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MyEggNest:
Child Trust Funds
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Ethical Child Trust Fund
By Family Investments
Family Investments offer a choice of tax-friendly children’s savings products to help you save for their future. Find out more and apply online here. They are the UK’s favourite Child Trust Fund (CTF) provider and were the winner of the 2010 Moneyfacts for Best CTF Provider.
Family Investments, committed to family finances.
This product is issued by OMG
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Reviews
Website: Visit the website for this product
Reviewed on 11 Oct 2011 by iwona makal
Good Points: Boots bonus
easy to access
Bad Points: not being sure of what you really gonna achieve in the future
we have joined in 3 years ago, since then we are paying regularly from our direct debit and so is our family-we are believing we are doing excellent thing for our little daughter and we are just about to open another saving account for our newborn daughter. The instruction on how to join in were very clear and straight forward information, easy to access, boots bonus for new people joining in-great, yearly announcements of how the account is doing, can apply on the website as well as over the phone, generally satisfied and just hoping my childs money will be well invested and bring up great benefit.
Website: Visit the website for this product
Reviewed on 13 Sep 2011 by Kiley Brown
Good Points: This CTF was very easy to open and easy to use - we found it very clear in regards to the information provided.
Bad Points: We wanted to open an ethical CTF but this meant that there was very little choice. This is nothing to do with the provision of Family Investments however - just the general offering.
We felt most comfortable with the ethical investment with Family Investments. The information available was clear and helped us make this choice easily for our CTF. Our daughter was born in December 2010 just before the cut off for the CTF vouchers. We took ages to decide what we wanted because we really saw it as a good investment for our daughter's future and hopefully we could add to it to help fund her university someday if that is what she chose to do with it. We found many of the providers had stopped accepting applications early in 2011 which made it difficult to use our voucher. We're very happy Family Investments. The information we received after we opened the account came quickly and was easy to understand in terms of future use for the CTF.
Website: Visit the website for this product
Reviewed on 15 Jun 2011 by Nicola Watkins
Good Points: online account
easy payments through dd and top ups as and when you like.
website easy to use and get regular updates through statements
email reminders
very good service
easy and clear website even less tech savvy will browse with ease.
Bad Points: None
Easy to make payments and set additional people to pay into the account.Online statements and set of top ups amending dd very simple and clear website can personalize the page with a photo of your child.staff are always helpful and polite when have to make a call in and have been happy with the growth of my savings even through low interest rates times has a healthy growth.would recommend as easy to use and you can control the statements all through your online account.brilliant.The less tech savvy wouldn't have a problem and you can make changes to the ctf easily. a very good investment i am pleased.
Website: Visit the website for this product
Reviewed on 04 Jun 2011 by sarah
Good Points: pretty easy to do
Bad Points: None
This actually worked out to be a lot easier than I had imagined. It also allows a degree of flexibility which I think is essential for any large or growing family, things come up from time to time to effect what you are going to do that dmonth or year. The children I hope will be able to use this fund to access their university education after school - clearly we are going the way of the americans in all this - I don't want my children starting their professional lives with a huge mound of debt - so this is hopefully going to work really well
Website: Visit the website for this product
Reviewed on 12 May 2011 by Sue Madden
Good Points: None
Bad Points: None
Really quick and easy to use and I have been very satisfied with the results. Can open and set up the account on line. The instructions are easy to follow and all the documentation arrives in the post within a few days. I think you can also cancel within 14 days if you are unhappy with anything. I took a long time to get round to opening my daughter's child trust fund account and missed out on some potential earnings, if I'd known how easy it was I'd have opened the account much sooner. Can't report yet on how the investment returns put hopefully it's better than having the voucher sat around in my intray!
Website: Visit the website for this product
Reviewed on 29 Mar 2011 by R Milloy
Good Points: None
Bad Points: None
I found the application easy and simple and the account can be managed online which is a huge benefit. Everything was really straightforward and the service has been great so far. Our welcome pack and documents arrived quickly in the post and I would recommend this account to anyone. It's especially important to us that the investment for our son's future is an ethical one and this account is perfect for our family's needs. I have every confidence that this has been the right choice for him and us and I look forward to dealing with Family Investments in the future.
Website: Visit the website for this product
Reviewed on 21 Mar 2011 by Rebecca Jane Thurgood
Good Points: Clear statements & website easy to use.
