M&G funds selected for Friends Wealth Solutions Bond

M&G High Yield Corporate Bond and the M&G American Fund have been selected by Friends Provident for its new FRIENDS Wealth Solutions Bond. These two popular M&G funds are among 18 recently added to the new bond.

The funds are firmly established and offer investors the benefits of M&G’s experience and scale as one of the largest fixed income and equity asset managers in the UK. The M&G American Fund and M&G High Yield Corporate Bond are headed by managers renowned in their sectors; global equities specialist and Citywire-AA rated Aled Smith and M&G’s head of retail fixed income, Jim Leaviss.

A total of eight M&G funds have been added to Friends Provident’s Life and Pensions platform range in recent years.

Andrew Watson, M&G’s Partnerships Director, comments: “As more advisers and investors buy into funds via open architecture, the range of products available continues to expand. Life companies work closely with intermediaries and investors in shaping these products, selecting funds which demonstrate an excellent long-term performance track record from investment companies with sound credentials.

“These two M&G funds have delivered consistent long-term returns to investors over time and this, combined with our strong brand make a compelling proposition for investors in an increasingly crowded market place. We are delighted that our link with Friends Provident goes from strength to strength with the selection of these two funds for the FRIENDS Wealth Solutions Bond.”

Christine Foyster, head of wealth management marketing, Friends Provident comments: ”We launched the FRIENDS Wealth Solutions Bond in response to customer feedback and market demand. We have been able to hand pick specific funds, and are pleased to include these two M&G funds to further enhance our offering”.

About the funds:

The £1.1 billion M&G American Fund, managed by Citywire AA-rated Aled Smith, is a strong performing fund in the IMA North America sector, achieving top decile performance over three and five years. The fund is consistently in demand from third party wrap and platform investors and it is ranked among M&G’s top ten selling retail funds via this channel.

The £1billion M&G High Yield Corporate Bond Fund was the first, pure high yield bond fund when it was launched in October 1998. Managed by the head of M&G’s retail fixed income team Jim Leaviss, the fund has delivered top quartile performance throughout Jim’s tenure as manager.