Latest news with #Unified
Business Wire
5 days ago
- Business
- Business Wire
Orion Launches New J.P. Morgan SMAs and Model Portfolios on Orion Platforms
OMAHA, Neb.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Orion, a premier provider of transformative wealthtech solutions for financial advisors and the enterprise firms that serve them, today announced the addition of a diverse lineup of separately managed accounts (SMAs) and model portfolios from J.P. Morgan Asset Management to Orion's platforms. With these new offerings, advisors can deliver a more tailored, tax-efficient investment experience powered by one of the industry's most respected asset managers. The launch includes six equity and municipal bond SMAs, along with J.P. Morgan's Strategic and Tactical ETF Model Portfolios—designed to suit different investing styles and market outlooks. 'We're excited to bring J.P. Morgan's SMA and model portfolio strategies to the Orion platform, offering advisors even greater flexibility and choice when building portfolios for their clients,' said Ron Pruitt, President of Orion Wealth Management. 'By expanding the range of high-quality, professionally managed strategies available on our platform, we continue to empower advisors to deliver investment solutions that help their clients meet their financial goals with confidence.' Now available through Orion's platforms within their Unified Managed Account (UMA) portfolio structure: J.P. Morgan SMAs: Large Cap Growth SMA Equity Income SMA Growth Advantage SMA Large Cap Leaders SMA U.S. Equity SMA J.P. Morgan Model Portfolios: Strategic ETF Models Tactical ETF Models 'As the industry evolves and personalization becomes more important, we're excited to work with Orion on this expanded offering,' said Stephen Kaplan, Head of Customized Solutions at J.P. Morgan Asset Management. 'We're pleased to bring the strength of our investment capabilities to more RIAs through SMAs and model portfolio solutions on Orion's growing platform.' About Orion Orion is a premier provider of the tech-enabled fiduciary process that transforms the advisor-client relationship by enabling financial advisors to Prospect, Plan, Invest, and Achieve within a single, connected, technology-driven experience. Combined, our brand entities—Orion Advisor Tech, Orion Portfolio Solutions, Brinker Capital Investments, Redtail Technology, and Orion OCIO—create a complete offering that empowers firms to attract new clients seamlessly, connect goals more meaningfully to investment strategies and outcomes, and ultimately track progress toward each investor's unique definition of financial success. Orion services $4.7 trillion in assets under administration and $98.6 billion of wealth management platform assets (as of March 31, 2025) and supports over 7.3 million technology accounts and thousands of independent advisory firms. Today, 17 out of the Top 20 Barron's RIA firms¹ rely on Orion's technology to power their businesses and win for investors. Learn more at ¹ Source: 2024 Top 100 RIA Firms, Barron's, 2024. About J.P. Morgan Asset Management J.P. Morgan Asset Management, with assets under management of $3.7 trillion (as of March 31, 2025), is a global leader in investment management. Its clients include institutions, retail investors, and high net worth individuals in every major market throughout the world. J.P. Morgan Asset Management offers global investment management in equities, fixed income, real estate, hedge funds, private equity, and liquidity. For more information: Orion Portfolio Solutions, LLC, an Orion Company, is a registered investment advisor. Wealth Management Assets Under Management include assets managed on a discretionary and non-discretionary basis by Orion Portfolio Solutions, LLC ("OPS") and TownSquare Capital, LLC ("TSC") on their proprietary platforms, assets in proprietary and third-party models made available through OPS's Communities platform, and assets in OPS's proprietary models managed on third-party platforms. 1556-R-25155
The Hindu
7 days ago
- Business
- The Hindu
Retired railway staff can opt for Unified Pension Scheme
The retired railway employees under the National Pension System (NPS) now have an option to join the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS) before the end of this month. As per the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority Gazette notification dated March 25 and Railway Board Circulars (RBE No. 25/2025 and RBA No. 10/2025), the UPS has been operationalised with effect from April 1, 2025. Those who were under the NPS and retired on or before March 31, 2025, with requisite qualifying service may opt for the UPS by submitting Form-B2 online via the CRA portal or to their divisional office. In case of eligible deceased retirees under the NPS, their spouse/legal heir may submit the relevant forms (B3, B4, B5, or B6) to the division, said a press release. The last date for submission is June 30. Once exercised, the option is final and irrevocable, the release stated. For assistance, contact the Welfare or Settlement Section of the respective division.
