Virgin FTSE All-Share Fund - Our customer have over £1.9 billion invested in our low cost tracker fund

Although unit trusts do not offer the same tax advantages as ISAs, they allow you to invest as much as you like. So once you have used up your ISA allowance for the tax year, you can invest even more in a unit trust.

If you are thinking of investing money in stocks and shares through a unit trust, we recommend you only invest money you can afford to save for at least five years, to increase your chances of a good return.

Remember, most stock market investments are considered medium to high risk and there is no guarantee you will get back the full amount you invest. If you are not comfortable at the thought that your savings might go down as well as up in value, the stock market probably is not right for you.

To see the Simplifed Prospectus for the investment funds in a Virgin Unit Trust click on the link below.

Virgin Unit Trust Simplified Prospectus

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Alternatively, you can call 08456 10 20 20 or email info@virginmoney.com to have a copy of the Simplified Prospectus sent to you.

Our funds have no initial charges or bid offer spread, so whether you are buying or selling units the price is the same.

Both the FTSE All-Share Tracker Fund and the Bond and Gilt Fund have an annual management fee of 1% a year with no other charges.

The Virgin Climate Change Fund has an annual management fee of 1.75%. There may also be a 20% performance related fee, which we only earn if we outperform agreed benchmarks.

Customers growing their savings in our index tracking fund since it launched in March 1995 have received an average return of 6.56% a year.

An investment of £3000 in March 1995 would have increased in value to £7,700 on 31/12/2009 - a total return of 156.66%.

Source: Morningstar Workstation, 03/03/1995 - 31/12/2009, buying to selling unit prices, basic rate tax with income reinvested. If you had invested £3000 on 03/03/1995 it would be worth £7,700 after charges on 31/12/2009.

Here's how the fund has performed over each of the last five years.

Source: Morningstar Workstation, year on year, 31/12/2004 - 31/12/2009, buying to selling unit prices, basic rate tax with income reinvested

Remember, with stock market investments the value of your savings and the income you get from them can go down as well as up and you may not get back the full amount you invest. It's also worth remembering that past performance of a fund isn't a guide to how well it might do in the future.

No, some have a bias toward certain sectors of the market. They may only invest in the top 100 companies, or in technology stocks or small companies. These investments can pay off, but if an individual sector performs badly it can have a more serious impact on your returns than if you'd invested across the market as a whole.

Stocks and shares should be seen as long term investments, so we suggest keeping your money tucked away for at least five years, preferably longer, to increase your chances of a good return.

You can, however, get at your money any time you need to.

Investing in stock market shares is not without its risks. They can rise spectacularly in value over many years, go into periods of decline, or fall suddenly in value, with no guarantee you'll get back the full amount you invest. The key thing to remember is, the longer you stay invested in the stock market the better you tend to do.

If you only invest in a handful of shares over the short term you'll certainly increase your risk. But by investing over many years and spreading your savings over a wide range of shares, you lessen that risk and actually increase your chances of getting a good return.

The risks of not investing in the stock market are rarely spelled out, but are real. For instance, you probably think your bank or building society savings are safe, but did you know their real value can actually fall over time. It's to do with inflation. If your deposit account only earns 2% in interest but the cost of living goes up 2.5%, your savings aren't growing in real terms, they're shrinking. Please do remember though, investing in a unit trust is different to a deposit account, where your money is not at risk.

History shows that long-term investors shouldn't be too worried when the stock market falls. The people who lose out are those who panic and cash in their investment, instead of waiting for the market to rise again. For example, in 1987 the market actually finished higher than it started, despite falling 32% in the October 87 'crash'.

However, if the market goes into a longer fall (known as a 'bear market') it can sometimes be a few years before you start to see a decent return on your money. As ever, time is the key, and you should only consider investing money you can afford to tuck away for at least five years.

Not necessarily. How closely a fund tracks its chosen stock market index (known as 'tracking error') can also have an impact on your returns. Some trackers don't invest in all the shares on an index. Instead they select a 'sample' of shares to invest in, which is really active management by the back door, and will affect your returns. A 'fully replicated' tracker which buys shares in every company on the index will track the index closer.

Also, always check charges carefully. Some companies advertise what appears to be the lowest charging tracker, but there are often strings attached, or other charges that can bump up the cost.