Education is a critical component of shareholder reporting. ABN-AMRO Funds asked Eve to propose a four-part series about the need to adequately prepare for retirement. Eve recommended four distinct topics, the first of which was the longer lifespans of most Americans. To prepare for each piece, she conducted her own research and then wrote 500- to 600-word articles that included footnotes. The articles were quickly approved by upper management and the legal/compliance department.
“[Eve]’s been a contributing writer for our FUNDFacts publication for years. Every article is thoroughly researched and footnoted – making the compliance review seamless. I rely on Eve’s timely suggestions and appreciate her input; the result being relevant and insightful articles for our shareholders.”
Laurie Lynch
Vice President –
Marketing
Aston Asset Management
Chicago, IL, USA
Sometimes the depth of an investor’s knowledge is taken for granted. ABN-AMRO Funds (now Aston Asset Management) wanted to make sure that shareholders understood the role of the Federal Reserve Board. The firm called on Eve to write an article about the Fed, how it controls American monetary policy, and how its decisions can affect the capital markets. Because her 600-word article was fully sourced, it was quickly approved by legal and compliance.
Aston Funds
Using a “white article” to explain the 2008 financial crisis.
For
many investors, the 2008 financial crisis was a surprise. In October 2008,
Aston Funds asked Eve to write an article about the origins of the crisis
and how it was affecting the financial markets. Without making specific
recommendations, Eve also offered tips on how investors could maintain
their perspective in the volatile investment environment. This “white
article” appeared on Aston’s website.
Bear Stearns Asset
Management
Profiling a portfolio management team for a client publication.
Many investment firms create publications to educate and inform their clients. Bear Stearns Asset Management asked Eve to write an article about their small cap value team for their client publication, Focus on the Manager. Eve interviewed the co-portfolio managers individually. Her article explained their investment philosophy and approach and gave readers a sense of their personalities. As a result of her efforts, Eve was quickly asked to write a profile of another team.
Can you manage the behavior of reporters, editors and producers? Yes, says Gerard Braud. Eve interviewed him for Communication World, the magazine of the International Association of Business Communicators. Her article, “Penetrating the Media’s Psyche,” presented his views and illustrated how his techniques work in practice. The article was so effective that a number of readers were motivated to write in response.
Successful financial advisors seem to inspire unswerving loyalty in their clients. How do they build such enduring relationships? Eve provided some answers to that question in an article for The Monitor, the newsletter of the Investment Management Consultants’ Association. In “Practice Management: The Loyalty Equation,” she recommended seven techniques that can help advisors create a business model based on client loyalty.
Investment analysts pride themselves on the processes they use to choose opportunities for their clients. M&T Investment Group wanted to showcase the thematic approach they take to their top-down analysis of equity ideas. In the autumn of 2004, they were applying seven equity themes and sought to describe one of them – Sanctuary – in their client magazine, Financial Focus. Eve worked with the primary architects of the approach, helping them explain how they identified Sanctuary as a theme and the ways in which they applied it to their investment decision-making.
To support their client relationships, many financial firms publish newsletters. Meeder Asset Management asked Eve to write an entire issue of its client newsletter, Financial Reflexions. Within two weeks, Eve wrote a total of three articles. One was on the firm’s Total Return Utility Fund and another was about the annual shareholder reception. The third – on common investing pitfalls – was so well received that the firm moved it from page 4 to page 1.
Prudential International Investments
Writing about the Greek debt crisis as it unfolded
Prudential International Investments asked Eve to write an article about the Greek debt crisis although the situation was still in flux. On a quick turnaround, she wrote an overview of the crisis plus a sidebar Q&A with the firm’s chief investment strategist. Because of Eve’s familiarity with compliance issues, the article was quickly approved. It was immediately distributed as a PDF to the firm’s offices and enthusiastically received by the sales force.
Financial advisors want to be kept abreast of events that affect the capital markets. In this case, the advisors were based outside of the United States and were concerned about the prospects for the U.S. real estate market, largely because of media reports about a housing “bubble.” Eve wrote a 1,000-word article for Market Matters, Prudential’s newsletter for international advisors, that put the residential-housing slowdown into perspective and discussed the commercial real estate market, which is more pertinent to REITs and real estate securities. The article quickly passed muster with subject-matter experts at Prudential, and Eve was immediately asked to write about another topic for the next issue of Market Matters.
“…we turned to Eve because of her writing skill and financial industry knowledge. She wrote [an article on real estate securities] – the sum total of our Market Matters newsletter, laying out the issues for an audience of international financial advisors. She did it all without any access to our subject matter experts and they were impressed with her work – giving her article a thumbs up.”
Natalie Kim
Marketing Communications
Prudential International Investments
Newark, NJ, USA
Prudential International Investments
Preparing for a new American president.
International investors were riveted by the 2008 U.S. Presidential campaign. Prudential International Investments wanted to be ready immediately after the election with timely information about the policies of the incoming president. Eve wrote two articles – one about Barack Obama and the other about John McCain – based on an analysis by Prudential International’s chief investment officer of the candidates’ platforms. On the day after the vote, Eve fine-tuned the article on President-elect Obama for distribution to the company’s international offices.
