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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 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.


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 30 September 2023.

Key:
Higher riskShares (emerging markets): 1%
Higher riskShares (UK): 1%
Higher riskReal estate investment trusts: 1%
Higher riskShares (overseas developed): 11%
Higher riskBonds (emerging markets): 1%
Higher riskBonds (high yield): 1%
Lower riskGlobal corporate bonds: 3%
Lower riskUK corporate bonds: 2%
Lower riskGlobal government bonds: 21%
Lower riskUK Government bonds (Gilts): 15%
Lower riskShort maturity bonds: 26%
Lower riskCash: 17%

Higher risk

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

Lower risk

  • 17% - Cash
  • 26% - Short maturity bonds
  • 15% - UK Government bonds (Gilts)
  • 21% - Global government bonds
  • 2% - 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.

Top holdings

The following is up-to-date as of 30 September 2023.

  1. Aberdeen Standard 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. abrdn Short Dated Global Corporate Bond Tracker Fund
  6. abrdn Short Dated Global Inflation-Linked Bond Tracker Fund
  7. Payden Global Government Bond Index Fund
  8. abrdn Sustainable Index American Equity Fund
  9. iShares MSCI EM 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 September 2023.

Key:
£7.5k
£10k
£12.5k
  • Sep-18: £10,000
    Sep-18: £10,000
    2018
  • Oct-18: £9,932.36
    Oct-18: £10,012.60
  • Nov-18: £9,910.72
    Nov-18: £10,025.01
  • Dec-18: £9,896.56
    Dec-18: £10,037.64
  • Jan-19: £10,015.05
    Jan-19: £10,050.29
    2019
  • Feb-19: £10,016.11
    Feb-19: £10,062.33
  • Mar-19: £10,207.38
    Mar-19: £10,075
  • Apr-19: £10,220.39
    Apr-19: £10,087.47
  • May-19: £10,291.21
    May-19: £10,100.16
  • Jun-19: £10,405.82
    Jun-19: £10,112.66
  • Jul-19: £10,553.10
    Jul-19: £10,125.38
  • Aug-19: £10,670.20
    Aug-19: £10,138.12
  • Sep-19: £10,654.53
    Sep-19: £10,150.67
  • Oct-19: £10,547.65
    Oct-19: £10,163.44
  • Nov-19: £10,539.59
    Nov-19: £10,176.02
  • Dec-19: £10,523.01
    Dec-19: £10,188.82
  • Jan-20: £10,649.61
    Jan-20: £10,201.64
    2020
  • Feb-20: £10,617.31
    Feb-20: £10,214.05
  • Mar-20: £10,209.57
    Mar-20: £10,223.44
  • Apr-20: £10,472.99
    Apr-20: £10,230.64
  • May-20: £10,618.71
    May-20: £10,237.89
  • Jun-20: £10,713.01
    Jun-20: £10,245.10
  • Jul-20: £10,754.35
    Jul-20: £10,252.36
  • Aug-20: £10,719.50
    Aug-20: £10,259.60
  • Sep-20: £10,757.10
    Sep-20: £10,266.85
  • Oct-20: £10,738.71
    Oct-20: £10,274.11
  • Nov-20: £10,945.14
    Nov-20: £10,945.14
    Nov-20: £10,281.36
  • Dec-20: £11,020.40
    Dec-20: £10,288.63
  • Jan-21: £10,998.90
    Jan-21: £10,295.92
    2021
  • Feb-21: £10,805.37
    Feb-21: £10,303.11
  • Mar-21: £10,880.63
    Mar-21: £10,310.41
  • Apr-21: £10,966.64
    Apr-21: £10,317.67
  • May-21: £10,988.14
    May-21: £10,324.98
  • Jun-21: £11,063.40
    Jun-21: £10,332.25
  • Jul-21: £11,192.42
    Jul-21: £10,339.57
  • Aug-21: £11,246.18
    Aug-21: £10,346.89
  • Sep-21: £11,106.41
    Sep-21: £10,354.19
  • Oct-21: £11,170.92
    Oct-21: £10,361.52
  • Nov-21: £11,235.43
    Nov-21: £10,368.82
  • Dec-21: £11,213.93
    Dec-21: £10,376.84
  • Jan-22: £11,020.40
    Jan-22: £10,385.50
    2022
  • Feb-22: £10,891.38
    Feb-22: £10,395.82
  • Mar-22: £10,848.37
    Mar-22: £10,407.78
  • Apr-22: £10,661.29
    Apr-22: £10,420.68
  • May-22: £10,609.69
    May-22: £10,435.72
  • Jun-22: £10,324.77
    Jun-22: £10,451.87
  • Jul-22: £10,563.45
    Jul-22: £10,469.48
  • Aug-22: £10,398.96
    Aug-22: £10,491.14
  • Sep-22: £9,960.29
    Sep-22: £10,514.06
  • Oct-22: £10,044.15
    Oct-22: £10,540.70
  • Nov-22: £10,245.21
    Nov-22: £10,572.82
  • Dec-22: £10,148.44
    Dec-22: £10,608.81
  • Jan-23: £10,348.42
    Jan-23: £10,646.95
    2023
  • Feb-23: £10,232.31
    Feb-23: £10,686.10
  • Mar-23: £10,326.92
    Mar-23: £10,729.72
  • Apr-23: £10,351.65
    Apr-23: £10,773.78
  • May-23: £10,267.79
    May-23: £10,820.82
  • Jun-23: £10,255.96
    Jun-23: £10,868.80
  • Jul-23: £10,339.82
    Jul-23: £10,921.60
  • Aug-23: £10,287.14
    Aug-23: £10,976.82
  • Sep-23: £10,194.67
    Sep-23: £11,030.89
2017 2022

Sep 2018 to
Sep 2019
Sep 2019 to
Sep 2020
Sep 2020 to
Sep 2021
Sep 2021 to
Sep 2022
Sep 2022 to
Sep 2023
Total over 5
years
This fund
6.5%1.0%3.2%-10.3%2.4%1.9%
Performance Comparator*
1.5%1.1%0.9%1.5%4.9%10.3%
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 0.70% and that the mix of assets are rebalanced once per month.

*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 is the Bank of England Base Rate +0.75%, which represents an incremental return over and above cash savings, in keeping with the lower risk / defensive nature of the fund

Source Lipper, total return (income reinvested). The returns shown above are based on index returns (see above) up until 29 October 2020 thereafter actual returns are used. Lump sum invested 30 September 2018 to 30 September 2023. For details of the performance comparator for each fund please see the respective Key Investor Information Document.

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

Prefer to let someone else do the driving?

Switch to our Navigator Pension, it's like satnav and cruise control for your retirement journey.

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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.

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