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Is this approach right for you?

Balancing caution and adventure. The middle risk choice out of our three growth approaches.

Our experts invest your money globally to give it more chances to grow and to spread the risk. They use Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) considerations to help select what to invest in.


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Highlights

Balances risk and reward

Likely to be a bit more of a 'bumpy' ride than lower risk investments.

Aims for steady growth

A balanced approach to growing your money in the longer term.

All done for you

Managed for you by our dedicated team of investment experts. All in one neatly packaged approach.

How your money's invested

Typically 70% of your money goes into higher risk investments with higher potential returns and 30% into lower risk investments with lower potential returns.

Our experts review this mix regularly within the adjustment range, for higher growth potential.

Investment Mix

Adjustment rangeThe adjustment range gives our experts the flexibility to make investment changes based on their assessment of the market outlook, but they always aim to stick to the balance of risk and reward for the approach.
  • Typically 70%

    invested for higher potential returns with higher risk

  • Typically 30%

    invested for lower risk with lower potential returns

Remember, the value of investments can go up and down, so you may get back less money than you put in. Tax depends on your individual circumstances and the regulations may change in the future.

Enter your investment amount

You can choose to invest with a one-off payment, regular monthly payment, transfers from existing investment accounts, or a combination of these.


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Where your money's invested

Our experts manage the mix of investments, within the adjustment range and to achieve the approach objectives.

Here’s the detail at 31 March 2024.

Key:
Higher riskShares (emerging markets): 12%
Higher riskShares (UK): 5%
Higher riskReal estate investment trusts: 4%
Higher riskShares (overseas developed): 45%
Higher riskBonds (emerging markets): 8%
Higher riskBonds (high yield): 5%
Lower riskGlobal corporate bonds: 12%
Lower riskUK corporate bonds: 0%
Lower riskGlobal government bonds: 3%
Lower riskUK Government bonds (Gilts): 0%
Lower riskShort maturity bonds: 2%
Lower riskCash: 4%

Higher risk

  • 12% - Shares (emerging markets)
  • 5% - Shares (UK)
  • 4% - Real estate investment trusts
  • 45% - Shares (overseas developed)
  • 8% - Bonds (emerging markets)
  • 5% - Bonds (high yield)

Lower risk

  • 4% - Cash
  • 2% - Short maturity bonds
  • 0% - UK Government bonds (Gilts)
  • 3% - Global government bonds
  • 0% - UK corporate bonds
  • 12% - Global corporate bonds

How the fund invests

Your money is invested in a group of funds, rather than directly in stocks and shares. This is known as a fund of funds.

Top holdings

The following is up-to-date as of 31 March 2024.

  1. abrdn Sustainable Index World Equity Fund
  2. iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ESG Enhanced Units Fund
  3. abrdn Sustainable Index American Equity Fund
  4. iShares Continental European Equity ESG Index Fund
  5. L&G ESG Emerging Markets Government Bond Index Fund
  6. Virgin Money Climate Change Fund
  7. iShares ESG Screened Global Corporate Bond Index Fund
  8. abrdn Liquidity Fund
  9. abrdn Sustainable Index UK Equity Fund
  10. abrdn SICAV II-Global High Yield Bond Fund
How the fund is invested

What you could've earned already

The graph below gives you an indication of how much you could've earned, after charges, if you had invested £10,000 in this approach five years ago. Remember, past performance isn't a reliable guide to future performance.

The following is up-to-date as of 31 March 2024.


