Ultimus Fund Solutions

“ Texceptional results ,” writes one respondent . “ They are by far the best fund accountant and fund administrator in terms of overall quality of services .” Anybody reviewing the scores attained by the firm in this survey would find it hard to disagree . Ultimus leads all providers in every service area where it chooses to compete ( the exception , predictably for a non-bank , is custody ) and clears all the global benchmarks with ease for a third year in succession . “ Ultimus is exceptional in every category ,” explains a client . “ We have found the entire staff to be attentive , professional , responsive , and highly skilled in fund administration , accounting , compliance , transfer agency , and shareholder servicing , combining to provide outstanding , turnkey fund servicing .” The scores are indeed close to perfection , without exception , even in the most challenging of spheres . (“ TA Rocks !” is not a client comment most transfer agents will ever read .) But what recurs in the comments is not the quality of the service but the calibre of the people . “ Client service is outstanding , consisting of highly professional , responsive personnel ,” writes one client . A second adds that “ they make me feel like I am their most important client – accuracy , attention to detail , responsiveness all superb .” A third says that the staff are “ always quick to respond to calls , very easy to work with , truly professional in all areas ,” while a fourth finds nothing but “ excellent , responsive client service .” One member of the senior management team is name-checked as an “ incredible source of industry knowledge and partner .” Another respondent agrees , “ Access to senior management at the company is very good . They are responsive to my calls and accommodating on our requests .” Such accolades are a reminder that investing in people at all levels is at least as important as investing in technology , especially for smaller and mid-sized managers of the kind Ultimus looks after . “ Increased technology offering ” is the one demand clients wish to make of the firm in the immediate future . Ultimus does of course invest in technology already . It has developed in-house a post-trade compliance tool ( uComply ) and is now developing dashboards that give clients visibility into fund accounting operations , improving efficiency by highlighting exceptions early in the process . The platform can also be used for external reporting purposes . As for other administrators in the United States , the stiffest test in reporting today is the reforms to fund reporting initiated by the Securities and SEC . In practical terms , the modernisation of fund reporting means more investment in data management and automation to meet fresh demands for information to tighter deadlines . For clients , the costs of failure to comply , in terms of regulatory fines , penalties and sanctions , to say nothing of the reputational damage it can cause , are high . That risk has obliged Ultimus to invest heavily in automating its own processes and to join forces with third-party vendors to supply the missing components . At a time of mounting pressure on revenue and margin in the asset management industry , intensified by calls for fuller disclosure of costs by funds , Ultimus can be particularly pleased to pay no penalty on value . Fund administrators cannot be immune to calls for economies , not just in terms of outright reductions in fees but in terms of investment company and fund consolidation by clients and potential clients . Like other non-bank administrators , Ultimus has more room for manoeuvre than a capital-constrained bank , but a large part of the success of the firm is nevertheless attributable to its relentless focus on minimising expenses chargeable to the funds .