designed for a minimum investment period of five years, allowing you to take a regular income from your investment - perhaps during your retirement.

    There is also the potential for capital growth as your lump sum (the initial investment) is invested in our with-profits fund from which, depending on investment performance, we aim to pay bonuses each year. On encashment and subject to the conditions outlined below, you will receive the capital balance (the initial investment less income and partial withdrawals) plus bonuses added during the life of the policy.

    For additional peace of mind the bond also has a capital guarantee after five years.

  • Who are they for?

    Anyone over the age of 18 who is looking to invest a lump sum and requires the option to take an income.

    The plan can be opened in joint names.

  • Why open one?

    A bond with guarantees and the option to take an income with the added peace of mind that your money could be covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme... what's not to like?

Calculator

Please note this plan is only available to those aged 18+.
Please enter your date of birth

See how much you could save

Years
Years
Please select a term between 5 and 20 years
  • Please choose an amount between £5,000 and £150,000

Please let us know how much income you would like to take
Please let us know how often you would like to take income
Please note: You can also enter the term and amount in the boxes instead of using the slider. Quotes are for illustration purposes only and what you get back depends on how your investment grows, meaning you could get more or less than this.

You might get back the following amounts, by investment growth per annum:

1.5%

 

4.5%

 

7.5%

 

Please read the Key information document and Important information documents before applying for a Income Bond.

How to apply

Step one

Confirm you have read and understood our Product and Key Information

Step two

Decide how much you would like to invest and if you would like to take an income straight away

Step three

Complete our straightforward online application

Step four

Confirm your details are correct and submit your application

Ready to proceed?

Free £25 GIFT CARD after your new policy starts...

Simply apply online quoting the promotional code: WEB22 to receive a £25 gift card after your policy starts. Terms and conditions apply

Gift card promotion T&Cs

Other ways to apply

Apply over the phone

Prefer to apply over the phone? We're happy to go through any questions you have, as well as taking you through the application process over the phone. Either call us on 01226 741 000, or click the link below and we can call you back at a time to suit you.

Download an application pack

Want a bit more time to fill in your application? Download an application pack and send it back to us when you're ready. If you don't have access to a printer, we can send you an application in the post.

How it works

  • Opening an Income Bond

    Looking to invest a lump sum with the option to take an income? Our online application is quick and easy and should take no more than ten minutes. You can also apply by post or over the phone.

  • How are bonuses calculated?

    Bonuses are calculated at the appropriate rate based on the capital balance (the initial investment less income and partial withdrawals) plus any bonuses added in previous years. On encashment and providing there is no market value reduction you will receive the capital balance plus bonuses added during the life of the policy. Find out more in our FAQ section below.

  • Are there any guarantees?

    In the event of adverse investment conditions the Society reserves the right to apply a market value reduction (MVR) to the capital balance and any bonus already added. However, the Society guarantees that the application of an MVR after five years will not reduce the proceeds below the capital balance (the initial investment less income and partial withdrawals). 

  • Can I make withdrawals?

    You can take income withdrawals of up to 5% of the initial capital investment each year, without any immediate tax implications, until the total you have withdrawn equals the initial investment amount. Once you have made withdrawals equal to your initial investment this allowance stops. Any of this annual allowance that is unused can be carried forward to future years so, for example, if you have not made an income withdrawal from your bond in the first five full years since issue, you could take up to 25% as a partial withdrawal without any immediate tax implications. 

  • What about charges?

    We will make a charge of 5% of the initial premium in year one to cover the costs of setting up the policy and subsequently 0.6% of the fund each year for ongoing management. The charges are deducted from the overall fund and taken into account when we calculate the level of bonuses we are able to pay.

Frequently asked questions

Our most commonly asked questions surrounding the Income Bond can be found below.

The minimum investment is £5,000 with a maximum in any one calendar year (January to December) of £150,000 either per individual or in joint names.

You can take income withdrawals of up to 5% of the initial investment each year, without any immediate tax implications (see below), until the total you have withdrawn equals the initial investment amount. Once you have made withdrawals equal to your initial investment this allowance stops. Any of this annual allowance that is unused can be carried forward to future years so, for example, if you have not made an income withdrawal from your bond in the first five full years since issue, you could take up to 25% as a partial withdrawal (without any immediate tax implications).

You can choose the amount you would like as annual income of between 1% and 5% and this will be paid directly to your bank account. You choose when you would like to be paid, either monthly, quarterly, half yearly or annually.

Please note that the minimum investment for taking monthly income withdrawals is £10,000.

The minimum investment for taking a withdrawal of under 2% is £30,000. For any withdrawal under 2%, please contact the office. 

Taking a lower amount as income will allow greater opportunity for capital growth over the years as there is always the risk that your chosen amount of income withdrawal could reduce the value of your bond to an amount less than you originally invested. For example, if you choose to withdraw 5% per annum and the bonuses added are less than 5% per annum, your initial investment would fall.

