Vanguard

Political polarization in the United States and new regulations affecting the labelling of products and funds means boutique ESG managers are back in the spotlight.

Vanguard Australia head of superannuation Michael Lovett will leave the firm following the launch of its super product.

Vanguard is living up to its name, with the launch of its superannuation product likely heralding a new age of high intensity fee competition. Managing director Daniel Shrimski says the index giant is willing to play “the long game” to become a major player in the market.

APRA has issued Vanguard a superannuation licence as it prepares to launch a disruptive play for Australia’s gargantuan retirement savings pool.

The rivers of gold that have flowed over the last decade have not flowed to more innovative products, according to Boston Consulting Group.

As merger activity continues apace, State Street – armed with its “unique” front-to-back solution – intends to take a dominant position as custodian of choice for the biggest end of town. The super industry and its custodians are now exiting a period of relative stability. The number of funds has more than halved in the…

Plenty of big super funds have announced their intention to dump their Russian assets, and the government wants them to. But saying do svidanya is harder than they thought. From a certain angle, there’s a lot of Russia in the super system. Once ruled by unapologetic socialists, they’ve both become capitalistic in the aftermath of…

The near-centenarian investor believes that institutions like BlackRock and Vanguard will wield outsize power in the market, and that our latest period of “wretched excess” will end with a bang. As passive investing becomes the go-to for a new wave of dumb money, Wall Street’s masters of the universe have been replaced with the emperors…

Following its BNZ win in May, State Street Global Advisors (SSGA) has picked up the final large passive institutional mandate abandoned by Vanguard in New Zealand. According to new disclosure documents, ASB will shift its indexed Australasian equities portfolio – of an estimated NZ$4 billion plus – from current manager Vanguard to SSGA this month….

Adopting a robo-advice platform will increase member contributions as well as investment-option performance, while improving diversification, according to a study of French savings plans. While the buzz surrounding its introduction just over 10 years ago has abated, an increasing body of research is building on the value of robo-advice. More than a marketing tool for…