International Financial Data Services (IFDS), a leading global provider of outsourcing and technology solutions to the collective investment, retirement, insurance, and platform markets, today announced the launch of a direct-to-consumer (D2C) online offering for London based Castle Trust Capital Management Limited.
The portal, which uses white-labelled technology provided by IFDS, offers retail investors secure, online access to Castle Trust's range of investment products. The newly developed D2C proposition gives investors the freedom and security to maintain their investments on a 24/7 basis, with secure messaging capabilities linked directly to Castle Trust's service centre.
Straight-through-processing functionality and an online document store allow investors to transact directly through the portal and retrieve paperless statements, reducing operational costs for asset managers and mitigating risk. The new portal is compatible with traditional desktop computers, laptops, and tablets, addressing the increasing trend towards mobile usage.
"We believe the IFDS investor portal facilitates a greater interaction between our clients and their customers," said Paul Roberts, Chief Executive Officer of Funds at IFDS. "The D2C market represents a significant opportunity for our clients and we're delighted to extend the range of services we provide to Castle Trust."
Castle Trust's investment products - Housas - provide investors with a unique way to access the residential housing market. All Housas either track or outperform the Halifax House Price Index which, derived from the mortgage data of the UK's largest mortgage lender, provides a robust and representative measure of UK house prices.
"We are pleased to offer our range of Housa products online to private investors," said Tony Pauley, Castle Trust's Chief Technology Officer. "The IFDS investor portal provides a much more efficient investment process and greatly enhances customer experience."