RBC Dexia Investor Services has won the custody contract for AXA’s new super and pensions platform, North.
RBC Dexia already provides custody services for AXA’s Summit and Generations platforms. The North platform, which also has a large number of multi-manager investment options, has the added complexity of including a form of guarantee. AXA said at the time of the North launch that the product was backed by the latest in efficient and flexibile administration, serviced online. The guarantee, against negative market performance, is possible because investors choose to lock up their funds for periods of 10, 15 or 20 years. Scott MacDonald, managing director of RBC Dexia in Australia, said his firm was looking forward to the evolution of its working relationship with AXA.
There is one investment area where Insignia’s $180 billion super arm has not lost money for the past 17 years, which is what it calls the insurance-related investments. The alternatives strategy is gaining popularity among asset owners due to its diversification benefit, but Insignia’s super and asset management investment chief Dan Farmer warns it is a space where investors can suffer if they “stumble in without doing the homework”.
Darcy SongJanuary 23, 2025
