UK investment consultancy continues to push into new areas. Independent global investment consultant bfinance launched a new service for wealth managers, enabling them to offer their high-net-worth (HNW) clients bespoke private markets investment solutions, such as real estate and infrastructure, through the firm’s existing network of relationships with investors and capital providers. The business is led by Bradley Budd, who previously headed bfinance’s private markets team and has over 20 years’ experience in the industry.Read more :theinvestorscentre.co.uk

UK Investment Consultancy: How Professionals Can Help You Grow Wealth

The industry is also working harder together on sustainability, with twelve leading consultants forming the Investment Consultants Sustainability Working Group in 2021 and a group of twelve consultancies joining forces to promote responsible investment among their institutional clients. This could help drive systemic change and encourage pension funds to tie their ESG strategy objectives to their incentive structure, says Charlotte O’Leary, chief executive of the responsible investment advocacy group Pensions for Purpose.

The UK’s AJ Gallagher insurance and reinsurance broker is acquiring Redington, which specialises in providing manager research and selection, bespoke fund design and advice on investment strategies to UK pension funds and other institutions. Terms of the deal are not being disclosed. The firm will now have a team of 59 investment consultants across the UK. In September, the charity ShareAction wrote to the Treasury urging it to accelerate plans to bring investment consultants under regulatory scrutiny. It was joined by several pension organisations, including the Association of Member-Nominated Trustees, Pensions for Purpose and Make My Money Matter. The Treasury said it was “agreed that there are benefits to bringing investment consulting services within the scope of the FCA’s regulation”.