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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 December 2023.

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 December 2023.

  1. abrdn Sustainable Index World Equity Fund
  2. iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ESG Enhanced Units Fund
  3. L&G ESG Emerging Markets Government Bond Index Fund
  4. iShares Continental European Equity ESG Index Fund
  5. abrdn Sustainable Index American Equity Fund
  6. iShares ESG Screened Global Corporate Bond Index Fund
  7. Virgin Money Climate Change Fund
  8. iShares ESG Sterling Corporate Bond Index Fund
  9. abrdn SICAV II-Global High Yield Bond Fund
  10. abrdn Sustainable Index UK Equity 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 December 2023.


Key:
£7.5k
£10k
£12.5k
£15k
£17.5k
  • Dec-18: £10,000
    Dec-18: £10,000
  • Jan-19: £10,353
    Jan-19: £10,332
    2019
  • Feb-19: £10,444
    Feb-19: £10,453
  • Mar-19: £10,681
    Mar-19: £10,690
  • Apr-19: £10,822
    Apr-19: £10,854
  • May-19: £10,766
    May-19: £10,783
  • Jun-19: £11,208
    Jun-19: £11,284
  • Jul-19: £11,450
    Jul-19: £11,533
  • Aug-19: £11,423
    Aug-19: £11,547
  • Sep-19: £11,454
    Sep-19: £11,518
  • Oct-19: £11,318
    Oct-19: £11,413
  • Nov-19: £11,348
    Nov-19: £11,478
  • Dec-19: £11,466
    Dec-19: £11,589
  • Jan-20: £11,539
    Jan-20: £11,742
    2020
  • Feb-20: £11,249
    Feb-20: £11,555
  • Mar-20: £9,749
    Mar-20: £10,275
  • Apr-20: £10,406
    Apr-20: £11,029
  • May-20: £10,977
    May-20: £11,580
  • Jun-20: £11,204
    Jun-20: £11,807
  • Jul-20: £11,237
    Jul-20: £11,927
  • Aug-20: £11,321
    Aug-20: £12,102
  • Sep-20: £11,460
    Sep-20: £12,192
  • Oct-20: £11,315
    Oct-20: £12,045
  • Nov-20: £12,003
    Nov-20: £12,662
  • Dec-20: £12,126
    Dec-20: £12,781
  • Jan-21: £12,168
    Jan-21: £12,839
    2021
  • Feb-21: £12,159
    Feb-21: £12,832
  • Mar-21: £12,321
    Mar-21: £13,016
  • Apr-21: £12,515
    Apr-21: £13,236
  • May-21: £12,569
    May-21: £13,238
  • Jun-21: £12,824
    Jun-21: £13,599
  • Jul-21: £12,861
    Jul-21: £13,673
  • Aug-21: £13,096
    Aug-21: £13,925
  • Sep-21: £12,864
    Sep-21: £13,692
  • Oct-21: £13,060
    Oct-21: £14,002
  • Nov-21: £13,070
    Nov-21: £14,009
  • Dec-21: £13,278
    Dec-21: £14,257
  • Jan-22: £12,838
    Jan-22: £13,775
    2022
  • Feb-22: £12,511
    Feb-22: £13,451
  • Mar-22: £12,768
    Mar-22: £13,739
  • Apr-22: £12,588
    Apr-22: £13,263
  • May-22: £12,393
    May-22: £13,231
  • Jun-22: £11,894
    Jun-22: £12,911
  • Jul-22: £12,367
    Jul-22: £13,362
  • Aug-22: £12,299
    Aug-22: £13,311
  • Sep-22: £11,615
    Sep-22: £12,784
  • Oct-22: £11,913
    Oct-22: £12,935
  • Nov-22: £12,402
    Nov-22: £13,189
  • Dec-22: £12,167
    Dec-22: £12,882
  • Jan-23: £12,694
    Jan-23: £13,430
    2023
  • Feb-23: £12,551
    Feb-23: £13,207
  • Mar-23: £12,537
    Mar-23: £13,379
  • Apr-23: £12,515
    Apr-23: £13,365
  • May-23: £12,433
    May-23: £13,381
  • Jun-23: £12,669
    Jun-23: £13,656
  • Jul-23: £12,863
    Jul-23: £13,828
  • Aug-23: £12,695
    Aug-23: £13,741
  • Sep-23: £12,542
    Sep-23: £13,568
  • Oct-23: £12,290
    Oct-23: £13,446
  • Nov-23: £12,785
    Nov-23: £13,978
  • Dec-23: £13,326
    Dec-23: £14,410
2018 2023

Dec 2018 to
Dec 2019
Dec 2019 to
Dec 2020
Dec 2020 to
Dec 2021
Dec 2021 to
Dec 2022
Dec 2022 to
Dec 2023
This fund14.7%5.8%9.5%-8.4%9.5%
Performance Comparator*15.9%10.3%11.1%-9.3%12.0%
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 December 2018 to 31 December 2023, 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?

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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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