1For professional financial advisers only Helping good businesses become great businesses This is not a consumer advertisement. It is intended for Professional Financial Adviser use only and should not be relied upon by private investors or any other persons.
2 Cofunds enabling businesses to do more, more easily 1 A decade of platform innovation 2 The power behind great financial services solutions 5 Rising to the regulatory challenge 7 Support you can trust, every day 8 Great people by your side 9 The Cofunds advantage 10 Making Cofunds part of your business 12
1 Cofunds enabling businesses to do more, more easily Every day, Cofunds is used by around 8,000* advisory firms across the UK to help them run their business and support their clients. From major nationals to small local firms, our service is trusted by advisers to help streamline their administration, reduce risk and enable them to offer the best possible service to their clients. Today, Cofunds is the largest online platform in the UK administering 89.3bn* in assets. We like to think that our success is down to listening to advisers and responding to what they and their clients really need. On the following pages, learn about the features and services we offer to help you run your business, your way. Why Cofunds? Independence - whole of market, with no funds of our own to promote we can simply focus on being a great platform Long-term stability - as one of the longest-serving platforms, and being wholly owned by Aegon, the international pensions, life insurance and asset management business Adviser focused - as we only offer our service through advisers, our commitment to promoting and supporting expert financial advice has always been clear Chosen and trusted - we re responsible for 89.3bn* in assets and remain the fastest-growing platform in the UK**. *As at 30 June 2017. ** Cofunds was the highest selling platform between Q3 2009 and Q4 2016. (Source: Platforum Adviser Guide Issue 29)
90 AUA - bn 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Cofunds launched 2001 First platform to launch re-registration Investment bonds introduced 2002 2003 2004 Voted Fund Supermarket of the Year by readers of Financial Adviser 2005 First platform to reach 10bn AUA First SIPP introduced on the platform Named Best Fund Supermarket by both MoneyFacts and Professional Adviser CGT planning tool introduced 2006 2007 Cash account service launched Wins five leading industry awards for best platform/ wrap/ supermarket 2008 Lauche advanc suite o portfo financi tools Over 1 funds a from m 90 fun Started Twitte way of users 20 A decade of platform innovation Cofunds is one of the UK s longest-established platforms. Cofunds began in 2001 when four leading fund management groups Gartmore, Jupiter, M&G and Threadneedle came together to make it easier for advisers to research and buy funds using technology. The result was one of the first online fund platforms, offering a range of collective investments from different groups through one online service. Continuous evolution The last 16 years have seen plenty of innovation on the Cofunds platform from a growing range of tax wrappers to innovative features like our suite of financial-planning tools and the Cofunds Cash Account. Today, Cofunds is a comprehensive financial-planning platform that can give advisers the ability to manage clients investment and retirement assets easily and efficiently in one place.
d new ed f risk, lio and al planning,500 vailable ore than d groups using r as another updating Launched the Cofunds Pension Account and Pension Consolidation Tool launched Introduced trust deeds for collectives Wins Best Platform at MoneyFacts Awards Becomes the largest platform in the UK Highest selling platform since Q2 2009 Pension Suitability Tool launched Over 2,700 funds available from more than 130 fund groups Client segmentation and Explicit Pricing launched Platform attains 60bn AUA in November Systems in the City Awards Best Platform More than 150 fund groups available on platform Launch of improved client dashboard Over 3,300 funds available from more than 200 fund groups Launch of bulk segmentation and conversion tools to assist advisers' Sunset planning Money Marketing Awards Content Marketing of the Year award for Perspectives extra magazine app Cofunds acquired by Aegon plc Delivery of Sunset for advisers, switch of all investors on platform to clean share classes Goodacre Systems in the City Award Winner - Trading Platform of the Year 09 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 Platform of choice For all these reasons, Cofunds remains not only the largest but also the fastestgrowing platform in the UK 1. That s testament to the trust that advisers have placed in us over the past 16 years. By continually evolving and improving, we aim to remain the advisers platform of choice for many decades to come. 1 Cofunds was the highest selling platform between Q3 2009 to Q4 2016. Source: Platforum Adviser Guide Issue 29
4 Advisers across the UK are discovering that partnering with Cofunds can help them build a more efficient, scalable, dynamic business and deliver exceptional advice and service to their clients.
5 The power behind great financial services solutions Customisable to your clients we understand the pressure you face to demonstrate that your preferred platform is suitable for your client base. That s why Cofunds technology and products are designed to support a range of client propositions from mass-market to high-net worth, from portfolio management to retirement planning or estate and tax planning. Whatever your firm s focus, Cofunds can help deliver a suitable service across a whole client base or to different client segments. Robust investment process the Cofunds service is set up to help advisers deliver a robust, repeatable investment process every time they advise. We look to provide all the investment choice that the majority of clients require, including over 3,400 funds from more than 210 fund managers. We also provide tools to help you tailor this choice to the needs of each client, including psychometric risk profiling, advanced fund research tools plus fund panels and model portfolios built by leading independent fund analysts. Comprehensive retirement planning we re dedicated to ensuring Cofunds is the platform of choice for any adviser whose core area of expertise is retirement planning. Alongside an extensive fund range, advisers can access a range of pension wrappers, from full SIPPs to the simpler Cofunds Pension Account. We ve also introduced advanced tools to analyse the progress of a client s retirement assets, with scope to include off-platform assets such as state and employer pensions. By analysing your client data, our pension consolidation service can help you identify which clients would benefit from consolidating their retirement assets on platform. Administrative efficiency Cofunds lets you manage more of your business online. From processing client transactions, valuations and reports electronically through to managing your model portfolios as bulk actions for multiple clients, linking, unlinking, rebalancing and switching easily and efficiently online, you can maximise efficiency, minimise administration and free up time to focus on the activities that add the greatest value to your firm such as advising clients and building new business.
