In the separate accounts space, exchange traded fund managed portfolios are gaining traction as innovative investment products and services find a wider audience. Consequently, more financial advisors are partnering with ETF strategists to develop customized asset allocation tools.
On Tuesday, I was at the PowerShares and State Street Global Advisor’s ETF Asset Manager Summit in Chicago where the developing ETF managed portfolio landscape was a hot button topic.
According to Morningstar, there were 667 such strategies from 145 firms with $102 billion in assets under management as of June 2014, with existing managers still expanding on their current product offerings. ETF managed portfolios are investment strategies that hold more than 50% of assets invested in ETFs.
As more investors adopt ETFs and financial advisors begin shifting into ETF assets, there is greater need for assistance to maximize the potential benefits of the investment vehicle, compared to traditional asset allocations. [Advisors Carve Out More Room for ETFs In Client Portfolios]
In response, ETF strategists now provide alternative allocation methodologies to enhance a traditional stock and bond portfolio With 5-year bull, threat of rising rates, a correction on the horizon and currency risks, ETF strategists can provide a unique advantage for advisors and help avoid head winds.
“To meet the growing needs of clients in this rapidly changing environment, leading advisors are embracing innovative approaches to investment management,” according to PowerShares and SSgA. “ETF strategists – who research, design and manage ETF portfolios – are offering many of these cutting-edge advisors access to institutional-caliber portfolios, with better transparency and daily liquidity.”
At the conference in Chicago, I’m seeing that demand for advisory services is growing at a rapid clip. To meet the growing investments needs in a changing market environment, advisors are looking into ETF managed portfolios as a way to seek out a more “personal performance” and free up more time to help manage clients and attract new business.
“When partnering with strategists, advisors continue to control and manage all aspects of the client relationship, including financial planning and the setting of investment objectives,” according to PowerShares and SSgA. “But by outsourcing a portion of the investment strategy implementation to an ETF strategist, advisors can free up more time for the client-facing aspects of their business.”
Specifically, ETF managed portfolios offer access to three major investment themes: tactical, strategic and hybrid mix. The tactical offerings provide short-term plays to capitalize on investment opportunities that are forming now, whereas the strategic play provides long-term allocation across sectors and asset classes. Additionally, the hybrid mix includes a combination of tactical and strategic elements.
Financial advisors who are interested in learning more about ETF managed portfolios can register for the upcoming webcast, Utilizing ETF Strategists to Enhance your Advisory Business, on Wednesday, September 24. On the webcast, you will hear from industry experts including Robert Williams, principal and managing director at SAGE, Adam Grossman, director of tactical strategy at RiverFront Investment, and Brendan Clark, president of Clark Capital Management.