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Cash interest explained

You will receive interest on balances in your platform cash account at the prevailing rate.

Embark Investment Services Limited acts as the custodian for investments on the Willis Owen platform and is one of our strategic partners that provides our Willis Owen ISA, GIA, Junior ISA and SIPP.

Embark places cash with a number of banking partners for safekeeping and to provide the potential for you to earn interest on money in your platform cash account. By managing cash in this way, it aims to provide better protection and a higher overall level of interest than if all funds were placed with a single bank.

The rates of interest paid by banks will vary. Embark retains a portion of the interest earned to cover its costs in managing platform cash.

Current Interest Rate

The table below shows the current customer interest rate payable on cash balances along with the amount of interest retained by Embark. The customer interest rate shown is that after accounting for interest retained by Embark:

Date From	Customer Interest Rate	Interest retained by Embark
25th November 2024	2.3%	1.75% - 2.00%

Embark can change the rate of interest at any time and it reviews the position at least quarterly. Interest is calculated and accrued daily and is credited to your account on the first of each month. If you transfer out, accrued interest is applied at the point of transfer. We will inform you if and when the interest rate changes as soon as is practicable.

Interest retained

The table below shows the yearly equivalent rates of interest Embark expects to pay based on a range of possible yearly interest rates it may earn.

Interest Embark expects to earn	Customer Interest Rate	Interest retained by Embark
0-1%	0 – 0.46%	0 – 0.54%
1-2%	0.46% – 0.94%	0.54% – 1.06%
2-3%	0.94% – 1.46%	1.06% – 1.54%
3-4%	1.46% – 2.02%	1.54% – 1.98%
4-5%	2.02% – 2.61%	1.98% – 2.39%
5%+	2.61%+	2.39%+

Historic Interest Rates

To see details of historic customer interest rates, along with the amount of interest retained by Embark, click here.

Date From	Customer Interest Rate	Interest retained by Embark
12th June 2024	2.60%	1.86%
25th March 2024	2.46%	1.97%
6th October 2023	2.16%	1.70%
17th July 2023	2.00%	2.05%
19th April 2023	0.99%	-
17th March 2023	0.49%	-
2nd February 2023	0.43%	-
22nd November 2022	0.29%	-
1st November 2022	0.22%	-
1st August 2022	0.10%	-
24th April 2020	0.00%	-
1st September 2018	0.55%	-
1st May 2018	0.40%	-
13th November 2017	0.15%	-

Equity Styles Explained

Market capitalisation is an indication of the size of the companies being invested in. It is calculated by multiplying the number of shares issued by the company by the current share price. Market capitalisation is divided into ‘large’, ‘medium’ or ‘small’ according to the below:

Large – Companies that have a market capitalisation greater than $10 billion.

Medium – Companies that have a market capitalisation between $2 billion and $10 billion.

Small – Companies that have a market capitalisation below $2 billion.

Companies can be categorised as ‘value’, ‘blend’ or ‘growth’ as defined below:

Value – Companies that are considered to be trading at a share price below what their fundamentals would suggest.

Blend – Companies that do not exhibit solely value or growth characteristics.

Growth – Typically well-established companies which are considered to have above average prospects for long-term growth.

Equity Regions Explained

Equity region indicates in which countries the underlying shares within your portfolio are listed.

USA – Companies listed on a stock market in the USA.

Canada – Companies listed on a stock market in Canada.

Latin America – Companies listed on stock markets in the Caribbean, Central America and South America, such as Mexico, Brazil and Argentina.

United Kingdom – Companies listed on a stock market in the United Kingdom, Guernsey, Isle of Man and Jersey.

Eurozone – Companies listed on stock markets in countries which have the Euro as their official currency, such as France, Germany and Spain.

Europe ex Eurozone – Companies listed on stock markets in western European countries which do not have the Euro as their official currency, such as Denmark, Sweden and Switzerland.

Europe Emerging – Companies listed on stock markets in European emerging markets, such as Poland, Russia and Turkey.

Africa – Companies listed on stock markets in African countries, such as Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa.

Middle East – Companies listed on stock markets in Middle Eastern countries, such as Israel, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

Japan – Companies listed on a stock market in Japan.

