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Investments
Invest wisely. Retire well.
Our investment philosophy
100% client-focused
Many financial institutions view group retirement services as just another channel to distribute their own mutual funds. Open Access is different. We specialize in providing unbiased and conflict-free money management.
Our client-driven investment philosophy delivers competitive performance, net of fees, over multiple market cycles.
What are our guiding portfolio management principles?
01
Investment success is half as complicated, but twice as difficult, as it seems
Simple strategies lead to powerful long-term results. However, they can be tough to stick with in the short run.
02
Look at active and passive investment strategies
Many people prioritize one over the other – we recommend a healthy mix of both active and passive investment strategies to keep your financial goals on track.
03
Strong risk-adjusted performance is key
High returns in the short-run can be completely undone by volatility. Compounding wealth requires managing both returns and risk.
04
Diversified portfolios beat market timing
Investing and betting are two different strategies. The odds favour the house.
05
Member alignment
High returns in the short-run can be completely undone by volatility. Compounding wealth requires managing both returns and risk.
Our Capital Accumulation Plan Portfolios
Dynamic asset allocation
Most money managers focus on stock picking, but the secret to investing well is determining how best to allocate savings across a diversified mix of growth and income strategies.
Companies offering diversified portfolios often adopt a ‘buy and hold’, or, in other words, a ‘set it and forget it’ approach. Open Access approaches investments differently. Our investment team actively rebalance the asset mix of every account.
Members know that throughout market cycles, they have a professional team managing their nest egg. The result is true outperformance – performance that accounts for returns as well as strong downside protection.
Active fund selection
Active fund managers or low-cost index funds – which is best? The answer is subjective and largely based on marketing tactics. Companies take a stand either way in order to support their own products.
Open Access has no in-house products to sell which enables us to provide unbiased wealth management advice to our members. Our investment philosophy is simple. Our portfolios incorporate the strategies that best align with our members’ financial goals. By blending active and passive funds together, plan participants get the best of both approaches.
The Open Access investment team works on our members’ behalf to scan the marketplace of investment strategies and select those poised for sustainable performance.
This investment process entails reviewing four key criteria:
Intellectual Capital
The experience, workload and temperament of the fund management team
Opportunity
The soundness of the investment process and philosophy implemented by the fund management team
Execution
Reviewing historical performance and fund positioning consistency relative to the investment process and experience of the team
Alignment
Assessing fees, compensation and firm culture to achieve congruence with our client’s goals
Doing Well by doing Good
All fund managers on the Open Access Investment platform are signatories of the UN Principles for Responsible Investment.
As a result, our clients not only benefit from strong performance, they are also assured that their investments are aligned with promoting best practices in global Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance (ESG) matters.
Latest Insights
Market Commentary – 3rd Quarter 2023
Our Chief Investment Officer and Portfolio Manager, Murray McLean, discusses the poor market environment that prevailed during the 3rd quarter of 2023 and the regime change (i.e. higher for longer) that marks the end of the era of low interest rates. The video contains valuable insights on market trends that you don’t want to miss out on.
Market Update & Outlook – July 2023
We highly recommend watching the video that our Chief Investment Officer and Portfolio Manager, Murray McLean, has prepared. The video contains valuable insights on market trends that you don’t want to miss out on.
Market Update & Outlook – April 2023
You won’t want to miss the video prepared by our Chief Investment Officer and Portfolio Manager, Murray McLean. It’s packed with highly recommended valuable insights on market trends.
Market Update & Outlook – February 2023
Watch the video that our Chief Investment Officer and Portfolio Manager, Murray McLean has put together. It will provide you with valuable insights on market trends.
ESG
Watch our video to learn more about how you can invest wisely and responsibly.
January Market Volatility
In this piece, we discuss market volatility in early 2022 and our suggested strategy for navigating it.
The impact of high inflation and interest rates on markets in 2022
Watch this video to find out about the latest market updates and Open Access portfolio management.
The Search for Professional Investment Management Services
A plan member’s financial future is dependent on good financial advice. Read this article to learn more.
Winter 2022 Market Commentary
In this article, we take a look back at the 2021 investment year.
Bonds: No Time to Die
This article explores why bonds have an important role in helping you achieve your financial goals.
From FOMO to VUCA, and What an Investor Should Do About It
Over the last fifteen years, the stock market returned, on average, more than 10% per year.
Our Partnership with PIMCO
We’re proud to announce our new partnership with one of the world’s leading asset managers – PIMCO.
Save on Fees – At What Cost
The appeal is straightforward. Ditch your advisor, save on fees.
June 2021 Market Commentary
Portfolio Manager Ryan Sheriff shares how the markets have been performing in June 2021.
A conversation with Beutel, Goodman and Company Ltd.
Watch our new video to learn more about the Canadian equity market in 2022, current market conditions and thoughts on recent volatility.