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At a glance

When stability is more important than growth, this lower risk and slower growth approach is designed to keep things steady.

Our experts use Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) considerations to help select what to invest in. Read more about our responsible investing approach including ESG considerations.


Download Key Information

Highlights

Lower risk

Likely to be a much less 'bumpy' ride than with our growth approaches.

Lower growth, more stability

Keeps things steady if you're okay with limited potential for growth.

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

At least 75% of your money is invested in lower risk assets with potentially lower returns. The rest is invested in assets that aim to provide a higher potential return but carry a higher level of risk.

Our experts review this mix regularly within the adjustment range and in line with the investment objectives.

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 15%

    invested for higher growth potential with higher risk

  • Typically 85%

    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 June 2024.

Key:
Higher riskShares (emerging markets): 5%
Higher riskShares (UK): 1%
Higher riskReal estate investment trusts: 1%
Higher riskShares (overseas developed): 7%
Higher riskBonds (emerging markets): 1%
Higher riskBonds (high yield): 1%
Lower riskGlobal corporate bonds: 5%
Lower riskUK corporate bonds: 4%
Lower riskGlobal government bonds: 21%
Lower riskUK Government bonds (Gilts): 15%
Lower riskShort maturity bonds: 22%
Lower riskCash: 17%

Higher risk

  • 5% - Shares (emerging markets)
  • 1% - Shares (UK)
  • 1% - Real estate investment trusts
  • 7% - Shares (overseas developed)
  • 1% - Bonds (emerging markets)
  • 1% - Bonds (high yield)

Lower risk

  • 17% - Cash
  • 22% - Short maturity bonds
  • 15% - UK Government bonds (Gilts)
  • 21% - Global government bonds
  • 4% - UK corporate bonds
  • 5% - 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 June 2024.

  1. abrdn Liquidity Fund
  2. Vanguard UK Government Bond Index Fund
  3. abrdn Global Government Bond Index Fund
  4. abrdn Global Inflation-Linked Bond Tracker Fund
  5. Vontobel TwentyFour Sustainable Short Term Bond Fund
  6. abrdn Short Dated Global Inflation-Linked Bond Tracker Fund
  7. abrdn Short Dated Global Corporate Bond Tracker Fund
  8. abrdn Sustainable Index American Equity Fund
  9. iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ESG Enhanced Fund
  10. L&G ESG GBP Corporate Bond 0-5 Year 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.

Here's the detail at 30 June 2024.

Key:
£7.5k
£10k
£12.5k
  • Jun-19: £10,000
    Jun-19: £10,000
    2019
  • Jul-19: £10,144
    Jul-19: £10,119
  • Aug-19: £10,259
    Aug-19: £10,275
  • Sep-19: £10,247
    Sep-19: £10,237
  • Oct-19: £10,147
    Oct-19: £10,179
  • Nov-19: £10,141
    Nov-19: £10,199
  • Dec-19: £10,128
    Dec-19: £10,186
  • Jan-20: £10,252
    Jan-20: £10,326
  • Feb-20: £10,224
    Feb-20: £10,350
  • Mar-20: £9,834
    Mar-20: £10,032
  • Apr-20: £10,090
    Apr-20: £10,295
  • May-20: £10,233
    May-20: £10,419
  • Jun-20: £10,326
    Jun-20: £10,513
    2020
  • Jul-20: £10,369
    Jul-20: £10,589
  • Aug-20: £10,338
    Aug-20: £10,587
  • Sep-20: £10,377
    Sep-20: £10,623
  • Oct-20: £10,361
    Oct-20: £10,583
  • Nov-20: £10,562
    Nov-20: £10,771
  • Dec-20: £10,638
    Dec-20: £10,828
  • Jan-21: £10,619
    Jan-21: £10,762
  • Feb-21: £10,436
    Feb-21: £10,629
  • Mar-21: £10,510
    Mar-21: £10,656
  • Apr-21: £10,596
    Apr-21: £10,742
  • May-21: £10,619
    May-21: £10,744
  • Jun-21: £10,695
    Jun-21: £10,858
    2021
  • Jul-21: £10,821
    Jul-21: £10,972
  • Aug-21: £10,876
    Aug-21: £11,011
  • Sep-21: £10,743
    Sep-21: £10,885
  • Oct-21: £10,808
    Oct-21: £10,916
  • Nov-21: £10,874
    Nov-21: £11,002
  • Dec-21: £10,855
    Dec-21: £10,984
  • Jan-22: £10,671
    Jan-22: £10,770
  • Feb-22: £10,543
    Feb-22: £10,608
  • Mar-22: £10,505
    Mar-22: £10,473
  • Apr-22: £10,328
    Apr-22: £10,168
  • May-22: £10,281
    May-22: £10,152
  • Jun-22: £10,006
    Jun-22: £9,939
    2022
  • Jul-22: £10,239
    Jul-22: £10,250
  • Aug-22: £10,084
    Aug-22: £10,016
  • Sep-22: £9,660
    Sep-22: £9,638
  • Oct-22: £9,744
    Oct-22: £9,647
  • Nov-22: £9,940
    Nov-22: £9,904
  • Dec-22: £9,850
    Dec-22: £9,722
  • Jan-23: £10,044
    Jan-23: £9,971
  • Feb-23: £9,934
    Feb-23: £9,809
  • Mar-23: £10,028
    Mar-23: £10,000
  • Apr-23: £10,053
    Apr-23: £10,035
  • May-23: £9,975
    May-23: £9,999
  • Jun-23: £9,967
    Jun-23: £10,036
    2023
  • Jul-23: £10,050
    Jul-23: £10,074
  • Aug-23: £10,002
    Aug-23: £10,042
  • Sep-23: £9,915
    Sep-23: £9,879
  • Oct-23: £9,872
    Oct-23: £9,781
  • Nov-23: £10,133
    Nov-23: £10,125
  • Dec-23: £10,425
    Dec-23: £10,457
  • Jan-24: £10,334
    Jan-24: £10,449
    2024
  • Feb-24: £10,331
    Feb-24: £10,464
  • Mar-24: £10,487
    Mar-24: £10,594
  • Apr-24: £10,387
    Apr-24: £10,407
  • May-24: £10,415
    May-24: £10,520
  • Jun-24: £10,565
    Jun-24: £10,643
2019 2024
Virgin Money Defensive Fund comparisonJune 2019 to
June 2020		June 2020 to
June 2021		June 2021 to
June 2022		June 2022 to
June 2023		June 2023 to
June 2024
This fund3.3%3.6%-6.4%-0.4%6.0%
Performance Comparator*5.1%3.3%-8.5%1.0%6.0%
This fund launched in November 2020. 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 its launch. The simulated return takes into account total annual charges of 0.40% 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 85% bonds and 15% shares. 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, total return (income reinvested).
Performance comparator changes

Key information

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

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