Viewpoints

Articles written by industry professionals for Fund Board Views, may be opinion, commentary, educational/instructional.

Fund Boards: AI oversight of third-party vendors is key

By Joyce Li, CFA

As artificial intelligence rapidly transforms the financial services landscape, mutual fund boards face a growing imperative to ensure that third-party service providers' AI practices align with the funds' standards and investors' best interests. With vendors increasingly leveraging AI for critical functions such as data management, investment technology, and customer service, ... >> CONTINUE READING <<<

OpEd: Why fund boards should discuss, promote financial literacy

By Linda Davis Taylor, Morningstar Funds Trust

April is Financial Literacy Month. At first blush, the connection between financial literacy and the work of independent mutual fund directors may not be evident. But the common element between the two is the investing public—specifically, those individuals whose financial welfare is impacted by their experiences as owners of mutual ... >> CONTINUE READING <<<

Oversight of distribution: M&A, the importance of sales teams, and more

By John Krieg, CFA, CAIA, CIFD

The investment management distribution landscape is intricate and ever evolving, reflecting the maturity of the industry. Investment managers recognize that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to distribution, leading to the adoption of diverse distribution strategies. In the first two of a series of three articles, we provided an overview of ... >> CONTINUE READING <<<

Oversight of distribution: An examination of the current environment

By John Krieg, CFA, CAIA, CIFD

The investment management distribution landscape is intricate and ever evolving, reflecting the maturity of the industry. Investment managers recognize that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to distribution, leading to the adoption of diverse distribution strategies. In the first of a series of three articles, we provided an overview of a ... >> CONTINUE READING <<<

A guide to helping fund boards improve oversight of distribution

By John Krieg, CFA, CAIA, CIFD

The investment management distribution landscape is intricate and ever evolving, reflecting the maturity of the industry. Investment managers recognize that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to distribution, leading to the adoption of diverse distribution strategies. In this first in a series of three articles, we begin with an overview of ... >> CONTINUE READING <<<

How fund boards can help assess third-party supplier cyber risks

By Catherine Nelson

An increasingly prominent cybersecurity weak spot for mutual fund organizations is a system breach outside the organization’s direct control. Some reports have suggested that over half of organizational security breaches in the past 12 months stemmed from the organization’s supply chain or a third-party. These third-party software breaches underscore how ... >> CONTINUE READING <<<