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

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

From Which? by Which?

April 16, 2026 · 34 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the history and current relevance of premium bonds in the UK savings landscape.

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 - podcasts@which.co.uk Podcast listeners can get 50% off an annual Which? membership Become a Which? Money member to access 1-to-1 guidance and receive the…

People in this episode

Guests: Holly Lanyon, Andrew Westhead

Topics covered

  • premium bonds
  • savings
  • financial products
  • British culture
  • prizes

Keywords

  • premium bonds
  • savings portfolio
  • prizes
  • NS&I
  • financial advice

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: NS&I

Places: UK

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