Whichever side of the Brexit debate you have been on, Friday 31 January 2020 undoubtedly marks a momentous point in the country’s history. For at the stroke of 11pm, the UK will cease to be a member of the EU: the divorce will finally have been sealed.

It’s clearly been a long and rocky road getting to this stage with the process costing two Prime Ministers their jobs and dividing families the length and breadth of the country. However, since Boris Johnson won a landslide victory in December’s election with a mandate to ‘get Brexit done...


While homeowners can still benefit from low mortgage rates, savers will be struggling to enjoy any kind of growth on money they have on deposit, leading some to consider a riskier investment.

If you're considering investing in the stock market, one crucial and very personal issue is, quite simply, how you feel about the prospect of putting money at risk and your ability to accommodate any loss in value.

What's your appetite for risk?

It's a fact that risk and the potential for reward go hand in hand: Investments that are low in risk are ...


Find out below...

 

 

The first month of the year marked the first anniversary of Donald Trump as US President, his state of the union speech, the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland and that interview… between Donald Trump and Piers Morgan… Trump’s first international broadcast interview.

The FTSE 100 ended January at 7,533.55, which was 2.0% lower than the 2017 year end closing figure of 7,687.77. During January, the index climbed to an intra-day high on 12 January of 7,792.56.

In the US, the Dow Jones Industrial Average continued its general upward mo...


2017 was the year of the campaign trail, with several key elections held in countries with great influence on global economics and stock markets. Here, we recap on the political posturing that defined 2017, and what it meant of the global stock markets.

On 20 January, Donald Trump was inaugurated as the 45th President of the United States. Global stock markets had rallied since the election result on 8 November, with many in corporate America hoping to benefit from promised tax reforms. Not everyone was happy. The day after Trump's inaugura...


The Omnis Investment Committee oversees all aspects of the Omnis investment offering.

The Committee met recently to discuss the Omnis funds and the performance of the external fund managers. This bulletin summarises the principal discussion points from that meeting and is the latest in a series of regular updates from the Committee, which takes seriously its responsibility to ensure the funds are properly managed at all times.

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Read the full update »

Are you making the most of your ISA allowance?

With its new higher annual allowance, the tax-saving potential of Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) is
greater than ever. You can invest up to £20,000 a year in an ISA either in a single lump sum or in stages at any time during the tax year. There is no Income Tax on interest or dividends you receive from investments within your ISA and any profits generated are also free of Capital Gains Tax.

Find out more about ISAs in our handy download »

What's the alternative to a cash ISA?

With its new...


Mr Hammond’s second Budget of 2017 was presented against a different – and in many ways more difficult – backdrop from the first. The remnants of his previous Spring Budget were still haunting parliament until the Finance Bill 2017/19 received Royal Assent just six days before the Autumn Budget Day. The Government is relying on a confidence and supply agreement with the DUP to pass its Budget measures, past and present, support which itself cost an unbudgeted £1bn of extra expenditure.

Find out more in our Autumn 2017 Budget Bulletin »

Th...


Read our investment newsletter covering:

High inflation hits workers and savers - Reduced spending power calls for a new investment strategy.
Pension death benefits - Who gets your pension savings if you die?
The value of our advice - How we help people to set and realise their financial goals.
How to fund a university education - With record university fees how can you help pay for your child's education?
Take control of your investments - The features and benefits of an online Platform.
Investment advice -that's a relief! - A handy guide to ta...


This update comes to you from Schroders, managers of the Omnis UK Equity Fund.

It was a quarter for emerging markets and commodities, as a combination of robust economic recovery and low inflation drove the outperformance in these assets.

The trend was helped by a weak dollar with investors responding to signs of strength in activity outside the US, particularly in the eurozone. Overall, risk assets (such as equities) performed well, although sovereign bonds did well until the last month of the quarter when a more hawkish tilt from the US...


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