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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 March 2024 | 2.46% | 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 |
---|---|---|
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% | - |
Guides and Tools
Take a look at our guides and tools to help plan and monitor your investments. Find out more |
Keeping up to date with financial market and industry news can be difficult. To help you make sense of it all, our research team produce regular articles on current affairs and other topics that may interest you as an investor. You can read our latest articles here.
Know the full impact on tomorrow before dipping in today
24 Apr 24 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 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 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 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 Subscribe |
Investing in today’s fragmented world
21 Mar 24 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 |
Fancy adding some festive shine to your investments?
01 Dec 23 Do you hold anything shiny or shimmery across your investment accounts? Many of us have been hammered by higher costs of living this year and gold can be a useful hedge against high inflation, while being a good diversifier of returns. Here we run through some key considerations if you’re thinking of investing in gold, and ways to access the asset. Subscribe |
A deeper dive into the Autumn Statement
24 Nov 23 As we alluded to the other day, we know some items were leaked, some rumoured changes failed to materialise (saving something for the Spring, perhaps?) and some were skipped or glossed over in the speech itself, only to be fleshed out in the documents that followed. Subscribe |
What did you take from the Autumn Statement?
22 Nov 23 We hope you enjoy our quick summary. We’re sure more details will unfold in the coming days… Subscribe |
Do you share the government’s confidence in UK growth?
17 Nov 23 Subscribe |
What’s your ‘one thing’ this Talk Money Week?
10 Nov 23 Which is sad, because – as we also know – a problem shared is a problem halved, and with more expensive daily outgoings to contend with and a heightened awareness of the importance of financial wellbeing, we ought to put our self-consciousness to one side and start talking to each other. Noting that even the smallest steps are worth taking, this week’s theme for Talk Money Week is ‘Do One Thing’. What will yours be? Subscribe |
Your needs are always front and centre, with or without FCA say-so
03 Nov 23 We hope to be more considered with our communications; sometimes a light-touch look at some common investment themes or trends, occasionally more detailed pieces that aim to break the bigger picture and sometimes articles such as this one – keeping you abreast of industry goings-on. Subscribe |
As the Bank of England pauses for breath, what happens next?
27 Oct 23 In this article, we go back to 1986 and look at how stock and bond markets have reacted historically after the Bank of England has raised interest rates by at least 1%. Subscribe |
Remembering Black Monday with Liontrust’s multi-asset head
20 Oct 23 Some of you may well remember it. Perhaps some of you were invested at the time, and to those, we apologise for picking at long-healed wounds. Whether it was a mere news headline; something affecting other people, or you were face-down amid the market collapse, we thought it was worth a trip down memory lane, courtesy of the revered head of multi-asset team at Liontrust, John Husselbee. John was just two years into his career in the City when Black Monday struck, and shares his recollections of the time, alongside a few words of wisdom and lessons learnt. Subscribe |
Our new quarterly market review series has landed
13 Oct 23 We wanted to take a snapshot of that knowledge; distil it into a piece of useful commentary to share with you every three months, giving an overview of what’s been happening across the world’s major markets. The idea is that some of these observations will perhaps help you sense-check some of your existing investments, offer some fresh insight or inspire you to think about some new ideas to introduce to your investment and pension accounts. Subscribe |
Free Wills Month – is your house in order?
06 Oct 23 Supported by several of the UK’s leading charities, this initiative runs every other year, in March and October, offering anyone over the age of 55 to have their will written (or updated) for free. We’re always keen for people to start thinking about their future – and the inevitable preparations – nice and early. As such, we hope you find something useful in this week’s article, whether for you directly or for a loved one. Subscribe |
Think twice before dipping into your future savings
22 Sep 23 But for many pension savers, the high costs of living witnessed over the past 18 months has led them to rethink the ways, and the amounts, being saved into their retirement funds. In this week’s Insights article, we look at how people have been changing their behaviours as a result of higher living costs, and the possible implications. Subscribe |
After some investment inspiration?
08 Sep 23 Ready to download with the click of a mouse, this season’s guide is full of fresh ideas to populate your portfolios, or sense-check your existing investments. Whatever you’re after, we hope you find something of interest in our latest online guide. Subscribe |
Are we out of the woods?
18 Aug 23 As wages grew at their highest annual rate since comparable records began despite a loosening labour market, they revealed UK GDP was stronger than expected. While core inflation showed signs of easing, it begs the question, ‘are we over the worst of the pain?’ We run through some of the latest economic numbers and what they could mean for you. Subscribe |
Japan is rising again
04 Aug 23 We recently spoke to Nicholas Weindling and Miyako Urabe, managers of the JPM Japan Fund – featured on our Focus Funds list – and this week’s piece shares their thoughts, offering a detailed look at why the Japanese stock market has performed so well and whether it can continue. Subscribe |
How much do women and men differ when it comes to investing?
21 Jul 23 This month’s Women in Finance Summit showcased the female talent across the financial services sector, while drawing attention to some important issues. Do we really invest differently, based on gender? What habits or behaviours do men and women demonstrate? Subscribe |
Three reasons why investing and dating aren't worlds apart
07 Jul 23 The financial regulator recently carried out some research that examined how young people navigated the worlds of dating and investing, with fascinating results. Red flags, time horizons and ignoring the hype… we hope you read on with interest. Subscribe |
Mid-year update: what has 2023 shown us so far?
30 Jun 23 But here we are, at the end of June. And once again, for economies, markets and investments, it has been a very busy six months. This week’s article takes a whirlwind tour of the year to date, with some quick reminders if you’re planning to check in on any of your mainstream investments. Subscribe |
Mind over Money – forming good habits early
16 Jun 23 This week has been My Money Week – a national activity week that provides an opportunity for young people to gain the skills, knowledge and confidence in money matters to help them thrive. We hope this week’s article inspires you to speak to the young people in your life about money matters. Subscribe |
Investing for income, growth, or a bit of both?
02 Jun 23 Whether you’re looking for new ideas, sense-checking existing holdings or just want to read up on the broader theme, we hope you find something helpful in this week’s article. Don’t forget, our latest Investment Guide has just been released as well, which is packed full of inspiration. Subscribe |
Top tips for reviewing your portfolio
26 May 23 Either way, it’s worth a reminder of the tools, techniques and moving parts to cast an eye over from time to time. We hope you take something from this week’s article, when carrying out your own reviews. Subscribe |
Has the tide turned for Europe?
19 May 23 We spoke to Marcel Stötzel, co-manager of the Fidelity European Fund – that features on our Focus Funds list, to assess some of the challenges the region faces and whether this strong performance has potential to continue. Subscribe |
Does 'sell in May' still exist today?
12 May 23 Let’s look at the situation this year, and what it might mean for you. Subscribe |
Long live the king, long live the planet
05 May 23 No longer a limited number of investments that sacrifice financial performance for their ethical or cause-related approach, you’ll find a wide range of market leading ESG-related investments – those concentrated towards environmental, social and governance objectives – whichever your preference or style of investing. Subscribe |
Simply enter your details here for regular insights, hints and tips on the world of investing and for information about our products and services.
We don’t provide advice as to whether an investment is suitable for you. Before investing you should make sure you understand the risks involved and, if you’re unsure, seek expert financial advice.
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.
Willis Owen Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and is registered in England (No.3283706) at Ground Floor, 507 (Unit 2), Centennial Business Park, Elstree, WD6 3FG. The information and content of this site is intended for UK consumers. The Willis Owen Smart Savings service is not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Smart Savings is provided (on behalf of Willis Owen Limited) by Raisin Platforms Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (No. 813894).