For immediate release – 15th February 2018
Platforum has announced the winners of the 2018 Platforum Awards recognising excellence among platforms and propositions that are influential in the distribution of investments.
All of the 12 awards are based on Platforum research.
Head of Platforum, Jeremy Fawcett, commented:
“We’re seeing the adviser platforms that have invested in service, technology and in supporting adviser businesses recognised by advisers. In the D2C space, we’ve seen substantial improvements in propositions with a focus on broadening appeal, adopting mobile and improving user experience. Platforms are all challenged by technology investment with many being forced to choose between the ‘frying pan’ of re-platforming and the ‘fire’ of technical obsolescence. These awards recognise the companies that are coping best with that conundrum.”
Parmenion received three adviser platform awards in the Service and Technology categories and the overall winner of the Best Adviser Platform under £10bn with Transact taking Best Adviser Platform over £10bn.
Platforum’s Research Director, Miranda Seath, commented:
“We don’t make these awards: advisers do and the winning platforms, Parmenion, Transact and True Potential, all have one thing in common: they listen to what advisers want and make it happen. Advisers describe Parmenion as ‘state of the art’. They tell us that working with Transact has ‘a great feel of family’ and that ‘I can always speak to the same people.’ True Potential users describe it as ‘far and away the most innovative’ with a client offering that is ‘second to none.’”
In the D2C category, AJ Bell Youinvest took the Best Direct Platform award. A new award for digital wealth managers, which includes the robos, was won by Nutmeg.
Rodolfo Crespo, Associate Research Director commented:
“AJ Bell Youinvest take our top D2C award for the first time. It has made improvements across the board and it is one of the services that has benefited from the increasingly fee-conscious investor.
Hargreaves Lansdown took the honours for providing the best digital experience, Charles Stanley Direct won the award for customer service and we rated Fidelity Personal Investing best for novice investors.
We tested digital wealth managers, including the robo advisers, for the first time and found that Nutmeg provided the best overall service.”
The Best European Platform award went to Allfunds Bank and the Best Platform Partner, voted for by asset managers, was awarded to FundsNetwork.
Rodolfo Crespo, Associate Research Director commented:
“Allfunds Bank was praised by asset managers across Europe for its distribution potential, fund on-boarding process and MiFID II support services. Adapting to MiFID II is a particularly challenging task for the industry and Allfunds and FundsNetwork seem to be ahead of the game in the eyes of asset managers across Europe and in the UK respectively.”
Platforum Awards 2018 winners in full
Adviser Platform awards:
- Best Adviser Platform over £10bn: Transact
- Best Adviser Platform under £10bn: Parmenion
- Best Adviser Platform for Service: Parmenion
- Best Adviser Platform for Technology: Parmenion
- Best Adviser Platform for Innovation: True Potential
D2C awards:
- Best Direct Platform: AJ Bell Youinvest
- Best Direct Platform: Digital Experience: Hargreaves Lansdown
- Best Direct Platform for Customer Service: Charles Stanley Direct
- Best Direct Platform for Novice Investors: Fidelity Personal Investing
- Best Digital Wealth Manager: Nutmeg
European Platform award:
- Best European Platform: Allfunds Bank
Platform Partner award:
- Best Platform Partner, voted by fund managers: FundsNetwork
Ends.
Notes for editors
For more information about the awards, please contact:
Jeremy Fawcett, Head of Platforum
jeremy.fawcett@platforum.co.uk
+44 (0) 20 7970 4180
Miranda Seath, Research Director
miranda.seath@platforum.co.uk
+44 (0) 20 7943 8049
Rodolfo Crespo, Associate Research Director
rodolfo.crespo@platforum.co.uk
+44 (0) 20 7970 4166
About Platforum
Platforum is a research company, specialising in investment platforms and the retail distribution of investments within the UK, Europe and Asia. Our work covers the adviser platform and direct-to-consumer (D2C) markets, including both the platform providers and platform users.
We also research the fund distribution landscape to help providers with strategy, market intelligence and proposition development, as well as providing insight on the fast-changing retirement market.