How to pick funds for Junior S&S ISA?

A question about : How to pick funds for Junior S&S ISA?

I have recently opened a Junior S&S ISA with Hargreaves Lansdown for our newborn daughter with a view to investing ~Ј100 per month plus lump sums from relatives for birthdays etc until she is 18.

I'm largely savvy when it comes to cash savings but find myself seriously green when it comes to picking a spread of investments for her ISA.

From what I gather, 18 years should be long enough to ride out most dips in the market so we could afford to take slightly higher risks in the hunt for higher gains in 18 years time.

Can anyone offer any advice or experience on which fund or funds might be appropriate?

Edited to add - I'd like this to be as passive an investment as possible. Essentially I'd like to set up my standing orders and forget.

Best answers:

• Here are some thoughts on how to construct an investment portfolio: https://monevator.com/category/invest...ing-investing/
  Your easiest option is perhaps a Vanguard Lifestrategy fund, probably the 100% one to start with, if you are looking at 18 years.
  Monevator also have a children blog: https://monevator.com/how-to-invest-for-children/
• I'm an actuary and run an investment website so have access to some handy tools for this sort of thing. I ran the Vanguard Lifestrategy 100% fund through our checkup tool for you to give you a feel for likely returns and risks.
  For Ј100 per month over 18 years, results were:
  Most likely = 4.85% or Ј34,600
  Good case = 9.27% or Ј56,000 (1 in 6 chance of beating this)
  Bad case = 0.43% or Ј22,500 (1 in 6 chance of doing worse than this)
  Note that "bad case" is not the same as "worst case" (ie you could get less). Also, results would be very different over shorter time horizons (would look much riskier).
  The tool did also suggest an alternative portfolio which it assessed to have a similar overall risk profile but likely to generate slightly better returns.
  Others on the forum have suggested that these portfolios are a bit niche, so you might be more comfortable with the Vanguard option, but I thought I'd share it with you anyway:
  47% - Vanguard FTSE Developed Europe ex UK Eq Index Fund Acc
  21% - Investec Global Gold I Fund Acc
  19% - Blackrock Global Prop Secs Equity Tracker D Fund Acc
  13% - AXA Framlington Biotech Z Fund Acc
  Equivalent projections for this portfolio are:
  Most likely = 6.60% or Ј41,600
  Good case = 12.08% or Ј77,900
  Bad case = 1.12% or Ј23,900
  The difference is basically that the Vanguard 100 fund is very well diversified across global equities, but not across many other types of assets. Our system figures that it's better to include some other types of assets (in this case, property and gold) in the portfolio as well.
  By doing this it can pick funds that are more risky individually (which should boost returns) but keep the overall risk profile of the portfolio roughly the same.
  And - just to repeat - these numbers are over 18 years on Ј100 per month. Things would look much riskier over a shorter time period or with a lump sum investment.
• Worth noting that if you select your own funds, you have to do your own rebalancing on a regular basis. Nothing onerous but it's a major difference between LifeStrategy and other investment choices.
• It is only Ј100pm. Why over complicate it with portfolio building?
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• Hmmm... I wondered if that might start a debate!
  Quote:
• I am not an actuary.
  I am not a financial advisor.
  What a really daft suggestion that anyone starting a junior ISA for Ј100 a month who has no investing experience should start in four funds of very dubious spread. No matter how many, and on what basis "screenings" one may whish to apply, the sheer lack of common sense that has been shown on this subject is mind boggling.
  If TheBoffin is hoping to drum up business via this forum, he better overcome his lack of judgment and start using his brain before his "screens".