Investors are often not aware how much their wealth manager is charging them for advice and money management services, says online wealth manager Netwealth.
Netwealth has developed the Portfolio Cost Calculator, which is available on its website and helps people to estimate what they are paying to have their wealth managed and to know what questions they should be asking their money manager.
Charlotte Ransom, CEO of Netwealth, says today: “In its recent report on the Asset Management Industry, the Financial Conduct Authority noted that ‘investors’ awareness and focus on charges is mixed and often poor’. Transparency regarding the impact of fees on future investment returns is also highlighted as a priority in the MiFID II proposed regulations. Netwealth’s Portfolio Cost Calculator is designed to help address these important problems.”
Wealth managers often stem from several sources iuncluding: Annual Management Charge (AMC), typically NOT including VAT; VAT (if not included in AMC); Custody and platform charges; Transaction (trading) costs; Tax reporting; and Underlying investment fund fees. Many traditional wealth managers quote a single management fee, which may include the cost of advice, without including other charges such as VAT, trading costs and the underlying fund fees. This makes it difficult for clients to understand what the return is, net of all costs, which is what they will ultimately receive.
New online wealth managers such as Netwealth quote an all-in fee to ensure there are no surprises. Costs that are not included are those of the underlying tracker funds, which are low cost and come directly out of the returns. In the case of Netwealth, who also offer advice, they then charge on a separate hourly basis if advice is requested.
Matt Conradi, Senior Client Adviser at Netwealth, says: “Many clients of traditional wealth managers are sometimes either too trusting or too afraid to ask the important questions about how much they are paying for advice and to have their wealth managed. The headline fee they are quoted can often significantly underplay the overall costs. Our Portfolio Cost Calculator helps highlight all the items for which you might be charged. It estimates the cash amount you are paying every year in fees, based on how much there is in your portfolio, and the type of wealth management services and investments you have. We then encourage clients to ask their current provider to detail what their services cost in total each year.”
Netwealth’s Portfolio Cost Calculator asks five important questions to estimate the all-in fee: The value of your current portfolio; Whether your portfolio is professionally managed or self-invested; Whether you receive ongoing advice and financial planning; Whether you have an Independent Financial Adviser or receive advice from your portfolio manager; and Whether your portfolio is mainly invested in active or passive funds.
It then generates an estimate of what you are paying for the services you receive and compares them with Netwealth’s fees. For example, an investor with a portfolio of GBP250,000, who has their portfolio with a wealth manager who also provides ongoing advice and invests principally in actively managed funds is likely to be paying an all-in fee of greater than 2.50 per cent per annum. By contrast, that same investor would pay an all-in fee, including advice, of 0.95 per cent at Netwealth, thereby saving over 1.5 per cent every year in fees.
Over a 10 year period, assuming an annual investment return of 5 per cent, that fee saving would result in the investor being better off by over GBP50,000.
