Rosie Carr

It's been three decades since Britain and Argentina went to war over the Falkland islands, but rancour still exists. Argentina's continued demands for sovereignty of the Falklands is linked to the black gold that lies beneath the area. There is indeed oil in the Falklands - but getting to it hasn't been easy. Desire Petroleum for example was left close to ruin following a series of drilling failures before its first discovery. Rockhopper Exploration of course made its significant Sea Lion discovery. Now attention is firmly focused on the South Falkland basin and investors are waiting for the results of technically challenged drilling in the area. A discovery here needs to be at least 100m barrels - but if it is, the whole Falklands oil story will burst into life again. In a special report on the Falklands, Martin Li puts current drilling campaigns into perspective, outlines the risks and identifies his favourite Falklands shares. Elsewhere Maike Currie discusses "high opportunity markets" with a fund manager who specialises in what he calls "cheap emerging markets about to undergo productivity growth, foreign direct investment and privatisation". Spot one of these, he says, and you're looking at an incredible wealth creator and a long term winner. Even better he's got one such market in mind - find out where it is in our story. We also look at what the sale of diamond interests by big business means for smaller diamond producers - please check our home page later today for this article.

Whatever type of investment you're seeking - a share with a good and rising yield or a small company that's growing fast or a fund that delivers consistent returns with no nasty shocks along the way - it's possible to find it, although doing so won't necessarily always be an easy task. Certainly finding an investment to navigate the current economic uncertainty is a challenge. Finance ministers around the world are still struggling to push economies back into a state of health, using a range of strategies, none of which so far appears to be delivering a quick, painless or lasting cure. And as Roger Bootle of Capital Economics points out it's worrying that even after gulping down a large dose of nasty medicine and accepting deflation, Ireland's economy is back in recession. So, for anyone for whom the slow pace of recovery and the dangers that lurk along the way is a pressing issue, we've found a top performing fund that still manages to be low risk while delivering a consistently good performance. And talking of weak economies, Chris Dillow compares the contrasting fortunes of the US and European economies and considers the question of whether austerity is right or wrong. Chris also contributes to our review of a reader portfolio - that of a young investor who's stuffed it full of funds. Has he got a few too many and is his portfolio pointlessly diversified? Elsewhere we've got the Trader's video report on the bullish cyclical and seasonal factors for gold right now, and John Hughman on PZ Cussons' troubles - issues which he highlighted a couple of months ago when he advised selling the shares.

In the never ending global search for oil and gas, no stone has, or will be, left unturned. Or lump of salt for that matter - because dotted around the world, hidden beneath thick layers of salt lie huge basins of oil. Clearly, drilling wells in these pre-salt basins provides some serious challenges but in fact the drilling itself is well within industry capabilities. What makes other challenges such as identifying the best places to drill and keeping the salt lid stable, worth the effort is the sheer quantity of oil encased under the crust of salt. Our resources specialist Martin Li reports on the companies exploiting these massive basins and the possible momentous finds that lie ahead. Elsewhere Leonora Walters has suggestions for less mainstream assets that would make ideal satellite investments to add to core Isa holdings and could boost growth and lower risk. We also have our usual press tips round-up and the Trader's latest views on the markets; check our Shares/News and Analysis page later today for reports on Kentz, Bowleven and AG Barr.

Although the price of gold has been slipping in recent weeks, the yellow metal has been one of the best investment stories of the past decade. Between 1999 and 2011, the price of gold rose by 660 per cent, and in that time it has become far easier for investors to buy exposure. Our main feature this week explores whether gold has finally run out of steam after a decade of storming gains or whether the price could climb higher. We look at the reasons for buying, and the reasons why you might want to steer clear along with the best ways to hold gold. Plus, Dominic Picarda looks at what the charts say is in store for gold going forward. Next week it's the Budget and Moira O'Neill, our personal finance editor, has advice for anyone fearing that generous tax reliefs on pension contributions will be attacked. Elsewhere Stephen Wilmot, our property correspondent, assesses the risk of widespread rising mortgage costs following the announcements by four lenders that their rate is about to increase, and fairly steeply in some cases.

