Fixed Income SMAs: A Guide to Launching Scalable Strategies

In the fast-evolving landscape of fixed income, the rise of Separately Managed Accounts (SMAs) for retail investors has captured the attention of asset and wealth managers.

IMTC’s new whitepaper brings together perspectives from industry leaders—including Josh Schwab (CFO and COO, Aristotle Pacific Capital), Ric Costa (Managing Director, Head of Wealth Management, Aristotle Funds), Adam Bloch (Managing Director, Portfolio Manager, Guggenheim Partners), and Michael Benedetto (Head of Global SMA Platform, T. Rowe Price). These experts share proven strategies and firsthand insights that guide firms in launching and scaling SMA programs.

Their contributions, paired with guidance from IMTC’s own team—Russell Feldman (CEO), Blake Lynch (Head of Sales), and Dave Antonelli (Strategic Account Executive)—make this whitepaper an essential resource for any asset manager considering SMAs.

Download the new whitepaper Fixed Income SMAs: Key Considerations in Launching Retail Strategies for Asset Managers here.

Key highlights from the whitepaper include:

• Rise in SMA assets: The industry is witnessing a pivotal shift driven by changing client expectations and technology. Customization at scale is no longer a luxury but a necessity, democratizing personalized fixed income investment solutions beyond traditional high-net-worth segments.
• Benefits of fixed income SMAs: Advisors are increasingly drawn to the benefits of fixed income SMAs, including customization, tax efficiency, and increased transparency and control over assets. Advisors also recognize the benefits of using the same manager for mutual funds, ETFs, and SMAs.
• Key considerations in strategy and operations: Before launching an SMA program, it is crucial to plan your strategy and operational structure to best deliver on SMAs that fits with your competitive differentiation.
• Embracing technology for competitive advantage: Delivering scalable, customized SMA solutions is only possible with the right technology. Innovative technologies should help streamline workflows, integrate data across systems, and automate portfolio management—enabling firms to operate efficiently and scale their SMA offerings.
• IMTC’s role in enabling SMA growth: IMTC empowers asset managers to offer SMA solutions efficiently at scale. By leveraging technology to automate manual workflows, IMTC aids firms in lowering account minimums, serving more clients, and crafting personalized portfolios that meet specific client needs.

“Advisors have limited time, and keeping up with multiple managers for the same strategy can be inefficient. Having both a mutual fund and SMA format under the same asset manager simplifies portfolio oversight, allowing advisors to focus on client needs like tax management and estate planning.” – Adam Bloch, Managing Director, Portfolio Manager, Guggenheim Partners

To delve deeper into the insights, strategies, and practical considerations for launching fixed income SMAs in today’s market, we invite you to download the full whitepaper – a comprehensive guide that offers valuable perspectives from industry experts. Download the whitepaper to discover how technology and strategic planning can unlock the potential of fixed income SMAs for your firm.

This paper is intended for information and discussion purposes only. The information contained in this publication is derived from data obtained from sources believed by IMTC to be reliable and is given in good faith, but no guarantees are made by IMTC with regard to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability of the information presented. Nothing within this paper should be relied upon as investment advice, and nothing within shall confer rights or remedies upon, you or any of your employees, creditors, holders of securities or other equity holders or any other person. Any opinions expressed reflect the current judgment of the authors of this paper and do not necessarily represent the opinion of IMTC. IMTC expressly disclaims all representations and warranties, express, implied, statutory or otherwise, whatsoever, including, but not limited to: (i) warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, suitability, usage, title, or noninfringement; (ii) that the contents of this white paper are free from error; and (iii) that such contents will not infringe third-party rights. The information contained within this paper is the intellectual property of IMTC and any further dissemination of this paper should attribute rights to IMTC and include this disclaimer.