Australasia – Companies listed on stock markets in Australia and New Zealand.

Asia Developed – Companies listed on stock markets in developed Asian countries, such as Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan.

Asia Emerging – Companies listed on stock markets in emerging Asian countries, such as China, India and Thailand.

Equity Sectors Explained

Cyclical – Companies which operate in industries that are considered to be significantly affected by economic shifts. When the economy is prosperous, these industries tend to expand and when the economy is in a downturn they tend to shrink.

Basic Materials - Companies that manufacture chemicals, building materials and paper products. This sector also includes companies engaged in commodities exploration and processing.

Consumer Cyclical - This sector includes retail stores, auto and auto-parts manufacturers, restaurants, lodging facilities, specialty retail and travel companies.

Financial Services - Companies that provide financial services include banks, savings and loans, asset management companies, credit services, investment brokerage firms and insurance companies.

Real Estate - This sector includes companies that develop, acquire, manage and operate real estate properties.

Sensitive – Companies that operate in industries that ebb and flow with the overall economy, but not severely. Sensitive industries fall between defensive and cyclical, as they are not immune to a poor economy, but they also may not be as severely affected as cyclicals.

Communication Services - Companies that provide communication services using fixed-line networks or those that provide wireless access and services. Also includes companies that provide advertising & marketing services, entertainment content and services, as well as interactive media and content provider over internet or through software.

Energy - Companies that produce or refine oil and gas, oilfield-services and equipment companies and pipeline operators. This sector also includes companies that mine thermal coal and Uranium.

Industrials - Companies that manufacture machinery, hand-held tools and industrial products. This sector also includes aerospace and defence firms as well as companies engaged in transportation services.

Technology - Companies engaged in the design, development and support of computer operating systems and applications. This sector also includes companies that make computer equipment, data storage products, networking products, semiconductors and components.

Defensive – Companies which operate in industries that are relatively immune from economic shifts. These industries provide services that consumers require in both good and bad times.

Consumer Defensive – Companies that manufacture food, beverages, household and personal products, packaging, or tobacco. Also includes companies that provide services such as education and training services.

Healthcare – This sector includes biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, research services, home healthcare, hospitals, long-term-care facilities and medical equipment and supplies. Also includes pharmaceutical retailers and companies which provide health information services.

Utilities - Electric, gas and water utilities.

Product Involvement Explained

Product Involvement metrics measure the percentage of a portfolio's assets exposed to a range of business areas and activities. For example, if a fund's involvement in Animal Testing is 20%, that means 20% of the fund's assets are invested in companies involved in Animal Testing.

Exposure percentages are calculated by summing the weights of a portfolio’s holdings in the companies involved in each area. In most cases a company is considered ‘involved’ in a certain area if it's revenue from that area exceeds a certain minimum threshold. In other areas, for example animal testing, abortion, contraceptives and human embryonic stem cell research, there is no revenue threshold such that if the company has any involvement at all in these areas, it will be considered involved. If a company is considered involved in an area, the entire weight of that company in a portfolio is counted when determining the overall percentages shown.

ESG Pillars Explained

Morningstar's ESG Pillar Scores help investors understand how a fund is performing in three key areas: Environmental (E), Social (S), and Governance (G). These scores break down the overall sustainability risk of a portfolio into these specific categories.

Each score reflects how much environmental, social, and governance factors contribute to the overall risk of companies in the fund. The scores are averaged based on the size of each company in the portfolio. Lower scores mean lower risk.

To receive these scores, at least 67% of the fund’s assets must be rated for their ESG risk. This provides investors with a clearer view of a fund’s exposure to sustainability risks in different areas.

Asset Allocation Explained

Equity – Often referred to as shares. Shares are units of ownership in a company which entitle the holder to certain rights for example to exercise voting rights or to participate in the company’s profits.

Fixed Income – Often referred to as fixed interest or bonds. When you invest in bonds, you are typically lending money to a company or a government in return for a defined series of interest payments and the promise that a defined value (called the ‘face’ or ‘par’ value) will be returned at a certain point in time

Property – Investments in property include residential, offices, warehouses and shopping centres.

