Portfolio Diversifying Investments are becoming more diversified. Lifecycle REITs and BDCs have been augmented with perpetual life offerings, while closed-end interval funds are providing another structure for debt and real estate exposure. And a recent resurgence of 1031/DST offerings and burgeoning Qualified Opportunity Zone funds are signaling an increase in private offerings.
Ken Montgomery,
Director of Education
Much of this evolution is a result of expanding distribution channels and new market entrants. Legacy firms are complementing independent broker-dealer distribution with RIA and even wirehouse distribution, while institutional asset managers are entering retail channels in search of more stable capital flows.
And while all of this change and evolution is ultimately good for investors, it creates a great deal of uncertainty and complexity. At the IPA, we are committed to supporting our members with purposeful, comprehensive education to navigate opportunities in this new environment.
The Power of Due Diligence
Due diligence is the bedrock on which all other education is built. Twice each year – at IPASummit and IPAVision – we convene dedicated symposiums so that broker-dealer, RIA and wirehouse due diligence staff can review the products of more than 30 asset managers. The vast majority of these sessions are led by 3rd party due diligence firms that have additional insight and perspective to share.
By starting with a thorough review of investment strategy, product structure, fees and performance, IPA members can gain a deeper understanding of the context in which clients invest. Only through the difficult but necessary work of reviewing the risks and benefits of PDI products can we work through additional components of portfolio construction.
Targeted Education
As our industry continues to grow, we’re also expanding the number of day-to-day corporate functions that can benefit from education. With distribution extending from family offices to RIAs to independent broker-dealers to wirehouses, it is important to address the unique needs of each advisor type. Similarly, asset managers have a range of functional needs from regulatory to operations to distribution strategy. The IPA provides easily accessible and targeted education to all members across the PDI industry through our AltsEdge Advisor and Broker-Dealer Webinar Series’, our AltSOURCE blog, the Golden Apple newsletter and IPA SmartBrief. These platforms are designed to deepen our shared well of knowledge, helping your business innovate and grow.
IPA Workshops and Forums
Author Herbert Spencer said, “The great aim of education is not knowledge but action.” In that spirit we have innovated how education is shared and used through a continuing series of IPA Workshops and Forums. Whether integrated into an existing conference like IPASummit or the WIN Forum, or a standalone event similar to the OpsTech Innovation Forum, Qualified Opportunity Zone Forum or AltsEDGE Workshop series, what sets these events apart is the opportunity to consolidate many voices into a collective solution for some of our most vexing industry challenges. By providing collaborative environments to cover unique topics, we can develop new solutions to share successes industry wide.
Our best opportunity to advance the industry through education is to share a collective vision of the future and how to get there. Education that includes due diligence, focus and action will continue to provide a fertile environment for the continued expansion of PDIs.
