Mutual Funds Solutions

Morrow Sodali Fund Solutions assists advisers and their fund boards in planning, targeting and executing mutual fund shareholder meetings using innovative tools such as the “Financial Advisor Program.”

Capabilities

Fund governance advisory

Shareholder constituency research

Scenario-based projections and analysis of proxy voting

Outreach and engagement with proxy advisors - Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) and Glass Lewis

Proprietary “Financial Advisor (FA) Program” to engage retail shareholders and their advisors

Strong relationships with leading law firms

Coordinating and interacting with insurance company investors and their clients

Full-service proxy solicitation

Proxy statement and associated document preparation and printing

Tabulation of proxy voting and certification of results

Presentation of analytics and results to senior management and fund boards

While many people have written off the mutual fund product given the introduction of ETFs and inexpensive online portfolio tools, there are still roughly 8,000 mutual funds operating in the US today. Every one of those funds is registered and has a board that oversees the governance of the fund. Every fund is also obligated to deliver a quorum of shareholders for any shareholder meeting along with the required percentage of votes to approve or reject the proposal on the ballot.

Any fund shareholder proxy begins with an understanding of the shareholder base. Morrow Sodali Fund Solutions conducts a thorough analytical vote projection as each fund is different. The strategy that works for one fund given its makeup may not work for the other funds in the same series. Morrow Sodali Fund Solutions has years of experience dealing with every conceivable fund composition. Even if most mutual fund beneficial shareholders are retail investors, voting does not always get passed down to the beneficial holder. Funds held in managed accounts or broker/dealer wrap programs are often voted by an agent such as Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS), so understanding how they perform their analysis and make recommendations is critical to many successful campaigns.

Since most mutual funds are now distributed through intermediaries such as wirehouses, RIAs or regional broker/dealers, the Morrow Sodali Fund Solutions FA Program deepens engagement with advisors and their client shareholders in order to secure both a quorum and the required vote.

* The “Financial Advisor (FA) Program” has been developed by Morrow Sodali Fund Solutions to target and engage the financial advisors whose clients are the shareholders in the funds impacted by a proxy vote.

Our Insights

Views on the News: Saba's Audacious Strategies Send Shockwaves Through the CEF Landscape

Game of Russian Roulette:  Saba's Audacious Strategies Send Shockwaves Through the CEF Landscape...
17 Aug 2023

MORROW SODALI’S QUARTERLY ACTIVIST OWNERSHIP ANALYSIS (Q2 2023)

​​​Request a copy of Morrow Sodali Top 40 Activist Quarterly Ownership Analysis.
...
Our News

14 Dec 2022 DI COSTA PARTNERS BECOMES MORROW SODALI FUND SOLUTIONS

Morrow Sodali Furthers its Corporate Vision of “Building Together” into One, United Brand

22 Apr 2022 Closed-end Fund Boards Should Brace for Heightened Activism

In this piece Steve Messinger makes the case why Closed-end Fund Boards should brace for heightened activism.

01 Dec 2021 Di Costa Partners Expands Registered Fund Proxy Advisory Consulting Practice, Appoints Alex Pulisic as Senior Advisor

Di Costa Partners, a strategic advisory company focused exclusively on registered funds, today announced the appointment of Alex Pulisic as Senior Advisor.

Capabilities

Fund governance advisory

Shareholder constituency research

Scenario-based projections and analysis of proxy voting

Outreach and engagement with proxy advisors - Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) and Glass Lewis

Proprietary “Financial Advisor (FA) Program” to engage retail shareholders and their advisors

Strong relationships with leading law firms

Coordinating and interacting with insurance company investors and their clients

Full-service proxy solicitation

Proxy statement and associated document preparation and printing

Tabulation of proxy voting and certification of results

Presentation of analytics and results to senior management and fund boards

Mutual Funds Solutions

Morrow Sodali Fund Solutions assists advisers and their fund boards in planning, targeting and executing mutual fund shareholder meetings using innovative tools such as the “Financial Advisor Program.”

While many people have written off the mutual fund product given the introduction of ETFs and inexpensive online portfolio tools, there are still roughly 8,000 mutual funds operating in the US today. Every one of those funds is registered and has a board that oversees the governance of the fund. Every fund is also obligated to deliver a quorum of shareholders for any shareholder meeting along with the required percentage of votes to approve or reject the proposal on the ballot.

Any fund shareholder proxy begins with an understanding of the shareholder base. Morrow Sodali Fund Solutions conducts a thorough analytical vote projection as each fund is different. The strategy that works for one fund given its makeup may not work for the other funds in the same series. Morrow Sodali Fund Solutions has years of experience dealing with every conceivable fund composition. Even if most mutual fund beneficial shareholders are retail investors, voting does not always get passed down to the beneficial holder. Funds held in managed accounts or broker/dealer wrap programs are often voted by an agent such as Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS), so understanding how they perform their analysis and make recommendations is critical to many successful campaigns.

Since most mutual funds are now distributed through intermediaries such as wirehouses, RIAs or regional broker/dealers, the Morrow Sodali Fund Solutions FA Program deepens engagement with advisors and their client shareholders in order to secure both a quorum and the required vote.

* The “Financial Advisor (FA) Program” has been developed by Morrow Sodali Fund Solutions to target and engage the financial advisors whose clients are the shareholders in the funds impacted by a proxy vote.

Our Insights

Views on the News: Saba's Audacious Strategies Send Shockwaves Through the CEF Landscape

Game of Russian Roulette:  Saba's Audacious Strategies Send Shockwaves Through the CEF Landscape...
17 Aug 2023

MORROW SODALI’S QUARTERLY ACTIVIST OWNERSHIP ANALYSIS (Q2 2023)

​​​Request a copy of Morrow Sodali Top 40 Activist Quarterly Ownership Analysis.
...
Our News

14 Dec 2022 DI COSTA PARTNERS BECOMES MORROW SODALI FUND SOLUTIONS

Morrow Sodali Furthers its Corporate Vision of “Building Together” into One, United Brand

22 Apr 2022 Closed-end Fund Boards Should Brace for Heightened Activism

In this piece Steve Messinger makes the case why Closed-end Fund Boards should brace for heightened activism.

01 Dec 2021 Di Costa Partners Expands Registered Fund Proxy Advisory Consulting Practice, Appoints Alex Pulisic as Senior Advisor

Di Costa Partners, a strategic advisory company focused exclusively on registered funds, today announced the appointment of Alex Pulisic as Senior Advisor.