Aberdeen Asset Management managing director Brett Jollie said mFund will play a significant role in helping investors achieve greater diversification of their self-directed investments.
“Our efforts to promote Aberdeen’s funds into this new market segment will assist in meeting this demand for ongoing investor education,” Mr Jollie said.
“The challenge for the investment community, including fund managers like Aberdeen, is to help investors understand the importance of having a diversified investment portfolio and the advantage of accessing a variety of asset classes,” he said.
Aberdeen Asset Management said the mFund service will “complement” its existing strategy, which relies on advisers and platforms to distribute more than 20 funds to Australian investors.
“The Aberdeen funds offered on the new service cover a range of asset classes – emerging market equities, Asian equities, global equities (including a hedged option) and diversified fixed income,” a statement from Aberdeen Asset Management said.
ASX head of customer and business development Ian Irvine said the mFund settlement service provides an opportunity for investors to access a broader range of investment assets in a familiar way.
“This can assist in achieving greater diversification, which in turn can help to manage portfolio risk,” Mr Irvine said.
As of 30 June 2014, the Aberdeen Group, which has offices in 25 countries, has more than $584 billion in assets under management, while Aberdeen Australia has a total of $17 billion in assets under management.