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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 2025.

Key:
Higher riskShares (emerging markets): 1%
Higher riskShares (UK): 4%
Higher riskReal estate investment trusts: 1%
Higher riskShares (overseas developed): 11%
Higher riskBonds (emerging markets): 2%
Higher riskBonds (high yield): 3%
Lower riskGlobal corporate bonds: 11%
Lower riskUK corporate bonds: 4%
Lower riskGlobal government bonds: 14%
Lower riskUK Government bonds (Gilts): 11%
Lower riskShort maturity bonds: 21%
Lower riskCash: 17%

Higher risk

  • 1% - Shares (emerging markets)
  • 4% - Shares (UK)
  • 1% - Real estate investment trusts
  • 11% - Shares (overseas developed)
  • 2% - Bonds (emerging markets)
  • 3% - Bonds (high yield)

Lower risk

  • 17% - Cash
  • 21% - Short maturity bonds
  • 11% - UK Government bonds (Gilts)
  • 14% - Global government bonds
  • 4% - UK corporate bonds
  • 11% - 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.

The following is up-to-date as of 30 June 2025.

  1. abrdn Liquidity Fund
  2. abrdn Global Government Bond Index Fund
  3. L&G ESG GBP Corporate Bond 0-5 Year Fund ETF
  4. Vanguard UK Government Bond Index Fund
  5. Vontobel TwentyFour Sustainable Short Term Bond Fund
  6. abrdn Short Dated Global Inflation-Linked Bond Tracker Fund
  7. abrdn Global Inflation-Linked Bond Tracker Fund
  8. abrdn Short Dated Global Corporate Bond Tracker Fund
  9. abrdn Evolve Asia Pacific ex-Japan Equity Index Fund
  10. abrdn Evolve American 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.

Here's the detail at 30 June 2025.

Key:
£7.5k
£10k
£12.5k
  • Jun-20: £10,000
    Jun-20: £10,000
    2020
  • Jul-20: £10,041
    Jul-20: £10,073
  • Aug-20: £10,011
    Aug-20: £10,071
  • Sep-20: £10,049
    Sep-20: £10,105
  • Oct-20: £10,036
    Oct-20: £10,067
  • Nov-20: £10,232
    Nov-20: £10,246
  • Dec-20: £10,304
    Dec-20: £10,300
  • Jan-21: £10,287
    Jan-21: £10,238
    2021
  • Feb-21: £10,108
    Feb-21: £10,111
  • Mar-21: £10,182
    Mar-21: £10,136
  • Apr-21: £10,264
    Apr-21: £10,219
  • May-21: £10,287
    May-21: £10,220
  • Jun-21: £10,359
    Jun-21: £10,329
  • Jul-21: £10,483
    Jul-21: £10,437
  • Aug-21: £10,535
    Aug-21: £10,474
  • Sep-21: £10,408
    Sep-21: £10,354
  • Oct-21: £10,471
    Oct-21: £10,384
  • Nov-21: £10,533
    Nov-21: £10,466
  • Dec-21: £10,516
    Dec-21: £10,448
  • Jan-22: £10,337
    Jan-22: £10,245
    2022
  • Feb-22: £10,213
    Feb-22: £10,091
  • Mar-22: £10,177
    Mar-22: £9,962
  • Apr-22: £10,004
    Apr-22: £9,672
  • May-22: £9,959
    May-22: £9,657
  • Jun-22: £9,694
    Jun-22: £9,454
  • Jul-22: £9,919
    Jul-22: £9,750
  • Aug-22: £9,768
    Aug-22: £9,527
  • Sep-22: £9,358
    Sep-22: £9,168
  • Oct-22: £9,439
    Oct-22: £9,177
  • Nov-22: £9,629
    Nov-22: £9,421
  • Dec-22: £9,542
    Dec-22: £9,248
  • Jan-23: £9,730
    Jan-23: £9,485
    2023
  • Feb-23: £9,624
    Feb-23: £9,331
  • Mar-23: £9,715
    Mar-23: £9,512
  • Apr-23: £9,740
    Apr-23: £9,546
  • May-23: £9,664
    May-23: £9,512
  • Jun-23: £9,656
    Jun-23: £9,547
  • Jul-23: £9,736
    Jul-23: £9,583
  • Aug-23: £9,690
    Aug-23: £9,552
  • Sep-23: £9,605
    Sep-23: £9,398
  • Oct-23: £9,564
    Oct-23: £9,305
  • Nov-23: £9,817
    Nov-23: £9,631
  • Dec-23: £10,099
    Dec-23: £9,948
  • Jan-24: £10,012
    Jan-24: £9,940
    2024
  • Feb-24: £10,009
    Feb-24: £9,954
  • Mar-24: £10,159
    Mar-24: £10,077
  • Apr-24: £10,063
    Apr-24: £9,900
  • May-24: £10,090
    May-24: £10,007
  • Jun-24: £10,236
    Jun-24: £10,124
  • Jul-24: £10,321
    Jul-24: £10,287
  • Aug-24: £10,398
    Aug-24: £10,382
  • Sep-24: £10,481
    Sep-24: £10,485
  • Oct-24: £10,409
    Oct-24: £10,389
  • Nov-24: £10,502
    Nov-24: £10,572
  • Dec-24: £10,440
    Dec-24: £10,487
  • Jan-25: £10,553
    Jan-25: £10,589
    2025
  • Feb-25: £10,594
    Feb-25: £10,667
  • Mar-25: £10,522
    Mar-25: £10,531
  • Apr-25: £10,563
    Apr-25: £10,579
  • May-25: £10,625
    May-25: £10,624
  • Jun-25: £10,749
    Jun-25: £10,754
2020 2025
Virgin Money Defensive Fund comparisonJune 2020 to
June 2021		June 2021 to
June 2022		June 2022 to
June 2023		June 2023 to
June 2024		June 2024 to
June 2025
This fund3.6%-6.4%-0.4%6.0%5.0%
Performance Comparator*3.3%-8.5%1.0%6.0%6.2%
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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