Winners rationale

Waterfield Advisors designs a robust plan for its clients by understanding their risk appetite and by mapping their long-term business and non-business aspirations, lifestyle expectations, income/expense patterns, and long-term financial goals. While classic portfolio theory only identifies market risk when constructing an investment portfolio, Waterfield’s proprietary process of ‘risk pooling’ identifies personal risk, market risk, as well as aspirational risk, thereby moving the conversation with a client from asset allocation to risk allocation.

In consultation with its clients, Waterfield designs and reviews an Investment Policy Document (IPD) for families which serves as a guideline and framework for investments and defines the boundaries for risk exposures. Based on the risk pool allocation, the firm suggests investment products and recommends the best-suited investment managers. Further, a quarterly risk appraisal system evaluates the performance of client portfolios and ensures adherence to the IPD, with any aberrations flagged for necessary corrective action. Waterfield’s proprietary fund performance methodology assesses counterparty/strength analysis and Waterfield’s consolidated wealth report is an outcome of the constant technological advancement of its investment platform.

The general performance of Waterfield’s investment calls and solutions has been in line with broader markets, and this approach has ensured maximum downside risk protection to client portfolios. The team’s call on interest rate hikes and their impact on fixed income portfolios played out as per its projections. And on the equity side, Waterfield played it conservative as its investment experts anticipated that domestic markets would witness sharp corrections. These projections were supported by detailed analysis on market valuations and trends at the broader macroeconomic level both domestically and globally. At Waterfield, the firm’s priority is to optimise the risk-reward trade-off, and every possible measure is explored to adhere to this primary objective.

Waterfield’s motto, ‘Insight with Integrity’, resonates with its advisory services, which are unbiased, tailor-made, and based on a ‘no conflict of interest’ model. This is contrary to the model followed by several banks and financial institutions which are compromised by a conflict of interest in terms of investment advice given to families.

As a result of its sound investment calls, robust advisory processes, and leading product offering, Waterfield Advisors registered a sharp increase in number of clients onboarded during the year
under consideration.

Waterfield Advisors is Asian Private Banker’s Best Wealth Manager – Investment Advisory for 2018.