Tools available on our Platform

Attitude to Risk tool

The risk profiler comprises a psychometric questionnaire to help you establish your client’s attitude to risk. It communicates the investment risk in several ways – visual use of a risk scale, written descriptions and also illustrates the chance of being in neighbouring risk categories. Data is also included in respect of the client’s capacity for loss and, importantly, their investment timeframe which pays heed to FCA practice.

When a client’s risk profile has been generated, an optimised asset allocation mix is automatically produced. This optimised asset allocation will vary depending on the client’s investment time horizon.

The client’s risk profile results are automatically shown within other EValue financial planning tools.

A full audit trail of all completed questionnaires is maintained to support your compliance requirements.

Further details of the tool can be seen by clicking on the FAQ link when you access the tool via the Zurich Intermediary Platform.

Fund Risk Assessor

The Funds Risk Assessor tool helps you to understand the risk exposure of individual fund(s) and/or a portfolio of funds.

What will it do for you and your clients?

• Risk rates any fund or portfolio of funds against your chosen risk questionnaire/asset allocation mix.
• Shows the risk level of each fund or portfolio of funds over specific time periods.
• Allows you to select from approx. 160,000 UK or offshore funds from the FE funds universe or enter your client’s specific asset allocation holding.
• Risk rates funds at individual plan level or as an amalgamation of all plans together.
• Allows you to create an independent report.

Portfolio scan

The Portfolio Scan tool can be used to analyse a generic portfolio for research purposes or a client specific portfolio (that may have been ‘pushed’ through automatically from the Zurich Intermediary Platform).

The tool is able to scan (x-ray) any combination of the following asset types and compare these against a selected benchmark over a chosen time period:

• Life and pension funds
• Mutual funds (units trusts and OEICs)
• FCA regulated offshore funds
• Hedge funds
• Exchange traded assets
• Investments trusts
• Equities

After the relevant percentage weightings have been input, a detailed independent report can be generated to show:

• Portfolio composition
• Top 10 holdings across the portfolio
• Asset, sector and region allocation
• Portfolio versus benchmark performance (discrete and cumulative)
• Stock overlap (to help identify which specific stocks are held in more than one asset)
• The report can be printed and/or saved to your desktop.

Zurich Portfolio report

The Zurich Portfolio Report provides a valuation of current holdings, an overview of transactions and performance analysis of a client’s portfolio. The report has been designed in partnership with FE, who use their expertise to process and supplement the underlying data. The report is designed to support your review meetings with your client and allows you to select from a range of reporting periods.

The report includes the following sections:

• Commentary – this is an optional section where free text can be entered if required, e.g. an agenda for an upcoming meeting, a reminder of information required for the meeting, a reminder of action points from a previous meeting, a house view of the market, etc.
• Portfolio summary – shows an overview of transactions by account and across the portfolio as a whole.
• Valuation of each account held – this includes a breakdown of each asset held, a valuation vs contribution graph and graphical representation of transactions during the reporting period.
• Investment Account gains, losses, dividends, interest and costs.
• Portfolio performance – a graphical representation of time weighted performance vs a benchmark.
• Portfolio breakdown – shows cash vs invested assets holdings, top ten holdings as well as sector, region and asset allocation holdings.

When produced, the report can be printed and/or saved to your desktop.

To access the report you first select the portfolio. The report can be generated by clicking on the report icon on the portfolio search screen or by clicking on the Zurich Portfolio Report link when you are on your client’s Portfolio dashboard.

Model portfolio analyser

The Model Portfolio Analyser tool plots the risk and return of a fund/portfolio of funds and offers the ability to compare this against one or more model portfolios (including your own) that are available for investment on the Zurich Intermediary Platform. This enables you to identify:

• Whether your client is exposed to too much investment risk for their expected return

or

• If they could achieve a better return for the investment risk they are willing to take

The outcome could support your recommendation to invest into a risk-rated model portfolio, if that was the most appropriate advice for your client.

An independent report can then be generated for printing and/or saving to your desktop.

Pension freedoms planner

The Pension Freedom Planner tool helps you to discuss with your clients how long their money will last in retirement compared with their possible longevity.

What will it do for you and your clients?

• Specifically designed to focus on the revised pension freedoms and the many different options now available to your clients.
• Allows you to spot, discuss and make changes to any shortfalls in your client’s retirement plans
• Gives you the option of using an interactive slider bar that shows the effect of different market conditions.
• Makes discussions with your client(s) specific and realistic, based on the actual charges and asset allocation mix of each of their products/plans.
• Aligns with your client’s changing needs and goals over time.
• Allows you to create an independent report at any time to provide a summary of the information that has been input along with the results that are shown.

Retirement planner

The Retirement Planner allows advisers to talk to their clients about their retirement income plans in a simple and visual way.

What will it do for you and your clients?

• Forecasts the potential income and/or fund value that your client may have at the point of their retirement, by incorporating retirement income from different sources such as state benefits, existing pension schemes, rental income from property and any other investments that your client wishes to include.
• Creates a level of personalisation and flexibility, greater than that found within pension illustrations.
• Helps you establish with your client whether they are saving enough to achieve their desired level of retirement income.

Communicates a realistic range of outcomes that takes into account a variety of possible market movements

This tool can be used at any stage of your advice process, including as part of your regular client reviews. The client record and all of the data that has been input is saved, making it easy and efficient for you to use at any point in the future.

Investment planner

The Investment Planner helps advisers show the range of possible investment outcomes based on their client’s specific circumstances in relation to their wealth accumulation.

What will it do for you and your clients?

• Provides tangible outcomes directly related to your client’s investment scenario and goals helping to communicate the risk and return of any number of investment scenarios.
• Creates a level of personalisation and flexibility, greater than that found within ISA and Investment Account illustrations.
• Demonstrates the likelihood of your client reaching their investment goals.
• Helps you quickly and easily communicate the effects of taking different levels of risk through a highly interactive interface.
• Compares investment based outcomes to cash, to demonstrate the potential advantages of investing rather than leaving the money in the client’s bank account.
• Allows you to include all contributions, withdrawals and charges/fees specific to your client’s circumstances.
• Provides effective ISA planning, as well as other taxed investments, by taking into account the various tax treatments and charges of different assets.
• The outcomes can be shown in today’s values (that include inflation) or future values (excluding inflation).

This tool can be used at any stage of your advice process, including as part of your regular client reviews.