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Dimensional Unveils Expanded Separately Managed Accounts Offering
[September 27, 2021]

Dimensional Unveils Expanded Separately Managed Accounts Offering


Dimensional Fund Advisors, a global leader in systematic investing, today unveiled the firm's expanded separately managed accounts (SMAs) offering, which broadens access to customized Dimensional investment solutions. Dimensional's tech-enabled platform is at the forefront of a trend toward more personalized investment options that previously were often available only for seven- and eight-figure account minimums.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210927005166/en/

Discretionary accounts that allow investors to exclude select securities within broader strategies, SMAs have long been used by ultra-high-net-worth and institutional investors with unique holdings requirements. By lowering the typical separate account minimum from more than $20 million to $500,000, Dimensional is empowering financial professionals to offer flexible solutions to a broader set of individual investors.

The new SMA (News - Alert) platform integrates hundreds of customization options for their clients, including preferences around tax management; environmental, social, and governance characteristics; and industry and security exclusions. The offering is intended to help financial professionals implement tailored solutions within well-designed, highly diversified, and cost-efficient portfolios.

With more than four decades of expertise applying financial science to investment solutions and more than 20 years managing SMAs, Dimensional brings deep portfolio-design and management capabilities to the firm's expanded SMA solutions. Underpinning the new offering is a digital SMA Center, which was developed in-house in consultation with financial professionals to optimize user and investment experiences.

Key benefits of Dimensional's SMA offering include:

  • Systematic Pursuit of Higher Expected Returns: The firm's SMA solutions are based on Dimensional's core investment strategies-which begin with systematic tilts toward sources of higher expected returns (stocks with smaller market capitalizations, lower relative prices, and higher profitability)-rather than commercial indices that are often the starting point for direct-indexing products.

  • Delivering a Personalized Investment Experience: Dimensional's SMA platform helps financial professionals tailor investments to an individual's needs and human-capital considerations, allowng for flexibility with specific securities and sector holdings.
  • Multifaceted Tax Management: Dimensional SMAs apply a broad range of tax-management considerations to help investors improve after-tax returns while meeting income needs and identifying opportunities for charitable giving.



  • Thoughtful Incorporation of ESG Considerations: The SMA Center provides a transparent and intuitive set of environmental, social, and governance considerations that let advisors align their clients' investments with their values.
  • An Efficient and Robust Approach to Proxy Voting: Depending on the options available through their client's custodian, advisors can help clients select a proxy-voting policy that is most consistent with their preferences, including socially focused or sustainability-focused approaches.

  • Purpose-Built for Financial Advisors and Their Clients: Dimensional leveraged its deep relationships with financial professionals throughout the development of the SMA Center to accommodate design and functional preferences that make onboarding, launching, managing, and monitoring SMAs an easy and scalable process. Dimensional complements the digital SMA platform with a knowledgeable SMA solutions team to deliver a seamless investment experience.

"The future of wealth management will be marked by continued personalization of investments and client service," said Dimensional Co-CEO Dave Butler. "Our expanded SMA offering is a natural extension of Dimensional's investment process delivered in a customizable vehicle, and it furthers our aim to offer more choice in how financial professionals serve their clients."


The expanded SMA offering is another example of Dimensional's commitment to delivering the firm's research-driven investment philosophy and rigorous implementation in different formats to meet unique needs. The digital platform allows advisors to implement customized portfolios for a greater number of investors at scale. By complementing a Dimensional SMA with Dimensional mutual funds or ETFs, an advisor can help address personal preferences while applying a consistent investment approach across an investor's overall portfolio.

More information about Dimensional's separately managed accounts platform can be found here: https://us.dimensional.com/smas

ABOUT DIMENSIONAL FUND ADVISORS

Dimensional is a leading global investment firm that has been translating academic research into practical investment solutions since 1981. Guided by a strong belief in markets, we help investors pursue higher expected returns through a systematic investment process that integrates research insights with advanced portfolio design, management, and trading, while balancing tradeoffs that can impact returns. Dimensional is headquartered in Austin, Texas, and has 13 global offices across North America, Europe, and Asia. As of June 30, 2021, Dimensional manages $660 billion for investors worldwide. For more information, please visit dimensional.com.

Glossary

Market Capitalization: The total market value of a company's outstanding shares, computed as price times shares outstanding.

Profitability: A company's operating income before depreciation and amortization minus interest expense scaled by book equity.

Relative Price: Refers to a company's price, or the market value of its equity, in relation to another measure of economic value, such as book value.

DISCLOSURES

Dimensional Fund Advisors LP is an investment advisor registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Consider the investment objectives, risks, and charges and expenses of the Dimensional funds carefully before investing. For this and other information about the Dimensional funds, please read the prospectus carefully before investing. Prospectuses are available by calling Dimensional Fund Advisors collect at (512) 306-7400 or at us.dimensional.com. Dimensional funds are distributed by DFA Securities LLC.

Risks include loss of principal and fluctuating value. Dimensional does not provide any investment, tax, or financial advice. Investors should consult with their financial advisors and tax professionals about their individual circumstances.


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