The Nationwide Building Society has introduced half a dozen new investment bonds, with interest rates ranging from 6.5 to 6.7 percent.
The bonds cover investment periods of between 6 months and three years, therefore providing real options to suit different investors. Two of the new Nationwide Building Society bonds are e-bonds and are applicable to new FlexAccount customers while another one is valid only for customers who have been with the Nationwide for at least 3 years.
A spokesman from the Nationwide Building Society felt that the six month bonds offered an excellent return over such a short period of time and that the longer period bonds would prove excellent investment options for those happy to put their money to work for up to three years.
Egg, best known for the Egg credit card has just introduced a new bond that is linked to the FTSE100 performance over the next 3 years.
Called the FTSE 26 percent guaranteed equity bond, Egg card customers who invest in it will enjoy FTSE 100 index gains made over and above the starting level of the bond up to a maximum of 26 percent. Should the index finish lower than the starting point of the investment then customers are guaranteed the whole of their capital invested back.
An Egg card spokesman suggested the investment bond would suit customers who are naturally cautious but would like the chance to earn a higher return than that offered by simple deposit accounts.
The Nationwide Building Society is readying itself for the provision of savings products to customers in the Republic of Ireland.
As long as the proposal is approved by both the FSA and the Irish equivalent then the Nationwide Building Society will begin selling savings products to Irish customers by telephone, online and through the post. The move is being seen as a good strategic option for the Nationwide as it expands their geographic coverage and increases the funding options.
Industry commentators have said that the Nationwide Building Society is already in a strong financial position so this step into Eire is set to improve that position still further.