Bad Points: None
I've been really pleased with this fund. It's performed better than most CTF's, & I find the website really straightforward & easy to use. Also, the regular statements are clear & transparent. I think when people say they aren't happy with its returns, they probably were unfortunate enough to put their voucher in before the banking crisis caused a collapse in the fund's value (along with all the other funds). I make extra monthly payments into the fund which helps to iron out the peaks & troughs in the unit prices. I think the fund's gone up by nearly 40% since I started mine in Nov 2008, but if I'd put the voucher in when they sent it to me 6 months earlier (when I was too busy juggling baby to get around to it) I think it'd still be worth less now than when it started. That's the risk with stock markets, & none of us have a crystal ball. "Trustnet" & other websites like Digital Investor are good for comparing past performance between different funds, & if you look at the graphs you can get a good idea of which ones are duds, & there are plenty of them. It's worth spending a little time to do this, even if it seems dull, as it could make a huge difference to the final value.
Website: Visit the website for this product
Reviewed on 02 Mar 2011 by Kristina
Good Points: None
Bad Points: None
After reading all the reviews & feedback which were very helpful we decided against this type of investment. I contacted the staff on a couple of occasions for further information and I found staff to be friendly and more importantly knowledgeable. My partner & I are planning to extend our family & will seriously consider this one next time round. We looked at this one originally as it was ethical, it is a long established company & we have heard good reviews from friends and family and we wanted to invest in 'good' companies. Think next time round we'll go for this one.
Website: Visit the website for this product
Reviewed on 20 Feb 2011 by amber baron
Good Points: the website is easy to use
Bad Points: layout is a little complex
the website is easy to use and has all the information that you may need but the layout for the descrption of the accounts is not very well organised. the incentives to join up are brilliant as you have the choice of what you would like, especially considering that the government are trying to sell off woodlands, by offering trees to be planted more woods can b created and protected. also the incentive of vouchers are encouraging for struugling parents
furthermore the website is quite colourful which is good for if children wish tto look at their account.
i chose it as it was appealing
Website: Visit the website for this product
Reviewed on 04 Feb 2011 by sarwar
Good Points: ethical, easy to use
Bad Points: havent seen much investment advantage yet, however it is still quite early.
A very straightforward application. they responded very quickly and send out a pack with an envelope for you to send the £250 voucher back. It was very easy to set up the direct debit details online and you also receive free gifts.
They also offer to move the bonds to safer investments after the childs 13th birthday, this gave me peace of mind.
It also shows that they are part of other groups such as Barclays, that also ensures that they have a good solid financial base.
I found that i could access the website and any information i needed with ease.
Website: Visit the website for this product
Reviewed on 04 Feb 2011 by mrs s.s
Good Points: very easy to use, easy to access information,
Bad Points: n/a
It definetly lives up to its name. it offers very ethical gifts, such as planting trees in your name, rather than the usual commercial merchandise. the account was very easy to set up and the direct debit was set up within moments. they also offer extra payment slips for family and friends to put money into the account, this is really handy! i received a stamped addressed envelope to send the £250 voucher in and the account was up and running within days. they provide an excellent service and i would strongly recommend this to anybody. good luck to all!
Website: Visit the website for this product
Reviewed on 26 Jan 2011 by v joyram
Good Points: ease of use
access
staff friendliness
Bad Points: none at all!!
this product was very easy to set up and even easier to access. i found the information very helpful and the fact that it is an ethical account helps enormously. the information was sent quickly and the account was opened up in no time at all. i could access the account online which was set up in no time at all. the account online which was set up is very convenient. the staff were extremely friendly and helpful and assisted me greatly with any queries i had prior to setting up the account. i would recommend this account to anyone
Website: Visit the website for this product
Reviewed on 25 Jan 2011 by Bridget Gregory
Good Points: The ethical-ness of it, of course! Plus got £20 Boots vouchers just for opening. :-)
Bad Points: Nothing.!!!)
Like many people, I was first attracted to this particular CTF because of the ethical aspect - I always figure if you can be 'ethical' at no extra cost to yourself then why on earth wouldn't you?! I was still pregnant at the time but to our surprise you could start the process even before the child has arrived, which is great considering how much there is to do once baby is here! We got £20 Boots vouchers just for opening the account (which went straight on nappies of course!!!). At first we didn't pay into it by direct debit but soon we went for that because we realised you don't even notice the money going out that way. I've been really pleased with the information the website in particular has, and also the cheerful overall tone. I would recommend people go for this CTF!