Cash – Money held in cash or cash-like instruments, often to ensure there are sufficient liquid assets within a portfolio.

Other – Contains other investments such as commodities, preferred stock and derivatives.

Insights

We cover a range of topics that may help you manage your cash savings and investments. This includes topics like how current affairs can impact your investments or tips to boost returns on your cash savings.


Are you clear on your financial goals? 06 Dec 24 Sam Shaw Many of us get stuck in our ways. The ways we think about our lives, the future, our wellbeing and life goals. Do we all share the same ambitions or are things more nuanced? This week we caught up with one of Morningstar’s senior behavioural insights researchers, hearing how we might set, redefine and review our financial goals and how they overlap with the way we might invest. Subscribe

Have you ever been caught under the ‘finfluence’? 29 Nov 24 Sam Shaw Last month, the financial regulator shone its spotlight on illegal ‘finfluencers’ – financial influencers touting financial services products illegally on social media. We’ve been talking about the rise of finfluencers a lot at Willis Owen HQ and thought it was worth a quick note on who these people are, why some might be doing more harm than good and share a few things to bear in mind. Subscribe

Black Friday: love it, loathe it or look at new ideas because of it? 21 Nov 24 Sam Shaw It’s that time of year again, where our TV ad breaks, inboxes and high streets are full of promotional messages, inviting us to save while spending, in turn supporting the UK retail sector. Yes, this time next week it’s ‘Black Friday’. Some of you will have your lists ready to hit the sales, perhaps getting your festive shopping nailed down and saving in the process. Some of you will certainly want to shut your eyes (and wallets!) and ignore all the consumerist attention this annual event highlights. Maybe the hype has you thinking about ‘retail’ in a different way, inspiring you to revisit some investment opportunities from all that consumer activity? Subscribe

Why we mustn’t stop talking about gender 15 Nov 24 Sam Shaw In recent months we’ve witnessed political history being made. Rachel Reeves’ Budget speech last month opened by shining a light on the fact she was the UK’s very first female Chancellor of the Exchequer. If US vice president Kamala Harris had won the race to the Oval Office, she would have become America’s first woman president. It was not to be this time, but maybe one day… So, we thought it was timely to write about women in leadership across business, politics and finance. Despite an industry-wide focus on pushing diversity and inclusion higher up the agenda, fewer than 10% of fund managers today are women. In this article we hear from and about some of the women smashing through that proverbial glass ceiling, as many of us sit wondering why it’s even still there. Subscribe

So, Trump has done it again… now what? 08 Nov 24 Sam Shaw Following a dramatic election campaign, Republican nominee Donald Trump has reclaimed the White House in an historic second non-consecutive term – the first person to do so since 1897. We’ve gathered some views on what we might expect, market reaction and expectations, while sharing a few reminders to not let politics sway your long-term investment decisions. Subscribe

A Budget to repair “broken” Britain? 31 Oct 24 Sam Shaw On Wednesday we shared some of the top headlines from the bumper Budget. Today we dive into some more of the detail, with what it could mean for you. There are bound to be winners and losers, as with any fiscal statement, and some of the tipped measures may never see the light of day. But Labour was voted in with the task of effecting change, and, as the Government has reiterated: “Change must be felt”. Subscribe

Autumn Budget 2024: will Reeves’ decisions go far enough to deliver “economic stability”? 30 Oct 24 Sam Shaw Today, Chancellor Rachel Reeves delivered her first Budget. In what was the first since Labour returned to Government, measures included raising tax by £40bn in an effort to rebalance the books. /p> Here we’ve summarised the key announcements from his statement, we hope you’ll read with interest. Subscribe

We await the Budget with bated breath – what might be in store? 25 Oct 24 Sam Shaw You’d have to have been living under a rock the past couple of months to have escaped the leaks and warning shots about the “painful” Budget that will be unveiled next Wednesday (30th October). As with previous editions featuring ‘the big red book’ – be they Autumn or Spring-timed fiscal statements – our team at Willis Owen will be delivering the headlines on the day, and undoubtedly with a follow-up piece or two, should they feel warranted. For now, we wanted to share a top-line sweep of the main areas to look out for, that may relate to your saving and investment accounts, held with Willis Owen or elsewhere. Subscribe

