May 2020

As individuals, households and businesses readjust and look ahead to a new era and recovery, demand for financial advice is up by almost a quarter, reveals one of the world’s largest independent financial advisory organizations.

deVere Group, which operates in 100 countries worldwide, says the number of enquiries from new clients was up 24% in April, compared to the previous month.

Of the findings, Nigel Green, the founder and chief executive of deVere Group, observes: “Disruption and dislocation have hit entire economies and businesses of all sizes and in all sectors.

“This has had a very real and very immediate impact on the finances of individuals, households and businesses around the world.

“Suddenly, unexpectedly, many have realised that they didn’t have sufficient money behind them, they didn’t have contingency plans.

“This, as they know, could have consequences for the lifestyles and life opportunities of themselves and loved ones and, for those in business, for the long-term sustainability of their firm.

“With financial matters back in sharp focus, for many ‘I should have’ becomes ‘I need to have.’

“This most unusual situation has dramatically underscored that no-one really knows what is around the corner. Now more than ever people are seeking to be as financially prepared as they can for any eventuality.”

He continues: “The same thing happened following the 2008 financial crash. That too served as a wake-up call to many people to ensure that they become financially secure and there was a subsequent increase in demand for advice.

“Even then – when confidence in financial institutions, especially traditional banks, was at an all-time low – people understood that as the world evolves, your financial planning strategies might need to also.”

This, says Nigel Green, is driving the increasing demand. But in this tech-driven era, how do people want this advice delivered?

According to a poll carried out by deVere amongst existing and prospective clients, 52% said ‘face-to-face, 42% said they prefer videocall platforms like Zoom, and 6% answered ‘by telephone.’

“Given the circumstances and how much things have changed, I quite was surprised that the preferred option for the delivery of financial advice remains face-to-face.

“But video communication is only 10% behind, which is quite something as it is a new platform for most people.

“The survey underscores that increasingly people want bespoke financial advice combined with innovative technology.”

Mr Green goes on to add: “We can be in no doubt that the world has already fundamentally changed – and it will do so more and maybe at a faster pace.”

This was highlighted by the deVere poll which revealed that 72% of client respondents feel the world has changed permanently.

In addition, 80% said that in a similar way to after the 2008 crash, new companies will emerge and the same ones that were successful in the past were not guaranteed to succeed again.

“With these shifts impacting people’s finances, the majority of our new clients are seeking advice on savings plans, investments, foreign exchange, pensions and retirement planning and tax planning,” he notes.

The deVere CEO concludes: “2020 has been a year of change. For an increasing number, this includes a change in the way we prioritise, with long-term financial security for ourselves and our loved ones ever-more important.”

Wealth Management

How to Choose the Best Performing Mutual Funds

ByCFI.co

The total net assets of mutual funds worldwide were over $14 trillion in March of this year.

Mutual funds are a hugely popular investment vehicle globally. However, there are a huge number of them out there, with the quality of returns varying significantly from one to the next.

For a newcomer to the world of investment, it can be difficult to know what to look for in a mutual fund. The best performing mutual funds in the past may not continue to post exceptional returns in the future, especially in these uncertain economic times.

Read on as we take a closer look at mutual funds, and what to look for when investing in one.

What Is a Mutual Fund?

A mutual fund is a type of investment fund. A team of professional investment managers take capital from a large number of investors and invest the resulting pool of money in various securities.

Essentially, it is a means of investing in capital markets indirectly. Rather than picking stocks or bonds and putting money into them yourself, you allow a mutual fund manager to make the choices for you.

The advantage of this is that your investments are made by a highly experienced investment professional. This is safer than picking investments yourself, especially if you’re new to the world of investment.

The Different Types of Mutual Fund

There are many different mutual fund types. You can categorize them on the basis of the types of securities they invest in, the way they are managed, and the level of risk they take on in seeking returns.

To pick the best mutual fund for your needs, you need to know what your investment objectives are. These will dictate the type of fund you should pick.

Index Funds

Index funds are so named because they track the performance of a given index. Common indexes that form the basis for these funds include the S&P 500, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA), and the Nasdaq Composite (IXIC).

Index funds are an example of a passively managed fund. No input is required from investment managers, as the fund simply tracks an index.

Passively managed funds typically have much lower fees than actively managed funds for this reason. As outlined below, many investors who want a passively managed fund opt for an ETF rather than a mutual fund.

Stock Funds

Stock funds invest in a range of different stocks. Unlike index funds, fund managers actively pick these stocks individually and will chop and change them based on market trends.

Stock funds are therefore an example of an actively managed fund. Their fees are higher than some alternatives.

Stocks are riskier securities than bonds or other fixed-income securities. The risk of loss with a stock fund is therefore relatively high, but the opportunity for gain is greater as well.

Investment approaches vary widely from one stock fund to the next. Some managers will make more of an effort than others to diversify their holdings and hedge risks.

Specialty Funds

Specialty funds can be thought of as occupying a kind of middle ground between stock funds and index funds. Investment managers pick the stocks themselves, but within certain boundaries.

These boundaries typically relate to a market type. For instance, a cannabis market specialty fund will only invest in cannabis stocks.

Fixed Income Funds

Fixed income funds invest in low-risk securities. These include Treasury notes and bonds, as well as highly-rated corporate bonds.