Not looking to take an income? Take a look at our Investment Bond.

Yes, the bond can be held in joint names.

The Society invests in a range of different assets with the
aim of providing a higher return in the medium to longer
term (five - ten years+) than that achievable in a bank or
building society account. We will look to achieve this by
maintaining a spread of investment assets that offer a low
to medium risk bond making it an option for individuals
with a more cautious approach to investing their money.
Types of assets we invest in are:
Shares of companies although mainly
UK based, we have exposure to overseas
companies to provide diversification.
These provide income from dividends
with the possibility of capital growth.
Fixed interest investments such as
government gilts and corporate bonds.
Property the Society owns a portfolio
of properties which provide rental
income and potential capital growth.
Cash

We invest our funds as described in the previous section and receive a return on those investments which can vary from year to year. At the end of March or early April we review the returns achieved during the previous calendar year and declare a bonus rate for each policy type for that period. The rate varies depending upon overall investment returns and, therefore, bonuses are not guaranteed to be paid at the same rate, or at all, in future years.

Bonuses are calculated at the appropriate rate based on the capital balance (the initial investment less income and partial withdrawals) plus any bonuses added in previous years. On encashment and providing there is no market value reduction (see below) you will receive the capital balance plus bonuses added during the life of the policy.

We also try to 'smooth' returns over the life of the policy by retaining some of the investment return in good years to maintain bonus rates in poorer years. However, to ensure you receive a fair share of returns on your policy over its lifetime there may be an additional terminal bonus paid on maturity. Payment of this type of bonus depends entirely on investment performance and the rate at which annual bonuses have been added and is not guaranteed.

The bond has no fixed term but the recommended minimum investment period is five years. It is possible to surrender your bond within the first five years by giving one months notice, but doing so will incur a surrender penalty. Should you need to withdraw some of your capital (money) at a future date we can invest your lump sum in multiple policies, with a minimum of £5,000 per policy, which will enable you to withdraw part of your investment without having to surrender (cash in) your entire investment. However, if you surrender a policy within the first five years a surrender penalty will be incurred and you may receive back less than you invested. Any withdrawals of this nature will also affect the level of income provided from your capital.

In cases where withdrawal or surrender occurs the Society reserves the right to apply a market value reduction (MVR) in times of adverse investment conditions to ensure you receive your fair share and other members are not disadvantaged. An MVR will not be applied in the event of the policy becoming a claim as a result of the death of the single policyholder, or the death of the second policyholder for joint life policies.

The money you save is invested in a fund on which the Society pays tax and tax at the basic rate may be treated as paid on any taxable gain, which means there is likely to be no further tax to pay unless you are taxable at the higher rate. However, a gain on which tax is treated as paid may have an effect on your tax liability if you qualify for age-related allowances or reliefs, or you are receiving tax credits.

There are no immediate tax implications for income withdrawals as long as no more than 5% of the initial investment is withdrawn annually. This is because current taxation rules allow for the withdrawal of the full initial amount invested spread over a 20 year period from the issue of the bond. Any potential income tax liability is deferred until the bond comes to an end, at which point a final calculation is made to see if there is any taxable gain. Currently there are no further tax implications for basic rate taxpayers.

If you die the people who inherit your bond may have to pay inheritance tax and income tax.

All references to taxation are based on the Society’s understanding of current tax legislation and practice, which may change in the future.

The amount payable on the death of a single policyholder, or the death of the second policyholder for joint life policies, is 101% of the capital balance (the initial investment less income and partial withdrawals) or the value of the policy (the capital balance plus added bonuses), whichever is greater.

When you open a policy with us, you will automatically become a member of the Society (adult policyholders only). As well as being able to have your say on how the Society is run each year, you will also have access to various discretionary benefits when available, such as optical and dental grants, as well as exclusive access to a range of discounts and offers.

Our team would be more than happy to provide you with factual information about our products and services, so you can make your own decision about how to proceed. However, we are unable to give any advice or recommendations on the suitability of our products. If you are unsure, you should seek advice from a qualified financial adviser, which may incur a fee.

To comply with regulations, we will require confirmation of your identification and address. We’ll aim to do this using an electronic verification system, but reserve the right to ask for appropriate documentation from you, if this is not possible.

Help & Support See all help & support articles

We are here for you at all stages of your journey; our support articles cover a wide variety of topics and are designed to put you in control of your money.

Who we are

We're a mutual friendly society, which means we are owned by our members (customers), with no shareholders to satisfy.

Our members are the people we care about the most. Any surplus profit is distributed to provide you with the best possible returns combined with the highest standards of personal service and ethical business practices.

Let's keep in touch

Keep up to date with news, offers, competitions and other products and services that we offer via email

Please only include first and last name