Join us for a whistlestop tour – Market Review Q3 2024 14 Oct 24 Sam Shaw It’s that time again. Yet we’re taking a bit of a shorter whistlestop tour than usual as we look at this past quarter of market performance. As elections and Budget-related activity are driving much of the news agenda across major markets, we’ll keep things fairly brief. We hope you find the review of the past three months interesting, and it helps make sense of some of the performance you may have witnessed in your own investments. Subscribe

‘Mary, Mary, quite contrary, how do your investments grow?’ 11 Oct 24 Sam Shaw You’ll see that we’ve mentioned various investment styles in our Insights articles and investment guides over the years. One style that comes up from time to time is that of contrarian investing. Here we explain what it means and how some of your chosen investments might feature this particular style of going against the herd. Subscribe

Back to basics – get into the granularity of bottom-up investing 04 Oct 24 Sam Shaw A few weeks ago, we shared an article that looked at a style of investing known as ‘top-down’. This is where the macroeconomic picture provides the starting point for a professional investor’s decisions, determining how they manage their portfolios. This week, we look at its counterpart, referred to as ‘bottom-up’ investing. Subscribe

Will you be ‘living your best life’ in the future? 27 Sep 24 Sam Shaw Recent months have seen pensions fall into many a planned reform by the Labour government, pushing them rapidly onto our collective radar. In September, pensions have been front and centre for many across our industry – and perhaps for many of you. The pensions industry and governing bodies have rolled out several campaigns. Even the occasional celebrity has got involved (we’re looking at YOU, Gemma Collins!). These different factions have joined forces to remind us all of the importance of pensions: starting one; increasing your contributions; finding old ones to bring together; or just checking in to make sure yours is doing what it set out to do. We’ve pulled together some interesting stats, facts and reminders that may prove useful for you – wherever you’re at in preparing for your retirement. Subscribe

Back to basics – are any of your funds run with a top-down strategy? 20 Sep 24 Sam Shaw Fund managers typically adopt different styles of investing that play to their particular strengths or areas of interest. Over the coming weeks, we’re sharing a brief overview of some popular investment styles and how they might play out in some of the funds you hold. This week – top-down investing. Subscribe

Is China’s superpower waning, or are opportunities abound? 13 Sep 24 Sam Shaw While investing in the world’s second-largest economy can offer interesting investment opportunities reaching far beyond those presented by developed markets, it can also bring a different set of risks. In this week’s article, we’ve laid out the arguments for and against investing in the region and what investors might expect as we look to the end of the year. Subscribe

Arguing both sides for investing in India 06 Sep 24 Sam Shaw India is one of the fastest-growing major economies in the world and has been enjoying its longest-ever stock market rally this year. In this week’s article, we’ll look at what’s been driving some of that performance, some reasons whether or not this positive run may continue and some key considerations when investing in the vast region. Subscribe

Sunshine spending and summer savings 30 Aug 24 Sam Shaw Let’s be honest, weather-wise it’s not felt too much like summer has hit much of the country. But some of you may be squeezing out these last vestiges of the season before the days start to draw in by keeping your mind turned to holidays. Was this last Bank Holiday of the year a final weekender before the kids go back to school? Are you making the most of a staycation local to where you live? Maybe you’re starting to think about your next break in the hope for some winter sun. This week’s article looks at a few fun facts, tips and ideas for holiday budgeting, hopefully helping you stretch your money a little further. Subscribe

What could the US election mean for your investments? 23 Aug 24 Sam Shaw Whether you are invested directly in an actively managed US-focused fund or your exposure comes via a global tracker, you’ll undoubtedly touch North American investments to some degree at some point during your investing lifespan. So, with the Democratic National Convention taking place this week, we took the prompt to take a look at the investment prospects for the US. An election won’t necessarily influence what happens with investment markets but they do present themes that land on our radar as a result. Subscribe

