Telegraph 25: our favourite funds for your Isa or pension

Myriad crises are giving investors cause for panic. Our list of rock-solid funds will protect and boost your savings this tax year

iShares UK Equity Index 0.05pc a year D

Charge: Cheapest share class: 5-year return:

14pc

“Passive” funds, which track the performance of a particular market rather than employ a fund manager to try to beat it, are a low-cost option. For access to Britain’s stock market, this fund is hard to match.

2 Jupiter UK Alpha Charge: 0.85pc Cheapest share class: UI 5-year return: 15pc

This fund’s name has changed repeatedly but the manager has stayed the same. Richard Buxton has invested in Britain’s biggest blue-chip stocks for more than three decades and his “value” investment style has recently come back into favour.

3 Liontrust Special Situations Charge: 0.81pc Cheapest share class: I 5-year return: 29pc

Anthony Cross and Julian Fosh invest in companies of all sizes; few have matched their record. They have more than doubled the return of rivals over five years, buying stocks that dominate their industries.

4 Fidelity Special Values Charge: 0.72pc Stock market ticker: FSV 5-year return: 27pc

Alex Wright, manager of this investment trust, has returned to form after years of struggle. Value stocks remain his bread and butter and his longer- term record is impressive. Underpriced small and mediumsized British firms feature, as do FTSE 100 blue chips.

Marlborough UK Micro-Cap Growth 0.81pc†

Charge: Cheapest share class: 5-year return:

57pc

A strong option for those who want to benefit from the growth offered by Britain’s smallest companies. Veteran Giles Hargreaves has stepped down from the fund but his successors have continued his good work.

6 Legal & General International Index Trust Charge: 0.13pc† Cheapest share class: 5-year return: 56pc

This passive fund invests in more than 2,000 companies that make up overseas stock markets. Held alongside the iShares UK Equity Index fund, it would give investors access to the world’s shares at a low cost.

7 Scottish Mortgage Charge: 0.34pc Stock market ticker: SMT 5-year return: 141pc

This standout trust made its name me backing fast-growing companies that hat revolutionised their industries. This his strategy is struggling at the moment ent but that should not deter investors. ors. Low charges and access to unlisted ted companies make this a must-have e in any growth portfolio.

8 Fundsmith Equity Charge: 0.95pc Cheapest share class: 5-year return: 73pc

Investment star Terry Smith’s mantra of “buy good companies, don’t overpay, do nothing” has delivered stellar return for Britain’s largest fund. Despite a drop-off recently, this longterm strategy has proved it works and remains worthy of its relatively high charge.

Veteran Vet manager Austin Forey, an investor inv in emerging markets since 1994, 199 runs this £1.5bn trust. Most of it is held in Asian companies. Despite recent struggles, it has beat beaten rivals oveer over three and five years.

10 BMO Global Smaller Companies Charge: 0.78pc Stock market ticker: BGSC 5-year return: 18pc

Its heritage stretches back 133 years and this trust offers access to smaller stocks trading on markets around the world. Manager Peter Ewins invests in funds run by specialists, including those not available to DIY investors.

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iShares Core S&P 500 ETF Charge: 0.07pc Stock market ticker: CSP1 5-year return: 78pc

The US market is hard to beat, as managers and their investors have found out. This passive exchange- traded fund tracks the S&P 500 index of the largest stocks in the world’s biggest economy at a very low cost.