Time to open platforms to ITs

At the end of Q4 2010, IFA assets on platforms stood at £146bn. Platforms now account for around 35% of all business managed by intermediaries. By way of comparison, the investment trust industry has been going since 1868 and its assets stand at £92bn. Only the odd few million of that £92bn sits on platforms. These statistics clearly show that the investment trust industry has been excluded from the mainstream distribution of collective funds. This lack of distribution, or put another way, a lack of access for buyers, is one of the major complaints levelled at the investment trust sector...