Who cares about fund performance, right? Cogent Research's 2009 Investor Brandscape indicates combined perceptions of a firm's financial stability and range of products is a more significant driver of customer loyalty than perceptions about short- and mid-term, as well as consistency of investment performance.
"Everyone understands investors want and expect to see strong investment performance. That's a given," says Antonio Ferreira, managing director of Cogent's wealth management group. "But in a broad market decline and in such uncertain times, investors are obviously looking for a safe harbor. Frankly, they want assurance that companies they invest with today will still be here tomorrow. And when they find a partner they trust, investors want enough options within a fund family to suit more of their changing investment needs."
