Wealth Manager Breakfast Club

On Wednesday 22nd September 2021, CAMRADATA hosted their inaugural Wealth Manager Breakfast Club. CAMRADATA have always worked with Wealth Managers but since this segment is increasingly growing, and also changing, we felt it was time to follow suit of our ever-popular Insurance Breakfast Club and provide senior professionals in this space with a closed forum to share challenges, themes and ultimately discuss ideas to further educate each other. We welcomed a select group of established Wealth Manager experts from Europe, Asia, and Australia; all covering different niches of the Wealth Manager space and here are some select takeaways to note.

Firstly, it became apparent that the location of the Wealth Manager brought different areas of concern or interest but widely shared and of note was ESG, but not how one may think. In fact, the main concurrent ESG theme between the Wealth Managers was that although a continual ‘hot topic’ in the investment industry, generally, the notion hasn’t quite trickled down to the direct client just yet; 3 out of 800 Wealth Manager clients had requested ESG investments was one example given. What was agreed and does mirror our institutional friends is that ESG performance does track non ESG products and therefore it was suggested this could be generational thinking. Most clients are 50 years old and up and perhaps this is set to change as Gen Z and below mature? Time will tell but the Wealth Managers are ready.

The topic of Alternatives took centre stage next. With Bond yields being low, especially in Europe, everyone appears to be turning more and more to Alternatives; truer still, to a good mix to Bond and Equity Alternatives. One manager reasoned that Alternatives can bring in a good yield with a Fixed Income type of volatility and this is attractive. However, due to demand are they too expensive? Is the frenzy about to end? And is there a viable substitute?

Concerns ranged from inflation to regulation, Blockchain and beyond but this is a closed forum so that’s all we shall say for now. Our next Wealth Manager Breakfast Club will be held Wednesday 26th January 2022 and we are very interested to hear what the New Year will bring.

Pre register your interest here if you are interested in joining the next Wealth Manager Breakfast.