Ambitious plans for pensions reform will reach far and wide 12 Aug 24 Sam Shaw We’ve talked about pensions reform before and various announcements since the Starmers took residence at 10 Downing Street suggest the pace of said reform will be fast and carefully considered, rather than furious. From the King’s Speech announcing a surprise pensions bill to Chancellor Rachel Reeves being inspired by Canada’s model for scheme consolidation, there’s a lot pension savers can look forward to – if they manage to pull it off. We’ll likely hear more specific plans in the Autumn Budget, but for now, we’ve detailed the major headlines and how the pensions-related services we offer alongside those announcements might help. Subscribe

How do you feel about a widening pensions gap? 07 Aug 24 Sam Shaw We’ve written before about the wide ‘gap’ many Britons face between the levels of pension savings and the amounts needed when they eventually reach retirement. Hopefully, your pension savings plans are firmly on track but if you’re wondering whether you’re putting enough away, or unsure what your financial need may look like into retirement, the following article will likely be of interest. Subscribe

UK dividends reach record highs in Q2 02 Aug 24 Sam Shaw Many of our customers are investing to generate additional income – either to boost their living expenditures or to reinvest, bolstering their investment growth prospects through the power of compounding. In either case, we expect you may find an overview of the state of the UK dividend market useful from time to time. We therefore hope you read this week’s piece with interest, whatever your current investment objectives. Subscribe

Do ETFs feature in your investments? 26 Jul 24 Sam Shaw Many of us have become increasingly cost-conscious in recent years. Shaving off a few pence and pounds here and there can make a big difference to your overall financial picture. And the same applies to your investments. While most of our customers favour traditional funds, more retail money – that is invested by individual people for their personal gains rather than institutional money – that invested on behalf of governments and the corporate world, is flowing into ETFs. In this article we explore some key features of these cost-effective investment funds and point you to other helpful resources. Subscribe

Market review Q2 2024 19 Jul 24 Amar Patel This look back at Q2 is a chance for our investment analysts to demonstrate their expertise; sharing insights and opinions honed through the course of their research and engagement with the broader fund management sector. Whether new intel or familiar ground, we aim to make your investing life easier by bringing everything together in one place. These market review pieces cover the major markets, leading asset classes and some highlights over individual share performance, where they are listed in the UK. You can use this commentary to help inform the decisions you make around your own investments – whether ISA, GIA or SIPP accounts, as a mere sense-check or perhaps inform some fresh ideas for your portfolio. When doing so please remember that the value of investments can go down as well as up and you may get back less than you invested. Subscribe

Over 150 years and still going strong… are you using investment trusts? 12 Jul 24 Sam Shaw As promised, we’ve dedicated a few weeks’ worth of blog content to taking things back to basics – in particular the types of investment vehicles we offer on Willis Owen’s platform. We recognise that most of our customers head straight for open-ended funds when they invest. But is that because you aren’t clear on the features of the other options? Have you considered investment trusts? Read on for a run-through of how these alternatives to mainstream funds work and where they might make useful additions to your overall investment mix. Subscribe

What’s on your share investing checklist? 05 Jul 24 Sam Shaw How do you like to access the stock market? Are you an individual stock picker or do you leave it to the experts and buy funds? Maybe you like to do a bit of both. Whichever your approach, we’ve got you covered. Here we take things back to basics with a few reminders of things investors in shares ought to understand. Subscribe

Which box will you mark next Thursday? 28 Jun 24 Sam Shaw Who are you planning to vote for next Thursday? As the major parties have been pounding the pavements on their campaign trails the past few weeks, have they caught your attention? Still undecided or are you an unwavering party loyalist? We’re not political commentators, clearly but we thought it would be worth a quick round-up of the main contenders and what investors might expect regarding their financial affairs, depending on the outcome. Subscribe

How are you accessing the markets? 21 Jun 24 Sam Shaw There are some basic ‘rules of thumb’ worth following for most mainstream investors – don’t keep all your eggs in one basket, take a medium-to-long term view, make sure you’re not taking on more risk than you are comfortable with (or can afford to lose if the worst happens) and so on. Yet when you get past the basic principles, investing can be quite a personal experience. From the reasons why people start investing in the first place, to the factors influencing their choices, everyone will have a slightly different story to tell. Here we run through another perspective that relates to taking different approaches – this week looking at the various vehicles available on our platform. Subscribe

