Managed accounts are similar to managed funds however you directly own the portfolio of underlying securities. They are professionally managed by an asset manager on your behalf and investors can hold individual portfolios of shares, listed property trusts and interest rate securities. Managed accounts can be likened to non-unitised managed funds and there are two types:

Separately managed accounts
Separately managed accounts (SMA) provide investors with the option of choosing from a selection of professionally managed portfolios – similar to a managed fund - however you are the beneficial owner of the investments within the account.

Investors are able to enjoy the benefits and flexibility of owning direct equities with transparency, consolidated reporting and portability of the underlying investments.

Individually managed accounts
Individually managed accounts (IMA) involve a one-on-one relationship between the investor and portfolio manager. Unlike ready made model portfolios, IMAs are built from scratch and tailored to individual investment requirements. IMAs are made up of individual shares rather than an SMA’s model portfolios.

Investing in managed accounts
Individually managed accounts are typically charged on a funds under management basis and with minimum investments of at least $500,000. by contrast, new technology has made separately managed accounts accessible to retail investors for as little as $5,000. Click here to find out more on separately managed accounts.