As the lines between model portfolio services (MPS) and bespoke investment solutions continue to blur, advisers are increasingly asking if these two approaches are really in competition, or can they actually complement each other?
In this week’s episode of IFA Talk, hosts Sue Whitbread and Matt Williams are joined by Eddie Kennedy, Head of Marlborough’s Personal Portfolio Service, to explore this very question.
Eddie has plenty of experience in this field. In this conversation he not only shares his insights on how both MPS and bespoke solutions are evolving but also why framing them as opposing forces might just be missing the point.
On the agenda for this week’s conversation are:
- How the MPS landscape is changing under the lens of Consumer Duty
- Why the trend toward commoditisation could be limiting service quality
- What really defines a true bespoke service – and what advisers should look for
- How MPS and bespoke solutions can work together as part of a lifelong client journey
- Why long-term thinking, or as Eddie’s family motto puts it, “Avise la fin” (“Consider the end”), matters more than ever for advisers and clients.
As Eddie explains, Marlborough’s approach uses the same multi-asset framework to underpin both MPS and bespoke portfolios, illustrating how advisers can blend these strategies to meet evolving client needs.
Whether you’re refining your investment proposition or simply keeping an eye on industry trends, this episode offers valuable perspective on how to align service, personalisation and long-term outcomes.
Be sure to check out this episode and all other episodes of IFA Talk on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon!
Edward Kennedy
Edward has more than 25 years of experience in financial services and has managed discretionary portfolios for over 19 years. Before joining Marlborough in June 2024, he spent over a decade at Credit Suisse, where he served as Head of Multi-Asset for the UK and Guernsey and chaired the UK Asset Allocation Committee. Prior to that, Edward worked for eight years as a multi-asset portfolio manager at Morgan Stanley. He is a CFA charterholder.