The Hindu
05-06-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
As the waqf portal is set to go live, TG Waqf Board ‘waiting for clarity'
Hyderabad With the Union government all set to launch the Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency, and Development (UMEED), a portal that seeks to collate documents connected to waqf properties, purportedly for managing them better, the Telangana State Waqf Board (TGSWB) is still awaiting clarity. 'We are aware that the portal is going to be launched tomorrow. But we are still waiting for clear guidelines from the Ministry of Minority Affairs about what all documents are required, and which ones will be accepted. As far as we know, the portal will accept document uploads for the next six months,' TGSWB Chairman Syed Azmatullah Hussaini told The Hindu. A key concern, Mr. Hussaini said, that still remains, is the documentation of old places of worship such as those belonging to the Qutb Shahi period. 'We are yet to see what how to deal with documents connected to such masjids. With the portal going live from tomorrow, and in the absence of documents of a large number of Qutb Shahi masjids, we have to check as to how we should proceed,' he said. Meanwhile, others from the TGSWB pointed out that the portal is likely to have a three tier system. First, the mutawalli (manager of a waqf institution) will have to upload documents, for instance, a gazette notification. This is then verified by an officer at the TGSWB. The final approving authority would be the Chief Executive Officer. 'The previous online management system – the Waqf Asset Management System – will not be in use. Moreover data from this will not be migrated to the new portal. Ideally, it would have been better had the Central government waited for the Supreme Court judgment before going ahead with the portal,' an official said. Meanwhile, the TGSWB is continuing its efforts to strengthen documentation of properties in its custody. The board's CEO, Mohammed Asadullah, wrote letters to government agencies, such as the Chief Commissioner Land Administration, and the Telangana State Archives and Research Institute, and sent staff to obtain copies of documents of properties considered waqf.
Mint
04-06-2025
- Business
- Mint
Why Freefincal's Pattabiraman doesn't believe in beating the market
For M. Pattabiraman, retirement planning was never about chasing a magic corpus number or beating the market. Instead, it's been about staying consistent, keeping things simple, and sticking to what works. A professor at IIT Madras and the founder of personal finance platform Freefincal, Pattabiraman—affectionately known as 'Pattu Sir" in India's investing circles—achieved financial independence and early retirement (FIRE) at the age of 45. Since 2008, he has invested steadily through multiple market cycles, building a portfolio that delivered a 13.9% XIRR (extended internal rate of return)—without juggling multiple asset classes or experimenting with complex strategies. In this edition of Mint's 'Guru Portfolio' series, we speak to Mr Pattabiraman about how he built his retirement corpus, the mutual funds that stood the test of time, and why he believes that steadily increasing your investments matters more than hunting for outsized returns. Edited excerpts from the interview: How is your portfolio structured? My portfolio is structured with 65% in equities and 35% in fixed income—reflecting a long-term growth strategy I've followed since I began investing in June 2008. The goal has always been to create a balanced approach that can weather market volatility and steadily compound over time. This asset allocation has remained largely unchanged, with no major shifts in recent years. How has your portfolio performed? Since inception, my portfolio has delivered an XIRR of 13.90%—a return I'm quite content with, especially considering the long investment horizon and the market cycles I've navigated over the years. Nearly 60% of my portfolio is invested in equity mutual funds. In addition, I hold a small allocation—about 5.72%—in individual stocks, which form an experimental dividend-focused portfolio. I've not added fresh capital to this segment since October 2022. My National Pension System (NPS) contribution makes up just over 20% of the portfolio, with only 15% of it allocated to equities and the rest to government bonds. I don't intend to switch to the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS), as I don't expect to rely significantly on pension income after retirement. Around 10% of my portfolio is invested in debt mutual funds, while my Public Provident Fund (PPF) holdings account for 3.72%. I also maintain approximately 1.2% in cash equivalents—primarily through arbitrage and liquid funds. Which mutual funds do you invest in? Parag Parikh FlexiCap has been the standout performer in my portfolio with 20.75% XIRR. I've been invested in it since the new fund offer (NFO), and it now makes up over 58% of my mutual fund holdings. In hindsight, I was fortunate to get in early, and it has paid off. HDFC Hybrid Equity has been a core part of my portfolio since September 2011, followed by Quantum Long Term Equity, which I began investing in from February 2013. More recently, I added the UTI Low Volatility Fund during its NFO, and it has already started showing promising performance. On the debt side, I hold ICICI Gilt Fund, which I added during a portfolio rebalance in February 2021. I also invested in Parag Parikh's Conservative Hybrid Fund (CHF), but later switched to their Dynamic Asset Allocation Fund (DAF) for greater tax efficiency. Do you hold gold in your portfolio? I've never been interested in holding gold in my retirement portfolio. Gold is as volatile as equities and adds complexity to portfolio management. But, I do have some indirect exposure to gold through a multi-asset fund in my son's education portfolio—originally ICICI Dynamic, now rebranded as the Multi-Asset Fund. For investors looking to add gold to their portfolios, a multi-asset fund is a smart and convenient option, as rebalancing is taken care of by the fund manager. Do you have any global diversification in your portfolio? Very limited. I have some exposure through the Parag Parikh Flexicap Fund, which once had about 30% allocated to international equities. However, due to RBI restrictions and a rise in the fund's assets under management (AUM), that has now dropped to around 10%. Given that equity makes up 58% of my portfolio, my global exposure is quite