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Fund of funds meaning

What does Fund of funds mean?
A fund of funds is an investment fund that pools investor commitments and invests primarily in other funds rather than holding assets directly. In private equity and other alternatives, it is a specialist allocator that selects, diligences and commits to multiple underlying managers. The term is a descriptive market expression (not generally defined in legislation or case law), but is recognised across fund formation and regulatory practice. Key features include portfolio diversification by manager, strategy, geography and vintage; potential access to otherwise closed funds through the manager’s relationships; and professional monitoring of underlying funds. Drawbacks include a double layer of management and performance fees, longer cash flow profiles, reduced control over underlying assets and possible liquidity constraints. Across England & Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Ireland, usage is consistent. Structures commonly include limited partnerships and other AIF vehicles; UCITS/retail schemes can also operate funds-of-funds strategies. Applicable rules (for example under FCA and Central Bank of Ireland regimes and AIFMD/UCITS) address eligibility of target schemes, concentration limits, disclosure of charges to avoid double charging, due diligence and, for AIFs, look-through reporting. The term appears in offering memoranda, limited partnership agreements and investor due diligence.
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View the related Checklists about Fund of funds

CHECKLISTS
Trust litigation and administration—multi-jurisdictional case digest covering validity, constructive trusts, breach, defences, appointments, disclosure, construction/rectification, mistake, powers, indemnity and costs, insolvency, enforcement and ADR

Existence and validity of trusts Provincial Equity Finance Ltd v Dines (née Breda) [2023] EWHC 103 (Ch) News Analysis: A literary epigraph—‘By prosperous voyages I often made… and the great care of goods at random left’—introduces a consideration of resulting trusts and the scope of express trusts. The decision underscores the practical obstacles in proving a resulting trust where a disorganised deceased ran bank accounts for mixed ends, and confirms that an express trust can override the presumption of a resulting trust even if the contributor of funds is not a party to the express trust. Author: Nicholas Holland, McDermott Will & Emery UK LLP Jurisdiction: England & Wales Attorney General v Zedra Fiduciary Services (UK) Ltd and others [2022] EWHC 102 (Ch) News Analysis: The court sanctioned a cy près scheme for a £600m charitable trust to be used towards reducing the National Debt, addressing the suitable application of the National Fund. The judgment considers...

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CHECKLISTS
2013 FCA consultation papers tracker (UK): summaries, consultation periods, and final outcomes (Policy Statements, Handbook Notices, rules and guidance) [Archived]

This tracker outlines the consultation papers issued by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in 2013, together with notice of any later rules and guidance published. For FCA consultation papers from different years, see: FCA consultation paper trackers. For Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) and Financial Services Authority (FSA) consultation papers, see: PRA consultation paper tracker [Archived] FSA consultation paper tracker [Archived] Topic area: Consumer credit; Disclosure and transparency; Supervision; Funds CP13/18: Quarterly Consultation Paper No. 3 The FCA proposed to: make small changes associated with transferring consumer credit regulation from the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) to the FCA (chapter 2) bring in an administrative fee to recover costs arising from listed issuers’ late publication of periodic financial statements under the Disclosure and Transparency Rules (DTRs) (chapter 3) broaden the ability of authorised fund managers and others to communicate with unit-holders electronically, including via website-based communications (chapter 4) revise the process for handling a waiver application...

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CHECKLISTS
EU AIFMD and UCITS timeline (2024–2026): AIFMD II, liquidity management tools, loan-originating AIFs, ELTIF RTS, reporting and depositary supervision

This timeline outlines key developments linked to the Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive (EU) 2011/61/EU (EU AIFMD) from January 2024 onwards. For earlier developments, see Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive (AIFMD)—timeline [Archived]. For further guidance on EU AIFMD, see Practice Note: EU AIFMD—essentials. For guidance on the UK Alternative Investment Fund Managers (AIFM) regime, see Practice Note: UK regulation of alternative investment fund managers—essentials. 2026 13 March 2026 — ESMA — Guidelines on Liquidity Management Tools (LMTs) for UCITS and open-ended AIFs. The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has published guidelines on LMTs for UCITS and open-ended AIFs...

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NEWS
UK tax briefing: Finance Bill 2025 to receive Royal Assent; Court of Appeal allows windfarm capital allowances; Russia/Belarus treaty revocations; SDLT higher rates ruling; HMRC updates and key dates

In this issue: Budgets and Finance Bills Companies and corporation tax International Funds Real estate tax Employment Taxes Individuals and income tax Energy and environment Anti-avoidance Daily and weekly news alerts New and updated content Dates for your diary Trackers Useful information Budgets and Finance Bills Spring Statement 2025 The Chancellor of the Exchequer is set to deliver her Spring Statement to Parliament on Wednesday 26 March 2025. Finance Bill 2025 to receive Royal Assent Royal Assent for the Finance Bill 2025 is expected on 20 March 2025, at which point it will be enacted as the Finance Act 2025. This comes after the Bill’s second and third readings in the House of Lords on 19 March 2025 and the usual bypassing of the committee stage. The House of Lords made no amendments to the Bill as received from the House of Commons. See: Finance Bill 2025...

