Close Asset Management

Working with you in the best interests of your clients lies at the heart of our service to professional advisers. Our aim is a partnership with you so that you achieve the best results for your client and your business.

As markets become more complex and regulation increases, it becomes more challenging to fully manage your clients' investments. So for advisers who are looking for an investment manager for some or all of your clients' investment portfolios, we can offer a multi-asset, multi-level, discretionary portfolio management service. We can deliver this in one of three ways:

Close Discretionary Funds unit trust

For investments of £1,000 plus

• A unitised portfolio service
• Effective investment solution for clients with smaller portfolios
• Access to the underlying investment process used for discretionary management
• Access to the underlying fund management team

Managed Portfolio Service

For portfolios of £250,000 plus

• Employs model risk-based strategies suitable for discerning investors
• A segregated managed account
• Access to the fund manager and his team, as well as to a client relationship manager

Bespoke Portfolio Management

For portfolios of £500,000 plus

• A tailored portfolio built to suit individual clients' needs
• Mandate style at discretion of the investor
• Regular contact with your dedicated fund manager

Discretionary solutions from Close

Your role

Your role as adviser is key in this process - to provide a holistic financial planning service incorporating fundamental detailed research, due diligence and ongoing service to ensure your clients have access to the best possible solutions in the marketplace. In terms of outsourcing your client investment solution, you need to ensure your chosen provider has the flexibility and breadth to be able to cater for the needs of all your clients - from the smallest to the largest. They need to give you the confidence that looking after your clients' investment goals is as important to them as it is to you.

Key benefits for your business

• You have the ability to offer your clients professional discretionary management from an award-winning manager - voted 'Best Discretionary Wealth Manager' by readers of What Investment in 2008, 2009 and 2010
• Discretionary fund management is at the heart of our offering to IFAs and is not exclusive to your largest clients. With the Close Discretionary Fund unit trust, your smaller clients can access the same investment process and asset classes with as little as £1,000
• You have access to our research and investment expertise
• You retain the flexibility to use your preferred product wrappers and platforms
• Close takes responsibility for providing investment advice
• All clients are ring-fenced with Close Asset Management
• There is a single point of contact for all your business issues
• Ease of execution

Our role

Many clients view discretionary management services as a premium investment, offering a more personal service with regular contact and bespoke reporting. Entry levels for these services are usually high, leaving clients with portfolios of less than £250,000 out in the cold. At Close, we recognise the importance of being able to offer all clients the benefits of this premium service irrespective of how much they have to invest. We are therefore able to offer your clients the Close Discretionary Fund unit trust - a range of five multi-asset class funds tailored to meet specific investor risk requirements. They are designed to provide "fit for future" investment solutions providing access to Close's investment capabilities in a portfolio matched to the individual client's risk profile and with access starting from as little as £1,000.

Key benefits for your client

• Your clients receive comprehensive full-time portfolio management
• Solutions are constructed using investment funds and securities from across the industry and capital markets
• Investment management that fits within the tax wrappers or financial products
• The economies of scale that come with institutional buying power
• A simple and transparent fee structure
• Clear and regular reporting
• A clear relationship structure with Close behind the scenes

About Close

Founded in 1878, Close Brothers Group plc is one of the City's oldest and most respected financial organisations and it is now amongst the top 200 listed companies in the UK. At the forefront of banking expertise for over 100 years, Close is one of the few banking groups which did not need to ask the government for support after the recent financial crisis. Close Asset Management Limited brings together the Group's established asset management businesses in the UK. They have specialised in managing client portfolios for the past 40 years, and currently look after 23,000 clients with over £8 billion of assets under management. In 2008, 2009 and 2010, Close Asset Management won the What Investment Readership Award for 'Best Discretionary Wealth Manager'.