AEGON Canada Inc. today announced the creation of a new Canadian mutual fund company, AEGON Fund Management Inc.

Fifteen new funds, branded as imaxxFunds, are available to investors effective today.

AEGON Fund Management says the new fund family offers a combination of some of the best performing funds and leading international money managers.

The firm has researched and drawn on world-class money managers to advise the funds. These managers include Foyston, Gordon & Payne Inc. (Toronto), Bear Stearns Asset Management Inc. (New York); and Walter Scott & Partners (Edinburgh).

“This world-class investment intelligence — which has typically been available only to wealthy investors with the ability to meet high minimum investment thresholds — is now widely available to Canadians, through the imaxxFunds,” says Jennifer Dewling, president and CEO of AEGON Fund Management.

The new fund family is comprised of nine individual imaxx funds and six imaxx TOP Portfolios. This gives advisors two choices. They can build a customized portfolio for their clients, or they can also select a ready-made managed portfolio of leading name brand funds, such as AGF, AIM, CI Funds, Fidelity, and Mackenzie, into a single “fund-of-funds” portfolio.

“While investment expertise and fund performance are indispensable elements of wealth enhancement, the advisor relationship is an equally critical factor over the long term,” said Dewling. “We came to the conclusion that in today’s uncertain and challenging markets, financial advisors themselves were looking for help and advice to ensure that they could offer optimal solutions to their clients.”

“What’s particularly innovative about our approach is the integration of these new imaxxFunds with our imaxxWealth enhancement process, predicated on the core principles of innovative approaches, rigorous discipline and leveraging expertise,” adds Dewling.

The imaxx tagline “i plan to succeed” reflects the new approach and acknowledges that success starts with a plan. This is one of several innovations, including a signed agreement between advisor and client with regard to long-term investment goals that will re-shape the advisor-client relationship.

In addition, advisors and clients are provided with an online space at www.imaxxwealth.com where they can explore investment options, plan and review the wealth management process, and determine the appropriate investment strategy for their needs. Through the summer and fall, content and functionality will be added to the Web site.

“AEGON Canada is pleased to add a mutual fund offering to our expanding portfolio of wealth management solutions,” says George Foegele, chairman, president and CEO of AEGON Canada Inc.

“The addition of AEGON Fund Management to the AEGON Canada family helps to round out our offering, and fulfill our goal of expanding and diversifying our financial services business to provide a robust offering of financial solutions in the Canadian marketplace” adds Foegele.

Dewling concludes “By putting the advisor-client relationship at the core of the imaxxWealth enhancement process, our goal is to provide advisors with the products, processes, technology and training they need to be able to develop and execute the best plans to meet their clients financial needs.”

Advisors and investors alike can contact the imaxx call centre at 1-866-imaxx-go (1-866-462-9946).

The new imaxx TOP Portfolios are:

  • imaxx TOP Conservative Portfolio
  • imaxx TOP Balanced Portfolio
  • imaxx TOP RSP Balanced Portfolio
  • imaxx TOP Growth Portfolio
  • imaxx TOP RSP Growth Portfolio, and
  • imaxx TOP Aggressive Growth Portfolio.

The imaxx individual funds are:

  • imaxx Money Market Fund
  • imaxx Canadian Bond Fund
  • imaxx Canadian Fixed Pay Fund
  • imaxx Canadian Equity Growth Fund
  • imaxx Canadian Equity Value Fund
  • imaxx U.S. Equity Growth Fund
  • imaxx U.S. Equity Value Fund
  • imaxx Global Companies Fund, and
  • imaxx Global Sectors Fund.