AJ Bell Adds Sarasin & Partners Charity Fund and MPS

AJ Bell has widened its third-party investment range by adding Sarasin & Partners' Charity Authorised Investment Fund (CAIF) to its platform, with a model portfolio service (MPS) version also made available to advisers.

The CAIF is now offered on AJ Bell Investcentre and via AJ Bell Custody Solutions. Sarasin & Partners acts as discretionary fund manager. CAIFs are designed exclusively for charities and carry specific tax benefits, including charitable tax status and VAT exemption. Access is restricted to charities, so advisers must provide evidence to Sarasin that the underlying client is a registered charity before the fund can be used. The strategy is aimed at long-term investors seeking a responsible, globally diversified multi-asset portfolio.

To support the launch, AJ Bell has also introduced an MPS that includes the fund, available by request to advisers using AJ Bell Investcentre on behalf of qualifying registered charities. According to AJ Bell, using the CAIF within an MPS allows advisers to offer clients an efficient way to access the fund while reducing management risk.

Mark Rendle, AJ Bell's advised managing director, said the addition was intended to cater to advisers looking for charitable investment solutions. He noted that charitable funds can play an important role in investment strategies and that the MPS wrapper should make charitable investing more efficient and lower management risk for advisers.

Christopher Cade, partner at Sarasin & Partners, said charities have distinct investment needs and the firm's CAIFs are designed to meet them by combining a responsible, globally diversified approach with the tax efficiency and governance protections of a dedicated charity structure. He said working with AJ Bell extends access to a wider group of charities and their advisers.