Methodology

The awards scheme is administered by Elite Investment Communications, which appointed a judging panel composed of senior people involved in the investment and offshore industry. Entrants were required to complete a questionnaire for each award they entered.

Judges based their decisions on quality of information provided in the questionnaire alongside information and data from outside agencies such as Defaqto, AKG and Morningstar.

A shortlist was compiled from initial entries. From this shortlist, the judging panel decided on winners and highly commended entries. Underlying data such as fund performance and product analysis was calculated by outside agencies.

The judges' decision was final. They had the right to determine the standards of an award and to withhold an award in any category, if, in their view, the entries were not of sufficient merit. The judges also had the right to give a special award if deemed appropriate. Click here to see the 2010 winners.

Offshore Fund Methodology

Fund groups were subject to an initial performance check using data provided by Morningstar UK. This looked at fund performance over calendar years 2007, 2008 and 2009. Those fund groups that passed the initial quants screen were considered for the shortlist.

Best International Fund Group

  • As in previous years, the judges were looking at a universe of offshore open ended funds with FSA approval and were marketed back into the UK, domiciled in Dublin, Jersey, Guernsey, Luxembourg and the Isle of Man.
  • All funds with assets of less than £15m and less than three year track record were removed.
  • All money market sectors and those with less than 10 funds in each were taken out.
  • Decile ranking for each fund were added up for the period 2007,2008 and 2009 and for the 36 month period 2007-2009, giving it a score (best possible 4, worst possible is 40).
  • Judges considered any group that had six or more funds, this range included at least one European, UK or US offering.
  • Judges then drew up a shortlist of groups where the overall fund range was marked out by consistent, strong performance.