Fund factsheets are one of the most visible and widely used documents in asset management. For many investors, the factsheet is their first, and sometimes only, interaction with the fund manager. It’s a key touchpoint where brand, compliance, and client communication converge.
But here’s the reality: too many factsheets fall short.
They may meet compliance requirements, but they often overwhelm with data, bury the key insights, ignore accessibility, and fail to differentiate a brand.
In today’s environment of rising investor expectations, heightened regulation, and digital-first engagement, the standard factsheet model is no longer enough.
At Kurtosys, we help asset managers reimagine factsheets, transforming them from static, regulatory-driven PDFs into client-first communication tools that engage, inform, and build trust.
What we’ve learnt from benchmarking the industry
Recently, we analysed a sample of global factsheets across top asset managers. The findings revealed a clear picture of what best practice looks like:
- Information hierarchy matters: almost every best-in-class factsheet placed fund objectives and key facts on page one. Performance data was prioritised alongside these essentials, while disclaimers and lengthy commentary moved to later in the document.
- Consistency is crucial: The most effective factsheets follow a predictable, consistent layout across all pages, supporting readability and reinforcing brand trust.
- Accessibility: A surprising number of factsheets failed basic accessibility checks. Issues ranged from colour contrast failures (e.g. dark green text on green backgrounds) to non-compliant font sizes and missing annotations for screen readers. With regulations tightening, this is something asset managers will need to address.
- Investor-centric features stand out: Photos of fund managers, risk indicators are presented upfront, and simplified glossary sections all helped connect investors to the product and make complex data understandable.
- Two-pages isn’t always enough: Historically, many firms limited factsheets to two pages because investors printed double-sided and often lost page three. But in today’s digital-first world, clinging to this tradition can mean cramming or omitting important details.
Real results: From traditional layouts to client-centric designs
Recently, one of our clients, a global asset manager based in the UK, approached us to review their factsheets. Their existing layouts were functional, but outdated: dense tables, inconsistent logos, inaccessible colour combinations, and important fund details buried on later pages.
Our design and reporting teams conducted a comprehensive audit, comparing their materials to leading global peers. Using AI-assisted analysis and accessibility testing, we identified key areas for improvement:
- Streamlining the hierarchy so that objective and performance appear on page one.
- Improving colour contrast and typography to meet accessibility standards.
- Incorporating risk indicators and fund manager context in a cleaner, move visual way.
- Reducing bulky commentary and creating a flexible, modular layout that adapts to different fund types.
The result was a redesigned factsheet that felt lighter, more legible, and far more aligned with how investors consume information. Our clients call it “a complete step change”, and it has since become the new standard across their product range.
The conclusion? Factsheets are evolving from compliance documents to investor experience documents that are easily understandable.
Are factsheets still relevant?
It’s a question that comes up often: with the portals, fund centres, and interactive dashboards available today, do investors still need factsheets?
The answer is yes, but not in the same way they did ten years ago.
The role of the factsheet is changing. It’s no longer a static summary or compliance document. It’s becoming a trusted snapshot, a single source of truth that distils the essentials in a format that’s easy to share and compare.
As digital experiences evolve, investors and regulators continue to rely on downloadable, standardised documents. What’s changing is the expectation of quality: factsheets need to be more visual, more dynamic, and more accessible.
Our previous article unpacked the four questions your factsheet should answer.
