Your Investment Options

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1 Your Investment Options lackrock EDS Investment uyout Plan A choice of funds to help you meet your retirement goals This guide shows you the range of investment options available through the lackrock EDS Investment uyout Plan (the Plan ) and answers some of the questions you may have. There are a number of investment options and this guide will help you decide what is right for you. We understand that it can be difficult for members to select the investment option that works best for them so, under the Plan, the funds from your previous pension arrangement will be invested in the fund or funds that the Trustees of the Skandia-EDS Investment Plan ( Skandia Plan ) deem to be the closest equivalent fund to your existing fund choice under the Skandia Plan. Please refer to the table below for further information. There is also a Lifestyle Option available called lackrock Active Lifestyle. Lifestyle manages your investments for you and automatically moves your funds to lower risk investments as you approach retirement. This is not a recommendation that any of the new Plan funds or Lifestyle Option will be right for you and you may wish to review your investment choice. You should seek independent financial advice if you wish to review your fund choices as neither the Trustees nor lackrock can provide you with such advice. Once the transfer is complete, you can move your money to different funds at any time by speaking to us. You can find our member helpline on page 6. Current EDS Scheme Funds Skandia-EDS Investment Plan Active ase Fund Skandia-EDS Investment Plan ase Fund Skandia-EDS Investment Plan Overseas Equity Fund Skandia-EDS Investment Plan Active Global Equity Fund Skandia-EDS Investment Plan UK Equity Fund Skandia-EDS Investment Plan Active UK Equity Fund lackrock EDS Investment uyout Plan Funds DC Aquila alanced Index (Historic) DC Aquila World (Ex-UK) Equity Index (Historic) DC Aquila UK Equity Index (Historic) Skandia-EDS Investment Plan ond Fund Skandia-EDS Investment Plan Cash Fund LGIM Pre-Retirement DC Cash In addition to the funds in the table above, you have access to the full lackrock fund range, details of which can be found in the table at the back of this leaflet. Your Investment Options lackrock EDS Investment uyout Plan 1

2 PART I alancing Risk and Reward Any investment involves some sort of risk, but what do we mean by risk? When most people think about risk, they think of it in terms of danger and potential loss. Of course, taking a risk can be dangerous but it can also be rewarding (racing drivers, mountainclimbers and other extreme sports enthusiasts will agree with this). Risk can mean uncertainty too not being able to predict exactly what might happen in the future is a risk we live with every day. All these concepts of risk can be applied to investments. It is certainly difficult to predict exactly what will happen over time share prices fluctuate, interest rates vary and some investments are more rewarding (and more risky) than others. Understanding these different types of investment risk and, importantly, identifying your attitude to them is essential if you are to make the decisions that are right for you. What risk means when you are saving for retirement and what you need to consider There are three main risks you need to be aware of when you are choosing how to invest your pension fund: Investment risk is the risk of your pension savings falling in value. Inflation risk is the risk that your investments may grow at a rate less than the rate of increases in the cost of living (inflation). For example, if inflation is, let s say 4% over time and your investments are only growing at 2%, rising prices will erode the value of your pension savings. Pension conversion risk When you retire you ll probably use most of your built-up savings to buy a pension, which will provide you with your income in retirement. The amount you will get depends on a number of factors, including interest rates and the level of inflation when you retire. Pension conversion risk is the risk that your investments don t protect you against the cost of buying an annuity in retirement. Lifestyle an investment programme that aims to take account of these risks Lifestyle automatically switches your pension savings from higher risk, more volatile funds, such as equity funds into lower risk alternatives (such as bond funds and cash funds) as you approach your chosen retirement date. More details about the different types of investment; equities, bonds and cash are provided later in this booklet. Key features and benefits of Lifestyle Aims to beat the potentially damaging effects of inflation on the value of your pension savings by investing in growth assets, such as equities, during the early years. We call this the Accumulation Phase. Switches to lower investment risk assets as you move towards your chosen retirement date with the aim of protecting your fund against the effect of falls in the stock market. We call this the Pre-Retirement Phase. Gives you peace of mind as an automated solution it removes the worry of having to remember when you need to start switching to lower investment risk funds as you approach retirement. lackrock Active Lifestyle The lackrock Active Lifestyle automatically and gradually switches from global equities to bonds and cash over the five years before you retire. The funds used are listed below. The DC Strategic Accumulation Fund is run on an active basis. This means the fund is actively managed by the fund manager, investing in a range of UK (around 50%) and overseas equities (around 50%) with a view to outperforming the markets. Accumulation Phase DC Strategic Accumulation Fund Pre-Retirement Phase DC Pre-Retirement Fund DC Cash Fund The Pre-Retirement Phase is the five years leading up to your chosen retirement date. Please note, with a Lifestyle Option, it is important that you notify lackrock if you wish to change your target retirement age as this will impact on when lackrock start the switching process. 2 Your Investment Options lackrock EDS Investment uyout Plan

