Scottish Life enhances investment proposition with ten new funds

Scottish Life, the pensions specialist arm of the Royal London Group, has introduced ten new funds to its core fund range. The funds have been introduced in response to feedback from IFAs (Independent Financial Advisers) and market analysis.

The new funds give access to five new investment sectors (Commodities, US Mid Cap, Total Return, Global Property and Global Bonds) and increase the choice in existing sectors. Nine of the funds are actively managed, all of which are OBSR (Old Broad Street Research) rated – two are A-rated; three AA-rated; and four AAA-rated.

The new fund links are:

• BlackRock Gold & General
• JP Morgan Natural Resources
• First State Asia Pacific Leaders
• Schroder US Mid Cap
• JP Morgan Cautious Total Return
• Investec Cautious Managed
• Schroder Global Property Securities
• Invesco Perpetual Global Bond
• Invesco Perpetual Corporate Bond
• BGI Over 5 years Index-Linked Gilt Index

The new equity funds can be used in conjunction with Scottish Life’s Governed Range. Alternatively, any of the ten new funds can be used by advisers should they wish to construct customised portfolios within their own bespoke investment process. Advisers can, in addition, choose to have these customised portfolios automatically rebalanced by Scottish Life, either monthly, quarterly, half yearly or annually.

Nick Leitch, Head of Investment Marketing at Scottish Life, said:

"Our investment proposition offers a strong menu of low-cost options to help with risk profiling, asset allocation, fund picking, rebalancing and governance. The investment market is always evolving and the introduction of these new funds is part of our ongoing commitment to provide advisers and their clients with access to the best available funds, and fund partners, within our overall investment offering.

"The demands on advisers today are clearly significant. Our comprehensive investment proposition has been designed to help them provide a leading-edge product for their clients; and to achieve greater commercial success within their own businesses."

Alasdair Buchanan, Head of Communications
0131 456 7133

Nick Leitch, Head of Investment Marketing
0131 456 7891

Sally Biggs
020 7655 0520

A choice of rebalancing options, at no extra cost, is available with Scottish Life’s Retirement Solutions and Pension Portfolio contracts. Automatic rebalancing is designed to help ensure that a portfolio doesn’t move too far from its original objectives.

Investment returns may fluctuate and are not guaranteed.

Advisers should ensure that their advice process complies with FSA suitability requirements and with their own internal compliance requirements.

The Governed Range is a series of investment portfolios and lifestyle strategies available within Scottish Life’s Retirement Solutions and Pension Portfolio contracts. The Governed Range focuses on risk profiling, asset allocation, fund picking, rebalancing and ongoing governance. It is particularly suited for IFAs who are interested in getting support to help deliver quality investment advice, at low cost, within a Treating Customers Fairly framework.

Old Broad Street Research (OBSR) is recognised as the leading qualitative investment research company in the UK retail funds market. OBSR ratings range from A to AAA and are designed to be an independent mark of quality. They are also a clear indication of OBSR’s belief in a manager’s ability to meet or beat their fund’s objectives, compared to other similar funds. Currently about 250 funds are rated out of a universe of approximately 2500 funds.

The OBSR ratings shown are as at 30 September 2009.

Scottish Life was founded in 1881 in Edinburgh as a proprietary company, becoming a mutual company in 1968.

On 1 July 2001, Scottish Life demutualised and transferred its business to The Royal London Mutual Insurance Society Limited. Scottish Life is a division of Royal London and is the specialist pensions business within the Group, providing individual and group pensions to the market via intermediaries.

Scottish Life and Royal London’s other intermediary businesses are based mainly in Edinburgh where 1,170 staff are employed, with 710 working in other parts of the UK and overseas.

Royal London Group is a specialist financial service provider. Its businesses focus on those sectors of the market which value quality propositions, operating through a number of brands:

• Scottish Life – UK pensions market
• Bright Grey – UK protection market
• Scottish Provident – UK protection market
• Royal London 360° – offshore investment markets
• RLAM – fund management
• RLAS – life and pensions administration
• Fundsdirect / Ascentric – funds supermarket; Wrap platform

Royal London also distributes life and pensions products through Abbey’s national branch network.

Royal London is the largest mutual life and pensions company in the UK with Group funds under management of £33.5 billion. Group businesses serve around 3.6 million customers and employ 2,840 people. Figures quoted are as at 30 June 2009