Shadow Accounting and Portfolio Management Solutions for Small Investment Entities
Fund accounting is a critical aspect of managing investment funds, providing specialized oversight and reporting tailored to their unique requirements. Unlike general ledger accounting that focuses on an entire organization, fund accounting is specific to investment funds, ensuring accurate and transparent reporting for investors.
There are three main approaches to fund accounting management: internal administration, external administration, and shadow accounting.
Internal Fund Administrators:
These are employees of the investment firm who handle fund accounting in-house, using the firm’s resources. They offer customized solutions due to their deep understanding of the fund’s operations.
External Fund Administrators:
These are third-party service providers specializing in fund accounting. They offer services like NAV calculation, compliance, and investor servicing, benefiting smaller firms lacking internal resources.
Shadow Accounting:
This hybrid model involves internal teams handling certain tasks like trade capture, while complex functions like NAV calculation are outsourced. It offers a balance between control and efficiency.
For small investment boutiques and family offices managing multi-asset portfolios without registered investment funds, all-in-one portfolio management and shadow accounting platforms are crucial. These platforms should encompass functions like NAV calculation, transaction management, and portfolio analysis while remaining cost-effective.
Essential functions for such a platform include:
– Handling multi-asset portfolios, including alternative investments.
– Providing NAV calculation and aggregation of master portfolios.
– Cash flow and transaction management capabilities.
– Historical account snapshots and incremental accounting.
– Integration with portfolio management for liquidity and exposure analysis.
– Flexible data linking for asset pricing.
– Integration with risk management and portfolio construction.
– Audit control for monitoring historical transaction changes.
One notable shadow accounting platform with audit control is ABC Quant’s FoF Manager. However, sophisticated platforms fulfilling all these functions are limited, requiring careful assessment by investment firms to choose the right solution. Fund accounting is crucial for accurate financial tracking and reporting, and shadow accounting offers a viable option for cost-effective yet comprehensive solutions, especially for smaller investment firms.
