Despite a Tepid Q4, Managed Solutions Industry
Assets Grow to $2.7 Trillion in 2012, a 20% Increase 

S&P 500 Ends Down 0.4%

The managed solutions market ended the quarter with a modest growth rate of 2.7%, but experienced a significant
one-year growth rate of 20.1%, which translates into an increase of $459 billion. The industry hasn’t seen that type of growth since 2010, the same year that it surpassed $2 trillion in assets. The MS market continued to surpass the S&P 500 Index, which was down 0.4% for the quarter and was up 16% for the year.

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Retirement income planning and delivery is one of the hottest topics in the  financial services industry and, because of its inherent complexity, one of the thorniest. Seen by many as a major opportunity and the ‘next big thing,’ it has nonetheless been haltingly slow to arrive. In this Perspectives interview, Steve Gresham and Jack Sharry explore both the challenges and the progress along the road to the industry’s development of a truly comprehensive retirement income planning and implementation solution, a discussion for which both are eminently well qualified. Steve heads the Private Client Group at Fidelity Investments and is Visiting Instructor and Co-Chair of Brown University’s “As America Ages” project, and Jack chairs the MMI Retirement Solutions Committee and is Executive Vice President, Strategic Development at LifeYield.

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MMI Survey of Platform Providers and Asset Managers

Executive Summary

The delivery of retirement income support is quickly moving from hype to reality for broker-dealers and product providers. With the oldest baby boomers having reached the traditional retirement age of 65, there is evidence of growing demand for retirement income and related support. Retirement remains the primary investment goal for the vast majority of retail investors. Despite the uncertain market environment, retirement income-oriented investors—those approaching retirement or already living in retirement—make up an increasing share of the new clients that financial advisors serve. It is within this context that the Money Management Institute (MMI) has partnered with GDC Research and Practical Perspectives—two leading independent consulting and research firms focused on the retirement income landscape—to explore how advisory platform sponsors and asset managers are evolving support to serve this growing market.

In August/September 2012, MMI surveyed member firms to learn more about current and anticipated efforts related to retirement income. The intent is to offer a brief snapshot of how organizations perceive the market for retirement income and to gain a deeper understanding of priorities, challenges, and expected enhancements to advisory programs and platforms. A total of 10 sponsors and 23 asset managers responded to the survey. The responses of these MMI members are supplemented by proprietary research conducted by GDC and Practical Perspectives.

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MMI 2013 Industry Leadership Awards On April 23, 2013, MMI will honor excellence in the Advisory Solutions industry at its fifth annual Industry Leadership Awards dinner. We invite you to nominate firms and individuals that have demonstrated outstanding innovation, commitment to client service, and strong growth, thereby contributing to the long-term success and sustainability of our industry. All nominations must be received by Friday, March 1, 2013 and must include a brief supporting statement. Please note the following ground rules: Self-nominations of your own firm are allowed – even encouraged You are not required to submit a nomination in every category The Awards dinner will be held on the second night of the MMI Annual Convention in New York and proceeds will benefit MMI’s workplace diversity program, Gateway to Leadership, a 501(c)(3) charity. The Gateway to Leadership program is a partnership between MMI and UNCF that focuses exclusively on the financial services industry, providing internships and career opportunities for students from historically black colleges and universities. With the class of 2013, Gateway will have placed more than 125 qualified students with MMI member firms for summer internships and lifelong career guidance. The dinner is always a fun and rewarding experience, allowing us to celebrate outstanding performers in the Advisory Solutions industry while helping pave “The Path to Success” for deserving Gateway students. Details on how to obtain your tickets for the dinner will be available when registration for the Annual Convention opens online in early March. We appreciate your input and support.

  ]]> http://www.mminst.org/5771/feed 0 http://www.mminst.org/5678 http://www.mminst.org/5678#comments Wed, 09 Jan 2013 18:41:49 +0000 Elizabeth Bontrager http://www.mminst.org/?p=5678 The purpose of this document is to provide a basic overview of the federal antitrust laws as they relate to the activities surrounding the Money Management Institute (MMI). The information that follows provides guidelines on the problems that may arise in the course of MMI activities and situations that MMI members and staff should avoid. Should it appear that an antitrust violation has occurred, MMI members and staff should immediately inform the organization’s president.

Highlights of the document

Antitrust Guidelines
Price Fixing
Group Activities
Agreements
Suppliers and Service Providers
Conduct Guidelines

Antitrust Aspects of Particular MMI Activities
Lobbying Activities
Collection of Industry Data
Standard-setting Activities
Government Request for Information

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On December 18, 2012, FundFire published an article highlighting MMI’s ongoing efforts to help the industry develop and adopt standards to streamline communications between asset managers and platform sponsors. Click below to access the article on the FundFire website. 

Managed Solutions Market Regains Its Footing in Q3 2012
As Total Assets Increase 7% to $2.7 Trillion

New This Quarter: Exclusive Data Coverage of Model Portfolios in
SMA and UMA Advisory Platforms

The MS market recovered nicely in the third quarter and increased by about $175 billion in assets and was up 7.0% for the quarter. This growth outpaced the S&P 500 Index, which posted a third quarter return of 6.4%. The recent announcements of continuing central bank support and the rolling out of new monetary policies to help alleviate financially stricken countries seemed to be the impetus behind investor confidence. There was a rally in all the major markets.

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To MMI Members:

We are pleased to present the 2012–2013 edition of the MMI Industry Guide to Managed Investment Solutions. Now in its fourth edition, the Guide continues to evolve in tandem with our industry. In addition to proprietary data and analysis on the managed solutions business and its most significant components, this edition provides MMI members with new statistics and a detailed look at historical and projected industry trends. 

In response to the considerable interest from our members, this edition is focused on alternative investments. Research indicates that the “retailization of alternatives” will unleash a wave of growth within the industry and fundamentally change both how advisors do business and the solutions they provide clients. The report contains unprecedented data, analysis and projections, including financial advisor survey results and the industry’s first distribution data on liquid and traditional alternative investments by product type and strategy from leading broker/dealers.

The Guide continues to represent the most comprehensive source of data and information on the managed solutions industry, and it will be an essential tool to help our members with strategic business planning. We welcome your comments and greatly appreciate the efforts of the MMI Governors and other members who contributed to the development of the Guide.

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