Prudential Investment Bond

flyingplaneno6

My wife and I, both retired, invested in a Prudential Investment Bond a few years ago as a "back-up" savings plan for when we needed it. We haven't drawn on it at any time but to our dismay we have just received our annual statement which showed a value of £24000 against a last-year value of £26000. A loss to us of £2000 is a lot of money to lose and whilst we never expected any gain this year because of the economic situation we never expected Prudential to lose us this amaount.
A call to Prudential was wasted telephone time even when we pointed out that last year's £26000 in a Building Society would, at the very least, still be £26000 today.
We feel very ill used by this particularly because we were advised, at the time, to take this investment as a "safe, long-term savings plan".
Any comments, please? Any advice, please?

gozomark

how much did you initially invest ?

why are you in an investment bond if you wanted a savings plan ?

dunstonh

We haven't drawn on it at any time but to our dismay we have just received our annual statement which showed a value of £24000 against a last-year value of £26000.

Why dismay? You lost just 10%. If you look over the two year period of the 50% stockmarket drop you have probably lost nothing. You also only lost money on the part that can fluctuate in value. Not your original investment.

A call to Prudential was wasted telephone time even when we pointed out that last year's £26000 in a Building Society would, at the very least, still be £26000 today.

Its not a savings account though so you cant compare. Plus, you wouldnt have had £26000 in the building society to start with.

We feel very ill used by this particularly because we were advised, at the time, to take this investment as a "safe, long-term savings plan".

Which it is. Those words explain it correctly. I fear your lack of understanding is the issue here rather than the product.

Any comments, please? Any advice, please?

The Prudential bond gets two type of bonuses. The daily bonus and the terminal bonus. The daily bonus adds to the unit price and the unit price cannot go down. The terminal bonus will fluctuate and will increase quite fast in periods of growth and will reduce in periods of decline. it cannot go below zero though. So, your original capital is protected. The daily bonuses are protected and its just the terminal bonus that will fluctuate.

You have seen the investment grow quicker than a building society in the early period but fall back during last years major decline but its still worth more than you put in. I have a few of these on my books and the 10% drop is consistent with those. However, they are all beating cash rates still and there is nothing that suggests pulling out is a good idea.