Asset management industry fees as a whole are being squeezed. Fees on hedge funds have come down by a third. In contrast, the costs of running a family office remain stubbornly high despite technology enabling us to do more with less.
Where are the costs vs value vs efficacy analysis? And how can a family office in Australia get the very best for their basis points?
When engaged by an office, one of the first things to do is to complete a systems report. Everything that touches the family office investments needs to be written down with comments, pros, and cons. Often, this is the first time this has been done and while it creates a source document for our review it can provide a moment of clarity for the family and staff on how many suppliers are currently receiving and transmitting their data and taking fees.
The list includes suppliers such as brokers, platforms, file sharing, asset managers, accounting software, research and business intelligence tools, and banking arrangements. Everything that is used to run the investment office. It’s important to work with the CEO, CFO, CIO and COO, family members, admin staff, and everyone that has a place in the overall process. This is a counterparty risk overview as much as a systems list.