3 The chart shows how your savings will be split across the different funds in the lackrock Active Lifestyle. lackrock Active Lifestyle % Invested Years to Retirement DC Aquila (40/60) Global Equity Index Fund DC Pre-Retirement Fund DC Cash Fund You may feel that an automated programme, such as Lifestyle, will meet your needs, but if you d like to understand more about your own attitude to risk and the full range of investment options available within the Plan, please read Part II. Don t worry about changing your mind about where you want to invest; you can switch your existing funds at any time. PART II What kind of investor are you? Having identified the main risks, the next stage is to determine your attitude to those risks. Are you prepared to live with some degree of investment risk if it means a better chance of achieving higher returns? Are you totally risk averse and don t want to risk your capital under any circumstances? Or are you somewhere in between? Try our investor questionnaire to help you to find out what kind of investor you may be and to help you decide on the investment choices that are right for you. Important notes: 1. The Investor Questionnaire does not take into account all of the factors which might influence your attitude to risk and the funds you may choose. 2. How close you are to retirement should be an important factor in your decision-making. Generally, the longer you have until retirement, the higher the risk you may be prepared to take in return for the potential of greater rewards as you have time to ride out the ups and downs from riskier investments. Investor Questionnaire 1. What best describes your outlook? A I m aiming to live the high life when I retire and I m willing to take a higher level of investment risk to get it I want my retirement days to be enjoyable but I ll settle for a little less to spend if that means less investment risk C I want to keep my investment risks as low as possible, even if that means a smaller pension 2. How long will it be before you retire? A More than 10 years 5 to 10 years C Less than 5 years 3. What do you expect to happen to your pay / salary? A My salary should increase substantially over the years My salary should increase in line with price rises but I m not expecting it to get much higher C I don t think my salary will increase. In fact it might even decrease as I may reduce my working hours Your Investment Options lackrock EDS Investment uyout Plan 3

4 4. If you wanted to increase your chances of improving your pension, would you? A Take a big risk with a small amount of money Take a small risk with a bigger amount of money C I wouldn t be happy taking any risk 5. Investing in company shares is generally acknowledged as the best way of providing growth that beats the effects of inflation over the long-term. Are you happy to put your money in funds that invest in company shares? A Yes, for me the risks are worth it Yes, but I also want some less risky investments C No, the risk makes me nervous 6. Just two months after you put money into a long-term investment, it falls by 20%. You still think it s a good investment. What do you do? A uy more. It was always a good investment and now it s a cheap one too! Hold tight and wait for it to bounce back C Sell it. It would worry me too much to hold onto it. 7. Which would you choose? A 20% chance of winning 50,000 50% chance of winning 15,000 C 2,000 guaranteed cash If you answered: Mostly A You appear to be an Adventurous Investor. You appear to want your capital to grow as much as possible and seem to be prepared to take a risk in order to achieve your financial goals, to ride out the ups and downs of the market over the long term. The fund range available to you is risk-rated from 1 (very low risk) to 7 (very high risk) in terms of capital risk so you may wish to avoid funds that are rated 1 or 2. Mostly You appear to be a alanced Investor. You seem to be comfortable taking some risks to help your capital grow but you don t want to see your investments going up and down like a rollercoaster. This suggests that you may prefer investment options which don t rise and fall too sharply. The fund range available to you is risk-rated from 1 (very low risk) to 7 (very high risk) in terms of capital risk so you may wish to avoid funds that are rated 1 or 7. Mostly C You appear to be a Cautious Investor. You appear to want your investments to grow but you do not seem to be willing to take many risks to help make this happen. Protecting the value of your investments seems to be more important to you than trying to grow them in the long term. The fund range available to you is risk-rated from 1 (very low risk) to 7 (very high risk) in terms of capital risk so you may wish to avoid funds that are rated 4 (medium risk) or above. What does this mean for you and your pension plan? Our range of investment options caters for different attitudes to risk and the requirement to balance risk with reward according to an individual s needs and goals. Our funds invest in a wide range of asset classes (types of investment), which carry different levels of risk, including: cash, bonds and equities (company shares). Equity Funds Equity funds invest in company shares. The fund participates in the profits of the companies it invests in and, if the value of the companies go up, the value of the fund will go up. ut if the value of the companies goes down, so does the value of the fund. An equity fund can be spread across many countries and company types; it can concentrate on one geographic area (such as the UK, Asia, Europe or the US), or particular sectors, such as smaller companies, for example. 4 Your Investment Options lackrock EDS Investment uyout Plan

