Ready-made Portfolios - get the help of an expert
What are Ready-made Portfolios?
Bestinvest’s Ready-made Portfolios are built from a range of funds selected by our investment teams at Evelyn Partners. We look after more than £50 billion of people’s money. These ‘off-the-shelf’-style portfolios come with a carefully selected collection of investments, so you don’t have to spend time choosing them yourself.
We have two fund ranges, Expert and Smart, each of which has different investment portfolios, from defensive to maximum growth and everything in between. So whether you are confident taking risks with your money to try to get bigger returns or you are more cautious, you should find one for you. If your focus is sustainability or income, we have funds for that too. Just pick the one you want and we’ll do the rest.
Our team of experts decide where and how much to invest, dedicating a lot of time to finding the right mix of investments. They choose those that they believe strike the best balance between the return objectives and risk level of each portfolio.
Which Ready-made Portfolio is right for me?
This depends how you feel about investing and what you want from your investments.
For example, do you simply want to protect yourself from the effects of inflation or do you want to grow your money as much as possible? Your answer will almost certainly depend on how much risk you’re prepared to take with your investing.
Feeling green? We also have sustainable funds that invest in companies that demonstrate ESG (environmental, social and governance) criteria and sustainability credentials while also seeking to avoid traditional ‘sin’ sectors.
Looking for an income from your investments? We have an Expert fund that aims to deliver a high level of income with the potential for moderate capital growth over the long term.
Find out about the costs and charges below in the FAQ section.
How do I get started?
If you're confident diving straight in, then you can search and choose your portfolio.
Otherwise, follow our short step-by-step guide below and we'll get you investing.
1. Open an account with us
If you're already a client, please login.
Not a client yet? No problem! Firstly, you'll need to decide what sort of account you'd like to open with us to hold your Ready-made Portfolio in.
You can open:
- SIPP - for those looking to save towards their retirement in a tax-efficient way
- ISA - For those looking to use or all of their £20,000 annual allowance
- Investment Account - For anyone just looking for a general investing account
2. Choose what type of Ready-Made Portfolio you’d like
Smart – Our lowest cost option popular with those newer to investing or more experienced investors seeking the lowest charges on the Bestinvest platform.
Our fund managers use the same award-winning asset allocation intelligence that powers our Expert portfolios. To keep the costs down, we replace the actively managed funds with low-cost investments such as exchange-traded funds (ETFs).
Expert – An option for those looking for a more actively managed portfolio, including those looking for sustainable (ESG) investment options. Our fund managers aim to maximise your returns for the level of risk you’ve chosen to take. To do this, they select best-in-class, actively managed funds to give you diversified access to great investment ideas. They currently manage over £7 billion in client assets (as at January 2022).
3. Choose what level of risk you’re comfortable taking with your investments
From Cautious (this fund could suit investors who would like to reduce the impact of inflation and grow the value of their portfolio in real terms, with a slightly below average risk tolerance) up to the highest risk of Maximum Growth (this fund could suit adventurous investors who have a very high tolerance to risk and a long time horizon).
Smart Ready Made Portfolio Risk levels
Find out how each fund works by reading the fact sheets below:
Expert Ready Made Portfolio Risk levels
The factsheets will give you more information about the composition of each portfolio:
Our Expert range also includes a fund for those who are looking for Income rather than growth and two ESG Funds; ESG Cautious and ESG Adventurous
4. Still unsure what to do?
No problem, we are here to help.
You can learn more about risk as part of our free online beginners guide to investing.
We also offer a free investment coaching service. With a free, 45-minute coaching session you can talk through your investment strategy and see how Bestinvest can help you reach your goals. No obligation and no strings attached.
The team behind the portfolios
The portfolios are looked after by Evelyn Partners in-house investment team. They have access to the same research and tools that are used to power the investments of people with hundreds of thousands of pounds to invest.
Each member of the team specialises in a particular area – whether that’s researching individual investments or making sure the portfolios reflect any changes in the economy or political world. They have been doing this for years and have decades of experience between them – so you know your money is in good hands.
Who are Ready-made Portfolios for?
Ready-made Portfolios are popular with people who:
- Want to invest but aren’t sure where to start
- Don’t have the time or interest to choose and manage their own investments
- Would feel more comfortable with a team of professionals looking after their money
Need help deciding?
Many people find it difficult to make decisions about what to do with their money. If you are unsure which portfolio to choose, why not book a session with one of our coaches? They can help you understand the pros and cons of the different options. And if you want a personalised recommendation, there are a number of low-cost advice packages on offer.
What are the benefits?
There are plenty of reasons to start investing with a Ready-made Portfolio.
It’s easy
Our team review the portfolios continually, checking that they are performing well and making any changes when necessary. So, once you’ve chosen a portfolio you won’t have to lift a finger, although it’s a good idea to check back regularly to make sure the portfolio is still right for you and your goals.
Your money is in good hands
Your money will be looked after by Evelyn Partners in-house investment team. They do this all day, every day – so you can be sure your money will always be held in the investments that the team believe are the most likely to do well (although with any investing there is always a risk of losing money).
Great value
Ready-made Portfolios will cost you a little more than picking and looking after your own investments. But they’re still one of the cheapest ways to have your money managed by professionals. And with all our Ready-made Portfolios, you’ll also get a discount on your service fee.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Ready-made Portfolio?
Why are your Ready-Made Portfolios branded “Evelyn”?
Our Ready-Made Portfolios are branded “Evelyn” because they are managed by a team made up of investment managers from the investment management companies within Evelyn Partners. We look after more than £50 billion of people’s money.
What’s the difference between the investments held in Smart and Expert?
The Smart range invests in passive instruments, predominantly Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs). ETFs mirror the performance of an index such as the FTSE 100 and can be bought on the stock exchange just like shares.
The Expert range invests in funds managed by expert stock pickers across different asset classes. Our in-house investment team regularly check in with the managers of these funds to make sure they are doing a good job.
How much do your Ready-made Portfolios cost?
Because the Ready-made Portfolios are managed by a team of investment professionals, they cost a little more than choosing your own investments. The annual fund charge for our Smart range goes from 0.34% to 0.39% and for our Expert range from 1.47% to 1.59%. Our Expert range costs a bit more because of the extra layer of investment professionals looking to outperform the market with the investments they select.
Which accounts can I hold Ready-made Portfolios in?
You can hold any of our Ready-Made Portfolios in all account types we offer – that’s Investment Accounts, SIPPs (Self-Invested Personal Pensions), ISAs and Junior ISAs.
Once you’ve opened the account you want, the easiest way to buy the Ready-made Portfolio you want is via our Investment Search where you can use our Ready-made Portfolio quick search.