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By Mark Dampier, Head of Research, Hargreaves Lansdown

Your opportunity to invest in a more aggressive equity income fund during the early days.

If you are too close to a situation it becomes far harder to be objective. For example if you drive you might think the constant rise in petrol prices means inflation is rampant. If you are involved in an industry in decline you may think the whole economy is in similar shape.

At present I think that many investors are unnecessarily negative - newspaper commentators certainly are. Now, I am no lover of Gordon Brown. I believe he is an old fashioned tax and spend Labour Chancellor. however, despite him the truth of the matter is that UK companies are generally cash rich and I believe that the stock market presents some excellent opportunities if you know where to look.

Dividend growth is currently running at over four times the rate of inflation. While this may moderate in 2007, I still expect dividend growth of 8% which is extremely healthy. For example Royal Bank of Scotland has increased its dividend by 25% and BAT by 19% last year. These are significant increases, especially for those who rely on income to pay their bills.

If you are looking to capitalise on these sort of opportunities I believe the Standard Life Investments (SLI) UK Equity Income Unconstrained Fund fits the bill. It was launched just two months ago, with little fanfare, and offers a focused, small and nimble portfolio. It is managed by the same team who have delivered such impressive returns with SLI's other unconstrained funds.

Typically, SLI like to launch funds quietly, build the performance and then promote them. However, by this stage investors have missed any strong early performance. We have persuaded SLI to let us feature this fund just after launch. For investors seeking a more aggressive equity income fund, this is your chance to get in before others hear about it.

The SLI UK Equity Income Unconstrained fund is available through Hargreaves Lansdown with an initial saving of 4%. Investors can apply online with a debit card or download application forms or transfer forms from our website.

The Fund of the Month is written by Hargreaves Lansdown. An independent broker offering unit trust, stockbroking, pension and investment services.

Useful links:

• See details of SLI UK Equity Income Unconstrained Fund


• More from Hargreaves Landsdown