All articles by Paul Golden
Paul Golden
APAC Survey: Smarter strategies
Increased headcount, the establishment of new offices and structures and the formation of dedicated groups to capitalise on growing segments across the region are the key themes to emerge from Private Banker Internationals annual survey of Asias top private banks. Paul Golden reports
FEATURE: The future of family offices
Precise data on the family office market remains elusive, but with entrants attracted by the growing number of very wealthy families worldwide it seems likely that current levels will be at least maintained. The emphasis placed by wealthy families on confidentiality is just one reason why it is hard to put an exact figure on the number of single- and multi-family offices operating around the world.
USD, EUR or SGD, RMB?
The growth of global investing has driven private clients to consider the merits of holding assets outside their traditional base currencies. Paul Golden speaks to four private banks and finds there is still significant uncertainty surrounding the merits of clients moving into alternative currencies
Base currency: USD, EUR or SGD, RMB?
The rise of strong economies outside Western Europe and the US is leading more sophisticated private banking clients to consider holding an increasing proportion of the wealth in alternative currencies including renminbi and the Canadian, Australian and Singapore dollar
Going global
Mainland Chinese high net worth individuals are looking to invest beyond Chinas borders and are set to become one of the most important private client segments, known as Global Chinese The increasingly international outlook of Chinese high net worth individuals (HNWIs) presents a major opportunity for private banks to meet the changing needs of this rapidly growing customer segment.
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Managers warm to thematic investing
Thematic investing is about identifying global economic trends driven by a combination of politics, culture andor demographics. For example, a joint report published in June by the Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change, the North American Investor Network on Climate Risk and AustraliaNew Zealand Investor Group on Climate Change, in addition to a survey of asset managers and owners with collective assets in excess of $12trn, suggested that more than half invested in funds focused on climate change. The report found that a further 15% of asset managers and 45% of asset owners were considering an allocation to thematic investments over the next few years.
Is London losing its edge?
The UKs rising cost of regulation and compliance, squeezed profits and a stagnant economic outlook is making the business case for wealth managers being based in London appear less and less attractive With the fast growing economies of Asia attracting growing attention, London will have to continue to work hard to maintain a leading role in the global private banking industry if PBI’s online poll is a sign of things to come
Real returns: the active vs passive debate
Discussion on the merits of active and passive investment is frequently couched in terms of either or As the debate matures, however, it is becoming clear that these investment strategies are not mutually exclusive
The rising cost of independence
The squeeze on profit margins across the wealth management industry is raising questions about the economics of running family offices Paul Golden finds that spiking operational costs are driving the development of creative arrangements in family office operations.
Ireland gains from clean offshore image
The Irish economy might still be coming to terms with the effect of a crippling recession, but those managing the large asset flows handled by the countrys financial services sector have already seen an upturn Paul Golden finds that Irelands wealth industry could be well placed to benefit in the transparent post-crisis environment. As offshore centres face increasing scrutiny and rush to sign tax exchange agreement, highly-regulated environments are an appealing prospect to investment managers and investors