Fairbairn logo - go to homepage
| Home | | On-Line Demo | Which Services? | Links | FAQ's |
Search
Go

The art of performance

Last year Fairbairn Private Bank was awarded the title Best International Wealth Manager at the International Investment Fund and Product Awards and the award marked a four-year milestone for the bank's discretionary investment management service.

The success of the discretionary investment management service is particularly impressive set against some of the most challenging economic and market conditions seen in over sixty years. The global financial crisis and subsequent recession have had a devastating effect on investment markets. Wealth preservation has become an overriding priority for many investors and their advisers, and there is a growing recognition managing assets and consistently delivering benchmark, or better, returns is an extremely demanding task. Inevitably, investors are looking for proven investment advisers that have been able to demonstrate sound stewardship of their capital. 

As part of its discretionary investment management service, Fairbairn Private Bank sets out to develop a thorough understanding of each client's personal circumstances, goals and wealth objectives. This unique profile coupled with a defined time frame provides the basis for portfolio construction and risk management. Regular reporting and reviews ensure clients are properly engaged in the investment process and this also engenders clarity in why and for what purpose the assets are invested.

The core investment principles adopted by the bank are:

  • Asset allocation and diversification - the mix of asset classes within a portfolio is the primary driver of returns for an investor.
  • Risk management - investment risk is multi-dimensional and can take the form of shortfall risk, volatility risk and liquidity risk.
  • Valuation - the price you pay is an important determinant of future returns.

The implementation of these core investment principles by combining active, passive and hedged market access strategies assists the bank to deliver attractive risk-adjusted returns.

In the current uncertain economic climate, one of the most worrying risks for many investors is shortfall risk - the risk of not achieving their terminal wealth target or of actually running out of money to meet their long-term financial needs.  At Fairbairn Private Bank, portfolios are based on three major risk models and performance is monitored and calibrated against peer group portfolios, as measured by ARC Private Client Indices*.  Since their inception, the bank's portfolio models have shown robust performance against their peer group and this has culminated in the bank's discretionary investment management service being shortlisted for the 2010 Private Asset Managers 'PAM' Awards.

By minimising fees and closely controlling a portfolio's volatility, Fairbairn Private Bank aims to optimise the performance of its discretionary investment management service and add real value when measured against each client's specific risk tolerance.

Following some signs of an economic recovery at the end of last year, 2010 is again proving a challenging investment environment. Sovereign risk, dollar strength, inflationary forces and increased volatility are all developing themes. Navigating these uncertain times will necessitate on-going economic analysis, careful investment selection, active asset allocation and professional risk management. However, with these challenges in mind and an established track record, Fairbairn Private Bank is well equipped to take on the current investment landscape.

To find out more about our discretionary investment management service, please contact your relationship manager directly or our client services team on +44 (0) 1624 645000.

* The ARC Private Client Indices are a series of indices calculated by Asset Risk Consultants. More information can be found at www.assetrisk.com.