Wealth & Finance International - Finance Awards 2017

www.wealthandfinance-news.com 10 Wealth & Finance International - 2017 Finance Awards Established in 2013, Clear CM works exclusively with financial advisers and their clients. The firm’s team of investment professionals demonstrates expert knowledge not only in interpreting investment markets and researching funds and other investments but also in the profession of financial planning. In 2016 the company took a strategic decision to create and manage discretionary managed model investment portfolios and to make them available to UK Financial Advisers on wrap platforms. Clear CM’s background is in regulated financial services, with Martin himself being a Chartered and Certified Financial Planner. As such, he has a clear vision for the firm, which he outlines in more detail. “Here at Clear CM, our mission is to provide ‘intelligent investment management’. To achieve this, we take an intelligent approach to what we do and look to work in partnership with our clients. This incorporates elements of education and sharing of our current thinking firmly believing that the sharing of knowledge better informs our clients. This in turn allows them to not only make an informed decision about what we do but also positions them to be able to better explain our model portfolios to their clients. “Our clients are Regulated Financial Advisers, and as such we strive to provide them with as much collateral as is required for them to be able to effectively make an assessment of the appropriateness of those portfolios for their clients.” Despite its relative youth, what sets Clear CM apart from its competitors and has helped drive it to the success it enjoys today is its innovative approach to investing, as Martin is eager to emphasise. “Whilst we are a relatively new company we have had 12 model portfolios in existence since at least January this year. All these portfolios have achieved growth well in excess of their benchmark, the lowest being growth of 38% more than the benchmark. For example, our Classic Balanced Passive Portfolio has achieved 72% more growth than its benchmark since inception. (Source Clear Capital Management LLP. Figures correct to September 2017). “The secret behind our success is our investment approach and thorough research; we use a top down investment process. We also use economic data and political thinking from a number of sources to determine our strategic asset allocation for each of our model portfolios and then overlay this with our tactical decisions. We firmly believe that we can influence the returns of the portfolio by managing the asset allocation. Once the asset allocation is determined we use quantitative and qualitative research to determine the actual investment instruments used to populate the asset classes.” Ultimately, Clear CM aims to build upon its current success moving forward, and continues to offer a client centric approach that meets the individual needs of everyone the firm works with. The firm continually seeks to deploy its intellectual capital and that of its partners to arrive at a package of innovative solutions designed to meet the exacting demands of professional advisers and their clients, as Martin concludes. “With our origins within the financial planning community, Clear CM intends to appeal directly to the professional adviser with a range of services and funds designed to precisely dovetail with the tailored financial plan an adviser puts in place for their clients. We do not subscribe to the notion that an investment manager should be free to design a strategy in isolation of how it is to be applied in the real world. Instead, we believe in offering tailored solutions, and remain committed to continuing to do so as we look towards a bright and exciting future.” Clear Capital Management LLP (Clear CM) is an investment management company that believes in offering something different, and better. We spoke to Senior Partner Martin Vaughan to find out more about the firm and the range of services it provides. Clear Capital Management FI170020 Company: Clear Capital Management LLP Contact: Martin Vaughan Email: [email protected] Address: 35 New Bridge Street, London, EC4V 6BW, UK Phone: 020 3011 5200 Website: www.clearcm.co.uk “The secret behind our success is our investment approach and thorough research; we use a top down investment process.”