ETF Forum to host new adviser events following successful launch

The ETF Forum, the newly formed independent partnership of leading exchange-traded product providers, is to run a second wave of nationwide roadshows as part of its drive to enhance the adviser community’s collective understanding of ETFs.
 
The ETF Forum, founded earlier this year by exchange-traded product (ETP) and Exchange Trade Fund (ETF) issuers BMO Global Asset Management, ETF Securities, Source (in association with Legal & General Investment Management) and WisdomTree will host the first seminar in London, in partnership with London Stock Exchange on 1^st November, before moving across the UK including Leeds, Liverpool, Newcastle and Bristol.
 
The free CPD-accredited workshops will feature leading speakers from the ETF industry discussing a wide variety of topics including the key characteristics of ETFs, why and how ETFs can fit into client portfolios and how best to access them.
 
This second wave of events follows the success of the ETF Forum’s inaugural roadshows in June. Feedback from the events found that 71% of advisers felt that the Forum helped their understanding of ETFs and how they could provide a solution for their clients, while two-thirds (66%) said they would change their usage of ETFs in the next 12 months.
 
Ninety per cent of attendees cited low costs as the main reason to invest in an ETF, followed by transparency. More than half (58%) said they would use lower cost funds for their clients in the next two years, and 62% said they would increase their exposure from active to passive strategies.
 
Christine Cantrell, UK ETF sales director at BMO Global Asset Management, added: “While access of ETFs through platforms is improving, we will continue to use feedback from events like these to speak to working groups and demonstrate that there is a clear demand for ETFs which could be facilitated better. We are committed to improving this infrastructure so more advisers and professional investors are able to access ETFs and obtain the benefits they bring by adding them to client portfolios.”
 
Liz Wright, director of UK intermediary distribution at ETF Securities, expects the demand from advisers to grow further as increased scrutiny is put on costs. “Investors are consciously looking for lower cost fund solutions for their clients’ portfolios, and ETFs are perfectly placed to meet that need; we feel providers have an obligation to explain ETFs to investors, and the Forum is part of our commitment to help them better understand ETF usage.”
 
Simon Hynes, head of UK retail sales at Legal & General Investment Management (LGIM) added: “ETFs have captured the imagination of both retail investors and investment advisers in the US. While uptake in Europe and the UK has been slower, the trend is obvious. Innovation in index investing continues at a rapid pace and it is essential to keep up to date. The ETF Forum aims to aid adviser education in this increasingly important market.”

Nizam Hamid, WisdomTree’s head of ETF strategy in Europe, said that the industry impact of the ETF Forum’s advisor events is important, especially apparent in the positive feedback of those planning to increase their usage of the products.
 
“The Forum is committed to promoting awareness of ETFs and educating the adviser and wealth management market on their usage,” he said. “Following the success of the first series, we would like to maintain momentum by continuing to focus on education including the latest ways in which intermediaries can allocate their clients’ assets to these increasingly popular and flexible products.”
 
As part of the ongoing initiative, ETF Forum roadshows will be hosted twice a year, with new speakers and an evolving range of educational content.
 
In addition to the series of roadshows, the ETF Forum also has dedicated a website to provide ongoing information to advisers, which can be found at www.etf-forum.co.uk.
 
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