Investment Solutions
Through partnership with financial advisers, we offer a range of Risk Rated Model Portfolios. The portfolios have been built around a single core investor proposition: to preserve the real value of their assets over time and replicate selective asset performance at low cost.
Our Model Portfolios have been awarded the highest 5 Star Risk Rating by Defaqto. In addition, the portfolios are available on a wide range of platforms including Standard Life, Fidelity Funds Network Fundment, Aviva, Aegon, Zurich, Transact and Embark.
OUR PROPOSITION
Asset Allocation
Introducing AB Income Architect
Modern retirement-income modelling for financial advisers
No commitment required | Designed for UK adviser firms
Academically grounded. Practically applied. Personally relevant.
The Problem
The tools advisers rely on today were not designed for retirement income decision making
Advisers typically operate across multiple systems — cashflow tools for long-term planning, risk tools for suitability, and platforms for execution. However, when it comes to the real retirement decisions, a clear gap remains.
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Cashflow tools support high-level, long-term planning — but rarely optimised for the practical mechanics of drawdown
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Risk tools assess suitability and volatility but are disconnected from ongoing withdrawal sustainability
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Platforms enable execution — but lack a dedicated retirement-income analysis layer in between planning and implementation
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Spreadsheets are used to bridge the gap but are inefficient, hard to audit, and difficult to scale
Can your current retirement income process consistently and accurately answer the following?
1.
How much can a client safely withdraw without running out of money?
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Which model portfolio performs best in retirement conditions in terms of longevity and sustainability?
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When should annuities be introduced, and at what allocation?
4.
How do multiple income streams — pension, state pension, rental income to deliver a reliable income?
The Solution
The AB Income Architect tool fills the critical gap between planning and implementation
The ABP Income Architect is unique in the market at the point of issue. It has been developed in collaboration with two leading professors and academics.
The methodology is grounded in peer-reviewed research on retirement income sustainability and sequence-of-returns risk.
Core Capabilities
Everything an adviser needs to design better retirement outcomes
Sustainable Withdrawal Modelling
Model retirement income under real-world conditions using historical sequence data.
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Portfolio longevity projections
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Sequence-of-returns risk analysis
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Dynamic withdrawal strategies
Model Portfolio Comparison
Understand how different portfolios behave in retirement — not just in accumulation.
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Compare multiple MPS options
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Assess longevity and income stability
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Align portfolio choices to client outcomes
Annuity & Drawdown Blending
Move beyond all-or-nothing decisions with flexible, blended income modelling.
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Escalating, joint-life annuities-Level
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Partial annuitisation scenarios
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Income floor modelling
Multi-Income Planning
Bring all retirement income sources into a single unified view
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State pension & DB pensions
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Rental income & part-time earnings
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Investment withdrawals & annuities
Consumer Duty-Ready Outputs
Produce evidence-based retirement strategies with structured inputs and audit-ready outputs.
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Clear scenario comparisons
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Audit-friendly PDF export
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PDF export history
Real & Nominal Views
View outcomes in both cash terms and inflation-adjusted real purchasing power simultaneously.
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Configurable inflation rate
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Real-terms discounting
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Side-by-side comparison
The Methodology
Built on academic rigour, stress-tested against history
Unlike tools that rely on simple Monte Carlo simulations, AB Income Architect uses a rolling historical simulation engine — stress-testing every plan against every market sequence that has occurred. The result is defensible, evidence-based, and auditable.
Academic Foundations
Professor Andrew Clare
Professor of Asset Management, Bayes Business School, City, University of London
Andrew is the Professor of Asset Management at Bayes Business School. He is also a Trustee Director of the BTPS Pension Scheme, where he serves on the Investment Committee.
Prior to joining Bayes Andrew was a Senior Research Manager in the Monetary Analysis wing of the Bank of England which supported the work of the Monetary Policy Committee. Andrew also worked as the Financial Economist for Legal and General Investment Management (LGIM). He is the co-author of “The Trustee Guide to Investment” and has published extensively in both academic and practitioner journals on a wide range of economic and financial market issues.
He is also the author of “The Old Lady”, a comedy-thriller set in the Bank of England.
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Dr Stephen Thomas
Professor of Finance, Bayes Business School, City, University of London
Steve Thomas is Professor of Finance at Bayes Business School, London, and previously held academic positions at the Universities of Wales and Southampton. He is the author of more than 100 journal articles published in leading international economics and finance journals, as well as the official CFA text accompanying the Investment Management Certificate qualification, now in its 25th edition.
He has served on the boards of several investment firms, including as a director of the Bear Stearns Global Macro hedge fund and Firecrest Hambro, a private client advisory boutique. Alongside Andrew Clare, he co-founded Solent Systematic Investment Strategies, which develops investment rules and software for financial advisers and investment managers.
Steve has received numerous international awards for his investment research.
Workflow
Works with your existing tools,
no replacement needed
AB Income Architect slots into your existing adviser workflow as the dedicated retirement-income optimisation layer.
Plan
Use Voyant or CashCalc for high-level financial planning and cashflow
Assess Risk
Use Dynamic Planner or your preferred risk profiling tool for suitability
Optimise
Test withdrawal sustainability, compare portfolios, model annuities, blend income sources
Implement
Execute on your platform of choice
Product Experience
Built for speed, clarity, and real-world usage
Clean adviser-friendly interface. Scenario comparison in seconds. Exportable reports for client discussions. Every screen designed for the moment that matters.
