Five-star providers: Parmenion scoops laurels for second year
New entrants this year included Royal London Asset Management, which made it to second place after dipping into four-star territory last year. Brooks Macdonald, LV= and Quilter Cheviot also made new appearances in the top service category,
Promoted to five-star status were 7IM and Octopus – both four-star winners last year.
Former table-topper Met Life Europe, remains a five-star stalwart, as does Transact, Nucleus, Prudential, Axa Elevate, Axa Wealth International and Axa Wealth.
Four-star providers: Architas’ bittersweet victory
This year’s top four-star score went to Architas, a bittersweet success perhaps, as the company has been a five-star stalwart for the past few years.
Sanlam, which came second, was promoted from three-star category, as was Skandia, while Canada Life, another former five-star stalwart also found itself demoted.
Staying put were Standard Life, Novia, Rathbone and Premier Asset Management.
Also up were Aviva Investors, Investec and F&C Investments (formerly F&C Thames River), all promoted from three stars, while James Hay Partnership rose through the ranks from last year’s two-star category.
Axa IM dropped a place, having managed to break the five-star barrier last year.
Three-star providers: Cofunds and Baillie Gifford ascend
Eighteen companies made the three-star average service category, with Legal & General IM, a runner-up last year, moving to the top slot.
Second came FundsNetwork, a four-star winner until last year. Sterling (Zurich) made third place, another non-mover from last year.
In total, 10 companies were non-movers from last year. Others were Fidelity, Schroders, Close Brothers, Henderson Global Investors, Cazenove, JP Morgan Asset Management, Threadneedle and Ascentric.
Promoted to three-star from last year’s two-star category were Old Mutual, Virgin Money, M&G and Invesco Perpetual.
Most dramatic improvements in service were shown by Cofunds and Baillie Gifford, who were both in last year’s one-star category
Another entrant was Liontrust, which had a two-star showing last year.
Two-star providers: Fall from grace for Scot Wids
The number of companies given only two stars by advisers dropped from 14 last year to 13 this year.
Scottish Widows had the most dramatic fall from grace, having been a four-star provider last year.
Alliance Trust lost its three-star rating to come top of the poor service category, while Allianz Global Investors was a non-mover from 2013.
Kames Capital showed a slightly improved score, but still only managed two stars, as did Scottish Provident and Newton (BNY Mellon).
Axa Framlington also lost its three-star rating, along with Jupiter, Cater Allen, BlackRock and Neptune.
Friends Life and Aberdeen managed to pull themselves up the ratings, having been awarded one star last year.
One-star providers: Swips’ four stars swiped
Swip’s four-star award last year seems a distant memory as the company finds itself in the lowest service ranking category only 12 months on.
