PLSA launches guide to investment companies for pension trustees

The Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association (PLSA) has published an Investment companies made simple guide in partnership with the Association of Investment Companies (AIC).

The guide looks at the aspects that differentiate them from open ended funds, dealing with questions around liquidity, volatility, diversification, performance, costs, discounts and gearing.

Joe Dabrowski, deputy director, policy at the PLSA, said: “Investment companies have unique features that could be advantageous to asset owners looking to diversify their investment portfolios.

“This guide explains the distinctive characteristics of investment companies and answers the key questions trustees might have about an investment vehicle which can trace its history back more than a century and a half.”

Richard Stone, chief executive of the Association of Investment Companies, said: “We are pleased to support this guide, which takes a detailed look at the pros and cons of investment companies compared to other fund structures.

“Investment companies offer easy access to alternative and illiquid assets, from private equity to infrastructure, within a listed company structure that can be traded easily on the stock market. They also have significant long-term performance advantages. We hope this guide will encourage more pension trustees to take a look at the sector.”