Skip to main content

Is this approach right for you?

Balancing caution and adventure. The middle risk choice out of our three growth approaches.

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

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.

Apply now

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.

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 2024.

Key:
Higher riskShares (emerging markets): 11%
Higher riskShares (UK): 5%
Higher riskReal estate investment trusts: 4%
Higher riskShares (overseas developed): 48%
Higher riskBonds (emerging markets): 4%
Higher riskBonds (high yield): 8%
Lower riskGlobal corporate bonds: 11%
Lower riskUK corporate bonds: 0%
Lower riskGlobal government bonds: 3%
Lower riskUK Government bonds (Gilts): 0%
Lower riskShort maturity bonds: 5%
Lower riskCash: 1%

Higher risk

  • 11% - Shares (emerging markets)
  • 5% - Shares (UK)
  • 4% - Real estate investment trusts
  • 48% - Shares (overseas developed)
  • 4% - Bonds (emerging markets)
  • 8% - Bonds (high yield)

Lower risk

  • 1% - Cash
  • 5% - Short maturity bonds
  • 0% - UK Government bonds (Gilts)
  • 3% - Global government bonds
  • 0% - 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.

Top holdings

The following is up-to-date as of 30 September 2024.

  1. abrdn Sustainable Index World Equity Fund
  2. iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ESG Enhanced UCITS ETF
  3. iShares Continental European Equity ESG Index Fund
  4. abrdn SICAV I - Responsible Global High Yield Bond Fund
  5. abrdn Sustainable Index American Equity Fund
  6. abrdn Global Corporate Bond Screened Tracker Fund
  7. abrdn Asia Pacific ex-Japan Tracker Fund
  8. abrdn Sustainable Index UK Equity Fund
  9. Virgin Money Climate Change Fund
  10. iShares MSCI Japan ESG Enhanced UCITS ETF
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 2024.

Key:
£7.5k
£10k
£12.5k
£15k
£17.5k
  • Sep-19: £10,000
    Sep-19: £10,000
    2019
  • Oct-19: £9,864
    Oct-19: £9,859
  • Nov-19: £9,954
    Nov-19: £9,997
  • Dec-19: £10,026
    Dec-19: £10,048
  • Jan-20: £10,009
    Jan-20: £10,081
  • Feb-20: £9,692
    Feb-20: £9,818
  • Mar-20: £8,736
    Mar-20: £9,110
  • Apr-20: £9,175
    Apr-20: £9,648
  • May-20: £9,582
    May-20: £10,033
  • Jun-20: £9,821
    Jun-20: £10,248
    2020
  • Jul-20: £9,736
    Jul-20: £10,236
  • Aug-20: £9,909
    Aug-20: £10,453
  • Sep-20: £9,957
    Sep-20: £10,482
  • Oct-20: £9,800
    Oct-20: £10,328
  • Nov-20: £10,432
    Nov-20: £10,895
  • Dec-20: £10,603
    Dec-20: £11,049
  • Jan-21: £10,522
    Jan-21: £10,964
  • Feb-21: £10,497
    Feb-21: £10,929
  • Mar-21: £10,714
    Mar-21: £11,176
  • Apr-21: £10,966
    Apr-21: £11,455
  • May-21: £10,930
    May-21: £11,391
  • Jun-21: £11,181
    Jun-21: £11,704
    2021
  • Jul-21: £11,183
    Jul-21: £11,765
  • Aug-21: £11,421
    Aug-21: £12,006
  • Sep-21: £11,283
    Sep-21: £11,804
  • Oct-21: £11,375
    Oct-21: £12,032
  • Nov-21: £11,449
    Nov-21: £12,148
  • Dec-21: £11,614
    Dec-21: £12,240
  • Jan-22: £11,144
    Jan-22: £11,869
  • Feb-22: £10,969
    Feb-22: £11,622
  • Mar-22: £11,241
    Mar-22: £11,805
  • Apr-22: £11,010
    Apr-22: £11,423
  • May-22: £10,885
    May-22: £11,399
  • Jun-22: £10,422
    Jun-22: £10,986
    2022
  • Jul-22: £10,793
    Jul-22: £11,541
  • Aug-22: £10,835
    Aug-22: £11,462
  • Sep-22: £10,274
    Sep-22: £10,910
  • Oct-22: £10,359
    Oct-22: £11,077
  • Nov-22: £10,756
    Nov-22: £11,461
  • Dec-22: £10,643
    Dec-22: £11,065
  • Jan-23: £11,006
    Jan-23: £11,474
  • Feb-23: £10,943
    Feb-23: £11,312
  • Mar-23: £10,914
    Mar-23: £11,472
  • Apr-23: £10,948
    Apr-23: £11,478
  • May-23: £10,897
    May-23: £11,478
  • Jun-23: £11,036
    Jun-23: £11,690
    2023
  • Jul-23: £11,252
    Jul-23: £11,861
  • Aug-23: £11,079
    Aug-23: £11,761
  • Sep-23: £10,970
    Sep-23: £11,642
  • Oct-23: £10,704
    Oct-23: £11,437
  • Nov-23: £11,167
    Nov-23: £11,911
  • Dec-23: £11,657
    Dec-23: £12,352
  • Jan-24: £11,612
    Jan-24: £12,393
    2024
  • Feb-24: £11,781
    Feb-24: £12,728
  • Mar-24: £12,095
    Mar-24: £13,024
  • Apr-24: £11,949
    Apr-24: £12,747
  • May-24: £12,050
    May-24: £12,970
  • Jun-24: £12,275
    Jun-24: £13,245
  • Jul-24: £12,309
    Jul-24: £13,346
  • Aug-24: £12,410
    Aug-24: £13,419
  • Sep-24: £12,567
    Sep-24: £13,499
2019 2024

June 2019 to
September 2020		September 2020 to
September 2021		September 2021 to
September 2022		September 2022 to
September 2023		September 2023 to
September 2024
This fund-0.4%13.3%-8.9%6.8%14.6%
Performance Comparator*4.8%12.6%-7.6%6.7%16.0%
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 30 September 2019 to 30 September 2024, 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:

Apply for Balanced Growth approach

If you're ready to get started, select an option

Move existing pensions
Open a new pension

See how much your money could grow

Use our quick and easy calculator to see how bright your financial future could be.

Self-Drive pension calculator

Our other approaches

Learn about our Investment Mix

Careful Defensive approach

To minimise and defend against ups and downs.

View approach

Cautious Growth approach

A slower, cautious approach to growing your money.

View approach

Adventurous Growth approach

For higher growth potential, but more ups and downs than with our Balanced Growth approach.

View approach

Want someone else to drive?

Switch to our steered-for-you Navigator pension. It’s like sat nav for your retirement journey.

Explore Navigator
Let someone else do the driving

Got a question?

We've got the answer.

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:

Use the app or sign in to Online Service and track the performance of your investments – we update your account balance every day. You'll also get a statement every six months.

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.

View more questions and answers