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Welcome to the BlackRock site for wealth managers
Before you proceed, please take a moment to review and accept the following Terms and Conditions.
This section includes investor type descriptions for professional clients and market counterparties.
Professional client
A Professional Client is either: (i) a ‘deemed’ professional client; (ii) serviced-based professional client; or (iii) an assessed professional Client
(i) Deemed Professional Client
A person is a “deemed” professional client if the person is:
- a supranational organisation whose members are either countries, central banks or national monetary authorities
• a government, government agency, central bank or other national monetary authority of any country or jurisdiction
• a public authority or state investment body
• an Authorised Market Institution, Regulated Exchange or regulated clearing house
• a Regulated Financial Institution or the management company of a regulated pension fund;
• a Collective Investment Fund or a regulated pension fund;
• a corporate body whose shares are listed or admitted to trading on any exchange of an IOCSO member country
• trustee of a trust which has, or had during the previous 12 months, assets of at least $10 million;
• a Single Family Office licensed under the Single Family Office Regulations
• a person classified as a ‘large undertaking’ who meetstwoof the following criteria (i) a balance sheet total of at least $20 million; (ii) a net annual turnover of at least $40 million or (iii) own funds or called up capital of at least $2 million
(ii) Service-based Professional Clients
A person is a ‘serviced-based’ professional client if
- the services provided to the client is in relation to the provision of credit including arranging and/or advising on credit
• the services provided to the client relates to corporate structuring and financing such as advice relating to an acquisition, disposal, structuring, restructuring, financing or refinancing of a corporation or other legal entity i.e. takeovers, mergers and capital raising
(iii) Assessed-based Professional Clients
Assessed-based professional clients can be either (i) individuals; or (ii) undertakings
Individuals
An individual (and associated joint account holders) would be classified as an ‘assessed-based professional client’ if:
- the individual (and primary account holder, if relevant) has net assets of at least $1 million; and
• the individual is, or has been, an employee of an authorised firm or a regulated financial institution in the past two years; or
• the individual can provide evidence which demonstrates that they have sufficient knowledge and experience of relevant markets, products and associated risks
Where there is a joint account in place, the secondary account holder must obtain confirmation in writing that investment decisions relating to the joint account are made for or on behalf of the secondary account holder
Undertakings
Undertakings, which are generally not individuals, would be classified as ‘assessed-based’ professional clients if it:
- has own funds or called up capital of at least $1 million; and
• can evidence that they have sufficient knowledge and experience of relevant markets, products and associated risks
Market counterparties
A Market Counterparty is any person who is either:
- authorised firm;
• regulated financial institution; or
• professional client
Nested within iShares EMEA Investment Strategy, the Index Insights Solutions team helps investors build their own portfolios by selecting or analysing indices to implement their asset allocation views. Bridging the gap between top-down macro and bottom-up product selection, Index Insights promotes the vast range of indices tracked by iShares products.
Capital at risk. The value of investments and the income from them can fall as well as rise and are not guaranteed. Investors may not get back the amount originally invested.
Typical questions we hear
- How does tracking error compare across sustainable solutions?
- How do I select the right benchmark for my investment goals and strategy?
- Why do similar-sounding indices often perform so differently?
- Is my portfolio exposed to hidden risks? Am I missing hidden opportunities for better returns?
Need help evaluating an index?
Request an Index Insights consultation today.
Meet the Index Insights and Investment
Strategy team
Strategy team
Wei Li, CFA
iShares EMEA Head of Investment Strategy
Wei Li leads the team responsible for providing ETF and index investment trade ideas and market insights to institutional and wealth clients.
Read bio
Karim Chedid, CAIA
Investment Strategist
Richard Steel
Index Strategist
Natasha Sarkaria
Investment Strategist
Qassim Saeed
Investment Strategist
Jonathan Parker
Editor
Faerlie Wilson
Editor
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Wei Li, CFA
iShares EMEA Head of Investment Strategy
Wei Li leads the team responsible for providing ETF and index investment trade ideas and market insights to institutional and wealth clients.
Wei joined BlackRock in August 2010 from Citigroup London, where she was an equity derivatives trader responsible for the ETF and European trading books. Prior to that she began her career at Lehman Brothers in London as a rate sales trader.
As well as holding an MA (Hons) in Mathematics from the University of Cambridge, Wei is a two-time Mathematical Olympiad gold medalist.
To find out more about our latest macro views and implementation ideas, visit our Market & Index Insights hub.
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