A trusted investment partner for trustees and fiduciary businesses

VAR Capital has built long-standing relationships with large trust and fiduciary businesses based in locations including Switzerland, Jersey, Guernsey, Singapore and the Cayman Islands.

What often begins as managing investments for a small number of their clients grows over time into a substantial and mutually beneficial partnership. Our services complement those of the trust businesses, providing their clients with tailored investment management that sits alongside the broader wealth planning and fiduciary solutions they offer. These relationships are built on mutual trust, transparency and a shared commitment to client-focused outcomes.

Professional trustees and fiduciary businesses responsible for managing significant wealth on behalf of their clients, typically held in trust, foundation or investment company structures.

These partners require investment managers who understand fiduciary duty, maintain rigorous compliance standards and can work seamlessly within established governance frameworks. They seek a collaborative relationship with an investment partner whose professionalism reflects their own and who will not encroach on their core advisory services.

Trustees and fiduciary businesses face a particular set of requirements when selecting investment managers for their clients.

They need confidence that the manager will deliver strong performance while maintaining the transparency and accountability that fiduciary responsibility demands.

"I feel confident working as a trustee with VAR Capital because they understand what we do which is helpful. They're able to educate clients and see opportunities for us when they're talking to them."

Many trust companies have experienced frustration with larger investment managers who load portfolios with in-house products, lack fee transparency or apply standardised approaches regardless of individual client circumstances. Clients feel placed into risk buckets with model portfolios, with limited opportunity to influence asset selection or engage in meaningful dialogue about their wealth.

"Clients are used to being put into buckets with banks. They get their portfolio, but it's the same portfolio and risk profile as every other client. There's no opportunity to have a voice, to say, 'what do you think about this?' In contrast, VAR Capital is always a two-way conversation."

Professional trustees also need assurance that their investment partner will respect professional boundaries and complement rather than compete with their own services. The relationship must be built on integrity, with clear delineation of roles and genuine collaboration in serving the end client.

"I know they're not going to start doing Trust Services. They have the integrity not to have a little side gig somewhere and I think I am comfortable they've got our back as well."

VAR Capital approaches these relationships as genuine partnerships, recognising that our role is to enhance the service the trust company provides to their clients, not to replace or undermine it.

"It's an easy referral to them, because the investment performance is great, the relationship piece is fantastic and clients like their style and the individuals involved as well as the flexibility. Ultimately, though, they like the investment performance because the numbers have to stack up."

Our transparent approach resonates strongly with fiduciary partners. We invest directly in equities and bonds rather than placing client capital into funds, providing complete visibility over holdings and a clear rationale behind every investment decision.

"The other reason that clients like them is the transparency in terms of what's being invested in. There's always a story as to why they're buying whatever they're buying, and because they're buying individual equities rather than funds, clients who are business owners or corporate individuals themselves like the fact that there's a logic and a strategy behind what's being invested in."

The stability of our team is another key factor. Low staff turnover means consistent points of contact for both the trust company and their underlying clients, building familiarity and continuity over time.

"At the end of the day they treat every client as an individual and we know that each client will get individual service rather than just being lumped in. They will pick up the phone and speak to us, to our clients, make sure that there are investment calls and review packs sent regularly."

We maintain proactive communication with both clients and the trust businesses we work with, ensuring all parties remain fully informed about portfolio activity, performance and any interactions that involve their clients.

"When you work with some investment managers, as long as they've got the money they're happy, and unless you call them, they're not going to call you, whereas VAR Capital feels a bit more on top of things and proactive."

Our independence allows us to offer genuine flexibility in portfolio construction, avoiding the rigid model-based allocation that characterises many larger managers. We tailor portfolios around individual views, preferences and circumstances.

These collaborations are reciprocal and mutually beneficial.

VAR Capital refers clients to trust and fiduciary businesses when appropriate, and they refer clients to us, creating a seamless and trustworthy network for everyone involved.

"VAR Capital's investment performance was great. I've introduced further clients to them, and we've had a very healthy relationship in terms of them introducing some of their clients to us as well."

Both firms share the same ethos: prioritising integrity, diligence and long-term client relationships. Through this partnership, we deliver a level of service that enhances the experience and outcomes for the clients we collectively serve.

"A client might not like something we're doing, and I have confidence in VAR Capital to say, actually, there's a reason they have to do that and this is why they're doing it, and backing us up if there was a client conflict at any point."

Our active, research-led approach to portfolio management appeals to trustees who value ongoing monitoring and willingness to adapt. We do not sit passively on positions while fundamentals deteriorate.

The relationship extends beyond pure portfolio management. We engage holistically, whether advising on private equity opportunities, property purchases or broader asset mix considerations.

"They're not just focused on the straightforward investment portfolio. They are looking at other things, whether it be a private equity deal, whether it's private debt, property purchase, advising clients on their broader asset mix or having a look at other assets outside the investment portfolio, effectively, for free. They're definitely all over that."