Zurich Insurance Malaysia expands foreign funds portfolio; offering customers greater investment opportunities.

Launched in June this year, the new foreign funds invest in two of the most resilient and developed economies in the world – U.S. and Europe, as well as the growing healthcare sector; allowing consumers to gain long term capital growth whilst ensuring greater fiscal security to their investment strategies.

“Saving for the future and making wise investment choices can be a challenge for Malaysians today. We aim to provide our customers easy access to emerging and developed markets around the globe with different economic cycles that have potential for capital appreciation in the long run. Given today's economic climate, our latest foreign funds are excellent investment vehicles for customers to safeguard their investments against currency devaluation and market depreciation.” said Mukesh Dhawan,General Manager of Life Insurance at ZIMB.

The Zurich Health Care Fund is the first of its kind within the Malaysian market to provide opportunities for customers to invest and profit from a global healthcare industry that is experiencing growth in demand for healthcare products, services and innovations. This feeder fund invests its assets through the Vanguard Health Care Fund, which invests into a mix of U.S. as well as global companies who are actively engaged in the development, production and distribution of products and services within the healthcare industry.

“Customers are looking for greater security in their investment strategies, and one of the best ways to achieve this is through the diversification of asset classes. We launched Malaysia’s first health care foreign equity fund because we see a huge potential in pharmaceuticals as well as health care equipment, technology and managed health care companies. This is because health care consumption is growing in tandem with the aging population (60 years old and above) across the world; which is expected to more than double, from 841 million people in 2013 to more than 2 billion in 2050^1,explained Mukesh.

Customers can also take advantage of the growth of the resilient U.S. economy by capitalising on the Zurich US Edge Fund, which invests its assets in the iShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock Market Exchange Traded Fund (ETF). The fund offers customers with a high risk appetite, capital appreciation over a longer term investment horizon through exposure to a broad range of U.S. companies in various industries.

The Zurich Europe Edge Fund on the other hand provides customers with a more stable form of investment growth through exposure to equities and equity-related securities of large or mid-sized companies listed in Europe. The fund invests its assets in the Schroder International Selection Fund (ISF) – European Opportunities.

To date, ZIMB has a robust mix of 8 local funds as well as 6 foreign equity funds; all unique in its investment objectives and asset allocation. These three latest additions complement three other foreign funds offering under the Zurich Edge equity funds portfolio. The first three foreign funds, namely Zurich India Edge Fund, Zurich China Edge Fund and Zurich Global Edge Fund were launched in 2015 and have performed well since its inception with a total fund size of RM 85.2 million as of July 2016.

Depending on a customers risk appetite and investment goals, these professionally- managed funds are attachable to any one of ZIMB's investment-linked plans - Zurich FlexiLife Plus, Zurich Max1nvest, Zurich EduStart, Zurich TrueLady or Master Investment Plan. Customers also have the flexibility to switch between funds or top-up their investment value at any time to optimise their investment returns.

For more information on the latest addition of Zurich Edge funds, customers may contact their servicing Sales Advisors or Zurich’s Call Centre at 1-300-888-622. Alternatively, kindly visit www.zurich.com.my/foreignfunds

¹ United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2013).
World Population Ageing 2013