Are your investments varied enough? 14 Jun 24 Sam Shaw We’ve been writing in recent weeks about the benefits of diversification and not keeping all your eggs in one basket. This spreading of risk can be achieved in various ways, and one of those comes down to asset allocation. All this means is blending multiple asset classes – shares, bonds, cash, etc – to work together so that your overall investment ‘portfolio’ is more well-balanced. In theory, this should protect your money from wild upward or downward swings in either direction at any one time. Whether this is something you’re already doing and you’d welcome a sense-check or perhaps you’d appreciate seeing the benefits of a wider asset choice, we hope this article is of interest. Subscribe

Casting the net in fresh waters 07 Jun 24 Sam Shaw It’s easy to keep fishing in the same waters, isn’t it? You usually know what to expect. We understand there is a strong case for investing in the UK currently. Our government keeps telling us about the growth opportunity; the markets tell us there are great companies to be found at discounted prices; and you – our customers – certainly seem to believe so, if your hefty allocations towards UK companies are anything to go by. But what about the alternatives? Consider the impact – positive or negative – on your investments by introducing more exposure to different regions. We’re not making any such recommendation, but just here to remind you there’s a bigger pond out there in which to fish – if it suits your circumstances to do so. Subscribe

Three popular ways into investing 30 May 24 Sam Shaw We appreciate that everyone invests for different purposes, using various approaches and types of investments to achieve their objectives. At Willis Owen, we’re all about choice. So if you’re someone who needs a little more support, likes to receive ideas from time to time, or prefer to go it alone, we’ve got a route for all preferences. Perhaps you’ve been investing for a while or maybe you’re just getting started – but whether this is new information or a welcome refresher, we hope you find something of interest. Subscribe

What can bond investors expect in the coming months? 24 May 24 Sam Shaw Whenever there are economic meetings hitting the headlines, it prompts us to look at the effect on different aspects of our investment portfolios. Levels of economic and geopolitical uncertainty are twin forces making the current environment particularly challenging for fixed income (bond) investing, because making predictions is so hard. Subscribe

Morningstar’s expert view on the new sustainability rules 17 May 24 Sam Shaw As we’ve mentioned before, as our preferred research partner, we often look towards Morningstar’s vast expertise to help us delve into the detail around certain prominent investment themes. This week, we caught up with Lindsey Stewart, director of investment stewardship research at the research and ratings provider, to chat through some of the themes that came up during his regulatory panel discussion at the group’s annual conference a couple of weeks ago. The regulator’s new sustainability disclosure requirements (SDR) and labelling regime for products boasting claims around sustainability and environmental, social and governance (ESG) credibility was a key area of focus. Subscribe

What does the Bank’s latest move mean for you? 10 May 24 Edward Johnson On Thursday (9^th May) the Bank of England held its latest Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting, setting out its latest views on where the economy is heading and how it plans to tackle inflation, given the many headwinds currently being faced. While we never suggest anyone make changes to their long-term investments based solely on short-term announcements, economic news items are important variables that may affect aspects of your own financial situation, so it’s good to be informed. Subscribe

What’s your view of the proposed British ISA? 03 May 24 Sam Shaw What’s your view of the proposed British ISA? Is it an appealing idea or are you satisfied with the range of ISAs already available? Here we run through some of the pros, cons and considerations of the government’s latest ISA innovation. Subscribe

Know the full impact on tomorrow before dipping in today 24 Apr 24 Sam Shaw We understand the temptation to ease any financial burden today by borrowing from your future self. But it’s also important to know the repercussions of doing so. This week’s article looks at some of the questions to ask yourself if you’re thinking about dipping into savings designed for the longer term. Subscribe

Investing on the way up & the way down 17 Apr 24 Sam Shaw We talk about investment objectives a lot in this line of work. Personal goals and financial objectives, yes, but also the more specific ways in which people invest at a certain time in their life. Everyone’s goals are different but from a technical standpoint, investing in general falls into two broad strategies. One is about growing and the other about enabling withdrawals, and you can think about these two approaches in different ways. Subscribe

