“We feel that the company is an excellent fit with our existing affiliations, not least due to its personalised collective account (PCA), which offers investors, via IFAs, access to the company’s award-winning portfolio management expertise in what is essentially a unitised DFM strategy,” said FEIFA chief executive Paul Stanfield.
“This is the sort of service that is increasingly sought by our members.”
GAM was founded over 30 years ago and reported assets under management of $122.3bn (£80.9bn, €115.2bn), as of 30 September 2015.
Challenging environment
The company’s relationship with FEIFA members will be led by head of international advisory James Weston, who is responsible for the distribution of GAM’s multi asset offering to offshore clients.
“Due to a challenging regulatory environment, advisers will increasingly look to outsource their asset allocation and manager research decisions,” Weston said. “We have therefore created a proposition, the PCA, which combines the service and reporting benefits of a discretionary or private bank relationship, with the administrative and cost benefits of a multi-manager solution.”
The strategies now have a three-year track record, and can be accessed through a number of different share classes and currencies able to potentially meet the needs of all FEIFA members.
Reporting capability
“One of the most valued benefits is the reporting capability” Weston said. ”Each investor receives a bespoke portfolio performance report very similar to one offered by a DFM or private nank.
“Unlike generic fact sheets, the bespoke reports are unique to a client’s name, investment date and amount, they also provide a full breakdown, line by line, of the underlying holdings, allocation and performance. These reports can be dual branded or white labelled and run to any benchmark that advisers may require.”
FEIFA was launched in August 2009 after a number of Europe-based IFAs decided it was in the interests of the industry, the advisory sector, and consumers to establish such a body.
