Investment consultants market investigation

Some investment consultants and fiduciary managers may be misrepresenting the conclusions of a major market competition review to clients, XPS Pensions says.

As a hectic 2018 draws to an end, Jonathan Stapleton wishes readers a quieter 2019.

The Competition and Markets Authority's (CMA) final report on the investment consultant market has been celebrated as having "real teeth" to produce better outcomes for members.

Tenders for first-time fiduciary management mandates will be mandatory, must be conducted on a closed basis, and will apply to any mandate for over 20% of a scheme's assets, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has confirmed.

BMO Global Asset Management has opened a UK fiduciary management business, promising a "truly open architecture" approach to deliver "better client outcomes".

The number of defined benefit (DB) schemes using fiduciary management grew by just 9% over the 12 months to June this year, according to KPMG.

Aon, Mercer and Willis Towers Watson have renewed criticism of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) over its analysis of the benefits of tendering for fiduciary management contracts.

Tendering for fiduciary management has led to fees being reduced by between 19% and 22%, latest analysis by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) finds.

Investment consultants and fiduciary managers should expect a final decision on the investigation into the market to be published by the end of the year, the competition watchdog says.

Errors in the Competition and Markets Authority's (CMA) data analysis make its provisional decision on the investment consultants market investigation "flawed", and lacks an "adequate evidential basis" to impose remedies, Mercer has said.