Fidelity Institutional, which provides clearing, custody and investment management products
to registered investment advisors, broker-dealers, family offices and banks,
has unveiled a new alternative investments platform.

Fidelity Institutional is a division of Fidelity Investments and through the new offering will provide research, education and
third-party due diligence, as well as access to alternative
investment products.

Financial advisors and family office professionals
will now have access to a variety of alternative investment products including
hedge funds, private equity funds and ’40 Act mutual funds, Fidelity said. 

The new platform will also provide access to research
and third-party due diligence reports through strategic alliances with firm
such as CAIS, Goldman Sachs Asset Management and Morningstar.

In addition, through Fidelity’s Alternative
Investments Network, financial advisors and family office professionals will
have access to a list of alternative investment funds from third-party sponsors
with reduced custody fees.

Fidelity will also conduct several “Alternative
Investment Forums” to keep clients up to date on the changing landscape of
alternative investments.  The firm's alliances with CAIS, GSAM, and Morningstar will provide financial advisors and family office professionals with research
and education on alternative investments, it said.

Specifically, CAIS will provide access to hedge funds
at reduced minimums; independent third-party due diligence and monitoring
provided by Mercer; portfolio construction tools; and an automated electronic
subscription process. 

GSAM’s Alternative Investments & Manager Selection
Group will provide access to portfolios of external hedge fund and private
equity managers across various alternative investment strategies.

Morningstar, meanwhile, will power an education center and
provide analyst insights on how and when advisors and their clients might want
to use alternatives in their portfolios, as well as market research. Morningstar
Associates, an RIA, will provide a list of alternative mutual funds to
advisors.