5 ond Funds ond Funds effectively make loans to companies, governments or local authorities. These investments generally pay interest to the lender and the loan is repaid at the end of the term. There are many other names for this type of investment, for example: fixed interest gilts (loans to the government), and corporate bonds (loans to companies). The main benefit of these investments is that the fund normally receives a regular, stable income. The fund value can go down as well as up, depending on market circumstances, although the movements are typically in line with changes in annuity rates. Although not guaranteed, this can mean that the value of your income (rather than the fund) does have a level of protection. Cash Funds When most people think of savings, they think of cash a deposit account in a bank or a building society. ut, over the long term, cash savings have struggled to beat inflation. Over longer periods cash has usually given lower returns than equities or bonds. Cash is generally seen as the safe option as when you invest in cash you do get interest. However, if your interest rate is less than the inflation rate, then the real value of your money is actually going down. Cash funds can also be invested in money market instruments. These usually pay a slightly higher rate of interest, which is fixed for a short time, normally a few weeks or months. You should also be aware that the value of cash on deposit or invested in money securities could be affected if the institutions it s invested with become insolvent or have other financial difficulties. So why would you ever choose to invest in cash? The main reason is to shelter your investments in the short term although this may not protect you against falls in annuity rates as you approach retirement. Risk/reward summary 1. Aiming for high returns usually means accepting more risk. 2. The higher the returns you aim for, the greater the chance of risk to your capital (losing some or all of your initial investment). 3. Investing for the long-term usually means you can afford to take more risk and ride out the ups and downs of market values. 4. Investing in company shares (equities) is generally acknowledged as the best way of providing growth that beats the effects of inflation over the long term although it does involve capital risk. 5. While there is a risk attached to equities, investing over the long-term gives you more time to recover from any losses should there be a fall in the stock market. 6. Investing in ond funds can help to reduce the impact of changes in annuity rates as you approach retirement. Keeping a check on your pension Whichever option you choose, it is important that you monitor your pension account from time to time. There s every chance that your circumstances and attitude to risk are likely to change as you progress through your working life, which means you might want to adjust your investment choices over time. Keeping you informed Each year we will send you a benefit statement showing you the value of your fund. If you need information more often than this, you can apply for online access to daily valuations on our website blackrock.co.uk/blackrock-pensions/eds Your Fund Choices The range of mapped and Lifestyle funds available to you is outlined below. You will find details of the full fund range available and our fund factsheets by visiting our website blackrock.co.uk/blackrock-pensions/eds Annual Management Charges The Annual Management Charge ( AMC ) is the cost of having your assets professionally managed. The fee pays the manager to select which investment your money (along with that of the other investors in the fund) is invested into. Additional Expenses If a fund invests in a collective investment scheme it will also bear its share of the costs of other services, such as the fees paid to the trustee/depositary, custodian, auditors and registrar. An estimate of these charges is shown under Additional Expenses in the table at the end of this booklet. Investment Risk Rating 1 (Very Low), 2 (Low), 3 (Low-Medium), 4 (Medium), 5 (Medium-High), 6 (High), 7 (Very High). Your Investment Options lackrock EDS Investment uyout Plan 5

