Mifid IINov 14 2017

SCM Direct launches Sipp amid charge cuts

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SCM Direct launches Sipp amid charge cuts

SCM Direct has launched a self-invested personal pension and reduced its charges.

The wealth manager run by husband and wife team Alan and Gina Miller has also lowered the investment entry level investors wanting  SCM to run their money have to meet by £5,000 to £10,000.

Its new Sipp will start at £18 a year with a maximum annual charge of £60 including VAT.

When pan-European regulation Mifid II comes into effect in January, all platforms, stock brokers, advisers and wealth managers will have to show all costs aggregated and expressed in pounds and pence, as well as a percentage.

SCM Direct has said its total cost of investment fee will be 0.98 per cent a year, which it has said will make it one of the cheapest digital wealth managers.

The annual charge for a £10,000 managed portfolio will be 0.6 per cent a year including VAT which compares to 0.75 per cent for Nutmeg and 0.7 per cent for Moneyfarm.

Ms Miller said: "Mifid II ushers in a new dawn of consumer protection and transparency. This regulation is no surprise, yet firms have been bleating and foot dragging about the expense and complexity of doing the right thing and letting people know how much they are truly paying.

"If a boutique firm like ours can today launch a fully compliant service, there are no excuses.

"The atmosphere in the industry feels like pre-RDR all over again but this time they won't get away with just sending staff on crash courses," she said, referring to wide-spread changes brought in by the Retail Distribution Review in 2012.

SCM Direct has also launched a new client portal in conjunction with Hubwise which includes an online dashboard for investors to view their assets as well as all client-related documentation.

There will also be a new onboarding process, allowing overseas clients to scan and upload their anti-money laundering documentation rather than post the originals.

The entry level for institutional clients is being lowered from £150,000 to £100,000.

Since inception SCM Direct's Bond Reserve GBP portfolio has returned 40.9 per cent, its Absolute Return GBP portfolio has gained 94.9 per cent and its Long-Term Return GBP portfolio has returned 124.6 per cent.

damian.fantato@ft.com