With the end of the tax year fast approaching, many of us are trying to shovel money into investments and make the most of our ISA allowance. But which funds or stocks are worth adding to your portfolio?
With thousands of funds, ETFs and trusts on the market, it’s a tricky question. To help you narrow your search, we take a look at Bestinvest’s top funds list.
A large number of investment platforms publish regular best-buy lists which can help you narrow down your search for the right funds – whether you’re researching for an ISA, a SIPP, or a different kind of investment account. These are a useful tool, and can simplify your research process considerably.
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“Each sector typically has a dedicated team of half-a-dozen investment managers involved in researching and monitoring the investment options available”, says Jason Hollands, managing director at Bestinvest.
“That is a huge amount of time and expertise focused on finding the right funds”, he adds.
Here are the top funds to consider, according to the experts at Bestinvest.
The best funds to invest in
Best UK equity funds for growth
- Liontrust UK Growth
- Artemis UK Select
- Mercantile Investment Trust
Best UK equity funds for income
- Murray Income Trust
- BlackRock UK Income
- Montanaro UK Income
Best targeted absolute return funds
- Trojan Fund
- Lazard Rathmore Alternative
- TM Fulcrum Diversified Absolute Return
Best bond funds
- Janus Henderson Strategic Bond
- TwentyFour Absolute Return Credit
Best European equity funds
- BlackRock Continental European Income
- Fidelity European
- BlackRock European Dynamic
Best Japanese equity funds
- iShares Japan Equity Index
- Jupiter Japan Income
Best Asian and emerging market funds
- Schroder ISF Asian Total Return
- Stewart Investors Asia Pacific Sustainability
Best US equity funds
- Premier Miton US Opportunities
- Loomis Sayles US Equity Leaders
- Dodge & Cox Worldwide US Stock Fund
Best global equity funds
- GuardCap Global Equity
- Brown Advisory Global Leaders
- Guinness Global Equity Income
Funds dropped from the best-buy list
The following funds featured on the best-buy list in September 2023, but have since been dropped:
- Rathbone Ethical Bond
- Aubrey Global Emerging Markets Opportunities
- Baillie Gifford Japanese
- Findlay Park American
- AXA Framlington UK Mid Cap
- iShares FTSE 250 ETF
- HICL Infrastructure PLC Ord
- SDCL Energy Efficiency Income
- Barings Europe Select Trust
- Baillie Gifford Global Discovery
- CT Responsible Global Equity
- Fundsmith Equity
- JPM Japan
- Ninety One Global Environment
- Liontrust UK Ethical
- Premier Miton UK Growth
- WS Lindsell Train UK Equity
New best-buy funds added
These newcomers have been added to the list since the last edition:
- Vanguard UK Short-Term Investment Grade Bond Index
- JPM Global Macro Sustainable
- SPDR MSCI World Technology ETF
- SPDR S&P 500 ETF
- NB Private Equity Partners Ltd Ord
- Brown Advisory Global Leaders Sustainable
- UBS FTSE RAFI Developed 1000 Index
- GQG Partners US Equity
Key things to consider when researching funds
While a best-buy guide is a useful tool when researching funds, it doesn’t tell you everything you need to know. Before deciding which providers to invest with, DIY investors should think carefully about their objectives and their asset allocation.
For example, are you looking to achieve growth or income? How much risk are you willing and able to take? And what combination of different assets can help you achieve this?
If you aren’t sure and don’t have much experience with DIY investing, you might benefit from investment advice. A robo-advisor could be a cheaper option than speaking to a person. This is a popular starting point for many DIY investors.
Once you have your strategy nailed down, that’s where a best-buy guide comes in.
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