•  
• Tweet
•  
•  
•        Print
•  
•        Email
•  
•         Track Keywords

Key insights from the survey highlight the critical role specialists have in guiding advisors through the complex investment landscape.

As interest in alternatives has surged, 42% of advisors stressed the importance of asset managers providing alternatives specialists to help them make informed investment decisions. Notably, this was even more pronounced among wirehouse advisors at 56%. Opportunities to connect with advisors were not only limited to non-traditional players, as 41% of advisors underscored the importance of asset managers providing portfolio construction specialists.

Advisors are bullish on increasing engagement with specialists of multiple stripes. 25% of advisors said they increased the frequency of meetings with alternatives specialists and ETF specialists over the past year. This interest is set to carry into the immediate future, with 27% of advisors planning on increasing meetings with alternatives specialists over the next 12 months and 26% doing so with ETF specialists. The constantly shifting investment landscape means that advisors want to meet with specialists frequently on these topics. 35% of advisors wanted to meet with an alternatives specialists at least once a quarter, as did 35% of advisors for portfolio construction specialists and 34% of advisors for ETF specialists.

In parallel to the survey on specialists, ISS MI conducted a research interview process with leading asset managers to round out perspectives on the optimal deployment of specialist advisor support, with the detailed findings of this research to be released shortly. The research revealed that challenges persist in leveraging specialists effectively. Asset managers face a dilemma in having them work more independently.

Advisors expressed ambivalence over whether wholesalers need to be present in meetings with specialists, with only 28% saying they preferred the wholesaler's presence. Still, advisors stressed that their top challenge of working with them is specialists' lack of understanding of their business, highlighting the need for wholesalers to provide proper context and insights on advisor behavior for the specialist. Addressing these challenges is critical before deploying specialists on their own.

Press release

Article source - Opalesque is not responsible for the content of external internet sites