Equinox launches trading platform for independent financial advisors

EFS Investment Solutions (Pty) Ltd, better known as Equinox.co.za has launched Intervest, a collective investment trust trading platform for Independent Financial Advisors (IFAs)

‘Independent advisors will now be able to take advantage of the real time portfolio valuation, access to the widest range of collective investments, transparency and efficiency we that we offer our direct clients, in our separately branded Intervest portal,’ said Chief Operating Officer of EFS Cathy van der Merwe.

Choice
‘Our research suggests that Independent financial advisors put a high value on the wide range of funds we have on our platform. Currently we have over 550, but we add new funds as they become available. Advisors also like our independence and the fact that there is no coercion to invest in particular collective investments,’ she said.

‘It is much more professional to be able to advise clients on the strengths and weaknesses of a wide range of collective investments, when you have access to the underlying holdings, the fee structures and most important of all, rolling up to date performance statistics’, said van der Merwe.

‘During volatile trading conditions such as those that we have just experienced, advisors will be able to demonstrate which targeted return collective investments, for example, are managed in such a way that enable them to meet their long term targets,’ she said.

Efficiency
Intervest offers IFAs the opportunity to administer their client unit trust and retirement fund investments from one platform where they can draw detailed statements, tax certificates, buy sell and switch in real time.

‘In addition, EFS Investment Solutions (Pty) Ltd has 13b Retirement Fund Administration license, which means that financial advisors will also be able to manage their clients retirement annuities, pension and provident funds on our platform, said van der Merwe.

‘The EFS LISP platform confirms with the most stringent and up to date security technology and we make regular audits a priority,’ she said.

Intervest is the only Linked Investment Services Provider that offers a complete online unit trust investment solution to financial advisors. Intervest decreases the paperwork burden for financial advisors as the platform has been designed to facilitate the seamless order processing between end clients, financial advisors and collective investment companies.

Transparency
Advisors who use the Intervest platform will also be able to score points with discerning clients, by allocating viewing rights to clients that wish to view their own portfolios, as well as their detailed transaction statements, tax certificates and fees via a secure link..

‘Our system enables the easy, transparent and automated management of commissions,’ said van der Merwe. Initial commission is allocated to the relevant commission portfolio upon the real time completion of the client’s transaction; Ongoing commission is transferred automatically on a monthly basis. The functionality makes it easy and convenient to administer and reconcile commissions at any time.

Co-Branding

IFA personal branding functionality is now also available based on assets under management consideration.