Through broad experience and best-in-class technology, Ultimus provides comprehensive services for many specialized types of registered fund products. We listen to your business mission and expectations, and help you select the best product to reach your goals. As your trusted business partner, our consultative approach allows you to focus on gathering assets and managing your products.
Ultimus offers a fully-integrated process to launch and distribute funds on insurance platforms, which are very similar to traditional mutual funds. However, there are fewer funds available through insurance platforms than there are in the broad mutual fund landscape. Investors selecting funds for their variable annuity or variable life insurance policies can only choose from those available on the insurance company’s platform, thus potentially providing a captive audience for the funds available. Therefore, a variable insurance fund can be an attractive channel for investment companies to consider.
Key Differences Between a Variable Insurance Fund and a Traditional Mutual Fund:
A fund inside an insurance wrapper has slightly different diversification requirements than a mutual fund.
Variable Insurance Funds are required to have the same year-end close date as the associated insurance carrier.
Because insurance companies are participating in the sales and marketing of funds on their platforms, the 12b-1 fees for these funds are usually higher.
To stay competitive with other funds on these platforms, Variable Insurance Fund management fees and expense limitations are typically lower.
Collective Investment Trusts are pooled investment products that offer a lower cost alternative to mutual funds to expand your services into the defined contribution and defined benefit arena. Compared to mutual funds, Collective Investment Trusts also have fewer regulatory and infrastructure requirements—for example, they are governed by state law rather than requiring SEC registration. Ultimus supports many CIT Funds by providing a complete turnkey solution for investment managers that includes:
Trusteeship (via a partner trust company)
Administration
Accounting
Custody (via a partner trust company)
Transfer Agency
Adviser Benefits
Multiple accounts combined and managed under a defined investment strategy similar to a mutual fund
Fewer regulatory requirements than mutual funds
Trustee services provided through a partner dedicated to CITs
Enhanced fee customization relative to mutual funds
Infrastructure for mutual funds supporting your CITs
Distribution support provided which is generally not offered by other CIT administrators
Investor Benefits
The streamlined nature of a CIT plus its economies of scale means your investors may enjoy:
Lower expenses from the pooling of assets
Lower underlying CIT fund expenses compared to mutual funds
Access to investment management firms that may not offer their strategies in a mutual fund
Ultimus services Business Development Companies (BDCs) and Exchange-traded Closed End Funds through these fund administration and accounting, fund compliance, and reporting services:
Employee Securities Companies (ESCs) are very similar to open end mutual funds, with access limited to employees of the sponsoring employer and their families. Ultimus provides a service package similar to our mutual fund offering. Please click below to see our complete offering of those services:
John Grady,Partner, Alternative Investments at Practus, LLP Rob Velotta, CPA, MT, Partner – Tax, Cohen & Co Kevin Guerette, VP, Director of Distribution Strategies, Ultimus Fund Solutions
Interactive Panel Conversation: Navigating Interval Funds for Growth
During this thought leadership session, industry experts will help you understand the benefits of these non-exchange traded closed-end fund structures, including the current market landscape for this product, why there is a growing appetite for these funds and how to market them to investors, understanding the operational requirements to maintain these products, and identifying what to outsource when taking on these types of fund structures.
Moderator:
Susan Barreto, Editor at Large, HFM Global
Panelists:
– John Grady, Partner, Alternative Investments at Practus, LLP
– Rob Velotta,CPA, MT, Partner – Tax, Cohen & Co
– Kevin Guerette, VP, Director of Distribution Strategies, Ultimus Fund Solutions
DISCLOSURE: Information contained on this website is based on public data, historical agreements and dialogue with intermediaries. Such information represents our current understanding of the described platforms and the costs associated with them. In many cases, such costs may be negotiable. All pricing and fee information is subject to change without notice.