Managed Futures

Managed futures may be appropriate for investors seeking the addition of greater diversification to their traditional portfolios with a long-term investment horizon. Managed futures allow investors the potential to gain exposure to markets and strategies uncorrelated with traditional asset types and can also provide insight into the trading of a professionally managed account.

In addition, institutional investors are increasingly allocating capital to managed futures. These investors may include pension funds, endowments, and family offices. However, managed futures may not be right for everyone, and it is important for an investor to understand all the risks involved before investing in managed futures. 

Managed futures are not a short-term investment. It is important to note that managed futures should be considered a long-term investment and one that should be added to a traditional portfolio for greater diversification. This is primarily due to the cyclical nature of markets, which affects all investments.

Even managed futures programs that are very successful have periods of losses or “draw-downs.” This is why it is recommended that managed accounts be maintained for at least one year and ideally for at least a three-year commitment. They should not be viewed as short-term investments or something that should be traded in and out of quickly.

CTAs are regulated by both the federal Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and the National Futures Association (NFA), which is a congressionally authorized, self-regulatory organization within the futures industry. All CTAs must be registered with the CFTC, and those managing customer accounts must be members of the NFA. The NFA and CFTC do not verify trading performance, and registration in no way means that the CTA’s documents have been “approved.” For more information, please visit www.cftc.gov and www.nfa.futures.org.  

A Disclosure Document is required by the NFA and CFTC for specific types of CTAs. The document describes the CTA’s trading program, risks, fees, past performance, manager profiles, rules, and other relevant details. CTAs are required to update their Disclosure Documents at a minimum of every nine months. Updates may be more frequent if significant changes are made to their trading programs. Each CTA Disclosure Document is different and should be read before investing. Certain types of CTAs are exempt from the requirement of producing a formal Disclosure Document. Exemptions are usually based on the type of investor the CTA intends as his clientele. 

Generally speaking, most CTAs charge a 2% annual management fee and a 20% annual, performance-based incentive fee. These fees can vary among managers depending on trading strategy and CTA philosophy.

For example, some CTAs may not charge a management fee but will increase their incentive fee to gain greater participation in upside performance. Depending on the investment size, fees may be negotiable. CTAs may have a fee scale that is dependent upon the net liquidity of the client account or the percentage that the program is profitable.

Lastly, in rare instances, CTAs may charge an accounting fee in addition to the management and incentive fees. All fees charged by a CTA are described in the CTA’s Disclosure Document and should be scrutinized carefully by both the broker and client before opening an account. Special approval processes apply to the broker’s participation. 

Management and incentive fees are typically deducted on a quartery basis from the client’s account based on the CTA’s gross performance. The incentive fee is applied to the month-over-month-end profits that are in excess of the previous “high-water mark.” The incentive fee is calculated net of all fees and commissions. Realized and unrealized (open equity) profits and losses are normally included in this calculation.

A high-water mark is the performance level that the CTA must exceed in order to charge incentive fees and typically is calculated net of brokerage commissions, exchange fees, and the CTA’s management fee and incentive fee payments.

For example, an account with a beginning value of $1,000 earns trading profits of $100 and pays a 20% incentive fee during the first billing cycle. The actual ending account value for that billing period is $1,080 ($1,000 + $100 - $20) and the CTA would report these gains as +8% (80/1,000). $1,080 would then be used as the high-water mark for the following billing period.

If the CTA made another $100 during the second billing period, the fees would again be $20 ($100 x 20%), leaving an account value of $1,160 ($1,080 + $100 - $20); $1,160 is now the new high-water mark. The performance would be reported as +7.4% ($80/$1080.)

Suppose that the CTA lost money during the third billing period. The high-water mark remains $1,160 and an incentive fee would not be charged again until the account value exceeded that amount. Management fees are charged regardless of performance or high-water mark, and are based on account value.

It is essential that an investor understand the fees inherent of managed accounts and the methodology used for their calculation. Fees are addressed in the CTA’s disclosure document and advisory agreements. 

Minimum investments via managed accounts can range from $10,000 to $50,000,000. In most cases, the longer and more prolific a CTA’s track record, the more likely it is that he or she will dictate a higher account minimum. The CTA’s target investment audience also influences required minimums. CTAs who predominantly work with high net worth individuals (HNWI) and institutional investors are likely to require higher account minimums. Additionally, many trading strategies require large investment amounts to work effectively. 

CTAs report performance net of all commissions and fees. Performance figures are commonly found in the CTA’s Disclosure Document and marketing materials. Customers will also receive confirmation and monthly statements from the clearing firm showing all activity in their accounts. 

Managed accounts normally do not entail lock-ups. Lock-ups are more likely to be found in fund products. If there is a lock-up, it will be referenced in the Disclosure Document.

Depending upon their investment structure, managed accounts may provide a great deal of transparency. The broker and the investor will be able to access both day-end and month-end statements of all trade activity and in some cases, intra-day activity.