Platforms and Investment Trusts - Webinar
Are we going to see a rise in the take up of investment trusts as we head towards the implementation of the RDR in January 2013? What do advisers need to consider when buying investment trusts through platforms? With “the big three” still not providing access to investment trusts, is that trend set to change? Or as an investment vehicles are investment trusts still tarnished with the historical lack of commission payments and complex investment structure?
Bill Vasilieff this week took part in an interesting round table debate hosted by Bright TALK to address these questions and others surrounding the use of investment trusts on platforms.
Brian Tora was the moderator and the other panellists included Freddie Findlater, Head of Adviser platforms at The Platforum; Dr. Kieran Drake, Research Analyst, Winterflood; and James Saunders Watson, Head of Investment Trust Marketing, J.P. Morgan Asset Management.
Proud to be voted as Advisers' favourite platform for service.
In the recent Platforum awards we were pleased to ranked first for service by advisers. We also received the top rating for Usefulness of Online tools in Q4 making it a clean sweep for 2011. For us, the service we give to you, our supporting advisers, and the tools we provide to allow you to give the very best service to your clients is core to our business. With tools that assist you with everything from your initial investment process through to providing your clients’ annual review packs – we aim to ease your workload at all points of your client relationship.
We were also pleased to see that size was not necessarily a measure of success in the all important User Leader Board and - while we were pleased with our very respectable second placing - we are working hard to ensure we can clinch The Platforum Adviser's Choice award next year.
We've come a long way in 3 short years, reaching both profitability and achieving a strong rating from AKG. We would like to thank you all for your continued support and hope to see you at our Novia 'DMs wrap of choice' road shows in April.
Novia - the perfect DM partner
Valentine's day is once again upon us - traditionally a time when our thoughts stray to those of love, romance and our perfect partners. What better a time then for us to consider what it is that makes Novia and the DFM the “perfect partnership” (well, over 40 partnerships to be exact but who is counting?)
Well it seems there are many reasons – We are increasingly finding that advisers are looking to outsource their investment management to DMs – last year the number of DM related transactions on the platform was 50% higher in Q4 than it was in Q1. That trend looks set to continue as RDR fast approaches and advisers continue to seek ways to de-risk their business.
So, what is it that makes Novia the “perfect DM partner” or DM wrap of choice for advisers?
· The range of DMs on offer through Novia now covers the full spectrum from model portfolios populated with passive or active funds to fully bespoke portfolio management options. This provides the choice that advisers need to select the DM that suits their proposition and their clients.
· We allow advisers to keep control of the assets via the Novia platform whilst outsourcing management to a DM. Unlike some propositions in the marketplace, the assets remain within the Novia nominee and do not come under the control or ownership of the DM. Appointments of the DM can also be handled through Novia so the adviser remains in control at all times.
· The efficiency of using model portfolios via Novia means many DMs have lowered their charges through models to just 25-50 bps - instead of the 100bps or more that were common where DMs had custody of a client’s assets. In many cases we can also remove the often prohibitive minimums that could stop clients accessing such services.
· Novia offers a suite of online tools that integrate the models available and provide a Model Portfolio Evaluator that allows advisers to demonstrate model portfolios against a client’s current holdings and show the risk-return profile of different DMs models graphically.
Just a few of the reasons that we think it’s a pretty compelling match. Using DMs through Novia enables advisers to efficiently outsource investment decisions to the experts and now at a lower cost than ever before. Further information, including details on the range of DM firms we currently work with can be found via the following link - http://www.novia-financial.co.uk/information/discretionary-managers.aspx
Independent actuaries AKG increase Novia's Financial Strength Rating
A belated Happy New Year to you all.
We were delighted to receive an increase in our Financial Strength Rating to 'strong' from the independent actuaries AKG this week, a real achievement for the business and a clear signal that it is the viability of the business plan and the strength of the proposition rather than the size of the platform that is the key indicator for IFAs when selecting their platform of choice. It is my view that in order to have a successful, sustainable and profitable business you need low margins, cutting edge technology as well as a strong service solution, all of which our platform offers to our IFAs. The market is now clearly moving away from simply using size as a definition of financial strength.
Our achievement is even more marked when you consider that Novia launched to market just three years ago and we are all aware that the last few years have seen unprecedented market turbulence with a number of players backing out of the market. Our outsourcing business Novia Investment Services continues to flourish and provide our client with the platform solution required for its desired target market. We have a number of exciting developments in the pipeline for the coming months so watch this space! Thank you for your support throughout 2011 and we look forward to continuing to develop and grow the Novia platform in 2012.
24th Dec Festive Fact - 'Twas the Night Before Christmas and All Through the House... Illustrations Were Delivered at the Click of a Mouse
Illustrations can be generated, saved and printed out as part of the online submission process. These come prepopulated saving time and reducing the errors associated with manual re-keying.
23rd Dec Festive Fact - Angels We Have Heard On High... We Have Fabulous MI
Novia offers access to Report Zone - a comprehensive and extensive online based MI reporting tool. This is available to firm owners/directors, advisers and paraplanners and provides access to a suite of reports covering adviser charging, distributions and rebates, client valuations and TCF.
22nd Dec Festive Fact - Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree... re-register and switch for free
The Novia charging structure is fully unbundled, entirely transparent, enables flexible adviser charging and is well placed to meet the challenges of the RDR. Novia charges are genuinely straightforward, competitive and represent good value to the client. There are no hidden charges - clients can switch and re-register assets, both on and off the platform, without cost or barrier.
21st Dec Festive Fact - Santa Baby...Get Your Client Review Pack from us...
Novia has a wide range of client reporting solutions - all enabling you to create a client review pack at the touch of a few buttons on the Novia platform. From our MI reporting hub, Report Zone to our tools output you can quickly put together a pack of documents and reports that can form an annual client review pack - boosting your client proposition and efficent ongoing servicing of your clients. Reports available include Portfolio Performance Review, Capital Gains Reporting, Client Valuation, Asset Allocation Breakdown and Portfolio Scanner - to name but a few.
20th Dec Festive Fact - When the Weather Outside is Frightful...Let it Grow! Let it Grow! Let it Grow!
Novia offers a gross nominee - allowing eligible investors to use a gross GIA or hold third party wrappers such as SIPPs, SSASs or offshore bonds from other providers via the platform. The gross nominee means those eligible can receive interest and interest distributions gross - so no unnecesary deduction of tax or lengthy processes to reclaim tax that could have been invested and growing or earning income. There are a number of gross share classes available from popular interest distributing funds. Speak to your Regional Sales Manager to understand further how important this could be!
19th Dec Festive Fact - Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell Rock...Saving you Time, We'll Help with the Lot
You can process all your new business, re-registration and switching online through the Novia platform. We use tried and tested straight through processing technology - there's no re-keying or manual intervention so errors are reduced. Our aim is to save you time and make the process as efficient as possible. Try a demo of the system - we think you'll like it!