Market Review Q1 2024 11 Apr 24 Amar Patel Welcome to the first instalment of our quarterly market review for 2024; the chance for our expert investment research analysts to showcase the intel, insights and opinions they build throughout the year. Some of this may be new news, some of it will have been well covered. By bringing everything together in one place, we hope will make your life easier. We’ve looked at the major markets, leading asset classes and – in the case of the UK – offer some highlights over individual share performance. Our aim is that you can use this commentary to help inform the decisions you make around your own investments (whether ISA, GIA or SIPP accounts), as a sense-check or to shape some ideas from a new perspective. Subscribe

Three new (tax) year resolutions to think about 05 Apr 24 Sam Shaw Several aspects of personal finance typically come into focus as we move from one tax year into the next. Are you on top of all your tax breaks or have you left things to the last minute (again)? We’ve offered a few suggestions that tend to rear their heads at this time of year, which we hope you’ll find useful – today or over the coming 12 months. Subscribe

AI: What is it? And how can I invest in it? 26 Mar 24 Amar Patel Artificial Intelligence (AI) was the story of 2023 in equity markets as several companies linked to AI saw huge increases in their share price. Experts believe that AI could be a significant paradigm shift, which some say could have the same impact on the global economy as when electricity was first invented. AI means different things to different people and in this article, we will explain what AI is and the investment opportunities there are in this global megatrend. Subscribe

Investing in today’s fragmented world 21 Mar 24 Amar Patel Over the past few years, we have seen the world become more fragmented as geopolitical risks have increased. This has caused higher levels of global uncertainty as well as rising volatility in financial markets. The trend looks set to continue in 2024, especially given it’s a ‘bumper’ year of political elections. However, when one door closes another one tends to open and despite uncertainty in some areas of the market, we see potential opportunities in others. In this article, we are going to look at the geopolitical risks the world faces in 2024 as well as the opportunities that could arise for your investments. Subscribe

Spring into action 14 Mar 24 Sam Shaw Unlike beating rugs and jet-washing patios, which lend themselves more to slightly brighter weather, spring cleaning our finances can be done any time of year. So perhaps it’s more about sentiment than practicality. If you’re all over such tasks, we’ll leave you to it. If you don’t think you can be bothered, or aren’t sure where to start, we’ve got a few handy pointers for you. Subscribe

2024 Spring Budget Round Up 06 Mar 24 Ian Taunt Today, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt delivered his second Spring Budget. In what is widely expected to be the last fiscal event before a general election, the measures announced included further tax cuts and measures intended to boost investment in the UK. Here we’ve summarised the key announcements from his statement, we hope you’ll read with interest. Subscribe

What legacy will you leave? 28 Feb 24 Sam Shaw When it comes to financial affairs, many of us think about our pension contributions, insure our property and try our best to form a regular savings habit. But when it comes to getting to grips with events after we die, we tend to overlook things – often until it’s too late. A report out last year found that more than four in 10 people had not had a single conversation with their loved ones about what was to happen on their passing. Subscribe

What next for UK banks? Two top fund managers tell us 23 Feb 24 Sam Shaw We’re always keen to remind our readers that the joy (and occasional pain) of investing comes with lows as well as highs. Companies and sectors fall only to rise again. This week we remember the landmark case of Royal Bank of Scotland’s government bailout and how far the banking sector has come since. For closer insight, we’ve turned to two managers at the helm of one of our Focus Funds – the list hand-picked by our research team of preferred funds from all corners of the market. Subscribe

Smitten with a spender, saver or splurger? How to talk about love and money 14 Feb 24 Sam Shaw Are you someone who celebrates Valentine’s Day or do you leave it to all those hopeless romantics? Whether you’re sitting in wedded (or cohabiting) bliss, still searching for ‘the one’ or happily single, your relationship status seemingly has quite the bearing on your finances. Perhaps unfairly, perhaps logically, the world often appears predisposed to favouring those who come as a pair – certainly when it comes to spending. Things are rarely costed as simply as ‘two equals twice the cost of one’. This week we delve into some of the quirks and questions that often get asked (and hopefully answered) about money, love and relationships. Subscribe

