Total retail funds under management (FUM) for the 2015 calendar year was up 7.5 per cent to $750 billion in a year of “solid consolidation”, Plan For Life said.
“Half this growth was as a result of positive, but at times rather jittery, investment earnings on underlying markets that are still underpinned by unprecedented low interest rates,” it said.
“While subsequently markets then turned south in early 2016, they have since recovered indicating just how uncertain investment conditions are at present.”
Macquarie saw the largest increase in retail FUM of 38.5 per cent, followed by AMP (6.3 per cent), BT (6.2 per cent), Commonwealth/Colonial (5.7 per cent), Perpetual (4.8 per cent) and Mercer (3.8 per cent), Plan For Life said.
"It should be noted the large jump in Macquarie funds recorded in the December quarter was mainly due to an internal transfer of $10.4 billion into the Macquarie Wrap Solutions platform of assets they previously managed outside of their reported retail business," it said.
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