Investment Process
We passionately believe in the merits of active asset management and the role it can play in long-term wealth creation
A key part of achieving superior risk-adjusted returns over time results from constructing a portfolio of well diversified assets, with optimal allocation across core asset classes and amending that asset allocation depending on the macro environment. Westbury Asset Management has successfully managed client portfolios since 2003 on an advisory basis. Since January 2019 Westbury Asset Management has enhanced its offering to provide a Discretionary Fund Management service, having been granted this additional authority by the FCA .
Discretionary management means that you provide us with the authority to make changes to your portfolio promptly, without us having to write to you in advance, within the parameters agreed with you at the outset in order to position your portfolio appropriately in relation to macro-economic climate and market outlook.
The Westbury portfolios are devised in-house, drawing on our experience of analysing market data and economic trends. With access to real time information through sophisticated software and a constant flow of information from data-driven analysis, in addition to the views of economists and fund managers, our role is to use this information to make good investment decisions; identifying optimal asset allocation and the selecting the appropriate funds. Discretionary authority means that our decisions are reflected across your portfolio immediately and monitored continuously.
At Westbury we strongly believe in active fund management, in that the skill of a fund manager can deliver superior returns to that of a benchmark or index over time. We therefore construct a range of actively managed portfolios for different risk appetites and have in place an ongoing research and monitoring programme where we are in constant dialogue with fund managers.
Alongside our core portfolios we also have a range of 'Sustainable' portfolios. These portfolios only hold funds which prioritise ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) factors and exclude certain sectors entirely that are seen to do damage to society or the environment such as Tobacco, Armaments and Gambling. Within these portfolios we also hold some exposure to Impact funds; these funds invest solely in companies finding solutions to urgent problems facing the environment and society. As with the core portfolios, a diversified approach and discretionary management allows us to position the portfolios appropriately and make changes as required.
This short video from Regnan Investment helps explain what impact investing is all about https://vimeo.com/472137048.
Regnan Global Equity Impact Solutions is just one of the funds we currently hold within the Westbury Sustainable portfolios.
We are always ready to adapt our offerings to clients with specific needs.
We are also committed to keeping you informed and will provide regular valuations, performance data, commentary and factsheets to give you timely access to information about how your investments are performance and the investment climate. It is also likely that you will have on-line access to your portfolio to view 24/7.
Wrap Platforms
We manage virtually all of our clients’ investments through an online platform to simplify and streamline the service that we offer. The platform enables us to run individual tax wrappers to include Self Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs), Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs), Onshore and Offshore Bonds as well as to hold general investments for our clients.
Wrap platforms first came to the UK adviser market in early 2000’s, recognising that pension and investment products were not as flexible as they could be. Prior to that clients would be recommended pension solutions often with a limited pension fund range and separate investment accounts that were frequently held directly with Fund Managers, severely limiting fund choice, without undertaking lengthy transfer processes.
Wrap platforms are now the first choice for wealth managers and their clients who need access to a variety of tax efficient products (SIPP/ISA/Offshore bonds) and an extensive range of investment offerings. In essence a wrap platform is a product provider and technology platform for administration and custody services.
The wrap platform allows for consolidation of assets, provides secure on-line access for our clients to view their portfolio and centralises the administration process associated with investing. The wrap platform does not provide advice to our clients and has no authority to alter client’s investments. This responsibility remains with Westbury Asset Management.
We are able to facilitate the transfer of existing pension benefits to the platform to allow for you to combine any number of existing schemes into one. Westbury is authorised to carry out transfers from defined contribution schemes but does not advise on defined benefit schemes (Final Salary Pensions).