6 We offer Over 3,400 funds from more than 210 fund managers A complete range of tax wrappers (ISAs, pensions, bonds and trusts) Integrated research, risk profiling and portfolio management tools Comprehensive client reporting Pension consolidation support Versatile cash account service Business insight we were quick to recognise that because a platform can log every action electronically, firms using Cofunds have access to a record of all their client transaction activity. By using the powerful suite of Sales Management Information (Sales MI) tools, you can now harness this data to analyse sales trends, profile clients, identify potential opportunities and assess profitability by both client and adviser. Sales MI data can be tracked at the firm, office or adviser level so you can stay in complete control of activity in every corner of your business. Scaleable service the efficiency and automation provided by Cofunds can help your firm grow your client book without any loss in quality of service. High-spec branded client reports with a full breakdown of holdings, asset allocation and investment wrappers can be compiled for a whole client bank in days not weeks. The current investment position of any client or groups of clients can be assessed in minutes. Changes across client portfolios can be made faster and more accurately than ever before. So whether your advisory firm serves 200 or 200,000 investors, a high quality service is always deliverable to each and every client.
7 Rising to the regulatory challenge Right now, advisory firms are facing some of their greatest commercial and regulatory challenges to date. By partnering with Cofunds, firms are in a position to not only survive these challenges but build thriving profitable businesses that can accommodate and demonstrate full compliance with regulatory requirements. Plus as the UK s largest platform, Cofunds has become an influential voice in financial services. We take an active and visible role in lobbying for advisers interests, taking our lead from what advisers say best serves their business and their clients. Features on the Cofunds platform to support regulatory compliance include: Cash account our on-platform cash account makes it easy for fees to be drawn from a client s portfolio and reported as part of the client s transaction activity. Ongoing adviser value advisers can only take an ongoing fee where they can demonstrate an ongoing service to clients. By employing Cofunds tools and services, you can demonstrate genuine added value for clients from regular portfolio rebalancing to in-depth portfolio analysis. Supporting documentation advisers are under increasing pressure to demonstrate the suitability of their advice. With online factfinding, risk profiling, fund research, portfolio building and reporting, Cofunds ensures your firm always has supporting documentation of every decision made on behalf of a client. In short, Cofunds aims to help to remove the regulatory risk from your activities by helping you to deliver compliant, fully auditable advice. So, however the regulatory environment changes, your firm is ready to respond.
8 Support you can trust, every day Advisory firms turn to Cofunds to help administer client assets and to provide the tools and services that help them to deliver the highest-quality advice and service. We recognise that when an advisory firm chooses to use Cofunds, it is placing its reputation in our hands. Our focus is therefore on providing your firm with an outstanding service both in terms of our technology and the ongoing support we provide. Benchmark technology With our experience processing over 66 million transactions a year, you and your firm can rest assured that we have the technology infrastructure to handle business of any scale or complexity. As Cofunds operates at a profit, we re able to invest to ensure our systems continue to provide fund transacting, reporting and financial-planning functionality. We support around 8,000 advisory firms over 5.6 million individual fund holdings over 66 million transactions a year
9 Great people by your side We understand technology is only one element of a successful investment platform. So we re dedicated to giving you both great technology and access to skilled, knowledgeable people to help you get the most out of Cofunds around the clock. We provide you with regional sales and support teams so wherever your firm is based, we can service you online, by phone or face-to-face. But Cofunds is also about helping you develop insight and ideas. Alongside day-to-day support, you and your team can join us at workshops, seminars and quarterly Cofunds conferences for debate, training and practical thinking on how to develop your business, respond to regulation and capture investment opportunities for your clients.
10 The Cofunds advantage Reduce compliance risk Improve profitability & efficiency Deliver a great advice proposition Replicable, robust and fully audited investment process Advanced client risk profiling and fund risk-rating Tools to demonstrate ongoing client value Dynamic scenariobuilding to demonstrate potential risk and return on any portfolio. True straight-through processing (STP) investor journey from factfind to execution Manage your model portfolios as a bulk action for multiple clients Sales MI to assess profitability, client profiles and adviser activity Bulk client consolidation services and support for self-directed clients Automated hi-spec client reporting Flexible charging options Fully scalable service offering. A range of product wrappers integrated onto the platform Integrated investment and retirement asset management, including off-platform assets Extensive client segmentation possibilities Flexible portfolio building Online portfolio access for selected clients Integrated planning for spouses and other connected parties.
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12 Making Cofunds part of your business Partnering with Cofunds is simple. Just talk to us and our service can be working across your business very soon. Our platform technology integrates easily with all common back office systems and our support teams can work with you to ensure complete compatibility with any bespoke systems you may have. We supply dedicated teams to help firms move clients and all their existing holdings onto the platform a process that can take just a matter of weeks once client authorisation has been received. Smooth transition We have expertly managed this process for thousands of advisory firms of all sizes, we can ensure a smooth transition for your business and your clients. Plus, of course, we provide all the training and support that your staff requires to get the most out of Cofunds, including named contacts, onsite, whenever you need them. To experience the benefits of putting Cofunds at the heart of your business, call 0345 604 4001* or go to www.cofunds.co.uk * Calls may be recorded for training and quality purposes. Call charges will vary.
13 Getting on platform Fully compatible with common back office systems Dedicated onboarding teams Onsite support and training
14 All assets held in the Cofunds Pension Account are legally owned by Suffolk Life Trustees Limited. Issued and approved by Cofunds Limited, Level 43, The Leadenhall Building, 122 Leadenhall Street, London, EC3V 4AB Registered in England and Wales under No, 3965289. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). FCA registration No. 194734 BO18AUB 09/17 H0158997