Why Separate Account Management Matters

When you invest, you don’t just want returns — you want control, clarity, and personalization. That’s where separate account management shines. Unlike mutual funds, which pool everyone's capital into a collective bucket, separate accounts give you direct ownership, tailored strategies, and greater flexibility.

Here are five key reasons separate accounts may be smarter for you:

1. Customization That Reflects You

With a separate account, your investments aren’t locked into one-size-fits-all solutions. You can tailor your portfolio based on risk tolerance, cash flow needs, social values, and more. And when you add new funds, they’re invested where the manager sees the best opportunity — not diluted across the fund.

2. Personalized Reporting

You’ll get quarterly reports built specifically for your portfolio — showing your exact holdings, performance, contributions, and withdrawals. No mystery behind fund averages or aggregate numbers.

3. Tax Optimization Opportunities

Because your securities are held directly, every transaction can be matched to your individual tax situation. That means smarter opportunities to harvest gains or losses, adjust cost basis, or optimize for gifting and tax strategy.

4. Lower Embedded Costs

Separate accounts often avoid many of the embedded fees common in mutual funds, like load fees or administrative costs. Plus, because you’re working directly with your management team, there’s less overlap in fees across layers of management, trading, and custody.

5. Freedom Around Cash & Flow

Mutual funds sometimes need to juggle cash flows — selling or buying assets to accommodate all shareholders. That can force unwanted trades or timing mismatches. In a separate account, your money can stay put until your manager chooses to move it — and not to satisfy someone else’s liquidity needs.

If you’re investing in meaningful sums, or if you value transparency, control, and customization — separate account management gives you what mutual funds can’t.

Want to understand how this works in practice? Reach out, and we’d be happy to walk you through a side-by-side comparison.