By Daniel Flynn From International Adviser

Isle of Man-based Ardan International has partnered with life company RL360° to allow advisers to manage investments held within RL360’s PIMS portfolio bond through its international platform for the first ever time.

So far, the partnership will apply to RL360°’s personal investment management service (PIMS) portfolio bond and will be available to both new and existing policyholders.

The tie-up will also allow advisers to apportion part of a policy’s investment to one or more discretionary investment managers or to split their portfolio across both direct investment and discretionary arrangements.

Ardan said the partnership will strengthen its global reach and give advisers access to a broad universe of investments in a variety of currencies.

Richard Preston, chief executive at Ardan, added: “We have found RL360° to be a dynamic partner with a clear vision for the role of platforms in the financial adviser space.

“We are looking forward to this new collaboration with a company whose investment services benefit from a strong international reputation.”

Natalie Hall, director of marketing at RL360°, said the link will allow advisers to access further functionality in terms of model portfolio construction, split investment capability, and research tools.

Trevor Cheal, chairman at Ardan added: “You can now come to Ardan to get hold of the RL360° offshore bond as well as receiving the benefits of traditional platform services.

“I think there are a number of benefits from the partnership. Chiefly, there is the traditional platform benefit of having a single source where you can manage all of your investments. As an adviser I could log into Ardan and see how all of my assets are doing, regardless of what wrapper they are in.”

He added that while many would see the life industry and the platform industry as competitors, he feels that they complement each other.

“When you are in a life product you want to trade investments and look after your client in the most efficient way,” he said “We allow that through the platform and the life company gives us broader access to investments.

“We see this very much as a partnership, our services go together.”

He said that Ardan’s focus would now be on forming partnerships with companies offering QROP and SIPP wrappers, adding that its partnership with RL360° is likely to be the only offshore bond tie-up in “the foreseeable future”.

The partnership follows RL360°’s purchased of the international life arm of Lloyds Banking Group, Clerical Medical International Insurance Company in May.

For an interview with RL360°’s chief executive David Kneeshaw on the purchase of CMI go to link below

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