The importance of in-depth fund company research

The main focus for the selection team at Swedbank is to provide building blocks for the bank’s retail advisory and distribution operation. “All advice that’s provided in the bank builds on a strategic allocation, a tactical allocation and then we add the third leg with manager selection,” says Love Nordström, who joined Swedbank in May last year as head of manager research. With more than 20 years of asset management and selection experience, Love Nordström has previously worked at Skandia, Wassum, SEB and Danske bank as well as the privately-owned family office IKANO Fund Management in Luxembourg.

The team at Swedbank is responsible for a platform consisting of some 550 funds out of which 150 are funds tagged as recommended. “When we say that a fund is recommended, it means that it’s recommended for advice in our retail distribution. It’s about being consistent and giving all clients with the same needs the same recommendation,” says Love Nordström. Half of the recommended funds are funds managed by the Swedbank-owned asset manager Robur and half are from external providers. ”We’re independent in our research, which means that we have the same process for funds managed by Robur and for