Dimensional makes its way into the UMA space

Dimensional is helping advisors reach a new level of portfolio flexibility as it takes its first steps into the world of UMAs.

On Tuesday, Dimensional Fund Advisors announced that it has launched a unified managed account platform aimed at helping independent advisors scale their operations and customize investments with greater flexibility.

The UMA platform, which evolved from Dimensional’s previous separately managed accounts platform, now includes over a thousand non-Dimensional ETFs in addition to Dimensional’s 38 ETFs and SMAs.

With the expanded capability, the asset manager is empowering more advisors to create personalized asset allocations with a blend of ETFs and direct individual securities, all managed within a single account.

Dave Butler, Dimensional co-chief executive officer, said the move builds on the firm’s 30-year history of helping independent financial advisors deliver better investment experiences while growing their businesses.

“Transforming our SMA platform into a UMA platform supports advisors by reducing operational burdens and increasing their capacity to deepen client relationships at scale,” Butler said in a statement.

The new UMA platform allows advisors to build ETF-only portfolios or combine ETFs with other securities within one account, while Dimensional helps facilitate portfolio management by managing daily asset allocation, tax considerations, and cash balances.

Dimensional’s UMA offering also provides advisors with the tools to create diverse and personalized asset allocations by blending various investment structures. Allocations can be tailored to an investor’s specific needs, including equity and fixed income allocations, regional focus, and expected returns.

Additionally, the SMAs within the platform can be adjusted for individual tax management, ESG values, and preferences regarding specific stocks, industries, sectors, or countries.

“With UMAs, financial advisors can customize and scale by combining different asset classes, securities, and vehicles in a single account,” said Savina Rizova, Dimensional’s co-chief investment officer and global head of research.

The firm’s UMAs also create opportunities for tax efficient investing, Rizova said, by considering all holdings at the tax lot level during portfolio rebalancing, loss harvesting, and addressing specific client situations such as cash raises and gifting. Users can expect enhancements to the UMA platform in the near future, Dimensional said, with plans to introduce mutual fund capabilities and expanded model management functionality.