Website: Visit the website for this product
Reviewed on 24 Jan 2011 by debbie Mcinnes
Good Points: easy to use the website
Bad Points: none
before i make any financial decisions i speak with my father and we think very carefully before making investments and we researched thoroughly a lot of the sites as there are so many. i felt the best one was the family investments ethical due to the views it stood for. i feel i have made the right decision for my daughter and we hope to make contributions into the fund on a regular basis. it was so easy to set up, even my nana could set it up. Asked the appropriate amount of questions and that was it, all done and set up. The paperwork we received through was easy to understand and it also included small cards to give to other family members if they wanted to contribute which i thought was nice.
Website: Visit the website for this product
Reviewed on 08 Jan 2011 by zebra10
Good Points: First of all, say that to praise the child should be! Psychologists advise that the child grew up smart, healthy and successful, and sing his praises to every day. And even if you do not know why, think. The main thing is not to overdo it and learn how to pronounce the right words at the right time. First of all, praise must be sincere. Sometimes it seems well in that praise? Well, son, washed over a cup of, well, big boy bed my daughter - that in this deal?
Bad Points: Harmful, when praise is too often unnecessarily and disingenuously. This devalues the praise, and teaches to a cheap success, and promotes unthinking respect to what comes from their elders. Watching the children for their elders, you will be able to see the harmfulness of ill-considered praise.
In general, all praise is pleasing to both children and adults. So praise each other more often and the results certainly will
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Website: Visit the website for this product
Reviewed on 06 Jan 2011 by Karis Crouch
Good Points: I called through to the call centre, which I was not looking forward to, but the call was answered quickly, I was also given all the information I needed and was given extra information that I did not already know about. All my details where taken and I recieved my forms the next working day.
Bad Points: None
I felt that my call was dealt with very swiftly but not rushed and I got all the information I required, with a lovely customer service.
The information that I found on MyEggNest was very helpful when making my desision in transfering my sons Child Trust Fund account. The paperwork from Family Investments arrived the next working day along with both my options for transfering. I was concerened about a Stakeholder child trust fund as they can be hard to keep track of, but my mind was put at rest as I was told I can register online to keep track of my sons account. I think this makes them very easy to do business with.
Website: Visit the website for this product
Reviewed on 31 Dec 2010 by katie
Good Points: None
Bad Points: None
After much research and deliberation, we decided to open an Ethical Trust Fund with Family Investments.
The website is easy to navigate, and easy to set up our account
The account provides lots of updates, and can be viewed online :) great for a busy family life!!!
We set up a direct debit for ourselves, and slips were provided for other family members to set up direct debits for themselves if they wanted to (a great idea which also helped to save a load of hassle for us!).
All in all - We are very pleased with their service and their trust fund :)
Website: Visit the website for this product
Reviewed on 30 Dec 2010 by SP Sivabalan
Good Points: good customer service
Bad Points: None so far
I spent quite a long time doing my research into different child trust funds, taking my time to choose the right one and I do not regret at all going for this policy. It is extemely user-friendly, easy and very fast to set up whether you want to do it online or over the phone and it has got a very good track record years of experience in the family investment sector-you can not go wrong with that! My main deciding factor was that the policy does specialise in the investments for children and therefore I trust them with my little girls savings and highly recommend to all of you.
Website: Visit the website for this product
Reviewed on 30 Dec 2010 by Vicki Gage
Good Points: Easy to set up, easy to pay into (both by post and online). Great rate of growth over past few years. Ethical investments only.
Bad Points: Not found any!
I checked all the "best buys" and was delighted to find that this was highly listed AND was an ethical fund. What more could you want? I applied for the fund online, sent off the Government voucher and it was all sorted out for me. I have since set up a monthly payment from my bank account and Grandparents / relatives have paid in various amounts for birthdays / baptism etc without any problems. I even get notification, via letter,of any payments made and can access the account online anytime to make payments, check projected final amounts, etc. Nothing but fantastic service received so far.
