A new policy designed to give added protection to investment advisors, mutual funds and hedge funds for risks associated with providing asset management products and services to investors was introduced today.

The product was presented by St. Paul Guarantee Insurance Co. (also known as “Travelers”) at “Changing Channel: The Future of Mutual Fund Dealers” symposium in Collingwood, Ontario.

Travelers SelectOne(SM) for Investment Advisers and Funds helps investment advisors, mutual funds and hedge funds deal with exposures they might incur through business interactions with investors, employees, shareholders, governmental agencies and pension plan participants.

Specifically, the policy provides coverage for the following incidents:

failure to adhere to investment guidelines and restrictions;

misrepresentations and failure to adequately disclose risks;

mismanagement of investments by an adviser on behalf of a pension fund;

breach of fiduciary duties to clients or pension plan participants;

unintentional errors committed in the course of performing regular
investment adviser duties.

“Investment advisors, mutual funds and hedge funds have come under increased regulatory scrutiny over the last few years and as a result, these groups are recognizing that they require coverage to address the wide variety of risks they face,” said Phil Baker, vice president of financial and professional services. “Our policy is flexible so customers can choose the coverages they need and combine them all under one policy with separate liability limits for
each coverage.”

Travelers SelectOne(SM) for Investment Advisers and Funds includes an option to select products such as investment advisors professional liability, mutual fund liability, employment practices liability and fiduciary liability. Separate coverage can be purchased for fidelity and crime exposures under a financial institution bond or a fiduciary dishonesty bond. Coverage is also available for kidnap and ransom risks.

Travelers has been underwriting mutual fund investment advisors and funds in the United States since 1988.