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NEWS
TPR 2024–27 corporate plan: consolidation-focused UK pensions regulation with DB funding reforms, DC value for money, and data-led, market-focused supervision

TPR stated that its refreshed corporate plan for 2024 to 2027 will press ahead with policy measures aimed at safeguarding consumers’ funds and interests as the industry evolves. This involves bringing in new rules on pension scheme funding, trailed by the government in January 2023, intended to permit greater flexibility for investing in higher‑risk assets to help stimulate UK economic growth. The regulator added it will keep building the value‑for‑money framework, while making sure that new defined benefit (DB) consolidators, which combine smaller schemes, act to protect savers. The framework aims to move attention away from price and towards long‑term value for defined contribution (DC) pension savings. The government also intends to reshape the Pension Protection Fund as a public sector consolidator as the sector undergoes changes in the UK over 2024 to 2027 as well...

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NEWS
Restructuring & Insolvency weekly: UK cases on s220 and s423 IA 1986, Scottish reforms, EU harmonisation, SIAC protocol, November insolvency statistics, requisitioned decisions practice note (19 December 2024)

Restructuring & Insolvency weekly highlights—19 December 2024 In this issue: Key R&I law developments Corporate insolvency processes Directors and insolvency Insolvency litigation Creditors’ participation R&I in Scotland International restructuring and insolvency Daily and weekly news alerts Key dates for restructuring and insolvency professionals New Practice Note—Restructuring and insolvency Highlights 2024/2025 Key R&I law developments Insolvency Service publishes monthly insolvency statistics for November 2024 The Insolvency Service has issued its November 2024 statistics for England and Wales, covering both corporate and individual cases. There were 1,966 corporate insolvencies—13% higher than October 2024, yet 12% down on November 2023. Individual insolvencies reached 10,012, a 12% rise from October 2024 and 25% above November 2023. See: LNB News 17/12/2024 35. Corporate insolvency processes What comprises an ‘unregistered company’ under section 220(1) of the Insolvency Act 1986? (East Riding of Yorkshire Council v KMG) KMG (the Fund) is an investment fund established in...

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PRACTICE NOTES
UK money market funds: regime essentials, authorisation, UCITS/AIFM interactions, investment and liquidity rules, CNAV/LVNAV/VNAV, and post‑Brexit reform proposals including TMPR and the Overseas Funds Regime

This Practice Note examines core aspects of the UK framework for money market funds (MMFs) that stems from Regulation (EU) 2017/1131 (the EU MMF Regulation). It also looks at suggested changes to the framework, with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), HM Treasury and the Bank of England (BoE) working jointly to bolster its resilience and align it with post‑Brexit regulatory objectives. For background on the EU MMF Regulation, see Practice Note: EU MMF Regulation—essentials. What is an MMF? Money market funds (MMFs) are investment funds that invest in short‑term debt instruments and so play a significant role in the short‑term financing of the economy. In particular, MMFs are open‑ended, liquid investment funds that invest in fixed income through short‑term debt, for example money market instruments issued by banks, governments or companies (including treasury bills, commercial paper and certificates of deposit) which pay interest. They therefore form an important connection between demand for, and the supply of, short‑term debt. Further information on the eligible assets of an MMF is...

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PRACTICE NOTES
United Kingdom Pensions Advice Allowance: scope, scheme applicability, authorised payment conditions, tax and VAT, enforcement, and interaction with adviser charging

What is the Pensions Advice Allowance? Following consultation in 2016/17, the government brought in, from 6 April 2017, the Pensions Advice Allowance. It enables eligible pension scheme members to withdraw a fixed sum from their pension pot tax-free to cover holistic retirement advice. At the member’s instruction, the scheme may therefore reduce the value of the member’s pot by the advice fee and pay the funds straight to the member’s adviser. This measure stemmed from the Financial Advice Market Review, which highlighted an advice gap affecting people who require retirement planning support but cannot meet the cost from net-of-tax income or savings. It is available in addition to other existing advice allowances and payment routes for advice. These include adviser charging, which does not permit pension monies to be used to fund holistic retirement advice. For further details, see Other types of pensions advice measures below. The government’s aim is to help those preparing for retirement to use the Pensions Advice Allowance to fund holistic...