Website: Visit the website for this product
Reviewed on 03 Oct 2010 by Lucy
Good Points: All account details are accessible online. Able to review account details as well as change direct debit option, etc.
Bad Points: Return rates not as good as standard trust fund rates.
We are really pleased with the ethical trust fund. We paid a fixed amount each month by direct debit and were given a gift voucher for doing this. After 6 months or so we cancelled the direct debit. It was easy both to set up and cancel the direct debit. We never get harassed by the company and only receive our annual statement (as requested). We do the optional feedback panel to get entered into prize draws. My only concern with the trust funds (in general) is that when the child turns 18 they have complete access to all the money ....
Website: Visit the website for this product
Reviewed on 15 Sep 2010 by Marc Woodcock
Good Points: Each Child trust fund comes with an excellent explanatory overview of the funds composition from fund managers overview and experience through to fund objectives.
Bad Points: An absolute mind field for the in experienced investor.
On receipt of the child trust fund voucher the general public in my opinion have great difficulty in understanding what to do and how to invest the voucher. Considering this is the first financial decision they have to make for their child everyone wants to make an informed decision to make the most for their childs future. I found contacting several companies and asking for information on their various funds was informative and gave a relative variety of choice . I work in this field so I no what to look out for in a fund and hope that I have made the right investment choice. However I think the information to the general person is very complicated and people will not entirely no what they are investing in and just invest based on the one or two factors when all points should be considered.
Website: Visit the website for this product
Reviewed on 01 Sep 2010 by Linda Cameron
Good Points: Performs well.
Allows you to see what will happen if you increase the payment.
Bad Points: Unable to get password/login reminder if you forget both
Basically this is my childs university fund, who know what it'll cost when its time to go.
I use the internet service hense my low mark for staff as I have never needed to speak to anyone.
Really happy with this trust fund. I use the internet service hense my low mark for staff as I have never needed to speak to anyone.
I contunually forget my password and login as I don't go in regularly and you need to remember on or the other to reset. It would be good if you could provide pertinent personal details and get a login reminder and reset your password thereafter.
Website: Visit the website for this product
Reviewed on 04 Aug 2010 by F Merkin
Good Points: Very quick and easy to set up - has got very good reviews from everybody so far and seems to be a top performer from peoples comments on here. For those people who are a member of quidco - you can also get £35 cashback opening the account through their link.
Bad Points: None so far
I have just set up my 1st Child's trust fund using nest egg. I can't remember where I heard about the website but I'm glad I did and will tell my friends. I set up an account with the Ethical Friendly Society and am pleased to have read the reviews on here which puts my mind at rest that I am doing the best I can with the info that's available to me. The website was really easy to use and took me literally five minutes to set up the account and a user name so that I can log onto look at the account. I have set up a DD for £25 a month which I am hoping will grow into a decentish nest egg without me noticing the hole in my own bank account. Overall so far I'm really happy and wish I'd done is sooner as my voucher was about to expire and so I guess I have been losing money!
Website: Visit the website for this product
Reviewed on 14 Jul 2010 by Asta Neely
Good Points: Online access, easy to set up and manage
Bad Points: Took a while for the money to be credited about 6 weeks) but I believe this is normal to receive the money from the government
I had been sat on my daughters CTF voucher for a couple of months because I had no idea what was a good buy and most comparison sites don't deal with CTFs.
I found nest egg which told me Family Investments was one of the top stakeholder funds and the ethical fund was also one of the top ones.
I opted for the ethical fund and signed up through Quidco and got £35 cashback. It was very easy to sign up although it did take a while for the account to be fully set up, I believe that's to do with family investments receiving the money from the government.
It's very easy to log in and see how the fund is doing, a nice friendly website. I'm very happy with it.
Website: Visit the website for this product
Reviewed on 25 Jun 2010 by Nadir Hafeez
Good Points: Clear and relevant information provided
Good investment return record
Easy and short application form
Bad Points: No free gift offer - even a token one would be attractive,
The Family Investments website uses easy and clear language to convey information and guidance that I was interested in opening a child trust fund account. This provider has a good record of return in terms of investment and gives a choice of an ethical account as well as a normal stakeholder account. The actual online application form is very easy to complete and use. The application form is not overly long and only asks relevant personal information with useful guide prompts throughout. This CTF provider was very quick to confirm and acknowledge recipt and acceptance of the application with clear advice on what happens next.
