James Ouderkirk, Director of Business Development at GLASfunds, joined Julie Cooling, Founder and CEO of RIA Channel, to discuss how advisors can more efficiently access the alternative investment market.
GLASfunds has operated an alternative investment implementation and execution platform for financial advisors for the last 15 years, now working with 150 advisory firms. The platform is a fully independent source of investment ideas that is not explicitly pay-for-play with asset managers.
The platform improves efficiencies in the way advisors want to allocate to private markets, allowing them to receive a single K1 tax form, a single statement, and have just one place for capital calls and distributions. This functionality is not possible on the feeder fund platforms. Clients can participate in two platform structures with pick-and-choose mass customization capabilities without the requirement of building any individual entities. Advisors can bring their own investment opportunities to the platform with a $1 million minimum investment. The research team produces white papers to support advisors and distributes educational content from asset managers.
Over the last 15 years, advisors have become more interested in alternatives and increasingly sophisticated in their approach. Recently, Ouderkirk has seen growing interest in evergreen investment options, intermittent liquidity, and registered products. The platform will support registered fund solutions in 2025.
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