IU was officially formed in Sydney in 2012, by its Founder & Strategist Adam La Vars, following a financial markets career originally beginning in 2001; being licensed in Securities & Derivatives, under ASIC Regulatory Guidelines, since 2006.

More about licensing, contact details are here.

Our core business is in the provision of managed strategy portfolios – for those who are looking for a tailorable & reliable hands-off investment.

For those who wish to take a hands-on approach, we provide quality-focussed analysis, alerts, education & consultancy.

For the Managed Strategy Portfolio service:

By industry standards, we consider our approach to be very conservative. Our approach has avoided all major market turmoil and equities market ‘crashes’, since inception.

Ultimately, while we cannot control whether markets provide sufficient opportunities for continued profit – we can control risk, very precisely.

As such, we assure clients that they an expect very highly controlled downside risk, with strategic exposure to profit, as an absolute minimum.

Nonetheless, terms such as ‘conservative’ and ‘aggressive’ are extremely subjective; being very much personal and specific to the individual client.

Therefore, this conservative, stability-focussed approach can be employed at tailored levels on any client account. This allows a client to simply request a higher/lower level, thereby increasing/decreasing both their risk and reward potential – without changing the actual approach/strategy.

Any custom setting can be adjusted at any stage, with many clients preferring simply to begin at default moderate/conservative levels.

For self-directed clients (VIP Reports subscribers):

Most opportunities shared with VIP clients are based upon the analysis and decision-making-processes employed within the Managed Strategy Portfolio. VIP clients can then employ them at the risk levels they wish, on their own account/s.

From time to time, opportunities in the VIP Reports service will be higher risk:reward – beyond the levels employed in the Managed Strategy Portfolio. Additional emphasis upon the risk:reward considerations will be given, for these types of opportunities.

A large portion are retirees or those in preparation for. The majority of our clients seek a reliable, hands-off investment, with a focus upon long-term survivability and defensiveness. These clients prioritise risk-management, security of funds, transparency and access to cash.

A smaller portion of our clients are more risk-assertive. For them we offer the same robust approach, but with higher risk multiples applied for greater growth potential.

All clients benefit from quality-focussed education and updates, at least for the sake of transparency. Guest members have ongoing access to such, at no cost nor obligation.

For clients looking for enhanced guidance, analysis and education – we offer a VIP service providing this and more.

Despite any ASIC accreditation, we neither require nor accept (nor have any access to) client funds. Client funds are deposited directly to a partnering broker. Clients invested in a managed strategy portfolio would authorise us to connect (synchronise) their account to the master portfolio.

Our primary partners are first-tier Australian brokers only, and are the largest and most well-established of their kinds. Client funds are held in segregated client trust accounts, under maximum protection of ASIC client money laws. Funds held by partner brokers are with top-tier Australian banks, though the client is not required to directly establish any additional bank accounts.

In almost all cases, the broker application process is 100% digital, and takes 10-15 minutes to complete.

Once established, the client submits a short additional form, authorising us to connect their account. From this point, the client account receives orders along with the rest of the clients, according to the strategy portfolio.

For the Managed Strategy Portfolio, there are no establishment, management, performance, subscription, data or software fees. Managed accounts pay for their trades only. Rates can vary, depending upon the broker and amount deposited. Rates typically are less than 1.5x the broker’s standard rates.

Update: IU now offers a choice of cost-structures, in addition to the above. See MSP page for details.

Clients who wish to handle their own accounts simply pay the standard costs (no IU mark-ups), as charged by partnering brokers.

For our VIP service – which is primarily for those who wish to handle their own accounts – we charge a monthly/annual subscription; although this can potentially be waived if the client chooses to use a partnering broker for their trading.

For the sake of maximum risk-mitigation, the world’s largest and most liquid markets are favoured. This includes US equities, global equity indices, and a large focus upon major global currency markets; varying according to service type.

The suggested minimum for the Managed Strategy Portfolio service is $10,000 (AUD/equivalent).

Clients with a higher risk tolerance may start with less; with the understanding that their account may, at times, experience the same profit/loss fluctuations as a $10,000 account.

Those looking to handle their own accounts, naturally, may start with any amount they like, according to minimums set by brokers, which can range from $500 – $10,000, depending on the broker and account-type.

Since its inception, IU has a always had a strong belief in communicating ideas through education. By making full use of today’s technology, our commitment to the utmost possible transparency, and ongoing client-relationship development, can be maximised.

Guest Membership access is complimentary, 100% free of:

A) Cost
B) Obligation
C) Any kind of SPAM or typical guru nonsense — guaranteed

To learn more about specifics relating to the market, approach, performance concepts, risk management and more:

1) Contact us here – or message us in the lower-right corner
2) Book a time to talk in detail – message in the lower-right corner
3) Join as a Guest Member and/or for the IU Academy (free – here)