Jump - its not just for Xmas!
04/12/2000
It's that time of year again when the shops are full to overflowing with an array of Christmas temptations for the children in your family! Thunderbird's Tracy Island and Beanie Bears are amongst the latest crazes this year, which, no doubt, will be 'old hat' by Easter! However, there is one Christmas present you can give which will not only last considerably longer than the usual gift, but which should provide a very substantial present in the future.
From only £25 per month or quarter (£100 min. lump sum) you can invest in Jump, the savings fund for children, and build up a nest egg for your child, grandchild or godchild. If you had invested £25 on a monthly basis for the last 15 years, you would now have £15,635*, compared with a £6,095* return from the average building society account. A lump sum like that on their 18th birthday would certainly jumpstart them into adulthood! Whatever they spend it on, their first car, their first flat or a year travelling round the world, it will certainly be a present they won't ever forget.
More and more parents are beginning to recognise the benefits of saving early to give their children a better financial start in life. In recent research commissioned by Jump, 35% of those who responded were saving to provide a lump sum for their offspring on their 18th birthday and 31% on their 21st birthday. Grandparents, too, are getting in on the act. Of all adults interviewed for the survey, there was a 50/50 split between parents and grandparents. However, whereas parents tend to favour regular contributions, (70% of 25-34 year olds and 64% of 35-44 year olds) grandparents tend to invest lump sums, (over 60% of those aged 65 and above).
Jump is based on Witan, the third largest investment trust and at £2.1 billion, one of the UK's largest companies. Witan invests in other leading UK companies as well as giving access to the world's major stockmarkets through holdings in major blue-chip companies. Having been around since 1909, Witan is a long-established investment trust, providing strong and consistent performance on behalf of over 45,000 investors. An annual average return of 17%** over the last 10 years means Jump is an ideal savings fund for children. It is also highly flexible and cost-effective - you can have access to your savings without penalty at any time and postpone payments for a time if need be. There is no initial fee, just the mandatory 0.5% government stamp duty and a 1% sharedealing charge.
For further information on Jump and Witan, log on to www.witan.com
Jump Brochure Line: 0800 082 81 80
* Micropal mid to mid basis income reinvested as at 31/10/00
** Micropal at 31/10/00
For further information, case studies or a copy of the research, please contact:
James Budden, Marketing Manager, Jump
Tel: 020 7410 3121
or
Lynne Kennedy, quill communications
Tel: 020 7618 7942
or
Gordon Puckey, quill communications
Tel: 020 7618 7943
Notes to Editors
1. Jump
The Jump savings plan for children is based on the Witan Investment Trust. Investments can be made on a lump sum basis, (minimum investment £100) or through a monthly savings scheme (from £25 pcm). The Trust levies the following charges: sharedealing at 1.0% (minimum £1.25), Government Stamp Duty at 0.5%. The total expense ratio of Witan Investment Trust is just 0.6%.
2. Witan Investment Trust plc
Established in 1909, Witan is the third largest investment trust in the UK and the only Investment Trust with a AA+ long term rating from Standard & Poors.,Witan manages some £2,110 million, on behalf of more than 45,000 investors and is listed in the Global Growth sector and invests in a prudently diversified portfolio of around 200 large, well managed international blue chip companies, with some smaller enterprises selected for their excellent long-term growth potential. The Witan benchmark is 60% FTSE All-Share Index and 40% FT/S&P Actuaries World Index ex-UK. The current asset allocation comprises; 55% UK; 21% US; 11% Europe; 8% Japan and 5% elsewhere.
Witan is managed by Henderson Investors. It is the Company's largest managed investment trust and has a consistent performance track record. Investment policy is geared to the long-term, both with regard to country allocation, risk and stock selection, as befits Witan's excellent savings proposition.
Henderson Investors was voted Standard & Poor's Micropal Best Overall Investment Trust Manager for the sixth consecutive year in 1999. In their 1999 reviews, both Cazenove and Deutsche Bank included Witan in their lists of 'trusts to follow'. Most recently, the Company collected the 2000 Moneywise Investment Trust Awards 'International Generalist Award'.
3. Research
The research is based on a sample of 1,848 adults, throughout the UK, all of whom had previously expressed interest but had not yet invested in the Jump savings plan for children. The data was collected via questionnaire, with all fieldwork and data processing carried out during July and August, 2000.
For a copy of the questionnaire, please contact Lynne Kennedy or Gordon Puckey at quill communications. Tel: 0207 618 8905.