Interactive Investor launches Super 60 range
OEICs, trusts and ETFs
Interactive Investor has launched the Super 60 - a range of open-ended funds, investment trusts and ETFs selected by the firm's investment committee to provide investors with "high-quality investment choices".
The list includes both active and passive options across all the major markets and asset types, while showcasing a range of low cost, core, income, smaller cap and adventurous options.
It comes as the investment platform feels some rated lists concentrate purely on funds and fail to consider their investor base.
However it believes Super 60 addresses this imbalance by "deliberately looking at the full collective investment universe, choosing the best in class for each sector".
Alliance Trust Savings sold to Interactive Investor for £40m
This may mean some categories will favour one asset type over another, it added. For example, investment trusts are more favoured within the property sector, as the closed-ended structure is more appropriate for this illiquid asset class.
Richard Wilson, CEO of interactive investor, said: "In a crowded investment universe which can be difficult to navigate, this list represents what we consider to be the best in class and comes with a steer on how these funds might fit into a portfolio.
"Super 60 is the result of rigorous, intensive, independent research from interactive investor's experts and we are proud to launch it. Super 60 is driven by unbiased, in-house research, not commercial relationships and this is absolutely paramount to us."
Moira O'Neill, head of personal finance, added: "The list is designed to offer a filtered selection appropriate for all investors, whether they are new to investing or experienced. Our objective is to provide a menu of high-quality investment choices across a broad variety of markets and investment types."
AIC releases shareholder voting information for platform users
Methodology
The selection process for the Super 60 list features seven elements overseen by the group's investment committee.
This begins with an initial screening of the entire collective investment universe, followed by an assessment to ensure the products that have been identified offer good value for money for investors.
While the cost of holding a fund or trust is a consideration for this, the analysis for the Super 60 is not driven by special discounts or other commercial considerations.
The performance of the funds and trusts is then analysed, along with risk profiling and additional qualitative research to support the recommendations. Once completed, the findings are then discussed among interactive investor's analysts and investment experts, after which approved products can be included within the Super 60.
The list is then monitored on an ongoing basis for any red flags, such as fund manager changes, underperformance or, for investment trusts, trading at a persistent premium, which will be communicated to interactive investor's customers.
About the author
Jayna is senior reporter and investment trust correspondent at Investment Week. She joined the publication in August 2015 after graduating with an MA in Multimedia Journalism from the University of Kent.
Jayna holds the NCTJ diploma and has experience in print, online and broadcast journalism. She is responsible for the Investment Week monthly podcast.
