BT partners with Vanguard to deliver new Panorama menu

The third platform in a matter of weeks to introduce a new ‘low-cost’ investment menu, amid a suite of other improvements, is BT Panorama, this time partnering with Vanguard Australia to deliver new diversified portfolios targeting clients with “simpler” investment needs.

Following in the footsteps of AMP and MLC, BT’s new menu titled ‘Focus’ – to be made available from 1 October – is designed for financial advisers supporting a variety of clients with different goals for their wealth, offering diverse investment options tailored to their desired investment exposure.

The updates, developed in collaboration with Vanguard, include:

• Four Vanguard passive diversified portfolios with an investment management fee of 0.325 per cent p.a.;
• Seven active single sector managed funds from seven different investment managers providing exposure to Australian Shares, International Shares and Fixed Income;
• A $60 annual account-based administration fee; and
• A 0.15 per cent annual asset-based administration fee up to balances of $1 million (excluding the transaction cash account)

“The new menu is competitive with major industry super funds and other platform offers in market, and complements BT Panorama’s existing Compact and Full menus, giving advisers a broader range of options,” BT’s Chief Product Officer, Annabelle Kline, said.

“Our new menu was created in response to strong demand from advisers to support the intergenerational wealth transfer and serve clients with simpler investment needs. It enables advisers to serve a broader range of clients profitably, while reinforcing BT Panorama’s position as a flexible, future-ready platform.”

According to a statement from BT Financial Group, Vanguard’s Diversified Portfolio capability is featured as a core option on Panorama’s new investment menu.

“We are pleased to be able to make our Diversified Portfolios available to many more Australians through this collaboration with BT. These investment solutions are designed to deliver simplicity, scale and value, backed by our global investment capability,” Rachel White, Head of Financial Adviser Services at Vanguard Australia, said.

“BT Panorama’s platform strength combined with Vanguard’s investment expertise offers advisers a compelling solution to meet a wide range of client needs. And because our portfolios are also available on BT’s Compact and Full menus, advisers can confidently support clients as their investment needs change.”

Further efficiency and security improvements to come into effect on BT Panorama from October also include:

• New managed accounts options via partnerships with additional investment managers;
• Advisers to be able to perform multi-account rebalances across adviser portfolios – streamlining workflows and saving time across multiple client accounts;
• A more efficient identification process for inbound calls from clients, advisers and support staff; and
• Electronic Identity Verification (eIDV) to be made available online and on mobile, allowing clients to complete ID verification after onboarding and advisers to track reidentification timelines to help manage compliance obligations.