Starter portfolios

An expert pick of funds to get you up and running

Important information: Once you’ve invested in an AJ Bell Starter portfolio, responsibility for managing it rests with you. So you need to be sure you have the time, and confidence, to do this. Each portfolio is designed to be held for five years or more. And the funds we’ve chosen in each one are guidance only – not a personal recommendation. Remember, too, that the value of investments can change and you could lose money as well as make it.

Often, the hardest part of investing is knowing where to begin. The AJ Bell Starter portfolios (previously called Ready-made portfolios) have been designed to help you hit the ground running.

What are Starter portfolios?

Built by our in-house research team, the AJ Bell Starter portfolios let you leave the work of choosing your investments to our experts. All you need to do is pick the portfolio that’s right for you – or adjust it as you see fit – and you’re ready to go.

  • Built by our experts, managed by you
  • Choose the portfolio that suits your investing goals
  • Each portfolio is only made up of funds we've selected from the high-quality AJ Bell Favourite funds list
  • You can adjust each portfolio before buying it, or add other funds from the Favourite funds list
  • The minimum investment in a Starter portfolio is £1,000

Managing your portfolio

When you buy a Starter portfolio, the 5-9 funds within it will appear in your account. From that point on, it's up to you to manage them. You'll see the funds appear alongside any other investments you have, so it's easy to keep track. If you're not confident in managing your own portfolio, you might prefer something like our AJ Bell funds or Favourite funds list instead - these leave the hard work on a day to day basis to our expert team.

We check the Starter portfolios often and update them when needed. You have the power to make the same updates to your portfolio, and we'll always let you know about the changes we've made.

See our most recent changes

Frequently asked questions

  • How do the Starter portfolios work?
  • Do I need to invest a minimum amount into the Starter portfolios?
  • How do I keep track of the investments in my portfolio?
  • How do I know if the Starter portfolios have changed?
  • What are the charges for the portfolios?
  • What changes have we made to the Starter portfolios?

Read more FAQs

Choose your portfolio

Portfolio objective

The cautious portfolio aims to grow your money modestly over time – beating cash returns – while keeping ups and downs to a minimum.

It does this by investing mostly in conservative assets such as bonds. There’s some exposure to more aggressive assets such as shares, but mostly in the UK and developed markets.

View half-yearly report

How much do you want to invest?


Changing this portfolio

By adjusting the asset allocation, or adding different funds to your chosen portfolio, its overall risk level will change and may not meet your chosen objectives. Before investing, it’s important to research each fund and consider whether it suits your requirements. These funds are designed to be held over the long term: five years or more.

The funds in this portfolio were selected by us. You can leave this selection unchanged and check out, or you can use the sliders to adjust the asset allocation so it better suits your needs. Clicking ‘Add other funds’ lets you choose different funds from the AJ Bell Favourite funds list.

Portfolio asset allocation

Portfolio rating

Lower risk

Higher risk

Typically lower rewards

Typically higher rewards

The risk rating of a portfolio depends on the type of assets it invests in. Bonds are more conservative because they offer a more certain (though typically lower) return. Shares are more aggressive because they offer a less certain (though typically higher) return.

Keep in mind this applies over the longer term: five years or more.

Costs and charges

These are the estimated costs and charges you will pay to buy this portfolio. These estimated charges include the charges the fund manager makes for managing the fund (if applicable). They also show our estimated charges for buying and holding the funds with us. If you have any queries with these charges please call our dealing services team on 0345 37 33 479.

The following charges are based on an investment of £...
AJ Bell dealing charge ...
Annual charges
AJ Bell annual custody charge ... ...
Average fund managers annual ongoing charge ... ...

All charges shown are estimated based on the amount you have chosen to invest. The actual dealing charges will be shown on the dealing confirmation screen and in your contract note. The fund manager’s charges are provided by Morningstar and may not be accurate and you should not rely on this information when making your investment decisions.

Portfolio objective

The balanced portfolio aims for a steady, reliable return on your investment over the longer term, without too many ups and downs.

It does this by spreading its investments between conservative assets such as bonds, moderate assets like commercial property and aggressive assets such as shares – mostly in the UK and developed markets, but a small quantity in emerging markets too.

View half-yearly report

How much do you want to invest?


Changing this portfolio

By adjusting the asset allocation, or adding different funds to your chosen portfolio, its overall risk level will change and may not meet your chosen objectives. Before investing, it’s important to research each fund and consider whether it suits your requirements. These funds are designed to be held over the long term: five years or more.

The funds in this portfolio were selected by us. You can leave this selection unchanged and check out, or you can use the sliders to adjust the asset allocation so it better suits your needs. Clicking ‘Add other funds’ lets you choose different funds from the AJ Bell Favourite funds list.

