Lowes Group of Companies has launched a portfolio analysis tool for users of its client-facing website, comparestructuredproducts.com.
"It is a service aimed at private investors that allows them to invest in products without receiving advice, should they wish to," Lowes Financial Management MD, Ian Lowes (pictured) told SRP. "Users can review and compare the range of products available and, should they find a product into which they want to invest, we process the application, offering a rebate or investment uplift of a portion of the commission that would ordinarily be paid to the IFA had they received advice."
According to Lowes, SP-Perspective is a software development that facilitates effective analysis of a structured product portfolio, "giving users the depth of information that they require about the products that they hold, rather than simply the standard valuation reports that are provided which often show no more than the name of the product and the amount invested in it."
The new software is available only to users of the comparestructuredproducts.com website once they have made an investment through the website, and is free for users who invest before the end of 2012.
"This sort of portfolio evaluation is extremely difficult to perform when you are relying solely on the valuation reports provided by product providers which are certainly not available to clients," he said. "What we've done is streamline the evaluation process, making it easy to efficiently and effectively consider and analyse the structured product portfolio and plan for future investments."
Lowes Financial Management also owns structuredproductreview.com, a separate service for financial services professionals to view and compare the range of available products, as well as learn about the structured product market.
Lowes said the firm is looking to roll out the software for IFAs and wealth managers to use for their clients in the near future.