Website: Visit the website for this product
Reviewed on 07 Jun 2010 by Joanne McAuliffe
Good Points: Very easy to apply for.
Bad Points: None
I'd been searching for a child Trust Fund for my daughter and discovered the Family Investments Ethical Trust Fund. The website had very clear information available on the trust fund and the complete guide covered all my queries about the fund. The application process online took only a few minutes and was very easy to use. Being able to track the progress of the fund is a real bonus as I would like to know how my childs investment is growing. I now need to check out the past performance a bit more and make sure this is the right fund for me.
Website: Visit the website for this product
Reviewed on 12 May 2010 by Anna
Good Points: Easy to open, take just few minutes to apply, you will recive free gift if you set up direct debit for minimum £10, perform better in current situation than others...
Bad Points: none as yet
Few days ago I finally recived CTF voucher for my son-Oliver.
I have been thinking about two types of account: stakeholder and shares.
Today I have decided to search over the internet which types of account willl be suitable for my son.
I found the website myeggnest.com really helpful.
I check which type of account actually perform better and I decided to open account with Family Investment.
I chose etnical one.
Application was very easy and took me just few minutes (it's usefull if you have voucher refernce and expiry date in front of you) .
I also set-up direct debit and I will recive my free gift (Boots vouchers) in the next 28 days.
I would recommend this company to everyone as they perform better in current economical situation.
Website: Visit the website for this product
Reviewed on 22 Mar 2010 by Rachael Hunter
Good Points: Easy to apply & set up
Friendly Staff
Informative to begin with
Bad Points: Don't get any letters from them about my child's account
The Ethnical Trust Fund is a friendly helpful bunch who I think offer a great ethnical account. Information when applying was excellent. Was told everything I needed to know in plain simple terms.
Very friendly staff when I have contacted them.
The only down fall I would say is that ideally I would like to be contacted every few month and told about how the account was doing. I have recieved no such information and also dont know how to go about looking it up. A service may be available but I have not checked in a while.
Overall I would recommend this CTF account. Not only does it have great ethnical features its a no hassle account for your child.
Website: Visit the website for this product
Reviewed on 24 Feb 2010 by cathy anderson
Good Points: easy to use fabulous investment
Bad Points: none as of yet
the customer service team, are very polite and extremely helpful. the website is very simple and really easy to use and to set up my daughters child trust fund was fantastic, simple and not porblem at all. i can highly recommend anyone to invest with family investmennts. even in the current financial climate, a lot of my friends have invested badly and their child trust funds have lost money, ours still seems to be doing extremely well what more can i say. invest, invest, invest, invest ensure your childs money is secure. i will definately continue to invest with them with any future children
Website: Visit the website for this product
Reviewed on 24 Feb 2010 by oana
Good Points: no
Bad Points: no
child funt test is a wste of time.when my child will be 16 he will probably have less than 1000 pounds in this child trust fund.i ve open his child fund at sainsburs and i am very unhappy about it.they let me know about the situation of the money once in 2 or 3 mon,and is always in minus,i dont knw if they are invest those money in something unprofitable or theey are just lying about it.i ve got no hope that my child will have ny money in that account at 16 years old...i ll see.good luck for me!1
Website: Visit the website for this product
Reviewed on 30 Jan 2010 by Gary franklin
Good Points: An ethically invested Child Trust Fund account with a capped annual management charge of 1.5%. The only Stakeholder Child Trust Fund that you can manage online Set up a regular Direct Debit while applying online and you could be eligible for up to £25 in Boots vouchers, or you could even have a tree planted on your child's behalf. Over 30 years experience in providing investments for families and currently the UK's favourite Child Trust Fund provider with over 1 million accounts Quick and easy application online or over the phone As a mutual Family Investments owned by our customers, so profits are reinvested for customers benefit Chosen to provide the Child Trust Funds for high street names such as Santander, the Post Office and Barclays Easy to use and very informative website.
Bad Points: None yet but then again i have only just opened my sons account!