small. Personally, I prefer simplicity. More diversification means more complexity in maintaining allocation and rebalancing. It's fine for investors who understand how to manage that—but I'd rather keep it straightforward. Do you use credit cards? Yes, mainly for international payments related to my website, like buying plugins, and also for emergencies. It gives me a few weeks of leeway before paying. But I don't use it for rewards or discounts. I believe you can't build wealth by spending. Reward points are incentives for spending, and that's not how wealth is created. What kind of life and health insurance do you have? I have a total life insurance cover of ₹1.2 crore, split between an employer-provided policy and a personal term plan. Since my investments are meant to handle future liabilities, I haven't seen the need to increase it. For health insurance, my family—my spouse, son, and I—are covered under United India's Family Medicare Plan. Each of us holds an individual base policy of ₹25 lakh, with a ₹95 lakh super top-up, taking the total health cover to ₹1.2 crore. What is your target retirement corpus? I don't have a specific corpus goal. I monitor my withdrawal rate, which is now comfortably below the commonly recommended safe rate. If I were to retire today, my withdrawal rate would be below 3%, which is very sustainable. And the corpus is sufficient for my lifetime needs. Do you have any other financial goals? Yes, I have a separate portfolio for my son's education—covering both undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) studies. It's reasonably funded and managed in a manner similar to my retirement portfolio, though with slightly lower exposure to equities. Your message to the people who are planning their retirement? It's not just about achieving returns—though my portfolio has delivered around 13.6%—but about consistently increasing investments year after year. I've maintained an 18–19% step-up rate in investments annually since 2008. This rate of increasing my SIPs has had a more significant impact on wealth creation than the returns themselves. Even if most people can't manage that, aiming for at least a 5–10% increase each year can go a long way, especially if they resist lifestyle inflation. Simply relying on returns won't build wealth. A high return on a small investment won't get you far. For salaried individuals, increasing the amount you invest is more critical than chasing returns. Your message to the people who want to achieve FIRE? I prefer calling it 'financial independence' rather than retirement—because I still work, and I enjoy it. Many people either set extreme goals like retiring at 35 or assume they'll work forever. Both approaches carry risks. Without a clear plan or purpose after quitting a job, people often face mental and even physical health challenges. Financial independence shouldn't be an escape from a toxic job; it should be a move toward something purposeful and fulfilling. One of the biggest pitfalls I see is under-investment for retirement. People underestimate how much they'll need. My recommendation is to invest consistently—and to keep increasing your investments steadily over time. More importantly, retirement planning today is very different from what it was for our parents. Earlier generations could rely heavily on fixed income instruments and government schemes. But today's retirees must navigate market-linked instruments like mutual funds and equity, which require a certain level of expertise. Unfortunately, many investors—and even advisors—haven't fully adapted to this shift. A common mistake is taking on too much equity risk post-retirement. Allocating more than 30% of your corpus to equity after retirement can be dangerous unless you have a very large corpus. The key is maintaining the right asset allocation and following a conservative withdrawal strategy to ensure long-term financial stability. Are systematic withdrawal plans (SWPs) a good idea for retirees? They can be risky if not handled carefully. Many people use SWPs from equity funds without realising that market downturns will force them to sell more units, draining the portfolio faster. SWP backtests are misleading—they assume perfect past conditions. A better approach is to do SWPs from low-volatility funds and grow your equity portion gradually. Only if you have a very low withdrawal rate (like 1%), can you afford higher equity risk. What's your recommended bucket allocation for those planning retirement? I suggest using a bucket strategy to manage retirement savings more efficiently: If managed well, this structure allows for smart rebalancing—shifting gains from equities into the income bucket during bull markets—helping you maintain both growth and stability over time. That said, many investors today are overly optimistic and tend to ignore market risks. Take the sharp drop on election result day, for example—events like political instability or a fractured mandate can quickly derail market assumptions. It's crucial to remain realistic about long-term returns and focus on diversification, especially when managing your retirement nest egg. More from the Guru Portfolio series: Why PrimeInvestor's Srikanth Meenakshi prefers mutual funds to stocks Why Sumit Shukla has funds tied up in NPS tier-II, not MFs Large-caps & Reits: India's largest investment adviser's shifts
New Indian Express
02-06-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
Centre to launch ‘UMEED' portal on June 6 to streamline registration of Waqf properties
The Central Government is set to officially launch the Waqf UMEED (Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency, and Development) portal on 6 June, aimed at streamlining and digitising the registration and management of Waqf properties across India. This follows the enactment of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which received the Presidential assent from Droupadi Murmu on 5 April. According to sources, the UMEED portal has been designed to provide transparent and efficient online registration of Waqf properties. It also offers support services for individuals seeking information on the amended law and their rights or obligations under it. The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025 was passed in both Houses of Parliament following intense debate and heated exchanges between the ruling coalition and the Opposition. The legislation introduces stricter guidelines and procedural clarity around Waqf property registration and dispute resolution.
