AXA Distribution Services are part of the AXA Group, and responsible for developing and launching Elevate, a new wrap platform.

Norwich Union is the UK’s largest insurer. It is a leading provider of life, pensions and investment products. Customers are offered innovation, outstanding value and a strong investment track record. In 2006 Norwich Union took over ownership of Lifetime Group who had developed and launched a wrap platform ‘The Bigger Picture’. The platform has now been integrated under the Norwich Union umbrella with a strong commitment to its continued development. This will provide advisers with a market leading solution which places advisers firmly at the centre of the financial planning process.

Market leaders with Wrap since launch in 2006, Standard Life Savings are at the forefront of the platform revolution. We’re committed to helping advisers and clients achieve what we call ‘financial freedom’ – freedom that comes from knowing that their finances will get them where they want to be. This is about enjoying the destination, not worrying about the journey. Our two leading propositions are: • Standard Life Wrap, for advisers who have made the leap to a long-term holistic wealth management model; and • FundZone, a fund supermarket for those who are developing towards that model. The information generation demands more. Our platforms raise the bar and give advisers what they need to thrive, helping them beat expectations, build sustainable, profitable businesses and revolutionise customer care, advice and wealth management. We’re proud to be part of the platform evolution; proud to have won a triple ‘e’ award 2 years running, and proud to partner the advisers who have adopted our platforms. We know we still have a lot to do as the platforms market evolves, but the future is bright – and we’re excited to be part of it.

FNZ provides the technology and investment servicing that powers the AXA and Standard Life wrap and fund platforms in the UK and the wrap platforms of most major financial institutions in New Zealand including ING, AMP, Tower Asset Management, Bank of New Zealand and ANZ Bank. 

The FNZ platform provides financial advisers with:

- multi-currency trading and settlement in whole-of-market mutual funds, listed shares and cash;

- sophisticated customer portfolio management and reporting tools; and

- financial planning tools that support the provision of financial advice, lifetime modelling, plan implementation and review. 

Advice and execution are seamlessly integrated to enable financial advisers to more efficiently provide a high quality service to their customers. 

By providing a white-labelled and highly configurable service, FNZ enables major financial institutions to deliver a distributor-centric proposition that builds value in IFA businesses.  Straight-through-processing is used to decentralise administration and transform the service delivery model in the insurance industry.

BNP Paribas Securities Services has been supporting investment businesses engaged in distributing products to the UK retail investor since 1986. With over 1 million investor accounts, representing in excess of £17 billion in assets, BNP Paribas Securities Services UK offers a comprehensive range of transfer agency, savings scheme and retail products administration services, including PEPs, ISAs and CTFs, for asset managers, financial advisors, family offices and financial supermarkets.

We are constantly evolving our range of solutions to better support our clients.  In 2007, we developed additional functionality to the BNP Paribas Wealth and Retirement Administration Platform (WRAP) such as SIPP administration, product and client account aggregation and client reporting enhancements.  We have also introduced a comprehensive fund hosting capability (leveraging our existing established fund administration, transfer agency and custody services), enabling us to act as a regulated entity (ACD/AFM). This service compliments the existing Discretionary Portfolio Management Services that BNP Paribas has provided for many years.

BNP Paribas also gives clients access to investment management solutions (traditional and alternative), structured products, property management and finance.  These businesses are a key part of a global strategy that supports clients distributing funds and financial services products in all major markets.

Founded in Australia, Præmium is a specialist portfolio administration provider whose clients range from Financial Advisers, stockbrokers, private banks and accountants, through to some of Australia’s largest financial service providers. Launched in 2002, its virtual wrap platform V-Wrap, reports on in excess of £12bn worth of assets for over 420 firms1. In November 2005, Præmium entered into an agreement with BlackRock Investment Managers (Australia) Ltd to deliver Separately Managed Accounts (SMAs) to the Australian market utilising Præmium’s proprietary technology. Præmium is now adapting the SMA for the UK marketplace acknowledging the unique and complex nature of the local investment and taxation regime. SMAs offer investors an enriched investment experience, professional management, lower costs and greater tax efficiency.

[1] As at 31 December 2007, assets are administered in Australia.

Ascentric is a ‘Whole of Market’ wrap service, established by, and exclusively for, Independent Financial Advisers. The Ascentric Wrap service enables advisers to view and control all their clients’ assets in just one place for better management of their financial affairs.

Ascentric offers clear and transparent charging and flexible remuneration for advisers. Competitive pricing, IFA participation, and the ability to adapt to meet the clients needs, is core to the Ascentric proposition. The company also provides IFAs with the opportunity to share in the capital value created by the aggregation of their clients’ assets.

Furthermore, IFA firms can brand access pages and link them from their website. This not only assists the promotion of their brand, it enhances their service offering to give their clients a seamless transition to view investments and obtain instant valuations online.  All this leads to a greater appreciation of the service provided by the IFA.

Pershing, an affiliate of The Bank of New York Mellon, is one of the world’s largest, clearing and financial services organisations with over 6 million investor accounts and £500 billion in assets under administration.  Our platform and multiple client segregated account service provides life companies, IFA firms and private client wealth managers with a centralised access point to major financial instruments including mutual funds, on/offshore bonds, equities and fixed income. Additionally, Pershing’s service incorporates ISA administration, SIPP and corporate actions processing, contractual dividend settlement, consolidated trailer fee payments, CGT calculation, Consolidated Tax Voucher production and valuation reporting. Our independence from any life company ensures complete product neutrality, with no constraints on the range of products available on our platform.

For forty years, SEI has been focused on assisting wealth management organisations overcome their greatest challenges: grow and protect revenue, minimise cost and allocate capital effectively, enable risk management and help manage transformation.

SEI’s latest solution, Global Wealth Services encompasses a comprehensive suite of services designed to help wealth management organisations capitalise on their strategic objectives in a constantly shifting wealth management market. SEI’s capabilities in manager research and insight, coupled with expertise in portfolio construction, enables efficient and effective implementation of investment management solutions that are designed to be consistent with the client’s investment objectives.

As of December 31, 2007, through its subsidiaries and partnerships in which the company has a significant interest, SEI administers $426 billion in mutual fund and pooled assets and manages $197 billion in assets. SEI serves clients, conducts or is registered to conduct business and/or operations from more than 20 offices in over a dozen countries. For more information, visit www.seic.com.