UK IFAs, Investment Managers, & Platforms

Powered by

All the vital news, analysis, and commentary curated by our industry experts.

$2795

The attractiveness of platforms is first and foremost driven by the investment fund range they offer. Another key consideration is investment fund returns. Beyond products and performance, low costs are important to advisors. Investment product providers are regularly reviewed by IFAs. 30% review their investment product providers quarterly and 45% do so annually. Platform sales account for a growing percentage of gross retail fund sales. 94% of advisors use platforms, with the majority relying on more than one. The three most widely used platforms are Old Mutual, Cofunds, and FundsNetwork. There is increasing interest in the use of model portfolios and discretionary portfolio management driven by clients’ preference for specialist advice and the need for additional expertise where it is not available in-house. Online is the main channel of communication. Nearly three quarters of IFAs communicate with investment providers online on a weekly basis.

Scope

Verdict Financial’s “UK IFAs, Investment Managers, & Platforms” is a comprehensive analysis of what UK IFAs value in their investment product providers and the platforms that they use. Drawing from our 2015 IFA Survey, the report offers insight into which platforms advisors use, the key features they value, and what motivates them to consider switching providers.

The report also offers insight into:

The importance of IFAs as a distribution channel

What motivates IFAs to rely on third-party asset managers

How to cultivate relationships with advisors

Reasons to Buy

Receive a comprehensive overview of what investment product and platform features IFAs look for.

Get fact-based insight into the IFA market from our proprietary 2015 IFA Survey.

Identify how to remain competitive by understanding IFA preferences.

Ascentric
Aviva
AXA
Cofunds
Elevate
FundsNetwork
Fidelity
Nucleus
True Potential
Standard Life
Transact
Zurich
Skandia
Old Mutual

Table of Contents

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Key findings

Critical success factors

IFAS ARE A KEY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL

Retail fund distribution increasingly occurs through platforms

PLATFORMS ARE A SIGNIFICANT CHANNEL FOR ADVISORS

Key product features

Fund range and fund performance are IFAs' top considerations

Platforms should note IFAs' cost-conscious nature

Online access is a necessity for advisors

The majority of IFAs rely on multiple platforms

Fund supermarkets are the platforms used most widely and most often

Fund supermarkets are rated as the most attractive platform packages

PRODUCT PROVIDERS ARE REGULARLY REVIEWED

IFAs review providers on at least an annual basis

Shortcomings in fund ranges and performance prompt platform reviews

Keeping charges competitive is key to retention

IFAS ARE INCREASINGLY INTERESTED IN USING DISCRETIONARY FUND MANAGERS

Assets under management under third-party managers remain a fraction of advisors' total client assets

Asset managers should position themselves as offering strong specialist expertise

REGULAR TRAINING HELPS CEMENT ADVISOR RELATIONSHIPS

Staying informed is important to IFAs in a post-RDR world

MiFID II will still allow investment product providers to offer benefits to advisors

Online is the leading communication channel

APPENDIX

Abbreviations and acronyms

Definitions

IFA

Methodology

Verdict Financial's 2015 IFA Survey

Bibliography

Further reading

About Verdict Financial

Disclaimer

Table

N/A

Figures

Figure 1: Platform sales contribute a growing percentage of gross retail fund sales

Figure 2: Platforms should ensure they offer an attractive fund range

Figure 3: Platforms should address advisors need for digital access

Figure 4: Fund supermarkets are the most widely used platforms

Figure 5: IFAs find the Skandia/Old Mutual platform package most attractive

Figure 6: Investment product providers should be prepared for regular reviews

Figure 7: The investment fund ranges and returns offered elsewhere are leading reasons to consider new product partners

Figure 8: The possibility of lower costs motivates IFAs to consider switching providers

Figure 9: Clients' preference for specialist advice drives the use of external experts

Figure 10: Training is key in building relationships between IFAs and investment product providers

Figure 11: Product providers should accommodate IFAs' need for regular communication

Frequently asked questions

UK IFAs, Investment Managers, & Platforms thematic reports
Currency USD
$2,795

Can be used by individual purchaser only

$8,385

Can be shared globally by unlimited users within the purchasing corporation e.g. all employees of a single company


Undecided about purchasing this report?

Enquire Before Buying

Get in touch to find out about multi-purchase discounts

reportstore@globaldata.com
Tel +44 20 7947 2745

Every customer’s requirement is unique. With over 220,000 construction projects tracked, we can create a tailored dataset for you based on the types of projects you are looking for. Please get in touch with your specific requirements and we can send you a quote.