With just under a week to go before George Osborne reveals his Budget plans for getting and keeping the economy back on track, rating agency Fitch has dealt the Chancellor a blow with a decision to join Moody's in putting the UK on a negative credit outlook. If the economy fails to grow quickly enough and debt isn't seen to be tamed, the UK could lose its precious AAA rating. Banks of course know all about the difficulty of living under the burden of downgrades - and failing stress tests. This week four banks in the US (including Citibank) failed the regulator's stress test, designed to reveal whether the banks could survive a fairly severe financial crisis. But 15 passed - which now allows them to raise their dividend, in a stroke making them instantly more attractive to shareholders. In our lead item today Mark Glowrey examines the unloved UK bank sector and finds there is still value to be had from some senior bonds. Elsewhere Martin Li reports on Providence Resources' significantly better than expected drilling results; John Hughman analyses the impact of the ongoing drought on food prices and The Trader outlines what he's expecting from the indices now.

When a top director at Goldman Sachs, on his way out the door, launches a scathing attack on his own bank claiming the ethos there is no longer "doing right by our clients", and that the interests of the clients - often referred to as muppets - are sidelined, he's simply confirming what many people have suspected for a long time - and not just at Goldman Sachs either. It's hard to be confident that the companies we buy products and services from ever really put our needs ahead of their own and it underlines the importance of being in the driving seat - or at the very least, being a bossy and loud back seat driver - when it comes to our money and investments. Our lead story today is a buy recommendation on a trust with excellent long term performance and which has decided to increase its dividend by 133 per cent, with the promise of more to come. That boost to the dividend will help to narrow the discount even further too. Meanwhile our Sipp investor David Stevenson has been busy running down his high cash holding and he explains what he's been buying in his latest column. Elsewhere Leonora Walters offers advice on how to secure the best annuity rate - and how to avoid a potential loss of £25,000 - while Dominic Picarda outlines his big picture view of US stocks.

Our portfolio of momentum shares - all picked on the basis of their recent strong performance indicating solid momentum going forward - has had a cracking start to the year. It's raced ahead by more than 14 per cent over the last three months compared with 9 per cent for the FTSE 100. Now it's time to replenish the portfolio so once again Algy Hall has selected 10 momentum stocks based on their performance over the last three months. The new choices reflect many of the major themes that have recently been playing out, including positive developments in Europe and signs of recovery in the US. A gain of 14 per cent over a matter of weeks is pretty good, but here's something else that might leave you kicking yourself if you missed our original buy tip: since we recommended snapping up shares in this particular company the share price has rocketed over 500 per cent. And the story's not over yet - we still think the shares are worth buying and Martin Li explains exactly why that is in his report on the company. Elsewhere we look at how to secure the best rates on your cash Isa, along with details of the top deals, while Stephen Wilmot looks at how Raven Russia has matured into an attractive investment.

Although the whole point of investing in shares and bonds is to make money, a top priority for some investors right now seems to be not to lose money. I listened in on some investor focus groups last week and it was clear that several of them are nervous about committing money to anything that doesn't have an "ultra safe" sticker on it. But while their fears are being fuelled by volatile markets, retreating to low risk investments is also making them anxious about being stuck in a low return rut. That's exactly why it's worth considering other options - such as spreading money across various asset classes or taking a long term view. Ultimately, if you want growth you need to follow growing markets - they might involve a greater degree of risk but with that comes the promise of greater rewards. Maike Currie is recommending one such area as an ideal investment for Isa holders, especially for those with a long term investment horizon, while Chris Dillow explains why cautious investors should not own more defensive shares than adventurous investors. Elsewhere John Hughman reveals which exciting story has managed to cheer him up after the unrelenting grind of having to read about financial crises every day for the past three years. The Trader gives his view of the markets and we've got our usual round up of press tips.

Individual savings accounts are the UK's best tax break for investors. They're simple, effective and popular - and you've got just over a month to decide what to do with this year's allowance and to start thinking about how you're going to use next year's. We've got at least 30 ideas for how you can make the most of your Isa including popular funds and trackers, rock-solid, buy-and-forget shares along with more speculative stocks on the junior market and bonds offering defined returns. We also explore how to secure the best deals for self select plans and the best rates for cash Isas, how to get the asset allocation mix right, how to keep your Isa in shape, and where to get the best Junior Isas for your children. Of course investing isn't solely about tucking shares away for the long term: some investments are shorter journeys and every week our trading ideas offer advice on when to get in and out: this week we've looked at Centrica, Intercontinental, Sterling and the Dow. Meanwhile the Trader explains why he is unmoved by the weakness in US transport stocks and remains bullish on Wall Street. Finally, look out for IC's editor, Jonathan Eley, on CNBC's 'Investing Edge' at 10pm tonight. You can find CNBC on Sky channel 505 or channel 613 on cable.