CFS announces ‘significant expansion’ of FirstChoice menu

Colonial First State has announced the addition of 17 new funds to its FirstChoice platform.

This week’s new funds available on the platform include exposure to a physical gold ETF, four fixed interest and cash funds, four sustainability and ESG-focused funds, and broader in-demand strategies from leading providers including GQG Partners and Janus Henderson.

CFS group executive of distribution, Bryce Quirk, said that the additions had been made in response to adviser feedback, including an analysis of 15,000 adviser interactions, engagement with research rating houses and monitoring of macroeconomic trends and investor demand.

“We are constantly talking to our adviser network and industry partners to ensure we have our finger on the pulse of investor demand and that we can enable them to respond quickly in changing market conditions,” he said.

“The addition of 17 new strategies to FirstChoice bolsters our offering, including our uncontested speed-to-market and flexibility that enables faster unit pricing through T+1 settlements.”

The three new ETF exposure funds added to FirstChoice, including exposure to Global X’s Physical Gold ETF (GOLD), have been described as a first for the platform.

Along with the four new sustainability and ESG-focused options, CFS said that investors will now also be able to access its sustainable growth fund, Thrive+.

According to the firm, Thrive+ brings together some of the world’s leading sustainable investment experts into one fund in order to help navigate the complexities of financial markets and identify companies that are driving positive change.

A recent survey found that almost 8 million Australians plan to transition some or all of their investments to a sustainable option over the next two years.

CFS noted that 35 new strategies have been introduced during the past year, with the FirstChoice platform now offering the most significant number of strategies in its 20-year history.

“Great returns come when investors have choices. At Colonial First State, we’re passionate about providing advisers with a broad range of strategies they can deploy to create unique portfolios for their clients that meet financial objectives,” said Mr Quirk.

Jon Bragg

Jon Bragg is a journalist for Momentum Media's Investor Daily, nestegg and ifa. He enjoys writing about a wide variety of financial topics and issues and exploring the many implications they have on all aspects of life.