It had loads of good reviews on a few different websites , it was easy to complete online and stress free. 5 mins...Simples..!!My main reason for choosing the Family Investment Ethical CTF was that I did not want my child's CTF voucher to be used in investing in companies that dealt in unethical and planet harming practises. The family investments website is very easy to use and full of all the information you will need to make the choice of how to invest your child's CTF voucher. You can either apply on-line and print off and post (free postage!) your application or apply over the phone. And it is the only stakeholder CTF account that you can manage on-line making setting up direct debits for friends and family that want to pay into your child's CTF easy. The website also shows the history of Family Investments from when it was set up to the present day. There are also competitions now and again on the website to win money to be paid into your child's CTF. And as a thank you for setting up a direct debit to your CTF you can receive various bonuses including, Boots vouchers and a tree planted in your child's name!.
Website: Visit the website for this product
Reviewed on 22 Jan 2010 by Matthew Pollock
Good Points: An ethically invested Child Trust Fund account with a capped annual management charge of 1.5%.
The only Stakeholder Child Trust Fund that you can manage online
Set up a regular Direct Debit while applying online and you could be eligible for up to £25 in Boots vouchers, or you could even have a tree planted on your child's behalf.
Over 30 years experience in providing investments for families and currently the UK's favourite Child Trust Fund provider with over 1 million accounts
Quick and easy application online or over the phone
As a mutual Family Investments owned by our customers, so profits are reinvested for customers benefit
Chosen to provide the Child Trust Funds for high street names such as Santander, the Post Office and Barclays
Easy to use and very informative website.
Bad Points: None really. The investments made in ethical companies and shares may not make as much as in a non ethical CTF. BUT you can't put a price on having peace of mind that you have invested your child's CTF in companies that wont harm the planet or their future.
When I had my first child I found my eyes and mind were opened to a whole new set of worries about the future. So when it came to investing my child's CTF voucher my main reason for choosing the Family Investment Ethical CTF was that I did not want my child's CTF voucher to be used in investing in companies that dealt in unethical and planet harming practises.
The family investments website is very easy to use and full of all the information you will need to make the choice of how to invest your child's CTF voucher. You can either apply on-line and print off and post (free postage!) your application or apply over the phone. And it is the only stakeholder CTF account that you can manage on-line making setting up direct debits for friends and family that want to pay into your child's CTF easy. The website also shows the history of Family Investments from when it was set up to the present day.
There are also competitions now and again on the website to win money to be paid into your child's CTF. And as a thank you for setting up a direct debit to your CTF you can receive various bonuses including, Boots vouchers and a tree planted in your child's name!.
Website: Visit the website for this product
Reviewed on 13 Jan 2010 by Paul
Good Points: Invests in ethical companies only, has a great track record.
Bad Points: As with most companies has not performed so well of late.
We invested in the trust fund for our first child after doing a lot of research on the options available. As its a long term investment the higher risk seemed to be the best way forward as it should perform better over the total period. As we have had it for 2 years our timing could not be worse so the fund has dropped in value in this time, although not to a huge degree and not as bad as many of the other options out there. I still fully expect it to outperform cash options over the term.
Dealing with Family Investments was easy - we did most online and can log in to see how it is performing at any time which is a nice feature. All staff have been really helpful - A great company to deal with. Highly recommend.
Website: Visit the website for this product
Reviewed on 30 Dec 2009 by Derek Wharton
Good Points: easy to setup
Bad Points: cant find one
When my daughter arrived we decided to use the government award of £250 to set up a trust fund to help us save for her college education. We started looking in advertisements and internet sites to find out as much as we could on the different types of investments and also which company or bank provided which type of investment. We also wanted to know how safe our daughter's money would be over the long term and which providors where reccomended by the different government bodies. We decided on a short list then narrowed it down to Family Investments Ethical Because it seemed to tick all the boxes. We have had this setup now for 6 months and are very pleased with our choices. Derek.
Website: Visit the website for this product
Reviewed on 24 Dec 2009 by Aileen
Good Points: Online management of your account Ethical credentials Good record.