6 Suitability lackrock has not considered the suitability of you transferring to the lackrock EDS Investment uyout Plan or the investment options under the Plan in relation to your individual circumstances or risk tolerance. All of the information necessary for you to make a decision should be available in the Joiners Pack (of which this Investment Options leaflet is a part) together with any information given to you by the Trustees of the Skandia Plan, to which you should refer. Do you need more help? You can call our member helpline: and we will give you as much help and information as we can. If you need specific advice regarding investments, you may wish to speak to an independent financial adviser but you will have to pay an adviser for their services. There are a number of organisations that can provide you with names of authorised IFAs in your area, such as IFA Promotion. Neither the Trustees nor lackrock can provide you with financial advice. Table of mapped funds Investment Charges Fund Name Active / Investment Objectives Annual Management Charge (AMC % p.a.) Additional Expenses (% p.a.) Risk Rating Global Equity Fund DC Aquila World (Ex-UK) Equity Index (Historic) Invests in shares of overseas companies (Europe ex-uk, Japan, Pacific Rim, US and Canadian markets) according to market capitalisation weightings and aims to produce a return in line with its benchmark UK Equity Fund DC Aquila UK Equity Index (Historic) Invests in shares of UK companies and aims to produce a return in line with its benchmark alanced Fund DC Aquila alanced Index (Historic) Invests in company shares within the UK (around 55%) and overseas (around 20%) as well as ritish government fixed income and index-linked gilts (around 25%). The fund aims to produce a return in line with its benchmark External Fixed Income Fund LGIM Pre-Retirement Invests in UK government and corporate bonds. The mix of assets is adjusted over time to reflect the investments underlying a typical non-inflation linked pension product. The fund aims to track the return of its benchmark. Cash Fund DC Cash* Active Aims to produce a return in excess of its benchmark principally from a portfolio of Sterling denominated cash, deposits and money-market instruments Your Investment Options lackrock EDS Investment uyout Plan

7 lackrock Active Lifestyle funds Fund Name DC Strategic Accumulation Active / Active Investment Objectives Invests mainly in UK equities (around 50%) and overseas equities (around 50%). The overseas equities are invested using a global sector based approach to identify preferred companies in each industry. The fund aims to produce a return in excess of its benchmark. The benchmark will evolve over time to reflect the current investment thinking as to the most appropriate fund for the Accumulation phase of Lifestyle. DC Pre Retirement Active Invests mainly in long-dated UK government bonds (around 50%) and long-dated UK corporate bonds (around 50%) and aims to produce a return in excess of its benchmark. Investment Charges Annual Management Charge (AMC % p.a.) Additional Expenses (% p.a.) Risk Rating DC Cash* Active Aims to produce a return in excess of its benchmark principally from a portfolio of Sterling denominated cash, deposits and money-market instruments *Denotes both a mapped fund and a lackrock Active Lifestyle fund. Your Investment Options lackrock EDS Investment uyout Plan 7

8 Past performance is not a guide to future performance. The value of investments and the income from them can fluctuate and are not guaranteed. Investors may not get back the amount invested. Rates of exchange may cause the value of investments to go up or down. Fluctuation may be particularly marked in the case of a higher volatility fund and the value of an investment may fall suddenly and substantially. Any objective or target will be treated as a target only and should not be considered as an assurance or guarantee of performance of a fund or any part of it. A fund s objectives and policies include a guide to the main investments to which a fund is likely to be exposed but a fund is not necessarily restricted to holding these investments only. Subject to a fund s objectives, a fund may hold any investments and utilise any investment techniques, including the use of derivatives, permitted under the FCA s Conduct of usiness Sourcebook which contains the rules by which investment of the funds is governed. The lackrock Life Limited notional fund units have a single unit price. The unit prices are normally calculated on each business day. For performance reporting, notional units are valued at special closing prices on the last working day of each quarter to enable comparison with the relevant benchmark index. This document relates to the products of, and is issued by, lackrock Life Limited, which is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. lackrock Life Limited, 12 Throgmorton Avenue, London EC2N 2DL. Phone: Fax: Registered in England number lackrock is a trading name of lackrock Life Limited. Further Information Telephone: uk.ops@blackrock.com Website: blackrock.co.uk/blackrock-pensions/eds Splash/225366/Dec13