Why has the value of my Child Trust Fund changed?
When your Child Trust Fund matures, you might have some questions about how much money is in your account.
What causes the value of my Child Trust Fund to change?
Even if no-one has put any money in your Child Trust Fund, you might find the value is different to how much the government originally gave you.
There are many different Child Trust Funds, but broadly speaking they fall into two categories: Cash Child Trust Funds and Stocks and Shares Child Trust Funds.
Why is the amount I've withdrawn or reinvested different to what I expected?
When you withdraw or move the money in your Child Trust Fund you might find that the amount that comes out is slightly more or less than you expected.
This is because we close accounts the working day after we're given an instruction. So after you told us you wanted to move the money, it continued to be invested or to build interest for another working day.
The amount you re-invest or withdraw therefore might not be exactly how much was in the account at the exact moment you told us what you wanted to do.
The way it can change varies depending on the type of account you have:
What happens if you make more than one instruction?
If you have made multiple instructions (for example, opened more than one product, or withdrawn some and re-invested some) then we prioritise where any change in value occurs.
This means that most of the time the value of only one of your instructions will have changed.
Why do I have a different amount in my Child Trust Fund compared to other people my age?
Everyone born in the UK between 1 September 2002 and 2 January 2011 was given a voucher worth at least £250 to invest in a Child Trust Fund. The fund is in your name and no-one, including you, is able to access the investment until you turn 18.
There are three reasons why you and your peers may have different amounts in your Child Trust Funds when you do reach 18.
- You may have started with a different amount. The scheme changed over time so those born later generally were given less. How much money your family had also affected how much the government gave you.
- Friends or family members may have added additional money.
- You may have a different type of fund. There are many different types of Child Trust Fund. Your parents will have chosen a fund to put your voucher in or this may have been allocated on your behalf. Different funds performed differently, meaning some went up in value more than others.
However much you have invested, it's important to know what your options are. Find out the next steps open to you here.
Got a question?
If you would like more information on how we calculate account values please send us a secure message.
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