Barclays Wealth has recently introduced a new approach that will allow
personal clients access to hedge fund strategies previously available
only to institutional investors.

The new 'Investment Philosophy' is a framework for investing, covering a much wider array of products, which can be precisely matched to clients’ needs. Our clients are demanding ever more diverse and sophisticated approaches to investment, and we have the skills and experience to help them make the most of the growing range of opportunities in today’s complex financial markets.

The process begins with a Financial Personality Assessment, an exclusive new technique that provides a detailed profile of every client’s individual characteristics, including their attitude to risk. This gives a much richer and subtler analysis of their priorities than traditional profiling.

The data from the assessment is used to construct a personal portfolio, which will typically include a cash element, a core portfolio of assets, and a proportion of more illiquid investments tailored to the client’s specific needs. Private equity, property, and hedge funds can play a role here.

Mark Kibblewhite, Managing Director and Head of UK Private Banking, Barclays Wealth says: "The introduction of this exciting new approach represents our commitment to understand client needs better than anyone in the industry; to deploy the most sophisticated investment techniques and strategies, and to deliver through leading-edge products and technology. We are setting the pace for change by introducing scientific ways to help our clients articulate their true expectations and then meet these with a tailored, innovative framework that delivers appropriate market returns."

New approaches to reporting

Barclays Wealth is introducing a new style of reporting for its personal clients. This is the first step towards a fully-integrated approach that will show clients their total holdings with us, across all types of products from cash to equities.

The new reports combine data from seven different systems and put it on a single page. Each asset class is then broken out and analysed to whatever level of detail the client has requested.

The aim is to continue to improve the reports and add more information based on what clients tell us they want.