Child trust fund final amount query

sharonharrison52

Hi, can anyone advise me on the following ,
First child received over 800.00 when she turned 18 two years ago when we invested her 250.00 with santander.
2nd child we put her 250 with Britainnia who got taken over by cooperative, and she Is about to receive 367.00 
Why isn't it roughly the same amount as santander.
Should there be much difference.
How does this all work interest wise.
No direction of who to use if I remember correctly when starting these saving schemes.
I just feel so bad for not using same one for both but brittania at the time was easier to get to in town !

daveyjp

All down to what decisions you made when the £250 was invested.  If you did nothing and left both in a basic cash savings account it is likely to have done poorly thanks to years of very low interest rates.

To get decent returns you needed to be invested in the stock market, add to it and review investments regularly. 

cutestkids

Did you perhaps open the older child's as investment and the other as cash savings?

dunstonh

Why isn't it roughly the same amount as santander.

Its all based on what you invest in.     

First child received over 800.00 when she turned 18 two years ago when we invested her 250.00 with santander.

Post dot.com crash and a good time to be investing in equities.   You don't say what she invested in, but the figure suggests equities.

2nd child we put her 250 with Britainnia who got taken over by cooperative, and she Is about to receive 367.00 

That suggests cash. For most of the period she had the money there, interest rates were at 300-year lows.

I just feel so bad for not using same one for both but brittania at the time was easier to get to in town !

Using cash for 18 years is not a good idea.   It should have been invested.