Money Moral Dilemma: Should I take out a new train season ticket loan and invest it?

crmism

Check out the conditions for your loan before you do anything, in case what you intend is looked upon by your employer as an abuse of it.
The return on Premium Savings Bonds is paltry; yes, you might win a prize but your chances of hitting the jackpot are next to nothing and the Bonds themselves will lose their value in real terms through inflation.
Share markets are fairly subdued owing to the economic slowdown, so why not put the money into a regular savings plan with an investment trust? Don't touch unit trusts as the initial and management charges are high and avoid any type of insurance-based product like the plague; they all have fancy names but are tax inefficient, operate on the principle of smoke and mirrors and very rarely perform. Investment trusts are a lot cheaper by comparison and they're run by experts familiar with the markets in which they operate. Markets should recover well once the virus panic is forgotten.

Runner5_2

Is it worth risking your job and losing sleep for the small return you will get? Maybe just enjoy the extra cash and put it away somewhere. 

strawb_shortcake

What happens when you go back to work and you've got no season ticket? 

barbarawright

I get a season ticket loan and have to say what my commute is - I'm not allowed to claim for a longer commute than I have even if I regularly travel outside my area for social reasons. I then have to produce a receipt or other evidence that I've bought it. I can't believe any employer doesn't do the same. I know of people who have had the money taken from their wages in a lump sum because they forget to send the receipt in

MovingOnStartingANew

Unless the T&C are flexible it's fraud. The conditions are usually quite strict on what the money can be used for. It could also get you fired

rama0927

This must be against the terms and conditions of your employer's scheme. You would need to prove to them that your purchased a season ticket by showing them the receipt. If the loan was not used to purchase a season ticket then it would count as a benefit in kind from what I understand, and then you would be liable for tax. Not to mention the risk of losing your job.

Nice little idea in theory, however it is not very ethical and has too many possible implications.