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Managed Account Structures

Managed account structure terms for SMA, UMA, overlay, investment-account, and hub-and-spoke portfolio arrangements.

Managed Account Structures terms identify portfolio managers, advisers, buy-side roles, managed account structures, investment policy objectives, and account wrappers.

Use this branch when the decision maker, account format, policy statement, investment horizon, advisory role, or management structure changes portfolio control or accountability.

Key Terms in This Branch

TermUse it for
Hub and Spoke Structure in Portfolio ManagementPortfolio manager, advisory role, buy-side, investment policy, managed account, SMA, UMA, overlay, objective, or horizon terms.
Investment AccountsPortfolio manager, advisory role, buy-side, investment policy, managed account, SMA, UMA, overlay, objective, or horizon terms.
Managed AccountPortfolio manager, advisory role, buy-side, investment policy, managed account, SMA, UMA, overlay, objective, or horizon terms.
Overlay in Portfolio ManagementPortfolio manager, advisory role, buy-side, investment policy, managed account, SMA, UMA, overlay, objective, or horizon terms.
Separately Managed Account (SMA)Portfolio manager, advisory role, buy-side, investment policy, managed account, SMA, UMA, overlay, objective, or horizon terms.
Unified Managed Account (UMA)Portfolio manager, advisory role, buy-side, investment policy, managed account, SMA, UMA, overlay, objective, or horizon terms.

What to Check

Check the investment policy statement, adviser role, account agreement, discretion level, benchmark, fees, conflicts, tax constraints, time horizon, and who has authority to trade or rebalance.

Common Mistakes

  • Confusing adviser role, manager role, and account structure.
  • Ignoring discretion, fees, conflicts, and tax constraints.
  • Using an objective without matching it to time horizon and liquidity needs.
  • Treating a managed account label as proof of customization.

This page is educational and does not recommend a specific portfolio, security, fund, tax treatment, or account choice.

In this section

Choose a subsection first. Deeper term pages live inside each subsection, which keeps large topic hubs readable.

Investment Accounts

Investment accounts hold securities, funds, cash, or managed strategies and define ownership, tax treatment, and trading access.

Managed Account

A managed account is an investment account where a professional manager makes portfolio decisions for a specific client or mandate.

Overlay in Portfolio Management

An overlay is a portfolio-management layer that adjusts exposures, hedges, or implementation without replacing the underlying manager lineup.

Separately Managed Account (SMA)

A Separately Managed Account (SMA) is a professionally managed portfolio of securities that uses pooled money to buy investments owned directly by the account holder.

Unified Managed Account (UMA)

A unified managed account combines multiple investment strategies, sleeves, or asset classes inside one coordinated client account.

Revised on Sunday, June 21, 2026