Who we are

Founded in 1979, Bentley Reid is an independently-owned wealth management company that looks after the financial affairs of wealthy individuals, their families, trusts and charities. 

We believe that everyone has a unique set of values and ambitions. We invest time to understand you, creating solutions that are informed by your priorities. As a second generation family business, we have first-hand experience when helping families navigate the opportunities and challenges that wealth can present. We offer a range of services that reflect and respond to our clients’ needs. 

Our core aim is to increase the real value of your capital. However, we understand that peace of mind also flows from the preservation and efficient administration of your wealth. This informs our deliberately conservative approach. We are privileged to enjoy long term relationships with our clients, recognising that trust is hard earned but easily lost.

What we do

With over 25 years’ experience managing trust portfolios, we clearly understand the role and fiduciary responsibilities of Trustees. 

A trust may have various interested parties, be they professional advisers, settlors, protectors or beneficiaries. We are happy to engage and work with these groups in a way that recognises and reinforces the primacy of the Trustee. In every aspect, we are guided by the Trustee and seek to be the partner they are comfortable turning to on any investment matter.

At the outset, we seek to establish a clear understanding of the trust investment requirements. This informs a detailed set of investment guidelines, capturing an appropriate balance between risk and opportunity. We appreciate how important it is to demonstrate adherence to mandate parameters and restrictions when delivering return objectives. Communication and transparency are a key element of the long term relationships we enjoy with our Trustee clients. 

As investors, our primary purpose is to preserve and grow the real (inflation-adjusted) value of a trust’s capital. Although we invest in growth opportunities across global markets, when building portfolios we are conscious that limiting downside can be a key driver of long term returns.

Over the market cycle, we feel that it is the return, over and above inflation, that signals success. Whilst volatility and downside are valid measures of risk, we consider the possibility of permanent capital loss a more important yardstick.

We are active investors and we ask for the latitude to reflect our investment convictions in trust portfolios. We do not manage with reference to any particular asset class or index. As a result, we do not feel compelled to own an investment simply because it is an index constituent.

With over half our assets under management held in trust, we are well versed in the management of portfolios that have restrictions or specific tax requirements. We have dedicated systems and procedures to ensure that guidelines are seamlessly incorporated into the management process. As part of our service, our fund managers have access to in-house tax professionals to help ensure that management complies with any tax imperatives.

In an increasingly complex investment world, we focus on independent research and quantitative data, tuning out a lot of the industry noise. To complement our investment process, we retain an Independent Advisory Committee. Convened every month and populated by a variety of investment specialists, the gathering provides a valuable forum to challenge and refine the house views.

It is our experience that good communication is a vital element when managing trust portfolios and we are guided by the trustees as to the frequency, format and content of portfolio reports. Senior investment executives are always available to review a portfolio or answer any investment questions.

Strategies

Sterling £

Fund Bespoke

Our Sterling strategy offers multi-asset mandates available as a segregated portfolio or a fund. It follows a centralised process but can be tailored to the client's tax position or investment restrictions. The mandate has a global investment universe. There is no predisposition to active funds and a passive fund will be the default position unless we can find an active manager with proven ability to outperform and we believe that the market environment supports outperformance.

MANDATES
  • Defensive • low

    Aims to grow the value of the investment ahead of inflation.

  • Balanced • medium

    Aims to preserve the real value of the investment.

  • Growth • high

    Aims to achieve long-term capital growth ahead of inflation.

US Dollar $

Fund Bespoke

Our US Dollar strategy offers multi-asset mandates available as a segregated portfolio or a fund. It follows a centralised process but can be tailored to the client's tax position or investment restrictions. The mandate has a global investment universe. There is no predisposition to active funds and a passive fund will be the default position unless we can find an active manager with proven ability to outperform and we believe that the market environment supports outperformance.

MANDATES
  • Defensive • low

    Aims to grow the value of the investment ahead of inflation.

  • Balanced • medium

    Aims to preserve the real value of the investment.

  • Growth • high

    Aims to achieve long-term capital growth ahead of inflation.