See what our customers are saying

“The GlobalData platform is our go-to tool for intelligence services. GlobalData provides an easy way to access comprehensive intelligence data around multiple sectors, which essentially makes it a one-for-all intelligence platform, for tendering and approaching customers.

GlobalData is very customer orientated, with a high degree of personalised services, which benefits everyday use. The highly detailed project intelligence and forecast reports can be utilised across multiple departments and workflow scopes, from operational to strategic level, and often support strategic decisions. GlobalData Analytics and visualisation solutions has contributed positively when preparing management presentations and strategic papers.”

Business Intelligence & Marketing Manager, SAL Heavy Lift

“COVID-19 has caused significant interference to our business and the COVID-19 intelligence from GlobalData has helped us reach better decisions around strategy. These two highlights have helped enormously to understand the projections into the future concerning our business units, we also utilise the project database to source new projects for Liebherr-Werk to use as an additional source to pitch for new business.”

Market Analyst & Management, Liebherr-Werk

Your daily news has saved me a lot of time and keeps me up-to-date with what is happening in the market, I like that you almost always have a link to the source origin. We also use your market data in our Strategic Business Process to support our business decisions. By having everything in one place on the Intelligence Center it has saved me a lot of time versus looking on different sources, the alert function also helps with this.

Head of Key Accounts, Saab AB

Having used several other market research companies, I find that GlobalData manages to provide that ‘difficult-to-get’ market data that others can’t, as well as very diverse and complete consumer surveys.

Marketing Intelligence Manager, Portugal Foods

Our experience with GlobalData has been very good, from the platform itself to the people. I find that the analysts and the account team have a high level of customer focus and responsiveness and therefore I can always rely on. The platform is more holistic than other providers. It is convenient and almost like a one stop shop. The pricing suite is highly competitive and value for our organisation.

I like reports that inform new segments such as the analysis on generation Z, millennials, the impact of COVID 19 to our banking customers and their new channel habits. Secondly the specialist insight on affluent sector significantly increases our understanding about this group of customers. The combination of those give us depth and breadth of the evolving market.

I’m in the business of answering and helping people make decisions so with the intelligence center I can do that, effectively and efficiently. I can share quickly key insights that answer and satisfy our country stakeholders by giving them many quality studies and primary research about competitive landscape beyond the outlook of our bank. It helps me be seen as an advisory partner and that makes a big difference. A big benefit of our subscription is that no one holds the whole data and because it allows so many people, so many different parts of our organisation have access, it enables all teams to have the same level of knowledge and decision support.

Head of Customer Insight and Research, Standard Chartered

“I know that I can always rely on Globaldata’s work when I’m searching for the right consumer and market insights. I use Globaldata insights to understand the changing market & consumer landscape and help create better taste & wellbeing solutions for our customers in food, beverage and healthcare industries.

Globaldata has the right data and the reports are of very high quality compared to your competitors. Globaldata not only has overall market sizes & consumer insights on food & beverages but also provides insights at the ingredient & flavour level. That is key for B2B companies like Givaudan. This way we understand our customers’ business and also gain insight to our unique industry”

Head of Consumer Sensory Insights, Givaudan

GlobalData provides a great range of information and reports on various sectors that is highly relevant, timely, easy to access and utilise.  The reports and data dashboards help engagement with clients; they provide valuable industry and market insights that can enrich client conversations and can help in the shaping of value propositions. Moreover, using GlobalData products has helped increase my knowledge of the finance sector, the players within it, and the general threats and opportunities.

I find the consumer surveys that are carried out to be extremely beneficial and not something I have seen anywhere else. They provided an insightful view of why and which consumers take (or don’t) particular financial products. This can help shape conversations with clients to ensure they make the right strategic decisions for their business.

One of the challenges I have found is that data in the payments space is often piecemeal. With GD all of the data I need is in one place, but it also comes with additional market reports that provide useful extra context and information. Having the ability to set-up alerts on relevant movements in the industry, be it competitors or customers, and have them emailed directly to me, ensures I get early sight of industry activity and don’t have to search for news.

Senior Account Manager, TSYS
Go even deeper with GlobalData Intelligence Center

Every Company Report we produce is powered by the GlobalData Intelligence Center.

Subscribing to our intelligence platform means you can monitor developments at UK IFAs, Investment Managers, & Platforms in real time.

  • Access a live UK IFAs, Investment Managers, & Platforms dashboard for 12 months, with up-to-the-minute insights.
  • Fuel your decision making with real-time deal coverage and media activity.
  • Turn insights on financials, deals, products and pipelines into powerful agents of commercial advantage.