Portfolio asset allocation

Portfolio rating

Lower risk

Higher risk

Typically lower rewards

Typically higher rewards

The risk rating of a portfolio depends on the type of assets it invests in. Bonds are more conservative because they offer a more certain (though typically lower) return. Shares are more aggressive because they offer a less certain (though typically higher) return.

Keep in mind this applies over the longer term: five years or more.

Costs and charges

These are the estimated costs and charges you will pay to buy this portfolio. These estimated charges include the charges the fund manager makes for managing the fund (if applicable). They also show our estimated charges for buying and holding the funds with us. If you have any queries with these charges please call our dealing services team on 0345 37 33 479.

The following charges are based on an investment of £...
AJ Bell dealing charge ...
Annual charges
AJ Bell annual custody charge ... ...
Average fund managers annual ongoing charge ... ...

All charges shown are estimated based on the amount you have chosen to invest. The actual dealing charges will be shown on the dealing confirmation screen and in your contract note. The fund manager’s charges are provided by Morningstar and may not be accurate and you should not rely on this information when making your investment decisions.

Portfolio objective

The adventurous portfolio aims for strong investment growth over the long term – though with a greater likelihood of ups and downs along the way.

It does this by investing mostly in aggressive assets such as UK and developed market shares, as well as shares in less predictable areas such as emerging markets. There’s also exposure to moderate assets like corporate bonds and commercial property.

View half-yearly report

How much do you want to invest?


Changing this portfolio

By adjusting the asset allocation, or adding different funds to your chosen portfolio, its overall risk level will change and may not meet your chosen objectives. Before investing, it’s important to research each fund and consider whether it suits your requirements. These funds are designed to be held over the long term: five years or more.

The funds in this portfolio were selected by us. You can leave this selection unchanged and check out, or you can use the sliders to adjust the asset allocation so it better suits your needs. Clicking ‘Add other funds’ lets you choose different funds from the AJ Bell Favourite funds list.

Portfolio asset allocation

Portfolio rating

Lower risk

Higher risk

Typically lower rewards

Typically higher rewards

The risk rating of a portfolio depends on the type of assets it invests in. Bonds are more conservative because they offer a more certain (though typically lower) return. Shares are more aggressive because they offer a less certain (though typically higher) return.

Keep in mind this applies over the longer term: five years or more.

Costs and charges

These are the estimated costs and charges you will pay to buy this portfolio. These estimated charges include the charges the fund manager makes for managing the fund (if applicable). They also show our estimated charges for buying and holding the funds with us. If you have any queries with these charges please call our dealing services team on 0345 37 33 479.

The following charges are based on an investment of £...
AJ Bell dealing charge ...
Annual charges
AJ Bell annual custody charge ... ...
Average fund managers annual ongoing charge ... ...

All charges shown are estimated based on the amount you have chosen to invest. The actual dealing charges will be shown on the dealing confirmation screen and in your contract note. The fund manager’s charges are provided by Morningstar and may not be accurate and you should not rely on this information when making your investment decisions.

Portfolio objective

The income portfolio looks to provide regular share dividends and bond interest payments, while delivering steady investment growth too.

It does this by investing widely in conservative assets such as bonds, moderate assets like commercial property and aggressive assets such as shares – mostly in the UK and developed markets, but a small quantity in emerging markets too.

View half-yearly report

How much do you want to invest?


Changing this portfolio

By adjusting the asset allocation, or adding different funds to your chosen portfolio, its overall risk level will change and may not meet your chosen objectives. Before investing, it’s important to research each fund and consider whether it suits your requirements. These funds are designed to be held over the long term: five years or more.

The funds in this portfolio were selected by us. You can leave this selection unchanged and check out, or you can use the sliders to adjust the asset allocation so it better suits your needs. Clicking ‘Add other funds’ lets you choose different funds from the AJ Bell Favourite funds list.

Portfolio asset allocation

Portfolio rating

Lower risk

Higher risk

Typically lower rewards

Typically higher rewards

The risk rating of a portfolio depends on the type of assets it invests in. Bonds are more conservative because they offer a more certain (though typically lower) return. Shares are more aggressive because they offer a less certain (though typically higher) return.

Keep in mind this applies over the longer term: five years or more.

Costs and charges

These are the estimated costs and charges you will pay to buy this portfolio. These estimated charges include the charges the fund manager makes for managing the fund (if applicable). They also show our estimated charges for buying and holding the funds with us. If you have any queries with these charges please call our dealing services team on 0345 37 33 479.

The following charges are based on an investment of £...
AJ Bell dealing charge ...
Annual charges
AJ Bell annual custody charge ... ...
Average fund managers annual ongoing charge ... ...

All charges shown are estimated based on the amount you have chosen to invest. The actual dealing charges will be shown on the dealing confirmation screen and in your contract note. The fund manager’s charges are provided by Morningstar and may not be accurate and you should not rely on this information when making your investment decisions.