CFS expands investment range on FirstChoice, Edge



Colonial First State (CFS) has announced a suite of dynamic investment solutions on the FirstChoice and Edge platforms to help investors navigate inflation and market volatility concerns.
The platforms have seen a number of new investment solutions in recent months, including Real Return, Builder Series and Dynamic SMA options.
Al Clark, head of investments at CFS, described Real Return as a multi-asset strategy that prioritises capital preservation and stability alongside an attractive return.
“Inflation remains persistently high. We believe this will continue for some time and there is now an urgent need for robust investment solutions that are suitable for this environment, particularly for the millions of Australians entering retirement,” Clark said.
Noting the flexibility of the new Real Return fund, he highlighted how it can prove beneficial for older Australians seeking to minimise risk.
“Critically, it is aimed at helping Australians approaching the pension phase who want to minimise sequencing risk and continue building wealth in retirement,” he explained.
CFS Real Return joins the CFS Builder Series, launched in October 2023, to form two new multi-asset strategies designed to meet the changing needs of Australian investors and the advisers who support them.
The series consists of three contemporary multi-asset, multi-manager funds and an enhanced cash fund, providing essential building blocks for advisers to construct diversified portfolios that align to their clients’ risk profiles and objectives.
Additionally, Clark highlighted the recent launch of CFS Dynamic SMA, offering a contemporary approach to asset allocation and manager selection. It includes access to a full toolkit of asset classes and investment vehicles, including direct shares, managed funds and ETFs, with carefully selected exposures.
“CFS is continuing to innovate and launch contemporary investment solutions that offer our customers and advisers greater choice and confidence at a time when markets are increasingly volatile,” Clark said.
“We are bringing these solutions to market across a range of multi-asset strategies, managed accounts, and through our alliance partnerships.”
Last month, CFS also unveiled new international managed accounts on Edge through global equity managers T. Rowe Price, Lazard Asset Management, ClearBridge, and CBRE Investment Management.
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