Book launch - 'Money: Your Children, Their Future'
30/07/2002
THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO PLANNING FOR THE COSTS OF PARENTHOOD
One recent estimate¹ put the cost of raising just one child at some £82,000 - and that estimate excludes school and university fees! With interest rates at a forty-year low, equity markets in an extended period of volatility, the boundaries of the Welfare State being rolled back - relentlessly, and the burden on parents to support their children in all sorts of ways growing ever more onerous, parents need to make more informed choices as to how they will cope with the costs of parenthood.
Jump, the savings fund for children is therefore thrilled to announce the launch of a new and informative Guide, giving parents and prospective parents an insight into the seemingly daunting costs of parenthood. The Guide provides a wealth of practical help and guidance in finding ways of affording everything a child might need - 'from babyhood to adulthood'.
Written in a lively and informative fashion by Sally Hamilton, a freelance with two children of her own, 'Money, Your Children, Their Future' will be particularly useful to those looking to save for their children. The Guide tackles the plethora of financial terminology and the maze of financial products - from National Savings to Stocks and Shares, from School Fees to Stakeholder Pensions - all in a reader-friendly format. The Guide has useful tips on instilling good savings habits in young children and helps those of most ages in their efforts to understand money and to get to grips with matters financial.
Royalties from the Guide - priced at £5.99 - are being ceded to Tommy's, the baby charity, Witan's chosen charity (see Notes). 'Money: Your Children, Their Future' can be found in all major bookstores and at www.amazon.co.uk from August 5th.
For further information on Jump, visit www.jumpsavings.com or call 0800 082 81 80.
¹ Family Assurance Friendly Society
- ENDS -
For further press information, please contact:
James Budden, Marketing Manager, Witan Investment Trust.
Tel: 0207 410 3121
OR
Eleanor Clarke/Gordon Puckey, quill communications.
Tel: 0207 618 8905
Notes to Editors
1. Jump
- Jump is based on Witan - the giant global growth investment trust. Established in 1909, Witan provides investors with low-risk, consistent returns. It is an ideal vehicle upon which to base a children's savings plan and for those wishing to save for a child's future.
- Over the past 18 years², the Trust would have returned £9,268 on an initial £1,000 investment. Over 21 years this would have been some £14,848. (² Micropal Total Return as at 30/6/2002).
- Witan is one of the UK's largest investment trusts, managing some £1.6³ billion on behalf of more than 50,000 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 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: 55.2% UK; 21.9% US; 10.3% Europe; 7.0% Japan and 4.4% Far East; Cash and Fixed Interest 1.2%¹. (³ Source: Henderson Global Investors at 31/5/02).
- 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 the Trust's excellent savings proposition.
For up to date information on performance, further background and a monthly competition - where you could win Witan shares - visit www.witan.com.
2. Sally Hamilton
Sally Hamilton is a leading personal finance writer. An award-winning journalist, she writes on a wide range of money issues for national newspapers and consumer magazines, including the Mail on Sunday, Financial Mail Money Magazine, The Observer and The Evening Standard.
3. Tommy's
Tommy's was set up in 1992 and through a national programme of research, aims to end the heartache caused by premature birth, stillbirth and miscarriage. It also provides information on how to have a healthy pregnancy to parents and health professionals. www.tommys.org