Several of the UK’s leading wealth managers are planning to offer access to private markets.
This would include offering access to private equity and infrastructure investments to clients with portfolios starting from £500,000, according to the Financial Times.
Cited in the article are RBC Wealth Management, Evelyn Partners and Quilter Cheviot.
The move comes as traditional public equity markets shrink and fund managers look to diversify offerings.
Platforms like Hargreaves Lansdown and AJ Bell are also exploring ways to offer these investments to more sophisticated, smaller-scale investors.
These investments, historically limited to institutional and ultra-wealthy clients, are being made more accessible via new structures like the Long Term Asset Fund (LTAF), a semi-liquid fund designed for long-term holdings.
However, hurdles remain, including concerns over liquidity, compliance and investor understanding.
With private capital firms struggling to raise institutional money, the retail market has become a new focus, though some advisers question whether such products can deliver on flexibility and transparency.