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Is this approach right for you?

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.

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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 31 March 2025.

Key:
Higher riskShares (emerging markets): 1%
Higher riskShares (UK): 4%
Higher riskReal estate investment trusts: 1%
Higher riskShares (overseas developed): 10%
Higher riskBonds (emerging markets): 1%
Higher riskBonds (high yield): 3%
Lower riskGlobal corporate bonds: 3%
Lower riskUK corporate bonds: 12%
Lower riskGlobal government bonds: 16%
Lower riskUK Government bonds (Gilts): 10%
Lower riskShort maturity bonds: 21%
Lower riskCash: 18%

Higher risk

  • 1% - Shares (emerging markets)
  • 4% - Shares (UK)
  • 1% - Real estate investment trusts
  • 10% - Shares (overseas developed)
  • 1% - Bonds (emerging markets)
  • 3% - Bonds (high yield)

Lower risk

  • 18% - Cash
  • 21% - Short maturity bonds
  • 10% - UK Government bonds (Gilts)
  • 16% - Global government bonds
  • 12% - UK corporate bonds
  • 3% - 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 31 March 2025.

  1. abrdn Liquidity Fund
  2. abrdn Global Government Bond Index Fund
  3. Vanguard UK Government Bond Index Fund
  4. L&G ESG GBP Corporate Bond 0-5 Year Fund ETF
  5. abrdn Short Dated Global Inflation-Linked Bond Tracker Fund
  6. Vontobel TwentyFour Sustainable Short Term Bond Fund
  7. abrdn Global Inflation-Linked Bond Tracker Fund
  8. abrdn Short Dated Global Corporate Bond Tracker Fund
  9. abrdn Evolve UK Equity 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 31 March 2025.

Key:
£7.5k
£10k
£12.5k
  • Mar-20: £10,000
    Mar-20: £10,000
    2020
  • Apr-20: £10,261
    Apr-20: £10,262
  • May-20: £10,406
    May-20: £10,386
  • Jun-20: £10,501
    Jun-20: £10,479
  • Jul-20: £10,544
    Jul-20: £10,555
  • Aug-20: £10,513
    Aug-20: £10,554
  • Sep-20: £10,552
    Sep-20: £10,589
  • Oct-20: £10,540
    Oct-20: £10,550
  • Nov-20: £10,744
    Nov-20: £10,737
  • Dec-20: £10,820
    Dec-20: £10,794
  • Jan-21: £10,802
    Jan-21: £10,728
    2021
  • Feb-21: £10,614
    Feb-21: £10,596
  • Mar-21: £10,691
    Mar-21: £10,622
  • Apr-21: £10,777
    Apr-21: £10,708
  • May-21: £10,801
    May-21: £10,710
  • Jun-21: £10,877
    Jun-21: £10,824
  • Jul-21: £11,007
    Jul-21: £10,937
  • Aug-21: £11,063
    Aug-21: £10,976
  • Sep-21: £10,927
    Sep-21: £10,850
  • Oct-21: £10,994
    Oct-21: £10,881
  • Nov-21: £11,059
    Nov-21: £10,968
  • Dec-21: £11,041
    Dec-21: £10,949
  • Jan-22: £10,853
    Jan-22: £10,736
    2022
  • Feb-22: £10,723
    Feb-22: £10,575
  • Mar-22: £10,684
    Mar-22: £10,440
  • Apr-22: £10,505
    Apr-22: £10,136
  • May-22: £10,456
    May-22: £10,120
  • Jun-22: £10,178
    Jun-22: £9,907
  • Jul-22: £10,415
    Jul-22: £10,217
  • Aug-22: £10,256
    Aug-22: £9,984
  • Sep-22: £9,826
    Sep-22: £9,608
  • Oct-22: £9,910
    Oct-22: £9,617
  • Nov-22: £10,111
    Nov-22: £9,873
  • Dec-22: £10,018
    Dec-22: £9,692
  • Jan-23: £10,216
    Jan-23: £9,939
    2023
  • Feb-23: £10,104
    Feb-23: £9,778
  • Mar-23: £10,200
    Mar-23: £9,968
  • Apr-23: £10,226
    Apr-23: £10,003
  • May-23: £10,147
    May-23: £9,967
  • Jun-23: £10,138
    Jun-23: £10,005
  • Jul-23: £10,222
    Jul-23: £10,042
  • Aug-23: £10,174
    Aug-23: £10,010
  • Sep-23: £10,085
    Sep-23: £9,848
  • Oct-23: £10,042
    Oct-23: £9,750
  • Nov-23: £10,307
    Nov-23: £10,092
  • Dec-23: £10,604
    Dec-23: £10,424
  • Jan-24: £10,512
    Jan-24: £10,416
    2024
  • Feb-24: £10,508
    Feb-24: £10,431
  • Mar-24: £10,666
    Mar-24: £10,560
  • Apr-24: £10,566
    Apr-24: £10,374
  • May-24: £10,594
    May-24: £10,486
  • Jun-24: £10,747
    Jun-24: £10,609
  • Jul-24: £10,836
    Jul-24: £10,780
  • Aug-24: £10,918
    Aug-24: £10,879
  • Sep-24: £11,004
    Sep-24: £10,987
  • Oct-24: £10,928
    Oct-24: £10,886
  • Nov-24: £11,026
    Nov-24: £11,078
  • Dec-24: £10,961
    Dec-24: £10,989
  • Jan-25: £11,080
    Jan-25: £11,097
    2025
  • Feb-25: £11,123
    Feb-25: £11,178
  • Mar-25: £11,048
    Mar-25: £11,036
2020 2025
Virgin Money Defensive Fund comparisonMarch 2020 to
March 2021		March 2021 to
March 2022		March 2022 to
March 2023		March 2023 to
March 2024		March 2024 to
March 2025
This fund6.9%0.0%-4.6%4.6%3.6%
Performance Comparator*6.2%-1.7%-4.5%5.9%4.5%
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:

Apply for Careful Defensive approach

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Our other approaches

Learn about our Investment Mix

Cautious Growth approach

A slower, cautious approach to growing your money.

View approach

Balanced Growth approach

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

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