About the AIC

The Association of Investment Companies (AIC) was founded in 1932 to represent the interests of the investment trust industry – the oldest form of collective investment. Today, the AIC represents a broad range of investment companies, incorporating investment trusts, VCTs and other closed-end funds. 

Vision

For closed-ended investment companies to be considered by every investor.

Mission

To support and promote the long-term benefits of investment companies by engaging with members, investors and the wider financial community.

Support

• We support members through our regulatory and lobbying work. We provide substantial information and resources particularly for member company directors. We also seek to provide guidance and examples of best practice on key topics.
• We support investors, whether private investors or advisers/wealth managers, helping them make informed decisions when using closed-ended investment companies as part of an actively managed diversified portfolio of assets through the provision of information, research and ‘best in class’ tools.
• We support the wider financial community fostering their interest in investment companies through our lobbying work, working groups, information sharing and website resources. We work with policymakers, regulators, other industry participants and trade bodies to help their understanding of our members and the benefits they deliver for the economy and investors.

Promote

• We promote members to investors through our communications work, our website, our training activities.
• We promote the broader virtues of closed-ended investment companies to new and existing investors, and the benefits of including them in a diversified portfolio. Regardless of the level of prior knowledge, the tools and information on our website enable all investors to learn more about our sector, our members and ultimately to undertake investment company research.
• In all our support work and engagement activity we proactively seek opportunities to promote to the wider financial community the benefits of the closed-ended investment company structure, its access to a wide range of asset classes and its potential for superior returns.

Engage

• We engage with members through events, both physical and virtual. We produce regular newsletters and other communications, provide training alongside a wide range of material designed to assist member directors, and we maintain a wealth of information on our members’ website. Our activity is also designed to enable members to engage with each other, benefiting from others’ experiences.
• We engage with new and existing investors through our website, newsletters and communications work. We hold events for investors designed to enable members to connect directly with those investors. We engage with the platforms and advisers through whom many investors manage their activity, including providing information and training to financial advisers.
• We engage with the wider financial community through active participation in industry groups, through our working groups particularly for key market participants such as management groups and brokers, and through our broader communication and lobbying work.