Funds that consistently deliver on their objectives were the most important factor when assessing a fund, according to a third (31%) of the UK’s financial advisers – so says the latest dedicated adviser research from Momentum Global Investment Management.
Risk management was also cited as a key criterion by one in three advisers (31%) when it comes to determining the funds they pick for their client base.
This bucks the trend in 2019 before the pandemic, where past performance reigned – with half (49%) of all advisers surveyed believing this was the key factor in their assessment. Only a third of them (30%) feel so today.
Cost continues to be an important driver for advisers (29%), though not as high a priority as it was in 2019 (42%), while top holdings and asset allocation (17%) and high beta (11%) also ranked relatively lowly in the poll – as was the case in 2019. The brand of the fund provider did not fare much better either, with just 15% of advisers citing this as an influential factor in their fund selection process.
Steve Hunter, Head of Marketing and Distribution at Momentum UK, (pictured) said: “Delivering on the investment outcome has been cited as the most important factors in driving fund selection, and it chimes with what advisers have said is currently driving their client’s satisfaction.
“The last couple years have been challenging, for advisers and their clients, so it’s encouraging to see greater balance and diversification in portfolios as advisers persevere to preserve, protect and grow client assets.”
