Whitebox Offers Three Mutual Funds
Whitebox Advisors, a Minneapolis, Minn.-based investment advisory firm, has launched two additional mutual funds due to the rapid growth of its Tactical Opportunities Fund, which was introduced in 2012. That fund was designed to be a core liquid alternative vehicle, managed for the long term to preserve and grow capital. The fund seeks to provide investors with a combination of capital appreciation and income by purchasing securities when there is potential for high-level return and well-controlled risk. The portfolio managers can invest in a range of securities, including equity, fixed income, convertible securities and derivatives.

The Market Neutral Equity Fund’s objective is to provide investors with a positive absolute return regardless of the direction and fluctuations of the U.S. equity markets. The fund was previously run as a hedge fund and has a track record of almost a decade. In pursuing the investment objective, managers construct a portfolio of long and short positions of U.S. listed common stock with the goal of exploiting inefficiencies in the equity markets.

The Tactical Income Fund’s investment objective is to produce a high level of total return through a combination of income and capital appreciation while pursuing low volatility. The investment team can invest in a broad spectrum of income-producing securities, including bills, notes, bonds, debentures and other securities of U.S. and foreign governments. The team can also invest across all sectors, industries and market capitalizations.
 

Schroders Offers New Mutual Funds
Schroders has launched two new U.S. mutual funds designed to offer investors income and wealth preservation.

The Global Multi-Asset Income Fund is a diversified portfolio that seeks to maximize income and manage volatility by investing directly in both equities and fixed-income securities around the globe.

The Global Strategic Bond Fund is an actively managed portfolio designed to offer investors the potential for total return in different market environments, including periods of rising rates.

With the addition of these funds, Schroders now offers 15 different mutual funds.


Russell’s Economic Indicators Dashboard Updated
Russell has made changes to its economic indicators dashboard to reflect the improving economy. The tool is available on the firm’s Helping Advisors site and offers a snapshot of key economic and market indicators contrasted with their typical, historical ranges.

The “residential mortgage delinquencies” and “corporate debt” indicators have been replaced with the “S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Index” and the 10-year Treasury yield. These improvements and others are intended to make the tool more relevant in the current economic climate.


Trust Company Expands Liberty Platform
Denver-based Trust Company of America has expanded its technology platform, Liberty, making it available on mobile devices.

Connecting desktop and mobile systems, the platform now offers clients, advisors and reps a consistent view of information on any computing device. TCA also offers fully customized mobile apps to its RIAs.

Throughout the rest of the year, TCA will add new functionality to Liberty, including account registration and e-signature, enhanced block trading capabilities, cross model processing and expanded reporting and client communications.  


William Blair’s Alternative Educational Tool
William Blair & Company has launched a series of videos designed to present educational material about alternative investments to financial advisors. The first in the series consists of several two- to three-minute videos addressing advisors’ frequently asked questions.

The initial series asks questions such as: What is the two-minute argument for alternatives? Why should there be multi-asset strategies for alternatives? Is fundamental analysis enough?

Subsequent videos will be developed based on questions submitted through the firm’s alternatives Web page. The videos can be found on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/user/WilliamBlairInvMgmt and also on William Blair & Company’s Web site.


Curian Unveils Web Site Guidance Feature
Curian Capital has introduced a new “Guidance” feature on its Web site that helps clients match individual financial goals with a customized investment strategy. The tool is designed to help financial advisors aid clients in completing a series of questions about risk tolerance, time horizon and investment objectives and generate a proposal based on the clients’ responses.

The new feature is intended to simplify the complex process of selecting appropriate investment strategies. It also helps clients be more involved in the decision-making process behind the allocation of their investment portfolio.