How we design truly bespoke investment portfolios
8th August 2025
At Brigantia, every investment portfolio we create is unique to the client. That’s not a marketing line, it’s the reality of how we work. I’ve never understood the industry obsession with “model portfolios” or, worse, one single portfolio that gets handed to every client with a few tweaks around the edges. It might be efficient for the adviser, but it’s not tailored to the client. You can’t realistically take the huge range of client circumstances and needs and neatly file everyone into one of five pre-set boxes.
The alternative, of course, is a much bigger job. There are around 12,000 mutual funds between the UK and US alone, and that’s before you even look at other markets. So how do we get from 12,000+ options down to a practical portfolio that works for each client?
Our process starts with a quarterly refresh of what we call our “fund shortlist”. This isn’t a fixed menu of products, but a curated list of around 60–80 funds that meet our standards. It covers everything from our core allocation of low-cost passive “fund of funds” and ETFs, to carefully chosen active managers, sector specialists, and absolute return strategies. When relevant, Bitcoin also features as part of our alternatives.
We maintain separate shortlists for funds denominated in USD, GBP, and EUR. This matters because not every fund is available in every currency, and currency risk is something we work to minimise. Ideally, most or all of a client’s holdings will be in the same currency as their account, avoiding unnecessary volatility from exchange rate moves.
Our process starts with a quarterly refresh of what we call our “fund shortlist”. This isn’t a fixed menu of products, but a curated list of around 60–80 funds that meet our standards. It covers everything from our core allocation of low-cost passive “fund of funds” and ETFs, to carefully chosen active managers, sector specialists, and absolute return strategies. When relevant, Bitcoin also features as part of our alternatives.
We maintain separate shortlists for funds denominated in USD, GBP, and EUR. This matters because not every fund is available in every currency, and currency risk is something we work to minimise. Ideally, most or all of a client’s holdings will be in the same currency as their account, avoiding unnecessary volatility from exchange rate moves.
From there, we build the first draft of a client’s portfolio. Sometimes, that first version ends up being the final one. In other cases, it’s the start of a conversation. Some clients already have preferences about certain sectors or regions. Some have strong views about particular investments. When that happens, our job is to explore the idea, assess whether it’s worth including, and, crucially, decide if it’s strong enough to improve overall performance. A good idea on paper doesn’t always translate into meaningful portfolio benefit in practice.
This is where our work becomes highly collaborative. We refine the portfolio with the client until we’re both confident it’s the right fit. More than that, we make sure the client feels it’s their portfolio, not something they’ve been handed with no explanation.
For those who want to learn, this process is educational as well as constructive. It helps clients see exactly where their money is going and why. That knowledge gives them greater confidence, and that confidence means they can focus on the bigger picture - knowing the investment side of their plan is working hard towards their goals.
Bespoke portfolios take more time and effort than slotting clients into a model, but we believe they lead to better understanding, stronger engagement, and better outcomes. That’s why we do it this way.
This is where our work becomes highly collaborative. We refine the portfolio with the client until we’re both confident it’s the right fit. More than that, we make sure the client feels it’s their portfolio, not something they’ve been handed with no explanation.
For those who want to learn, this process is educational as well as constructive. It helps clients see exactly where their money is going and why. That knowledge gives them greater confidence, and that confidence means they can focus on the bigger picture - knowing the investment side of their plan is working hard towards their goals.
Bespoke portfolios take more time and effort than slotting clients into a model, but we believe they lead to better understanding, stronger engagement, and better outcomes. That’s why we do it this way.