Investment Bond

Make your money work harder for you with this medium to long term investment plan

  • Invest a lump sum between £1,000 - £150,000
  • Guaranteed minimum return of your original investment plus 3% after five years
  • Higher potential returns than a bank or building society
  • Possible annual and final bonuses

Risks you should be aware of:

Capital at risk.

If you surrender in the first five years a surrender penalty will apply, meaning you may get back less than you invested.

Interim and final bonuses are not guaranteed and may go up or down before being declared.

Tax treatment depends on individual circumstances and may be subject to change in the future.

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

Product information

  • About this policy

    Have a lump sum you're thinking of investing? Our Investment Bond could be the perfect option to watch your savings grow. Our Investment Bond is a single premium investment that has no fixed term, but is designed to be held for a minimum of five years.

    Please be aware that a surrender penalty will apply if cashed in within the first five years.

  • What are they?

    These plans are designed for anyone that has a single lump sum they want to invest for a minimum of five years.

    There is also the added bonus of knowing that if you save for longer than five years, you will be guaranteed a minimum return of your original investment plus 3%.

  • Who are they for?

    Anyone can have a plan, although a parent or guardian will need to complete the proposal form for any child under the age of 13 and their signature required for a surrender for any child under the age of 16.

    It is not advisable to invest in this bond if you know at the outset that you will require the money within five years.

    This bond can be opened in joint names. 

  • Why open one?

    Our Investment Bond is a great way to invest a lump sum, with the added peace of mind of a minimum guaranteed return of your original investment plus 3% (after five years) plus the potential for annual and final bonuses.

    As a mutual friendly society we have no shareholders to satisfy therefore all our surplus profits are shared with our members. We specialise in offering with-profits policies, which offer greater potential returns by investing in a range of different assets – without exposing your capital directly to the stock market.

    Invest today for your future financial goals.

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

Step three

Complete our straightforward online application

Step four

Confirm your details are correct and submit your application

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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 Investment Bond

    Want to start investing today for something special? 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?

    Unlike banks who add interest to their plans, we aim to add bonuses to our members' policies. Bonuses are calculated at the appropriate rate based on your guaranteed final amount, not the amount you have paid in. On maturity you will receive your guaranteed final amount plus bonuses added during the life of the policy. Find out more in our FAQ section below.

  • Are there any guarantees?

    Providing the plan runs for at least five years, we will guarantee a minimum return of your original investment plus 3% after five years. The final value of your plan will depend upon investment performance, but bonuses are declared each year, and these are added to your guaranteed final amount. Once added, these bonuses cannot be taken away. More information can be found in our FAQs.

  • Can I make withdrawals?

    You cannot make any withdrawals, but if your circumstances change, you can surrender your policy. However, the plan is designed for medium to long-term investment and the surrender value may be less than the amount you have paid in.  Please note, it is not advisable to invest in this bond if you know at the outset that you will require the money within five years. More information can be found in our FAQs.

  • What about charges?

    For the Investment Bond we take a management contribution of 5.00% of the initial investment in the first year and 0.5% in the second and subsequent years of the fund.

Frequently asked questions

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

We recommend a minimum investment period of five years, after which you can either withdraw your investment or leave it to earn future bonuses until such time as you need it. Should you need to withdraw some of your investment at a future date we can invest your lump sum in up to three separate policies, with a minimum of £1,000 per policy, which will enable you to withdraw part of your investment without having to surrender (cash in) the entire investment. If you surrender your bond within five years of commencement then a surrender penalty will apply and you may get back less than you invested.

No, this bond does not provide any income, but if you require income you might want to consider our Income Bond.

The Society invests in a range of different assets with the aim of providing a higher return in the medium to longer term (five to ten years+) than may be achievable with a bank or building society account. We will look to achieve this by maintaining a spread of investment assets that will provide a medium to low risk 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 - we have exposure to UK based and overseas companies to provide diversification.
  • Fixed interest investments such as government gilts and corporate bonds.
  • Property - the Society owns a property portfolio which provides rental income and offers capital growth.
  • Commercial mortgages from a small portfolio providing a fixed rate return.
  • Cash

The proportion held in each of these will vary depending on market conditions. We can provide you with a guide to the spread of investments. We seek to adopt an ethical approach to investing and it is our policy not to invest knowingly or directly in industries relating to armaments, tobacco, gambling or pornography.

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 is not therefore guaranteed to be paid at the same rate or at all, in future years.

Bonuses are calculated at the appropriate rate based on the sum assured not the amount of premium paid and on encashment after five years subject to the conditions outlined below, you will receive the initial Sum Assured 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 less positive years. However, to ensure members receive their fair share of returns on their 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.

You cannot make any withdrawals, but if your circumstances change, you can surrender your policy. However, the plan is designed for medium to long-term investment and the surrender value may be less than the amount you have paid in. Please note, it is not advisable to invest in this bond if you know at the outset that you will require the money within five years. There is the option to split your investment into up to three separate policies, which means you would not need to surrender the whole amount if you need to withdraw funds in the future.

Providing the plan runs for at least five years, we will guarantee a minimum final return of your original investment plus 3%. The final value of your plan will depend upon investment performance, but bonuses are declared each year, and these are added to your guaranteed final amount. Once added, these bonuses cannot be taken away.

In the event of adverse investment conditions the Society reserves the right to apply a Market Value Reduction (MVR) to the final amount (sum assured) and any bonus already added. However the Society guarantees that the application of the MVR after five years will not reduce the proceeds below 103% of the initial investment. An MVR will not be applied in the event of the policy becoming a claim as a result of the death of the single policy holder or the death of the second policy holder for joint policies.

The Bond provides a guaranteed final amount of the initial investment plus 3%. In the event of death, we will pay out the final amount plus any bonuses that have been added to your policy. In the case of a joint life application on the first death, the bond will continue in the name of the survivor.

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

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

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. Please contact the office on 01226 741 000 or fill in out contact form and one of the team will be in touch.

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. If the policy is for a child we'll need a copy of their birth certificate which must be independently certified.

The bond is available to all ages, though for children under the age of 13 a parent or guardian will be required to complete the proposal form. In addition, a parent or guardian's signature will be required to surrender a bond where a child is under the age of 16 at the time of the request. 

If saving for a child, on maturity or surrender the payment is made to the child as the
beneficiary of the policy.

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.

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