Investment Policy Monitoring

What is Investment Policy Monitoring?

Although trustees, in conjunction with their advisers will set the investment policy, the policy must be monitored. This can mean that a considerable amount of time is expended checking that your investment manager is following the policy; reading quarterly reports and different formats of reports and ensuring that your voting policy is followed.

Investment Policy Monitoring (IPM) can take away the need for time consuming monitoring by providing simple to understand summaries of the action points in the fund. An IPM facility will not only monitor the policy but also undertake an audit of the policy implementation for the pension scheme.

Why is investment Policy Monitoring Important?

Trustees of pension schemes need more than ever to have clear controls in their schemes and this will mean that a Governance Policy will need to be established. This should interlink with the pension scheme policy on Myners. An Investment Policy Monitoring facility will help to maintain management control and compliment the Governance Policy.

How does it work?

There are three levels of service available:

1/ A best practice governance and voting policy which ensures that the policy reflects the most up to date standards. A weekly portfolio analysis of up coming shareholder meetings. It will keep trustees constantly in tune with issues as they occur. Monthly portfolio holdings are reviewed.

2/ Additionally, a bespoke governance and voting template to meet the needs of the fund. Bi monthly portfolio updates. A quarterly portfolio summary analysis of the issues relevant to the fund, so that they can be compared to the investment manager’s report for any variances. An annual monitoring meeting to review and fine tune the policy.

3/ In addition to 1 and 2 above, an audit trail and variance analysis is available which compares the voting policy against the fund manager voting reports looking for any differences between policy and activity. Weekly portfolio updates and 6 monthly meetings with the analysts to review policy and activity issues.