These mutual funds cater to investors who prioritize income over growth.

If you’re simply trying to manage your money better with a view to long-term savings, a fixed-income fund might be just the thing for you.

Mutual Funds vs Other Fund Types

There are other types of investment fund that you may have heard about. While these can bear similarities to mutual funds, there are important distinctions to be drawn in each case.

Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs)

The ETF is a close cousin of the mutual fund. Both types of fund take payments from investors and use these to invest in a variety of different securities.

ETFs tend to focus more on passive strategies than active ones. Many ETFs track indexes.

Mutual funds also tend to have more complex structures and a greater variety of share classes.

Hedge Funds

Hedge funds are another type of pooled investment fund. However, there are a number of important differences to be aware of with hedge funds.

Hedge funds use a number of complicated strategies to extract higher returns from their investments. These include high-frequency trading and short selling.

Hedge funds typically charge much higher fees than mutual funds.

Because of their complex, risky strategies, hedge funds are generally only available to professional investors, or those with a large number of investable assets.

What Sets the Best Performing Mutual Funds Apart?

There are certain mutual funds that regularly outperform their competition. While it is impossible to say exactly what the winning formula is for these, there are certain things that profitable funds have in common.

The first thing you should look for is a low expense ratio. A better approach to cost management means lower costs for you, and also indicates fiscal prudence on the part of the fund managers.

For actively managed funds, quality management is the key consideration. Look for managers with a proven track record of providing results.

Putting Your Money to Work

Mutual funds are a diverse family of investment vehicles. Some are designed to seek huge gains, while others simply aim to provide steady growth for clients looking to retirement.

The best performing mutual funds have consistent objectives that they stick to. The best investors do exactly the same thing.

When you’re deciding on your next mutual fund investment, start with a clear goal in mind.

If you’d like to learn more about the work we do or the topics we cover, contact us today.

Business

Working from home: Are you breaking confidentiality laws?

ByCFI.co Blogger

What happens to confidential waste while working from home?

With employees working from home because of the Covid-19 outbreak, how safe is the information they’re accessing and disposing of now it’s out of the office?

According to one specialist waste handling organisation, remote working means new headaches for companies and their data security.

UK waste collection agency BusinessWaste.co.uk knows that even during the crisis of a pandemic, confidential waste must be disposed of correctly in order to protect businesses and their customers from fraud or blackmail.

“Even if people are working from home, they need to be mindful that any waste they create needs to be destroyed in the same ways it would if they were in the office,” says BusinessWaste.co.uk company spokesperson Mark Hall. Companies could still be in line for massive fines if they get it wrong, Hall warns.

What counts as confidential waste?

Essentially, confidential waste refers to documents possessed by any company that can expose discrete information about suppliers, customers, or employees.

“Basically, if it details any information about the nature of your work or anyone associated, then it counts as confidential information which will need proper disposal,” says spokesman Mark Hall.

However, it can be very tricky to distinguish what counts as confidential waste, as many businesses work with different mediums of materials.

BusinessWaste.co.uk has compiled a list of different types of confidential waste, making it easier to understand which work-related items will need expert disposal.

Personnel files and contracts – including CVs and application letters
Financial records – such as order forms, invoices, bills and statements
Health and social care records
Criminal Records
Business cards, ID badges, and security passes
Letters, memos, and other items containing names and addresses.
New business proposals and business plans
Used notebooks
Product samples or profiles
Research data
Diaries
Photographs

“If you’re working from home, you need to be aware that any of these resources could contain confidential details which could be dangerous in the wrong hands,” says Hall.

“So please make sure you or your staff don’t throw this information into the household waste!”

What could happen if it’s not disposed of properly?

Failing to dispose of confidential waste can lead to a variety of outcomes, ranging from prosecutions under the law to identity theft and fraud.

“Your company could fall victim to industrial espionage, so it’s really important to make sure that private information cannot be leaked to rival companies through improper disposal,” says Hall.

Although it might be easier to just chuck all rubbish into your household waste bin, there are legal implications such as breaching the UK 1988 Data Protection Act, which regulates the collecting, storing, and destroying of confidential data.

Any companies that fail to oblige the act can face crippling fines from the UK data watchdog, the Information Commissioner’s Office.

“This is serious stuff that could ruin a company’s reputation and lose customers,” says Hall, “and if you’re the one discovered to be doing it, you could be fired.”

Confidential waste needs to be disposed of by a licensed waste removal company in order to comply with the latest laws and guidelines.

Actions you can take now

BusinessWaste.co.uk recommends that all members of staff be reminded about company policies regarding waste, and firmly told not to chuck any work materials into their household rubbish.

Mark Hall says that in an ideal world, sensitive information should not leave the office, so the best thing for businesses to do is to try to restrict what is essential and needs to be taken home.

Another suggestion from Hall is to make as many work tasks computer-based as possible, with sensitive files only accessible from a secure device approved by your company.

“The best thing you can do if you’re unsure is to keep all information secure and together at your home workspace, and when it is safe to do so, take it all back to work for proper disposal,” says Hall.

“If in doubt, don’t chuck it out.”

For further information see https://www.businesswaste.co.uk/confidential-waste/ and https://www.businesswaste.co.uk/waste-transfer-note-faqs/

Month: May 2020

Demand for financial advice surges 24% as priorities shift in new era