Before the changes to pension rules in April 2015, only a dependant of the pension plan holder could receive a drawdown pension on the plan holder’s death. Since April 2015 however, a nominee can also now receive a drawdown pension called Nominee Flexi-Access Drawdown. What’s more, on the nominee’s death, a successor (or successors) can…
Market update for January 2019
The UK political world remained dominated by Brexit in January with Theresa May firstly suffering a 230 margin defeat of her original deal early in the month. Subsequently, she won a vote for an amendment that called for scrapping the Brexit agreement’s Irish border backstop in favour of “alternative arrangements”. The vote was won by…
Why active investing is more effective in volatile markets
A glance at the performance of the major stock indices in 2018 shows that volatility was a common theme. US equities followed an upward – although somewhat choppy – trajectory from early March, but they had a turbulent start to the year. Meanwhile, UK, European and Japanese equity markets experienced fluctuations of various magnitudes as…
Investment outlook for 2019
Omnis investments, who manage our Omnis portfolios of managed funds, explain how they expect moderate investment growth for 2019. Omnis investment outlook for 2019
Market update – December 2018
December was a difficult month for company shares globally which meant that 2018 saw falls for nearly all the leading global equity markets: December 2018 Full Year 2018 FTSE 100 (UK) -3.6% -12.5% Dow Jones 30 (US) -8.7% -5.6% S&P 500 (US) -9.2% -6.2% DAX (Germany) -6.2% -18.3% Euro Stoxx 50 (Europe) -5.4% -14.3% Nikkei…
Market update – November 2018
During November, Theresa May secured her Brexit deal that was signed off by the leaders of the 27 remaining European Union leaders in less than an hour. While this was a small victory for Theresa May, she faces a much bigger struggle to get this approved by the UK Parliament with the crucial vote due…
UK and EU agree draft withdrawal deal
On Tuesday 13th November, the UK and the EU agreed a draft Brexit withdrawal deal. The deal covers the terms under which the UK will leave the EU: the financial settlement, residency rights, a backstop to avoid a hard border in Northern Ireland and the transition period; It does not establish the future trading relationship…
Market update – October 2018
October proved a difficult month for the stock market. The trade tensions between the US and China, on-going Brexit negotiations and the EU’s rejection of Italy’s draft budget all seemed to weigh heavily on global equity markets. The FTSE 100 ended October at 7,128.10, which was 5.1% lower than the September closing figure of 7,510.20….
Market update – September 2018
The FTSE 100 was relatively benign in September, ending the month at 7,510.20, which was 1.0% higher than the August closing figure of 7,432.42. In the US, the Dow Jones Industrial Average’s performance was up 1.9%, closing September at 26,458.31. In terms of £ Sterling, it ended September at 1.30 US Dollars. This was 0.6%…
Market update – August 2018
The FTSE 100 had a difficult August, ending the month at 7,432.42, which was 4.1% lower than the July closing figure of 7,748.76. In contrast, in the US, the Dow Jones Industrial Average’s performance was up 2.2%, closing August at 25,964.82. In terms of £ Sterling, it ended August at 1.30 US Dollars. This was 1.2%…
