Wealth Management
(New York)
We became concerned for our advisor readers today when we read an article in the FT warning that many trading platforms are at serious risk of hacking. The article says that many trading platforms, such Charles Schwab, TD Ameritrade, and Interactive Brokers, secure data in an unencrypted or partially unencrypted format, leaving them highly vulnerable to hacking. If a hacker got your password, they would be able to do anything you could on the platform. Generally speaking larger brokers had safer platforms than smaller ones, and both Schwab and TD Ameritrade emphasize that they are making progress on the issue.
FINSUM: This seems like a major risk that has gone ignored. We wanted to make sure to warn our readers as we are aware that many of you use Charles Schwab and TD Ameritrade.
(Washington)
Okay, here is an honest question for our readers that we are debating internally. Did the DOL rule face more criticism, or is the SEC’s Best Interest rule taking more heat? While it initially seemed that only investor protection groups disliked the SEC’s Regulation BI, coalitions of brokers are now railing against it too. Amazingly, both brokers and investor protection groups agree—the SEC’s rule is too vague and confusing. Brokers say the rule is so vague they don’t even know how to comply, while investor groups say it is so weak it won’t change current practices (these are effectively the same argument!). “This will only serve to harm the brokerage model and limit choice for those investors who prefer the brokerage advice model”, says a broker group.
FINSUM: Honestly, we think the current iteration of the SEC rule is all but dead. The comment window closed yesterday, and we expect a serious redraft.
(New York)
If you are a strong advisor looking for a change, Deutsche Bank may be interested in speaking with you. At least that is what Deutsche Bank is saying. The US wealth management arm of the German bank says it wants to growth the ranks of its wealth advisors by 25% this year. According to the head of Americas wealth management there, the orders from the top are to “grow, grow, grow”, adding that “We’re getting dollar investment going into the unit for headcount . . . there’s great access to the management board.”
FINSUM: This is a big initiative considering that the only European brand to have any foothold in US wealth management is UBS. The other big names are all American.
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(New York)
Everyone knows mutual funds have been on the decline and ETFs on the rise as active management gives way to the rise of passives. However, new data throws a wrench into that narrative—hedge funds are surging in popularity. Hedge funds now account for 28% of all alternative asset demands among investors, just one point shy of private equity, and way up from 12% a year ago. The catch is that hedge funds don’t really look like themselves anymore, with new fund structures, such as separately managed accounts and lower fees, that make them more useful for investors. Co-investing is another big growth area, where major investors invest alongside hedge funds in specific deals.
FINSUM: So hedge funds have surged in popularity, but they are not hedge funds, in the same sense, as before. Further, fees are down, with the average being a management fee of 1.45% and a performance fee of 17%.
(New York)
Every investor knows ETF have surged in popularity. However, one the big questions of major importance in the industry is “who owns them?”. The answer is, mostly, investment advisors. There has been a major shift in the ETF industry since the Crisis, as ETF consumption by Investment Advisors has surged as AUM in that area has grown. What’s more, that holding is rocketing year on year, with total AUM ownership in the segment growing by around $400 bn between 2016 and 2017. Brokers, by contrast have seen their total share of ETF ownership plummet, from 16% in 2007 to just 2.2% now.
FINSUM: Retail still owns the majority, but investment advisors have been the major growth driver for the segment and their influence is widening considerably.
(New York)
It was long awaited, but still hit the market like a hammer. It was one of those things that you can prepare for over a long period, yet are inevitably shocked when it arrives. In this case, it was the long-awaited release of a zero fee index fund. Fidelity was the first to do it, and while it was anticipated, the move is likely to have far-reaching effects on the industry. For instance, one of the big changes is that large index funds will likely no longer pay licensing fees to the indexes themselves. At the same time though, indexes will proliferate for more narrow and niche areas designed to track all manner of themes. Fees will likely continue to fall, even on the more complex products.
FINSUM: Asset management is seeing a very serious race to the bottom, which is reflected in share prices lately. Two thoughts come to mind. Firstly, those with huge scale will be the big winners as the industry grows more consolidated. Secondly, how long before retirement funds seeing a reckoning and a big move out of expensive products (they are paying an average of 61 bp in fees)?