scottish widows stocks and shares isa

Enzo_L

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82050558#Comment_82050558

L&G Global Equity Index Fund was launched in the UK in October 1986.

L&G World (ex UK) Equity Index Fund was launched in the UK in June 1994.

The Vanguard Global Stock Index Fund, which is domiciled in Ireland, became available in the UK in August 1998.

DRS1

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82050812#Comment_82050812

That is interesting. I had L&G PEPs and ISAs back in the 90s. I found a Fund Summary document from 1999 which does not mention any Global Equity Index Fund or World (Ex UK) Fund.

It does mention a Worldwide Trust (Managed) which invests at least 50% in the UK and European Union securities. The chart shows 59% UK 16.2% Europe and 11.2% US!

Then there is a Global Growth Trust which doesn't have the 50% limit. That had 27.7% in the UK and 25.5% in the US.

So even in a Global/World thing from the late 90s there was a serious bias towards the UK.

For the Index Trusts it lists UK, US, European, Japan and Pacific (in that order). You could use those to make up your own Global Equity Tracker but it is interesting that they didn't mention that they had one or two Global Index Trusts they "had made earlier".

dunstonh

Before we make the OP feel like he has missed a trick by investing in this fund let's not forget that there have been times when investing in the US has not been great and investing in Japan has been a lot worse. I am not even sure that putting the money into a global tracker would have been possible back in 1996 or even 2008 - I think VWRP only started in 2012.

Forget Vanguard because they only came to the UK in 2011. However, Global trackers have been available for decades before that. I suspect that what the op has is originally a Lloyds or TSB or Black Horse or LloydsTSB fund that was later rebranded under SW.

What is different nowadays is awareness and understanding. It was not uncommon in the 90s for people just to dabble in the home stock market. Those with more wealth would typically have a broader spread. However, if you went to a bank or insurance company agent, they weren't allowed to build a portfolio for you. Effectively, they had to pop the funds appropriate for your risk level in front of you for you to select. At least that's how it was on paper.

Even if they didn't use a global tracker, they certainly had global equity funds.

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markbsac

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82050266#Comment_82050266

because i can remember what was in it approx when i stopped putting money into it in 2008, it has now over tripled in value without adding any of my own money since 2008…and thats been fine for me

masonic

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82051502#Comment_82051502

Tripling since 2008 implies an annualised growth rate of 6.3%, which may be fine for you, but is far from performing "really well over the years". For comparison a simple global index fund would have gone up 7x (11%pa), and the average equity fund would have gone up 4.5x (8.7%pa) for a similar level of risk.

dunstonh

Here are the International Equity Tracker and the UK Equity Tracker funds, both from Scottish Widows using the same share class.

This is not using the benefit of hindsight, as the usual advice is to diversify and not invest in any one country alone. The discussion and opinion bits are how much you invest in each country and region. If you don't want to make that choice for yourself, then you go with a straightforward global equity fund.