Key:
£7.5k
£10k
£12.5k
£15k
£17.5k
  • Mar-19: £10,000
    Mar-19: £10,000
    2019
  • Apr-19: £10,159
    Apr-19: £10,199
  • May-19: £10,076
    May-19: £10,092
  • Jun-19: £10,407
    Jun-19: £10,479
  • Jul-19: £10,692
    Jul-19: £10,776
  • Aug-19: £10,637
    Aug-19: £10,751
  • Sep-19: £10,709
    Sep-19: £10,787
  • Oct-19: £10,564
    Oct-19: £10,637
  • Nov-19: £10,659
    Nov-19: £10,789
  • Dec-19: £10,737
    Dec-19: £10,847
  • Jan-20: £10,718
    Jan-20: £10,883
    2020
  • Feb-20: £10,379
    Feb-20: £10,602
  • Mar-20: £9,355
    Mar-20: £9,841
  • Apr-20: £9,826
    Apr-20: £10,426
  • May-20: £10,262
    May-20: £10,845
  • Jun-20: £10,518
    Jun-20: £11,081
  • Jul-20: £10,426
    Jul-20: £11,070
  • Aug-20: £10,611
    Aug-20: £11,307
  • Sep-20: £10,663
    Sep-20: £11,342
  • Oct-20: £10,495
    Oct-20: £11,176
  • Nov-20: £11,172
    Nov-20: £11,792
  • Dec-20: £11,355
    Dec-20: £11,962
  • Jan-21: £11,268
    Jan-21: £11,871
    2021
  • Feb-21: £11,241
    Feb-21: £11,836
  • Mar-21: £11,474
    Mar-21: £12,106
  • Apr-21: £11,744
    Apr-21: £12,412
  • May-21: £11,705
    May-21: £12,346
  • Jun-21: £11,974
    Jun-21: £12,688
  • Jul-21: £11,976
    Jul-21: £12,756
  • Aug-21: £12,230
    Aug-21: £13,020
  • Sep-21: £12,083
    Sep-21: £12,805
  • Oct-21: £12,181
    Oct-21: £13,054
  • Nov-21: £12,262
    Nov-21: £13,182
  • Dec-21: £12,437
    Dec-21: £13,285
  • Jan-22: £11,933
    Jan-22: £12,883
    2022
  • Feb-22: £11,747
    Feb-22: £12,617
  • Mar-22: £12,038
    Mar-22: £12,821
  • Apr-22: £11,791
    Apr-22: £12,409
  • May-22: £11,656
    May-22: £12,388
  • Jun-22: £11,161
    Jun-22: £11,943
  • Jul-22: £11,559
    Jul-22: £12,549
  • Aug-22: £11,603
    Aug-22: £12,466
  • Sep-22: £11,002
    Sep-22: £11,869
  • Oct-22: £11,093
    Oct-22: £12,052
  • Nov-22: £11,518
    Nov-22: £12,473
  • Dec-22: £11,397
    Dec-22: £12,045
  • Jan-23: £11,786
    Jan-23: £12,492
    2023
  • Feb-23: £11,718
    Feb-23: £12,319
  • Mar-23: £11,687
    Mar-23: £12,497
  • Apr-23: £11,723
    Apr-23: £12,507
  • May-23: £11,669
    May-23: £12,513
  • Jun-23: £11,817
    Jun-23: £12,747
  • Jul-23: £12,049
    Jul-23: £12,936
  • Aug-23: £11,864
    Aug-23: £12,830
  • Sep-23: £11,747
    Sep-23: £12,703
  • Oct-23: £11,462
    Oct-23: £12,482
  • Nov-23: £11,958
    Nov-23: £13,002
  • Dec-23: £12,482
    Dec-23: £13,486
  • Jan-24: £12,434
    Jan-24: £13,532
    2024
  • Feb-24: £12,615
    Feb-24: £13,902
  • Mar-24: £12,952
    Mar-24: £14,229
2019 2024

March 2019 to
March 2020
March 2020 to
March 2021
March 2021 to
March 2022
March 2022 to
March 2023
March 2023 to
March 2024
This fund-6.5%22.7%4.9%-2.9%10.8%
Performance Comparator*-1.6%23.0%5.9%-2.5%13.9%
This fund changed strategy in October 2021. To help you compare it with other funds we have replicated the performance of the markets the fund invests in, to indicate what the performance may have been prior to the strategy change. The simulated return takes into account the current annual charge of 0.45% and that the mix of assets are rebalanced once per month, but does not include the separate account fee of 0.30% per year.

*The fund doesn’t use a benchmark as a guide for investing or as a target to beat. But we do use a performance comparator which investors may want to compare the fund’s performance against. This comprises 60% shares and 40% bonds. Shares are represented by the MSCI All Countries World Index GBP, whilst bonds are represented by the Bloomberg Global Aggregate Bond Index – GBP Hedged. The fund invests differently to the performance comparator therefore returns will always be different. For example there are differences in the way the fund is built vs. the comparator, along with the cost of investing, which is included for the fund return, but not the comparator. You cannot invest in the performance comparator.

Source: Lipper, year on year, it runs from 31 March 2019 to 31 March 2024, bid to bid with net income reinvested.

Key information

In our important documents you’ll see our Balanced Growth approach referred to as the Virgin Money Growth Fund 2. Before applying, please make sure you’ve read the following:

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Got a question?

We've got the answer:

We make things easy to help you understand and choose the approach that’s right for you. There are guides to get you started and if anything needs a bit more explanation, just give us a call on 03455 28 88 52.

We can’t give you financial advice though, so if you need advice you could try:

Our ready-made investment approaches put your money into a wide range of investments, so you only need one. Just choose the approach that gives you the mix of risk and potential reward you're happy with – and we'll do the rest.

If your needs change after you've opened your account, it's simple to switch to a different approach or add a new one.

Yes. It's a good idea to review your investments regularly – and it's simple to switch all or part of your money to a new approach. Just sign in to Online Service and follow the on-screen instructions.

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