What will you take from this year’s ISA guide? 09 Feb 24 Sam Shaw Welcome to the 25^th edition of our annual ISA guide. We like to think we’ve learnt a thing or two in that time so we hope you’ll find something of relevance, whether you’re a seasoned Willis Owen ISA customer, trying us out for the first time or haven’t quite made up your mind just yet. Whatever you’re after, we’re here to help and this year’s ISA guide should help you get on a front foot. Subscribe

And so the pauses on interest rates continue… 02 Feb 24 Sam Shaw A month under our belts and 2024, while still showing clouds of uncertainty, is hinting at more reasons for optimism than we saw during much of 2023 – but timing will be everything. Between inflation surprises, monetary policy debate and industry forecasts, at Willis Owen we’re all over the macroeconomic landscape. Subscribe

10 top tips for getting your financial plans in place 26 Jan 24 Sam Shaw There’s plenty of evidence that being more in control of your finances has a positive contribution to someone’s mental health and overall sense of wellbeing. Financial wellbeing is where a person is financially secure and satisfied with their current financial situation. Unfortunately in the UK, many households find themselves grappling with financial stress. Over 40% of UK adults have experienced financial worries and nearly a quarter of them said those worries had a significant impact on their mental health. From rising living costs to economic uncertainty, the root cause of people’s financial anxiety will vary. Financial education, confidence and, in turn, resilience – whatever those look like to you – are things we can all strive to improve. Subscribe

Which supermarkets get your share of wallet – investment or actual? 19 Jan 24 Sam Shaw Be it on gifts, party food, stocking up the drinks cabinet for any impromptu social gatherings or refreshing your winter wardrobes, it’s fair to say that a lot of us spend more than usual over the holidays. So as we’re now firmly entrenched in January, we thought it would be worth a look at how our favoured retail names fared in their latest trading updates, which included the festive season. Subscribe

How 2023 concluded: our second quarterly market review 12 Jan 24 Amar Patel Three months soon passes, doesn’t it? Welcome to the next instalment of our quarterly market review; the chance for our expert investment research analysts to showcase the intel, insights and opinions they build throughout the year. Some of this may be new news, some of it will have been well covered. By bringing everything together in one place, we hope will make your life easier. We’ve looked at the major markets, leading asset classes and – in the case of the UK – offer some highlights over individual share performance. Our aim is that you can use this commentary to hep inform the decisions you make around your own investments (whether ISA, GIA or SIPP accounts), as a sense-check or to shape some ideas from a new perspective. Subscribe

Five financial new year resolutions worth considering 05 Jan 24 Sam Shaw Happy new year to you – we hope you had a nice festive break, avoided any December illness bugs doing the rounds and are looking forward to what 2024 may bring. It would feel remiss of us to kick off January without some suggestions for getting your finances in check, so read on for a few ideas. Subscribe

How has UK spending fared towards the end of this year? 15 Dec 23 Sam Shaw Nearing the end of the year and heading into the festive season always shines a light on our spending. Do you tend to go overboard buying presents? How successful are you at sticking to budgets? Are you likely to start the new year with a debt hangover? We’re still in a phase of relatively high inflation which, though expected to rise at a progressively slower pace, looks like it’s sticking around for some time yet. This means a lot of people are still feeling the pinch on their day-to-day outgoings. Earlier this month, the banking and finance sector’s trade body, UK Finance, published its review of household finances for the third quarter of 2023. A look at some of its key findings will give us a sense of how we’re all getting on with our money and where some of the pinch-points lie. Subscribe

Want to know how ETFs can work for you? Enjoy your free guide 08 Dec 23 Sam Shaw We’ve got an early holiday gift for you. Many of us are keeping a keen eye on budgets right now, with everything costing us more than it did a year or two ago. If you’re looking to reduce charges in some of your investments, you may want to consider exchange-traded funds (ETFs) – a low-cost way of accessing whole areas of the market through a single security. With that in mind, we’ve just launched Willis Owen’s Guide to ETFs. Packed with information, from back-to-basics explainers to details around how, when and which ETFs to use, pros and cons and deconstructing some key terms. Subscribe

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Past performance of an investment is not a guide to future performance, the value of investments or income from them may go down as well as up and you may get back less than you originally invested. Tax treatment depends on your individual circumstances and may change.

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