If you select the Income Bond:

• To provide guaranteed income payments, free of personal basic rate Income Tax, throughout the investment term.
  
  
• To also provide a guaranteed return of your initial capital at the end of the investment term.

If you select the Growth Bond:

• To provide guaranteed growth on your initial capital, producing a guaranteed lump sum at the end of the investment term.

• You agree to invest a single contribution in a Policy which you must hold for the whole investment term in order to receive the guaranteed returns at the end of the investment term.

• If you cash in your Bond before the end of the investment term, the amount you will receive is not guaranteed.



• The cash in value will usually be less than the amount originally invested, and in addition we will include any unpaid income or growth which has accrued to date. For further details, please refer to the example illustration.
  
  
• Whilst income payments or capital growth are guaranteed, changes in tax legislation or a change in your individual tax position may affect your net return.
  
  
• If you decide to cancel your Bond within the cancellation period, your investment will be refunded, but may be subject to a deduction if the market value of your investment has fallen.

• It is a single premium investment Policy which guarantees a fixed rate of return throughout the investment term. You can choose whether to take the Income or Growth Bond option, and can select an investment term of two or three years.

• You will receive either monthly or annual payments throughout the investment term, plus the return of your original capital at the end of the investment term. These payments will be treated for tax purposes as a partial surrender of your Policy. (See Tax Notes for the tax implications).
  
  
• Income payments will be made direct to your bank or building society account. If you choose to receive monthly income, your payments will begin at the end of the month which follows the commencement date of your Bond. For example, if your Bond commenced during the month of January, the first monthly income payment would be made at the end of February. If you choose to receive annual income, your payments will begin at the end of the month during which the Policy anniversary falls. The final payment in all cases will be made at the same time as your original investment is repaid.

• If you do not need regular income payments but still want to take advantage of our guaranteed rates with complete capital security, you can choose to take the Guaranteed Growth Bond option.
  
  
• With the Growth Bond option, the guaranteed returns accumulate inside your Bond and will be paid to you as a lump sum at the end of the investment term, together with your original investment.

• The amount you get back will depend on the amount you invest, the investment term you select, and the rates that are applicable when you apply. The example illustration shows what you would get back for an investment of £35,000 invested at the assumed rates over a typical investment term. Exact details of what you will receive will be provided when your Policy Document is issued.

• The minimum investment is £5,000.
  Countrywide Assured reserve the right not to accept any investment.

• Yes. You may have a joint Bond with someone else, usually your spouse or partner.

• Yes. Provided you do not cash in your Bond before the end of the investment term, all payments are fully guaranteed - even if interest rates do change.

• We will pay the greater of 101% of the cash in value of your Bond calculated at the date of death; or the amount of your original investment together with any unpaid accrued income or capital growth up to the date of death. For joint Bonds, this will only happen after the death of the second person.

• If you are arranging a Guaranteed Bond through Countrywide Assured for the first time, your bond will start as soon as we receive your complete application form, the amount you wish to invest and any anti-money laundering requirements as detailed in the application form. If, however, you are re-investing your maturity proceeds, once we have received your verbal instruction and you have confirmed your re-investment amount, your Bond will start on the maturity date of your existing Bond. Should you require further information please call our Investment Services Helpline free on 0800 838020.

• Yes. If you require further information or a special Trustee Application Form please call our Investment Services Helpline free on 0800 838020.

Since 1996 Countrywide Assured has had over £600 million invested in its Guaranteed Bonds. Countrywide Assured is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority and is a member of the Association of British Insurers. Policies issued by Countrywide Assured are covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme. Countrywide Assured is entered on the FSA Register. You can check this on the FSA register by visiting the FSA website www.fsa.gov.uk/register. Countrywide Assured's registration number is 141916.

If you are a basic rate taxpayer, there is usually no further tax to pay on income or maturity payments.

If you are a higher rate taxpayer, you will be subject to tax at a rate of 20% on any chargeable gains. We will write and tell you of any chargeable gains you make on your policy both before and at maturity.

For an Income Bond, any income in a tax year up to 5% of your original investment is not treated as a chargeable gain in the tax year it is paid to you. At maturity, these income payments will be added to the maturity value to calculate the chargeable gain. Any income above 5% in a tax year will be treated as a chargeable gain in that tax year. At maturity, this chargeable gain will be allowed for in our final chargeable gain calculations.

For a Growth Bond all interest added to your Bond is treated as a gain at maturity.

If you are aged 65 or over, your entitlement to the age related allowance may be affected by payments from the Bond.

Tax payable by Countrywide Assured, on the investments purchased to secure your guarantee, cannot be reclaimed by non tax payers. All details contained in these Key Features and the Bond brochure are based on Countrywide Assured's understanding of current tax law and HM Revenue & Customs practice, which can change.

The law applying to this policy and the establishment of relations between Countrywide Assured and
you is the law of England and Wales. The language which applies to this Policy is English. The law of the contract does not necessarily cover the law which governs your taxation position.

COUNTRYWIDE ASSURED PLC IS AN INCORPORATED COMPANY LIMITED BY SHARES IN ACCORDANCE WITH UK LAW AND IS BASED IN THE UK.

Countrywide Assured operate internal complaint handling procedures for dealing with complaints about any aspect of our service or products. A leaflet summarising these procedures is available on request.

If you wish to complain about any aspect of the service you have received, please contact us either by putting your complaint in writing to:

Customer Relations
Countrywide Assured,
Harbour House,
Portway,
Preston PR2 2PR.
or by contacting our Customer Helpline free on 0800 262536

If your complaint is not dealt with to your satisfaction you can then complain to the:

Financial Ombudsman Service
South Quay Plaza,
183 Marsh Wall,
London E14 9SR.
Telephone: 0845 0801800

Making a complaint will not prejudice your right to legal proceedings.