One of the things I’ve been reflecting on recently is how much of what we do for you is, by design, invisible.
Your annual planning meeting is the moment where everything comes together – where we sit across from each other, review your plan, stress-test your assumptions, and make sure you’re still on track for the life you want to live.
It’s the part of our relationship you experience most directly. But it represents a fraction of the work that goes into looking after your wealth throughout the year.
I wanted to pull back the curtain a little this month, starting with your investments.
Our Investment Committee (IC) is constantly researching, reviewing, and challenging our investment approach – making changes only when we feel confident that they genuinely improve your portfolio, not just to appear busy. This disciplined oversight is designed to keep your portfolio in the best possible shape.
We examine all new research, data, and analysis, interpret what it means, and make considered decisions about whether any changes to your portfolio are warranted.
Sometimes the answer is yes. Often, the answer is no – and that deliberate decision to hold steady is just as important as the decision to act.
We don’t do this alone. We work in partnership with Albion Strategic Consulting, an independent investment consultancy with deep subject matter expertise. Their role is to bring an external, evidence-based perspective to our process – challenging our thinking and ensuring we never become complacent.
Having that independent voice in the room is something I consider essential to the quality of the outcomes we deliver for you.
One area I’d like to spotlight is our fund screening process, because I think it illustrates the sheer level of rigour involved.
The image below shows how it works:
There are roughly 800,000 investment products available globally. Our job is to ensure the ones we recommend to you are genuinely best in class – and that requires a structured, repeatable process.
It starts with data cleansing: making sure the information we’re working from is accurate and complete before we assess a single product.
From there, our first screen applies fundamental criteria;
- Is the product available in the UK,
- Does it have a sufficient track record,
- Does it track its benchmark effectively?
That alone eliminates the vast majority of options.
What remains goes onto long lists for each asset class, and then through a second, more granular screen – comparing products on total cost, transparency, investment style, and structural integrity.
If a fund is significantly more expensive than comparable alternatives, or if we can’t see clearly into how it operates, it doesn’t progress.
The survivors form our watch lists – the very best candidates within each category. These are reviewed at the Investment Committee level, where we conduct further due diligence using internal analysis, third-party research, and materials directly from the fund providers.
Only then do we make a decision.
The reason I’m sharing this isn’t to impress you with the process for its own sake. It’s because I know that between annual reviews, it can sometimes feel like not much is happening.
The truth is quite the opposite. The investment landscape shifts constantly – what constituted a well-built portfolio twenty years ago looks materially different today.
By paying close attention through time, we position your portfolio not just for where markets are now, but for the next twenty years and beyond.
The results are compelling – our core investment portfolios have outperformed over 90% of our peer group – and as a client, you directly benefit.
And investment management is just one strand. Behind the scenes, the team is also monitoring your tax position, tracking legislative changes, reviewing your protection arrangements, and keeping your financial plan aligned with your evolving life.
None of that generates a letter or a phone call unless it needs to – but it’s happening, consistently, throughout the year.
If any of this prompts a question about how a specific part of your plan is managed, I’m always happy to have that conversation.
Graham McCulley
Investment Director
One Response
Great article. There is clearly the need to balance potential returns with risk avoidance. Looking at your tower and the following words, the latter these two is the first and major screen. Only after that come the choices that deliver your 90% ranking. So thank you and we will continue to take the advice covered in the second article, and spend as hard as is prudently advisable!