Why DFMs are geared to support advisers, not replace them

Loading player...
In this episode of Money, Markets, and Masterminds we delve into the growing role of discretionary fund managers (DFMs) in the financial advisory landscape. We are joined by Nadir Thokan, senior DFM specialist at Alexforbes, to discuss how DFMs are transforming the industry by providing streamlined portfolio management, research, and compliance support for financial advisers.

We explore the benefits for advisers in outsourcing investment decisions, the challenges surrounding transparency and fees and how DFMs complement financial advisers rather than replace them. Given South Africa’s rapidly growing DFM market, we also discuss how best practices and international trends, particularly from the UK, can help ensure sustainable growth for the industry.

Advisers who want to learn more can listen to our conversation below
6 Sep 2024 English South Africa Investing

Other recent episodes

Advisers should not get distracted by the wrong things - DFM CEO

In this episode of Money, Markets, and Masterminds, Cogence CEO and CIO Jonel Matthee-Ferreira explains advisers risk making poor decisions if they react to short-term volatility instead of staying focused on long-term outcomes. She further unpacks the firm’s move into private markets for retail investors, arguing that access to unlisted…
23 Mar 24 min

Why markets are trading the wrong war

Markets are reacting to missiles and oil spikes, but what if that is exactly where investors go wrong? In the first 2026 episode of the Long Game series, Adrian Saville, investment strategist and professor of economics and finance at GIBS, unpacks why the real drivers of returns sit far beyond…
20 Mar 30 min

FSCA’s frontline warning to pension fund trustees

In episode two of the Regulatory Rulebook series, Takalani Lukhaimane, who leads the Financial Sector Conduct Authority's Retirement Funds Frontline Conduct Supervision team, highlights where boards are falling short - from section 13A breaches to weak oversight and rising unclaimed benefits. She points to persistent red flags, including superficial minutes,…
23 Feb 27 min

How this DFM engineers portfolios when markets lose their nerve

When markets panic, most investors react. Discretionary fund managers are meant to do the opposite. In this episode of Money, Markets, and Masterminds, Philip Bradford, chief investment officer at PortfolioMetrix Asset Management, explains how his team constructs portfolios built to withstand volatility rather than chase trends. From managing concentration risk…
11 Feb 20 min

Why top DFMs would rather miss rallies than lose clients

In this episode of Money, Markets, and Masterminds, Analytics Multi-Manager CIO Daniel Schoeman argues that the real test of a fund manager comes during periods of stress and underperformance, when philosophy, process and decision-making discipline are exposed. He explains why diversified portfolios are intentionally designed to avoid extreme drawdowns, even…
29 Jan 18 min