Philo Insights
Welcome to our Insights page. Immediately below is a display of Philo white papers available on the site. Click the green button below the previews to organise your personal access to these papers.
Further down the page is a full library or Philo’s blog posts in chronological order. You are welcome to peruse these at your leisure. New documents are added every two to three weeks. Enjoy!
Philo White Papers
Philo Blog Posts
Transition Management for Retail Practices
When a licensee acquires a book or merges, how portfolio transitions are handled is crucial — here’s what a clean transition actually requires.
Private Markets Investments in a Managed Account
Private markets exposure inside a managed account raises real questions around liquidity and rebalancing — here are the three ways advisers can approach it.
What do you mean it's Gated!
When a fund gates, advisers using the Philo MDA don’t need to scramble. Here’s how a gated asset is handled without disrupting the rest of a client’s portfolio.
The Illiquidity Premium Is Real
The illiquidity premium is real, but semi-liquid investments and managed accounts don’t always mix well. How the Philo MDA makes room for both.
The Performance Test - Coming Soon to an SMA Near You
Treasury has floated extending the superannuation performance test to platforms and SMAs. What that would actually mean for advisers and their clients.
Selling winners to buy losers
Rebalancing to target can mean selling a portfolio’s best performers to fund its worst — sound attractive? Here’s how Philo helps.
Delivering a Professional Service Through Managed Accounts
Managed accounts have made a meaningful contribution to the professionalisation of wealth management. Read how the next generation of managed accounts takes that further.
Success Through Segmentation
Few advice practices formally segment their client base by need and value. Here’s how the Philo MDA helps firms do it without cross-subsidising higher-maintenance clients.
Outcomes for Consumers
ASIC’s review puts “outcomes for consumers” under the microscope. Here’s the case for what managed accounts really deliver.
Good Governance is Foundational
Governance is one of the least discussed parts of a managed account program — and one of the most important to getting outcomes right.
Managing Client Cash Efficiently
From regular contributions to urgent withdrawals, how the Philo MDA manages client cash without unnecessary rebalancing or trading costs.
Advisers - The New Portfolio Managers
How and why advisers have a crucial role in portfolio management, and how their role works alongside that of fund managers and asset consultants.
The Flexibility Difference between MDA & SMA
SMAs and MDAs aren’t interchangeable. Here’s how to tell which structure actually fits each client’s circumstances.
Why can't those Managed Accounts deal with the whole portfolio?
Even experienced SMA users find around 30% of client assets don’t fit the model. Why that gap exists, and how the Philo MDA is built to close it.
Emotions: “The great captains of our lives”
A restaurant review about hospitality’s most basic obligation turns out to have plenty to say about advice, emotion, and what makes clients feel truly looked after.
Fact Check: Are MDAs More Complex?
Advisers who’ve never used an MDA often assume they’re complex. That misconception could be costing clients the benefits of a service built for exactly their kind of advice.
Compare the Pair (…but why would you?)
A thought experiment: does your managed account strategy enhance your competitive position, or dilute it?
Is there an anchor (or two) slowing you down?
Every practice carries a few anchors from how things used to be done — a look at what’s worth cutting loose to keep the business moving.
It does not do to leave a live dragon out of your calculations, if you live near one - J.R.R. Tolkien
A reflection on the need to be prepared for market volatility, with the right tools and support
Is your managed account strategy outdated?
Managed account strategies that made sense a few years ago can quietly fall behind. A checklist for whether it’s time to revisit yours.