July 21, 2017

Investing in a relationship

NAB Global Investment Desk can ensure you find the right investment proposition – particularly helpful if you don’t even know it exists.

While many clients feel comfortable discussing the ins and outs of their finances with their banker, they won’t necessarily have those same frank, in-depth conversations with someone on the investment side.

Yet there are very good reasons why it is just as important to build a more personal relationship here as well, says Gary Thorburn, Head of NAB Global Investment Desk. Not only are you more likely to understand the range of opportunities available, you might also gain a better understanding of what you really want – what investment solutions meet your individual needs.

Talk first, then act

Thorburn readily acknowledges that the wide range of investment solutions offered by NAB can be somewhat daunting.  “You’ve got solutions available from capital finance, nabtrade, NAB Equity Lending, JBWere, as well as other parts of the bank. So it’s actually quite hard for our clients to connect to the entire offering of the bank, simply because it’s spread across so many divisions.”

That’s where the NAB Global Investment Desk comes in. It provides a central point where you can discuss what you want and find out what’s available – before you wade into a vast array of investment opportunities offered across the NAB Group.

“We have many great investment offerings but they are only great if our clients connect with them,” says Thorburn.

He says the NAB Global Investment Desk is the perfect solution, particularly for the time poor investor.  “We know clients don’t have the time to meet all the different specialists before they realise what they want. This way we can introduce them to the appropriate specialist, or point in the bank, where they can have that deeper conversation.”

One size doesn’t fit all

By talking to someone first, you also have an opportunity to better understand what investment solutions will truly meet your needs.

“We want to get clients thinking about what they are really after,” says Thorburn. “Sometimes when we have a conversation, clients are adamant they want one thing. But when we talk about different propositions it turns out that what they want is actually something quite different.”

Given investing isn’t about a one size fits all approach, different coverage will suit different client profiles, depending on their goals, investment experience and risk levels, as well as their stage of life.

Big and small solutions

Of course, the NAB Global Investment Desk doesn’t have to be the place you go to for a full service solution. It’s a matter of meeting clients’ individual needs, says Thorburn, whether that’s detailed advice, or self-execution as an example.

If you have done your own research and are confident in your decisions, it may be that you simply want efficient execution. Not a problem, says Thorburn. “There are those clients who just want to trade on a platform to express their views. For them we have a nabtrade based solution.”

If you do want more support, however, it’s a matter of deciding how much. The NAB Global Investment Desk caters for the whole spectrum. “There will be clients who still want to have a chat with someone before they self-execute,” says Thorburn. “Again that’s a person who has done their own research, made their own enquiries, but still wants to have a discussion with someone around the general features and benefits of a product.

These clients fall under a general advice model. “That’s where we don’t take personal particulars into consideration for the conversation. We just talk factually about the products, the features, the benefits.”

Not everyone is keen to go it alone however. If you want personal advice, the NAB Global Investment Desk can introduce you to the specialists at JBWere. They will then work to understand your goals and objectives, providing you with individual guidance.

“Seeking personal advice doesn’t mean these clients are not confident in this space,” says Thorburn. “Quite the contrary. They probably know what they’re doing but they’re so time poor that they recognise the value of being able to outsource that and the confidence that someone can do that on their behalf.”

Finding your fit

Whether or not you would like personal advice, the most important thing is to understand the wide range of solutions on offer.

“Within the advised or non-advised world, there are subtleties and different coverage models depending on what the client is seeking,” says Thorburn. “Our role is to highlight to clients the various investment propositions and, based upon their requests, introduce them to the appropriate specialist.”

Indeed, the most frequent comment Thorburn hears when he explains NAB’s suite of offerings is: “I just didn’t know all this was available.” He has high hopes that the Global Investment Desk can help change that.

For more information, contact the NAB Global Investment Desk via email at globalinvestmentdesk@nab.com.au, call 1800 443 888 or speak to your banker.

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