Make This Christmas One Your Children Won't Forget….
26/11/2003
The shops are brim full of the latest gadgets, games and gizmos, and thoughts have begun to turn to Christmas cheer, logs on the fire and presents under the tree - but getting it right for children, and finding something that will last beyond Boxing Day isn't as easy as most adverts would have you believe. One thing however, that might keep you high in the popularity stakes for years to come - even if they don't completely appreciate it right now - is an investment.
From only £25 per month/quarter (£100 minimum lump sum) you can invest in Jump, the savings fund for children. Based on the £1.3bn Witan Investment Trust, Jump is highly flexible and cost-effective. Access to your savings is without penalty, and contributions can be postponed - at any time. There is no initial or annual fee, (just the mandatory 0.5% Government stamp duty) and a 1% share dealing charge.
If £25 per month had been invested into Jump for your child, grandchild or godchild over the last 18 years, they would be sitting pretty today, with a pot worth £10,895¹. Compare that with a £7,210 return from the average building society account². It's one Christmas present they certainly won't forget!
James Budden, Marketing Manager, Jump commented: "Saving money for a child's future has become a must. At a time when the Government is seeking to encourage saving, with initiatives like the Child Trust Fund - whether it's for a deposit on a flat, to pay university tuition fees or to fund an unforgettable gap-year, one thing we know for sure is that children will never tire of money."
Witan has always had an interest in giving children the best possible start in life, so - until the end of December - all new investors into the Jump savings fund will receive a copy of the 'essential guide' to planning the cost of parenthood - 'Money: Your Children, Their Future' - free. Written by Sally Hamilton, a freelance journalist with two children of her own, the book (rrp £5.99) has useful tips on instilling good savings habits in young children and will be a great help to those of most ages in their efforts to understand money and to get to grips with matters financial.
For further information log on to www.jumpsavings.com or call 0800 082 81 80.
¹ Micropal mid-to-mid net income reinvested. As at 31/10/03
² UK savings 2500+ investment net.
For further information or a Jump case study please contact:
James Budden, Marketing Manager, Jump
Tel: 020 7410 3121
or
Lynne Kennedy, quill communications
Tel: 020 7763 6973
or
Gordon Puckey, quill communications
Tel: 020 7763 6975
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 one of the UK's largest investment trusts, managing some £1.35bn1 (at 31/12/2003) on behalf of more than 55,000 investors. Witan is listed in the 'Global Growth' sector and invests in a prudently diversified portfolio of around 250 large, well-managed international blue-chip companies, with some smaller enterprises selected for their long-term growth potential.
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.