ADVISER OUTSOURCING

Avon

Surrey

LONDONBerkshire

Oxfordshire

Gloucestershire

Greater

London

Hertfordshire

WiltshireKent

Essex

SuffolkHamptonshire

Hereford & Worcester

Warwickshire

Bedfordshire

Bucking-

hamshire

Powys

Mid

Glamorgan

Gwent

South

Glamorgan

Pierre Coussey Wealth Connection Ltd

Pierre Coussey is director of pensions &

investment strategy at Wealth Connection Ltd,

and has 25 years’ experience in financial

services both at the largest providers in the UK

and at the coal face in private practice.

Wealth Connection provides professional advice

on investment interests’ worth over £300 million

for private individuals, companies and employers.

FACT CHECK

HAT ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTORS FOR YOU WHENELECTING A DISCRETIONARY FUND MANAGER (DFM)?

A robust investment process, the most appropriate investment style to match the client’s

objectives and risk tolerances, and transparency of fees. The investment process must be

consistent, repeatable and dynamic. We expect DFMs to manage risk effectively moving

risk on/off as appropriate. We use Arc indices to check performance and consistency.

ARC’s Suggestus website helped us choose DFMs with different investment styles to suit

all our client needs. Transparent fees are hugely important.

OCATION

TOTAL ASSETS OUTSOURCED:

£100m+

HAT ARE THE LEAST IMPORTANT FACTORS?

How they perform against an irrelevant benchmarks such as the FTSE 100 or Apcims.

For us, giving the DFM a clear mandate to work to makes the review process much

easier. This includes client objectives, benchmarking – eg, inflation + 3% with a

volatility of 8.5%, and ongoing monitoring – how has the portfolio performed each

year and cumulatively? How much risk has been taken? Is the performance in line

with expectations? Do you need to review the objectives? Do you need to review

the investment manager?

HAT WILL MAKE OR BREAK A PITCH?

Empathy with the client can make or break a pitch. The DFM must understand the

client and their objectives and, where possible, their personality. We do a lot of work

pre-pitch to ensure they are fully briefed and to match the relevant investment

director to the client. Accessibility to the investment directors within a firm enables

you to ensure you get the right people at a pitch, and that they communicate with

the right level of detail and statistics.

WHAT DO YOU VALUE MOST IN A DFM?

PREFERRED PLATFORMS:

SEI for retail clients

AVERAGE PORTFOLIO SIZE:

£210kWHICH DFMS DO YOU CURRENTLY USE:

PSigma(Other managers are short-listed for use where appropriate)

Harlow, Kent &

London

RELATIONSHIP

PAST PERFORMANCE

REPORTING

SIZE OF FIRM

STRENGTH OF PROCESS