The unsettling events that have occurred since the bursting of the US housing market bubble in 2007 have created a tough and challenging business climate for financial advisers and planners across the UK.

Since becoming a sponsor of the Institute of Financial Planning four years ago, Pictet has sought to provide IFP members with the investment insight and services they require to get through this difficult period.

Listening to our clients and providing investors with the guidance and products that help them meet their long-term investment needs have been defining features of our organisation since its founding in 1805.

By adhering to these principles, we have also established a strong track record in the development of innovative yet durable investment products, and offer a broad range of active and passive strategies.

Our active products cover the majority of established asset classes, from emerging markets bonds through to developed market equities, but also include more specialised areas such as thematic, commodity-related, funds.

Our narrower range of passive offerings, meanwhile, includes BRIC emerging equities index funds as well as European and Pacific index- trackers.

Most recently, Pictet has focused its efforts on finding ways to help investors secure attractive levels of income – an important addition to any diversified portfolio but one that is in increasingly short supply.

The implementation of ultra-loose monetary policies in the US and UK has helped push yields on a range of fixed income securities to their lowest level on record.

It is against this backdrop that Pictet has developed a range of income-focused equity and high-yield bond funds – products that offer investors the opportunity to secure attractive levels of income without taking on excessive levels of risk.

We look forward to further strengthening our relationship with the Institute of Financial Planning and its members and hope for more discussions with Financial Planners and Paraplanners throughout 2012 to better understand your requirements.

We hope to see you all at IFP events over the coming year