Standard Life celebrates €1 billion in Global Index Fund assets
Five years on, more than €1bn has been invested in the Standard Life Global Index Funds – a milestone that reflects advisers’ growing demand for globally diversified, high value investment solutions that help them focus on what matters most: supporting clients.
When we introduced the funds in 2021, index investing was continuing to gain momentum globally, but advisers told us they wanted more than simply access to index funds. You wanted diversified portfolios across different risk profiles, ongoing rebalancing, certainty in performance and a proposition that could be explained clearly to clients. In response, we partnered with Vanguard to bring to the market straightforward multi-asset investment options that could remove complexity without compromising on investment quality.
Outwardly simple, inwardly sophisticated
The proposition is intentionally simple. It's this combination of simplicity and under-the-hood sophistication that has helped drive the success of the funds. While advisers can easily implement and explain the solution, Vanguard's indexing expertise, the broad diversification of the funds and the ongoing rebalancing do the heavy lifting behind the scenes.
Performance is dictated by the market, not through active asset allocation decisions taken by an investment manager.
Markets rarely move in a straight line, and asset allocations can drift over time. This makes the ongoing rebalancing policy critical to the funds. By maintaining a consistent investment mix, the funds help investors stay closely aligned with their chosen level of risk.
We packaged all this in a solution designed to support the shift in how financial advice has evolved to meet client needs. As financial planning has become more complex, advisers, and our own research, increasingly tell us that your greatest value lies not in managing portfolios, but in helping clients navigate decisions, behaviours and long-term goals.
Over the past five years, investors have experienced a remarkable range of market events, including rising inflation, higher interest rates, geopolitical uncertainty and rapidly evolving technology trends. These challenges have reinforced the importance of diversification, disciplined long-term investing, and maintaining the appropriate level of risk exposure – principles at the heart of the Global Index Funds.
The core principles that underpinned the launch remain just as relevant today. The Global Index Funds provide broad exposure to global equity and bond markets through a single investment solution. The funds offer access to thousands of underlying securities across developed and emerging markets, helping investors benefit from diversification. Performance is dictated by the market.
To everyone who has supported the Global Index Funds over the last five years, thank you. Reaching €1 billion is a milestone worth celebrating, and as we look ahead, our focus remains unchanged. The principles that inspired the launch five years ago remain just as relevant today: outwardly simple, inwardly sophisticated solutions and helping advisers focus on what matters most – supporting clients.