Solutions
Outsourced CIO
Fiduciary partnership model
To deliver on client needs, the Global Investment Solutions team draws upon the full range of Columbia Threadneedle’s investment expertise. Rather than being a gatekeeper to the investment platform, however, the solutions team acts as an investment partner for clients by:
- working with them to design and develop solutions
- ensuring the right mix of capabilities from both within and outside the firm is incorporated
- regularly reviewing the implemented portfolio and ensuring it remains fit for purpose
- providing insights on market innovations and delivering thoughtful considerations to our clients.
In all cases, we act as a partner, and fully or partially outsourced Chief Investment Officer for our clients. Where we utilise the full range of services, Columbia Threadneedle ultimately manages client assets in a fiduciary manner. In the US, this is also known as Outsourced CIO (‘OCIO’).
Key service components
Columbia Threadneedle has acted as an outsourced investment partner for many years, particularly where our insurance heritage is concerned. The key components include:
- Strategic Asset Allocation. We leverage our Capital Market Assumptions (CMAs) and modelling capabilities to determine the right mix of asset classes and/or products to meet a client’s investment objectives. This often involves asset-liability modelling
- Tactical Asset Allocation. By giving us a degree of flexibility to deviate from the Strategic Asset Allocation, clients enable us to seek additional return by varying asset weights according to market circumstances
- Open architecture portfolio construction. We allocate to a range of internal and third-party managers, ensuring that each component of the portfolio is suited to client needs
- Investment research. We act as a sounding board and research function for clients as they explore new investment ideas or brainstorm potential portfolio designs.