As the asset management industry continues to expand, many fund managers find themselves lacking the proper infrastructure and processes to keep up with regulatory and compliance requirements, especially those with already limited resources.
Fund management is responsible for selecting intermediaries, conducting due diligence, and managing intermediary relationships. This is a team effort involving senior leaders from compliance, fund management, distribution, transfer agency, and key operational roles to ensure comprehensive oversight and adherence to regulatory, prospectus, contractual, and fund-specific obligations.
Given the dynamic nature of oversight responsibilities and evolving regulatory requirements, stakeholders evaluate and implement effective monitoring methodologies and oversight technologies tailored to their funds’ unique circumstances.
Challenges of Intermediary Oversight for Asset Managers
As oversight responsibilities expand, budget pressures demand more efficient activities, especially for small or mid-size firms with limited resources. Many firms juggle disparate systems, leading to time-consuming processes for producing board and management reports.
In the absence of automated solutions and a unified oversight platform, firms remain encumbered by manual workflows—logging expected invoices and tracking outstanding intermediary agreement changes through spreadsheets and pivot tables. Limited audit functionality hampers rapid access to historical data, task records, and transactions, ultimately impeding the delivery of timely board and management reporting.
These challenges related to intermediary oversight constrain a firm’s resources with tasks that could be outsourced and managed by industry experts.
Importance of Efficient Oversight Programs
A fund’s intermediary oversight program must satisfy the requirements of SEC Rule 38a-1, requiring policies and procedures to oversee intermediary compliance. Ongoing monitoring includes risk-based assessments, periodic questionnaires, and evaluating data transparency files.
Additional oversight functions increase transparency and provide assurances regarding intermediary controls, particularly for compliance with SEC Rule 22c-2 addressing frequent trading activities. Adhering to regulations and monitoring large data amounts is challenging, especially for firms relying on manual processes.
Fund boards have a high interest in intermediary oversight, necessitating integrated and cohesive processes for data consolidation. Most funds have quarterly reporting to the fund boards with more extensive reporting through their annual 15(c) Review Process, as well as ad hoc internal management and operational reporting. Accurate and timely data within user-friendly tools are critical for reporting. Automated solutions reduce risks from manual processes, allowing personnel to focus on strategic, value-added work.
Essential Solutions for Intermediary Oversight
A comprehensive solution set, including fee management, relationship and counterparty management, reporting and analytics, and managed services, enables firms to scale their oversight programs efficiently. Implementing off-the-shelf solutions like those offered by BetaNXT is a viable and economical direction for asset managers.
Our expertise in developing integrated technology solutions allows firms to manage oversight programs efficiently, maximizing returns and maintaining compliance while minimizing risk. Reach out to learn how our solutions streamline operations, reduce manual entry, automate workflows, and enhance accuracy.