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PRACTICE NOTES
Scottish charities’ restricted, designated and endowment funds: donor conditions, OSCR reorganisation schemes for large, small and very small funds, cy-près, and 2024 legislative updates

Unrestricted funds—general use of assets The overarching rule for applying a charity’s assets is that, unless a specific restriction applies, both income and capital should be used to further the charity’s purposes and to deliver public benefit. Even where funds are classed as unrestricted, there may still be constraints on spending income and capital on the charity’s assets, typically set out in the charity’s constitution. Constitutions may impose conditions on distributing income, on carrying income forward for use in later years, or on accumulating it and converting it into capital. Limits on distributing capital may likewise be specified in the constitution. Where the constitution is silent, the usual expectation is that trustees will, as a minimum, distribute income and have discretion to distribute capital. Funds that are not unrestricted generally fall into three main types: designated funds (which are truly a subset of unrestricted funds) restricted funds (which, generally speaking, include the misnamed category of expendable endowments) endowments (sometimes also referred to as permanent,...

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PRECEDENTS
SRA Accounts Rule 3.3: Avoiding client account banking facilities—practical guidance and case studies on permitted and prohibited fund handling (England and Wales)

We must not use a client account to provide banking facilities for clients or third parties. This is a firm requirement of rule 3.3 in the SRA Accounts Rules, covering our main client account and any separately designated client accounts as well. Permitting use of our client account as a banking facility creates the risk that we could potentially facilitate money laundering or comparable offences. You must understand and adhere to our policy on anti-money laundering (AML), counter-terrorist financing (CTF), and counter-proliferation financing when taking receipt of client or office monies. This also encompasses our distinct policy on accepting cash. The SRA may levy substantial penalties for breach of rule 3.3. There need not be a risk of money laundering, or any hint of impropriety, for this to apply. A breach of rule 3.3, by itself, is enough for the SRA to impose a penalty on the firm and/or any individuals concerned. We should only accept funds into our client account where...

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PRECEDENTS
Members' resolution authorising provision of funds or loan to a director for company business or duties, with £50,000 aggregate cap across loans, quasi-loans and credit transactions

THAT the directors be authorised Directors are authorised to [ advance by way of loan OR provide ] up to £50,000, when aggregated with all other Relevant Transactions and Arrangements, to [ insert name of the director ] as a director of the Company. The sum of £[ insert amount of funds, not to exceed £50,000 when aggregated with other Relevant Transaction and Arrangements ] will fund costs incurred, or to be incurred, by them: for the purposes of the Company; or to enable proper performance of their duties as an officer of the Company. In this resolution, Relevant Transactions and Arrangements means any Company loan or quasi‑loan to a director of the Company or its holding company, any such loan or quasi‑loan to a person connected with that director, any credit transaction for the benefit of that director or a connected person where the Company acts as creditor, and any guarantee or security given by any person in connection with any...

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PRECEDENTS
Post-training multiple-choice assessment: AML, counter-terrorist and counter-proliferation financing compliance for UK law firms

How to use this test These questions are intended to assess your understanding following attendance at training on anti‑money laundering, counter‑terrorist financing and counter‑proliferation financing. When you have completed this test, kindly return it to [ insert name ]. General Name of person completing test [ Insert name ] Role [ Insert role ] Date [ Insert date ] Please circle the correct answer. The law and red flags Please circle the correct answer. Question Multiple choice answers What is money laundering? (a) The method by which criminal proceeds, their true source and ownership are concealed so the funds appear legitimate (b) Requesting or accepting a bribe (c) Employees removing money from customer accounts and using it to fund crime What is terrorist financing? (a) Terrorising customers by demanding money (b) Providing or collecting funds from lawful or unlawful sources for terrorist acts...

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Q&As
Executors and DPA Repayment: Is £23,250 Capital Limit Deductible?

In this Q&A we have assumed: the deceased’s assessment was correctly calculated a typical financial profile (not, for instance, no recourse to public funds) no top-up was due or paid no deprivation the income-based assessment was up to date Charging for a resident assessed as full cost and availing themselves of a deferred payment agreement would normally be as follows: income contribution: income minus personal allowance, per charging cycle remainder (after 12-week disregard) deferred against property Confirm the first was paid. For the second, check overcharging against beneficial interest; the lower capital limit is £14,250, not £23,250. Assessable capital = beneficial interest − 10% − £14,250 (Care and Statutory Support Guidance 8.12). Example: £200,000 interest gives £165,750. Systems may overrun, exceeding assessed capital; if so, reassess and cap recovery at that, with any surplus proceeds kept by the estate. Deprivation or unpaid income are not protected by the lower limit. If the...

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