Bad Points: None so far
After researching the trust funds available we decided to go with Family Investments. They are the UK's largest provider of child trust funds and have been doing it the longest - both of which inspire confidence. They are also the provider used by the government to invest your money if you don't choose your own fund, and they seem to be used by a number of banks as an investment partner - again, this all inspires confidence. Their website is very user friendly, and they are the only provider which allows you to view and manage your account online. I always feel that I look after my investments better if I can see what is happening, so this feature really appealed and I think it will also be a really nice way of teaching our daughter about the nest egg that is growing for her. Having chosen Family Investments, we looked at their different funds - they have a general fund, and an ethical fund. The ethical fund doesn't invest in airy fairy hippy things (as I suspect my father assumed when I mentioned it to him!) the main difference seems to be that they do not invest in companies which are damaging to the environment or human rights. Having a little person to think of this seems more important than ever - and looking at the performance tables, the ethical fund has actually outperformed the other, so it made sense all round. We set up the account online and everything was sent out very quickly and efficiently. First reviewed on 18 Jan, 2009
Website: Visit the website for this product
Reviewed on 29 Sep 2009 by khatam khan
Good Points: ease of mind for parents wishing to place their money with something more ethical in mind, and for religious reasons,overall the return has not been bad especially as practically most have been hit.
Bad Points: not very well advertised, had to look around before came across this type of investment.
Website: Visit the website for this product
Reviewed on 25 Aug 2009 by Louise Campbell
Good Points: Choice of accounts. Low risk investment. Online handling of your childs account
Bad Points: I have to admit, I haven't found any yet!
Choosing a child trust fund is, in my experience, quite a stressful thing to do! I worried about making the right choices so that I got maximum returns for my child, and worried about what the different companies are investing in. I came across Family Investments while doing a search via my browser, and it was such a relief to come across a site online which gave so much information - I must have been on there for two hours! Straight away I found information on returns, found out that management fees are capped at a reasonable amount each year, and established that I could handle everything in the account online. Easy! As far as I can ascertain, this is the only CTF that allows you to view and manage your childs account online, which is a definite plus, and I've emailed them several times with questions, and so far I've always had an answer within no more than 2 days.
Website: Visit the website for this product
Reviewed on 25 Aug 2009 by aly
Good Points: None
Bad Points: none so far
i decided to go with after a great deal of searching the child trust fund, i finally settled on the ethical child trust. I made this choice because of many things one it was very easy to set up an account and all i had to do was send them a cheque it was very easy and i also set up a direct debit straight over to the account, i also like the choice of companys the trust choose to invest the money into. now all there is to do is wait and see knowing my girl will have some money when she is older
Website: Visit the website for this product
Reviewed on 25 Aug 2009 by Katherine Rice
Good Points: I had a few problems understanding a bit of the jargon in the information pack - I rang the helpdesk number provided and they talked evrything through with me and I understood it straight away!
Bad Points: There was an awful lot of jargon - I think it would be better in plain English
This was my husband and I's first child so I wanted to make sure we set up the best possible trust fund for our baby! My husband researched a few but this one looked as if it had the best credentials - I wasn't so sure when I picked it up. I have never been good at understanding things like this, so I picked up the phone and asked them to explain everything to me - the staff there were very helpful, they put me through to an advisor who was very patient with me. Once she started to explain some of the terms everything started falling into place. We went with this Child Trust Fund because it suited our needs best, but I would make sure you do your research first as there are always different offers and what suits one person may not suit another - so be wise in your choice, as it's your childs future in your hands! x
Website: Visit the website for this product
Reviewed on 25 Aug 2009 by kim southwell
Good Points: very easy to understand and set up.good communication.
Bad Points: none
i decided to use family investments as they were recommended to me by a friend.so far i am very pleased i have chosen them to invest my daughter's trust fund as her money is invested in an ethical way.i receive correspondance from family investments regularly so that i am aware of where her money is being spent.unfortunately, due to the current climate my daughter has made a loss on her investment,but i am hoping that this change when the economy picks up again.if things continue to go well then i will be investing her next cheque in the same way.
Website: Visit the website for this product
Reviewed on 11 Aug 2009 by Barbara
Good Points: Overall I found the process for opening a Family INvestments Ethical CTF very straightforward. The customer service was also excellent.
Bad Points: The only negative comment is that some of the links on the Family Investment were broken. Also when I completed the online application and signed up for online access to my CTF it said that page was currently not available.
I narrowed down my search for a CTF provider to the Children's Mutual and Family Investments as they seemed to be the two main providers on the market, and they had the most experience and the largest number of accounts. Both also offered free gifts for paying in monthly amounts. In the end I opted for the Family Investment Ethical CTF as it had the best past performance. I also liked the idea of investing in companies that have no links to guns, drugs etc. Opening the account online was effortless and I received a high level of customer service when I requested further information. In general the amount of information available n the internet regarding the performance of various of CTFs is quite limited, however this website, myeggnest, is most helpful in providing comparison information and I would recommend it to others.
