Scottish Widows launches new range of managed growth funds

Scottish Widows has unveiled a new range of multi-asset funds – Managed Growth Funds (MGFs) – to help customers support their long-term investment goals.

Developed to meet an increasing demand for simple, low-cost, ‘portfolio in a box’ solutions, Scottish Widows believes the range sets a new benchmark for value with a range of risk-rated portfolios at an OCF of 0.10%.

Delivering capital growth

The five risk-rated funds – available initially, on the Scottish Widows Platform – have been designed to deliver capital growth by investing in a wide range of assets, backed by Scottish Widows’ scale, brand and expertise.

Managed by the team running the UK’s largest and longest running multi-asset proposition – the £72bn Scottish Widows’ workplace default fund – the MGFs are also available from Lloyds Bank, Halifax and Bank of Scotland via the ‘Ready Made Investment’ offering or blended with any of the diverse investment options on the Scottish Widows adviser platform. All are available through pension, ISA and GIA* wrappers. 

Key features of the new Managed Growth Fund range:

• Global diversification: The funds are diversified across global equities, bonds, and liquid alternative asset classes such as REITs, helping to manage risk and enhance return potential for each profile.
• Dynamic asset allocation: Portfolios are dynamically managed by Scottish Widows’ experienced team within a robust governance framework and regular reviews.
• Delivering value: With an ongoing charge figure (OCF) of 0.10%, the MGFs leverage Scottish Widows’ existing scale, bringing institutional pricing to the retail market.
• Simplicity and suitability: The MGFs are independently risk-profiled by industry leading risk providers, can be matched to clients’ needs and are suitable for Centralised Investment Propositions (CIPs).
• Responsible investment: ESG considerations are embedded in the process, ensuring responsible investment principles are fitted as standard.

Kevin Doran, Chief Investment Officer at Scottish Widows, said: “We know investors are increasingly looking for simple, low-cost, ‘portfolio in a box’ solutions that are easy to understand and explain, backed by a trusted brand.

Our heritage in the workplace pensions market – where we manage over £100bn of investments for more than six million customers – allows us to leverage our purchasing power on behalf of customers and advisers alike, marking our return to the retail investment space and setting a new benchmark for others to aspire to.”