RIAs See 12% Growth in Long-Term Mutual Fund & ETF Assets in First Half of 2014, According to Broadridge

LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., Aug. 1, 2014 – Registered investment advisors (RIAs) increased long-term mutual fund and ETF assets under management by more than 12 percent in the first half of 2014, signifying the first time the channel grew at a faster pace on a percentage basis than all other retail channels, including independent broker-dealers (IBDs), according to new data released today by Access Data, a Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:BR) company.

“As investors continue to gravitate toward independent advice models, we expect to see sustained growth in the RIA channel,” said Frank Polefrone, Senior Vice President, Access Data. “For the first half of 2014, the RIA channel had the largest increase in absolute dollars for both ETFs and long-term mutual funds across all channels.”

The RIA channel accounted for $1.8 trillion in long-term mutual fund and ETF assets under management (AUM) in the first half of the year, an increase of almost $200 billion over the end of 2013. Additional key findings from Broadridge’s Fund Distribution Intelligence™ tool include:

• Total third-party long-term mutual fund and ETF assets under management (AUM) in the first half of 2014 increased to $9.3 trillion from $8.5 trillion at the end of 2013 (9.8 percent increase).
• Combined, the retail channels – registered investment advisors, independent/regional broker dealers, wirehouse broker dealers, and discount brokers – totaled almost $6 trillion in AUM or 64 percent of all third-party distribution of long-term mutual funds and ETF assets.

Earlier this year, Broadridge issued a report titled, “The RIA Channel – A Roadmap for Driving Growth,” highlighting the opportunities that the RIA channel presents for fund firms. “By understanding the unique characteristics of these firms in terms of product usage, the client base they serve, and their general investment philosophies, funds can better position their products and grow assets,” added Polefrone.

Broadridge’s Fund Distribution Intelligence tool comprises the most complete sales and asset data collection in the industry, creating transparency into more than $9.3 trillion of long-term mutual fund and ETF assets across 900+ distributors. This intelligence provides firms with critical information to help them make strategic decisions about distribution, product development, and sales and marketing, allocate resources effectively, and accelerate growth. Data is updated monthly and can be analyzed by channel, geography and more.