Website: Visit the website for this product
Reviewed on 01 Aug 2009 by Kelly DeSantis
Good Points: None
Bad Points: None
It was really important to me to choose a CTF for my daughter with a provider that did not invest in activities I do not support and so Family Investments Ethical CTF seemed to be the most natural choice. The information pack sent through was clear and straight forward and setting up was very quick and easy on line. Have only been set up for a couple of months but so far so good. Can check on line to see how the fund is performing and calculates what your child may receive at the end of the term. I haven't set up a regular direct debit but found it was very easy to top up when grand parents wanted to make a contribution.
Website: Visit the website for this product
Reviewed on 23 Jun 2009 by Sharon
Good Points: I found my eggnest.com which I found very informative and easy to use.
Bad Points: Non so far
I have finally got round to opening Lotties' Trust Fund account and found my eggnest.com which was very information an easy to use. When you have a small baby and don't have much time this site is exactly what you need! I have decided on Familty Investments Ethical for my second daughter (I also chose this for my first daughter although the return hasn't been great due to the current climate) I still think it has the best long term future and also because of its ethical base. The online application couldn't have been more simple and only took a few minutes, you can also keep a check on how it's tracking online. I would recomend this.
Website: Visit the website for this product
Reviewed on 12 Jun 2009 by Heidi Cullingham
Good Points: It is an ethical account which means that it doesn't invest in companies that deal arms or do things that you perhaps wouldn't want your child being involved in when they grow up!
I receive a yearly breakdown of what's gone in, how much it is currently worth and what might come out!
It has cute Mr Men all over the literature...although Im not sure why it needs to be attractive to my 2 year old!
Bad Points: As it doesn't invest in "nasty" companies that make the most money the return will not be as big as with other accounts. (But it's all 'good' money so you are rich in morals!)
They recently changed the companies that they invest in due to the global economic down turn...it seems as if it isnt financially viable to be 'good' in a credit crunch!
It is an ethical account which means that it doesn't invest in companies that deal arms or do things that you perhaps wouldn't want your child being involved in when they grow up!
I receive a yearly breakdown of what's gone in, how much it is currently worth and what might come out!
It has cute Mr Men all over the literature...although Im not sure why it needs to be attractive to my 2 year old!
As it doesn't invest in "nasty" companies that make the most money the return will not be as big as with other accounts. (But it's all 'good' money so you are rich in morals!)
They recently changed the companies that they invest in due to the global economic down turn...it seems as if it isnt financially viable to be 'good' in a credit crunch!
Website: Visit the website for this product
Reviewed on 21 May 2009 by Seamus
Good Points: So easy to set up and watch grow (bit like grass on a bog, takes years). Never needed to get in touch with staff as yet, but sure they'll be up to standard as this product has been so far.
Bad Points: So much info out there, things need to be made a little clearer from us non-financiers.
fingers crossed this will be a windfall in 18 years, still not quite comfortable enough to throw more money into it yet, although ethical funds are the way forward.
Website: Visit the website for this product
Reviewed on 28 Apr 2009 by neil owens
Good Points: Easy to set up
Initial Information pack very good
Bad Points: Not enough information of the types of investments carried out
Not enough updates provided
I was attracted to this fund as it was an ethical fund. As with personal investments, I wanted a fund that would only invest in ethical companies. The fund was easy to set up and I contacted them on a couple of occasions for further information and I found staff to be friendly and more importantly knowledgeable. It is easy to invest additional funds if required and you are able to view your account online.
All in all I am extremly pleased with this fund (apart from the fact that the investment value has declined over the last 2 years - however I am sure this is true for all funds due to the stock market conditions). My wife and I have just recently had another baby and will be investing our voucher in this particular fund.
Website: Visit the website for this product
Reviewed on 27 Apr 2009 by David Bain
Good Points: After scouring the internet to find the right CTF, I found myeggnest.com, This website gave me the chance to make a more informed decision.
I chose the family investments ethical fund, it has a better return than the others and their website was super easy to use...I would recommend it to anyone.
Bad Points: None
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