SCB Asset Management promotes diversified investments in its portfolio

While continuing to build up its portfolio of fixed-income funds, Thailand's SCB Asset Management (SCBAM) has ventured into offering equity and foreign investment funds.

"Over the past two years, we have been promoting foreign investments and telling our investors not only to diversify their assets into equity investment, but also to look outside Thailand," says Jotika Savanananda, president of SCBAM. "Investors should diversify their investments more. Otherwise, they cannot beat inflation and their wealth could dwindle in the long run."

With strong support from its parent, Siam Commercial Bank (SCB), one of Thailand's top three largest banks in terms of asset size, SCBAM has successfully launched various investment products, including global equity funds, global bond funds and emerging market funds. Having a full range of products on its shelf, SCBAM clients can benefit from portfolio diversification through long-term strategic asset allocation.

The firm is slated to add target date retirement funds and infrastructure funds to its multi-asset class investment portfolio by the end of this year. The former is a series of ready-mixed asset allocation funds that will help investors achieve their retirement goals. The latter will allow investors to own parts of a professionally managed portfolio of infrastructure assets, while enjoying 10 years of tax-free dividends. This could be a good choice for asset allocation in a diversified portfolio.

SCBAM has been training its wealth managers to guide clients in their investments in a professional manner. The firm also holds outreach programmes and produces webcasts to reach out to potential investors. "Education is the key to convince our clients to diversify their portfolio and to invest more in equity funds," Jotika says.

With its strong commitment to performance and client services, the firm has earned numerous awards, including