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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.
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.
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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.
We provide via our website willisowen.co.uk information on investments and various markets, performance, market commentaries and on individual funds. We may also provide research tools to enable customers to review funds, evaluate asset allocation and assess performance. This information is supplied to assist you. No information supplied here is to be viewed as investment advice.
Where commentary is supplied by Willis Owen it represents the view of the author at the time it is given. This view may change without updating the views on our site. You must not rely solely on any commentary provided by us, and these views do not represent personal advice to you. Where applicable you should read any relevant Simplified Prospectus and Key Facts and Key Information Documents pertaining to your investments. We are not liable for any losses you may suffer from our research commentary.
In order to register for certain services you will need to provide your email address. If you do not hold an email address or you share it with another person, please contact our Customer Service Team.
Your email address will be used by Willis Owen purely for the following purposes:
Willis Owen will not pass on your email address to any third parties, unless legally required to do so. If you would prefer not to be contacted for marketing purposes you may withdraw your consent by emailing enquiries@willisowen.co.uk . Willis Owen Limited will use other information you supply for the administration and servicing of your investments and all other related activities.
Once you have accepted the Terms and Conditions of this agreement, you will be entitled to access the content made available to you in accordance with this agreement.
Willis Owen will use reasonable endeavours to make the services available for access at all times. Access to the website may, however, be suspended from time to time for maintenance and development work.
Willis Owen does not currently make a charge for accessing Review, Play and Find Investments (the services) but reserve the right to do so in the future. If Willis Owen does decide to charge for the service we will give you at least 30 days’ notice. If you decide not to continue with the service from this point there will be no charge, however access could be denied.
Once you have registered for the service(s) and accepted the Terms and Conditions of this agreement you will become an authorised user and will be able to use your security details to access the site.
You must keep your security details secret and take all reasonable precautions to prevent unauthorised use of them.
You must not disclose your security details to any other person or record your security details in any way that may result in them becoming known to another person.
If you suspect someone knows your security details you should contact us immediately on 0800 597 2525 (calls may be recorded for monitoring purposes).
Willis Owen will use reasonable skill and care in selecting and providing secure access to the content. Due to the inherent nature of the internet, however, and the number of sources from which Willis Owen obtains the content, Willis Owen does not give any warranties, express or implied, or make any representations as to the accuracy, adequacy or ability to access, or any delay in access, security of access, suitability or security of use of any content.
Willis Owen does not accept any responsibility and will not be liable for any failure in the operation of the service, which arises as a result of any error in data transmission, or machine, or software malfunction, or from your operating error (other than any such failure arising as a result of Willis Owen negligence).
If you nominate an alternative adviser or intermediary, access to the service will be terminated immediately.
You may terminate your right to use the service by emailing enquiries@willisowen.co.uk or in writing to Willis Owen Limited at our administration address: PO Box 766, Borehamwood, WD6 9JS. Upon receipt, your instruction will be processed without undue delay.
We may, where we consider it appropriate for you or your protection, suspend, withdraw or restrict the use of the service, or any part of it. We will tell you as soon as practicable if we take such action.
By using the service, you are deemed to accept this agreement, as a binding contract between you and Willis Owen Limited, regarding your access to, and your use of the service. Use of the service is also subject to the separate Review service Terms and Conditions which you will be required to accept when registering for the service.
Review is provided for the sole purpose of improving your access to our fund research facilities in the context of your active funds based on the information we have about your holdings.
There is no additional charge for the use of Review but you do have to log in to use the Service. Only you can see your fund information.
The investments shown within the review service will be valued on a daily basis from a unit price perspective. Some providers, such as Aegon and the Willis Owen Platform will also provide updated unit holdings. The remainder of your investments will be updated on a monthly basis and we will use our best endeavours to ensure that you are provided with an accurate reflection of your holdings.
If you choose to record investments within your Review account which were not arranged through Willis Owen and which you hold elsewhere, the unit/shareholding position will not be updated by Willis Owen and must be maintained by you in order to ensure that Review provides an accurate valuation of your holdings.
In order to use the Review service, you will first need to register using the Willis Owen website. To do so, you will need to provide certain personal information including your email address and a telephone number. To register for, and to use the service you will need to choose a secure password. Access to the service may be verified by means of a One Time Passcode sent to a validated mobile phone or landline number. Our security protocols and requirements may be subject to change.
By using the service, you are deemed to accept this agreement, as a binding contract between you and Willis Owen Limited, regarding your access to, and your use of the service. Participants are held to the
Play Usage Terms and Conditions as well as our posted content Terms and Conditions.
The Willis Owen Play IS FOR ENTERTAINMENT AND EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. While this simulation may replicate some of Willis Owen’s trading functions, they are not an exact duplication and should not be confused with our trading tools or platform.
Investing should be considered a medium to long-term commitment. Although Play virtual portfolios can be seen, and are measured daily, a real like portfolio required time (normally 5-10 yrs), as over short periods, markets can be more volatile and result in a wide range of positive and negative return. The longer you stay invested, the greater the probability that your investment will generate a positive return.
From time to time we may promote competitions in relation to our Play service. Each of such competitions will be subject to its own terms and conditions and your participation will require acceptance of these. All decisions by Willis Owen in determining winners or creating awards and all other aspects of any contest are made by Willis Owen in its sole discretion and are final and not subject to appeals. Willis Owen may discontinue a contest at any time in its sole discretion without liability obligation to you.
Play does not offer, solicit or arrange the sale or purchase of investments. Play and its challenges are part of an investing simulation service. No actual investments are purchased, sold or traded as part of this simulation.
There is no additional charge for the use of Play but you do have to log in to use the service.
We capture usage information from the site so we can improve our offering and service to consumers and focus our resources accordingly. In order to register for the service you will need to provide your email address.
We may, where we consider it appropriate for you or your protection, suspend, withdraw or restrict the use of the service, or any part of it. We will tell you as soon as practicable if we take such action.
We will use reasonable endeavours to make the service available for access at all times. Access to the website may, however, be suspended from time to time for maintenance and development work.
Willis Owen does not accept any responsibility and will not be liable for any failure in the operation of the service, which arises as a result of any error in data transmission, or machine, or software malfunction, or from your operating error (other than any such failure arising as a result of Willis Owen negligence), either by us or our third party Morningstar.
Willis Owen may from time to time promote specific investment funds or solutions and further details are set out below.
The Focus Funds list is designed for those customers who are looking to manage their own investments on an ongoing basis. The list contains a range of funds, independently selected by Willis Owen based on our own research and that of our expert research partner Morningstar. Willis Owen maintains the list on an ongoing basis. The inclusion of any fund on the list does not constitute a guarantee as regards future performance and neither should the inclusion of a fund be considered a recommendation to buy.
These are designed for those customers who would prefer a fund manager making all investment decisions. Ready-made portfolios are not managed by Willis Owen and neither do they represent a discretionary portfolio management solution.
Our One Plan solution is designed to facilitate the consolidation of pre-existing pension pots within the Willis Owen SIPP product. The solution incorporates a range of investment solutions which are designed to meet the needs of customers with different retirement investment objectives.
For ready-made portfolios, One Plan and any funds selected form the Focus Funds list, the overall responsibility for choosing and managing the investments sits with you. Investors who choose or have chosen to use our ready-made portfolios, One Plan investment options or our Focus Funds list do so without receiving any personal recommendation from Willis Owen as to their suitability. All investors need to be comfortable that the investments chosen are appropriate for their needs, objectives and attitude to/capacity for investment risk. If in any doubt, you should seek advice from a regulated financial adviser.
