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   The insiders' edge for 40 Act industry executives!
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Monday, February 14, 2011 Fund Executives Ponder the Next Transformational Product Around 500 executives from mutual fund firms and fund service providers descended on Miami for the 29th Annual NICSA Conference & Expo. The confab kicked off with a reception Sunday night and will run through Wednesday morning at the Doral Golf Resort & Spa.
The executives talked about ETFs, the decumulation phase, employee retention and iPads. Mathisen asked the panelists what they think the next transformational product or platform will be. Pereira responded that products with a guaranteed component will be the next transformational product. Parker, for his part, responded with unified managed accounts. Witkos, meanwhile, talked about the way advisors give advice to clients. On the topic of ETFs, Turner acknowledged that ETFs' low cost represents a challenge. The talk also turned to the impact of wirehouse consolidation on the mutual fund industry. Fund firms are "trying to get through fewer, smaller doors," Parker said. Distributors, he said, "might raise fees to participate on their platforms." He also noted that some distributors are limiting the number of products they want to carry on their platforms. "It's a very competitive environment," he said. "People are migrating more and more distribution to places that are easier to go," he added, pointing to the independent channel, banks and RIAs. Printed from: MFWire.com/story.asp?s=36043 Copyright 2011, InvestmentWires, Inc. All Rights Reserved |