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Is this approach right for you?

Cautious by name, cautious by nature. The lower risk choice out of our three growth approaches, aiming for modest returns.

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

Reduces risk

Likely to be a less 'bumpy' ride, compared with higher risk investments.

Aims for gradual growth

A slower, cautious 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.

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How your money's invested

Typically 40% of your money goes into higher risk investments with higher potential returns and 60% 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 40%

    invested for higher potential returns with higher risk

  • Typically 60%

    invested for lower risk with lower growth potential

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.

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 30 September 2023.

Key:
Higher riskShares (emerging markets): 7%
Higher riskShares (UK): 1%
Higher riskReal estate investment trusts: 2%
Higher riskShares (overseas developed): 24%
Higher riskBonds (emerging markets): 0%
Higher riskBonds (high yield): 2%
Lower riskGlobal corporate bonds: 37%
Lower riskUK corporate bonds: 6%
Lower riskGlobal government bonds: 12%
Lower riskUK Government bonds (Gilts): 0%
Lower riskShort maturity bonds: 6%
Lower riskCash: 3%

Higher risk

  • 7% - Shares (emerging markets)
  • 1% - Shares (UK)
  • 2% - Real estate investment trusts
  • 24% - Shares (overseas developed)
  • 0% - Bonds (emerging markets)
  • 2% - Bonds (high yield)

Lower risk

  • 3% - Cash
  • 6% - Short maturity bonds
  • 0% - UK Government bonds (Gilts)
  • 12% - Global government bonds
  • 6% - UK corporate bonds
  • 37% - Global corporate bonds
What do these terms mean?

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 30 September 2023.

  1. iShares ESG Screened Global Corporate Bond Index Fund
  2. abrdn Global Government Bond Tracker Fund
  3. abrdn Sustainable Index World Equity Fund
  4. iShares ESG Sterling Corporate Bond Index Fund
  5. iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ESG Enhanced Units Fund
  6. abrdn Short Dated Sterling Corporate Bond Tracker Fund
  7. iShares Continental European Equity ESG Index Fund
  8. Virgin Money Climate Change Fund
  9. L&G ESG Emerging Markets Government Bond Index Fund
  10. abrdn Global Inflation-Linked Bond Tracker 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 30 September 2023.

Key:
£7.5k
£10k
£12.5k
£15k
  • Oct-18: £9,805.43
    Oct-18: £9,809.13
  • Nov-18: £9,814.50
    Nov-18: £9,882.36
  • Dec-18: £9,700.93
    Dec-18: £9,766.05
  • Jan-19: £9,903.82
    Jan-19: £9,957.62
    2019
  • Feb-19: £9,939.48
    Feb-19: £10,003.64
  • Mar-19: £10,150.18
    Mar-19: £10,222.80
  • Apr-19: £10,224.81
    Apr-19: £10,319.93
  • May-19: £10,227.09
    May-19: £10,333.50
  • Jun-19: £10,444.58
    Jun-19: £10,594.84
  • Jul-19: £10,625.76
    Jul-19: £10,779.59
  • Aug-19: £10,667.20
    Aug-19: £10,882.03
  • Sep-19: £10,688.93
    Sep-19: £10,868.21
  • Oct-19: £10,605.92
    Oct-19: £10,776.71
  • Nov-19: £10,636.65
    Nov-19: £10,842.79
  • Dec-19: £10,674.43
    Dec-19: £10,853.12
  • Jan-20: £10,733.05
    Jan-20: £10,965.19
    2020
  • Feb-20: £10,579.77
    Feb-20: £10,888.23
  • Mar-20: £9,823.93
    Mar-20: £10,405.34
  • Apr-20: £10,179.84
    Apr-20: £10,793.77
  • May-20: £10,429.18
    May-20: £11,025.71
  • Jun-20: £10,608
    Jun-20: £11,172.38
  • Jul-20: £10,612.87
    Jul-20: £11,223.02
  • Aug-20: £10,669.04
    Aug-20: £11,302.77
  • Sep-20: £10,703.95
    Sep-20: £11,340.05
  • Oct-20: £10,618.95
    Oct-20: £11,256.93
  • Nov-20: £11,021.87
    Nov-20: £11,597.04
  • Dec-20: £11,140.55
    Dec-20: £11,694.18
  • Jan-21: £11,065.18
    Jan-21: £11,617.67
    2021
  • Feb-21: £10,968.65
    Feb-21: £11,510.54
  • Mar-21: £11,054.46
    Mar-21: £11,617.90
  • Apr-21: £11,197.29
    Apr-21: £11,779.36
  • May-21: £11,193.57
    May-21: £11,760.40
  • Jun-21: £11,338.08
    Jun-21: £11,952.50
  • Jul-21: £11,378.11
    Jul-21: £12,057.97
  • Aug-21: £11,485.13
    Aug-21: £12,169.99
  • Sep-21: £11,362.75
    Sep-21: £12,010.45
  • Oct-21: £11,397.36
    Oct-21: £12,111.44
  • Nov-21: £11,458.69
    Nov-21: £11,458.69
    Nov-21: £12,215.45
  • Dec-21: £11,499.57
    Dec-21: £12,233.85
  • Jan-22: £11,172.47
    Jan-22: £11,952.04
    2022
  • Feb-22: £11,000.30
    Feb-22: £11,750.48
  • Mar-22: £11,051.60
    Mar-22: £11,714.36
  • Apr-22: £10,815.59
    Apr-22: £11,361.91
  • May-22: £10,733.50
    May-22: £11,344.48
  • Jun-22: £10,384.61
    Jun-22: £11,050.05
  • Jul-22: £10,671.93
    Jul-22: £11,467.93
  • Aug-22: £10,529.40
    Aug-22: £11,268.51
  • Sep-22: £10,048.27
    Sep-22: £10,806.17
  • Oct-22: £10,114.20
    Oct-22: £10,868.70
  • Nov-22: £10,457.28
    Nov-22: £11,188.67
  • Dec-22: £10,343.95
    Dec-22: £10,924.42
  • Jan-23: £10,642.73
    Jan-23: £11,245.83
    2023
  • Feb-23: £10,510.42
    Feb-23: £11,072.65
  • Mar-23: £10,583.27
    Mar-23: £11,270.43
  • Apr-23: £10,593.68
    Apr-23: £11,300.32
  • May-23: £10,531.24
    May-23: £11,276.10
  • Jun-23: £10,572.86
    Jun-23: £11,374.75
  • Jul-23: £10,708.15
    Jul-23: £11,459.96
  • Aug-23: £10,601.78
    Aug-23: £11,404.55
  • Sep-23: £10,430.48
    Sep-23: £11,244.23
2019 2023

Sep 2018 to
Sep 2019		Sep 2019 to
Sep 2020		Sep 2020 to
Sep 2021		Sep 2021 to
Sep 2022		Sep 2022 to
Sep 2023		Total over 5
years
This fund6.9%0.1%6.2%-11.6%3.8%4.3%
Performance Comparator*8.7%4.3%5.9%-10.0%4.1%12.4%
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 total annual charges of 0.85% and that the mix of assets are rebalanced once per month.

*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 30% shares and 70% 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, 30 September 2018 to 30 September 2023, bid to bid with net income reinvested.

Key information

In our important documents you’ll see our Cautious Growth approach referred to as the Virgin Money Growth Fund 1. Before applying, please make sure you’ve read the following:

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