The Basics on SMAs

 
  1. What is an SMA?

    Separately Managed Accounts (SMAs) are investment strategies where you own the individual stocks or bonds directly and can customize the securities in your portfolio. SMAs are not a one-size-fits-all solution like mutual funds or exchange-traded funds (ETFs), which offer partial ownership in a pooled investment vehicle designed to fit a broader investor group.

  2. Who Should Consider an SMA?

    SMAs are best suited for high-income earners, or individuals that have substantial investable assets, looking for a professionally managed portfolio that offers personalization, transparency and tax advantages.

  3. What are the Advantages of SMAs?

    Separately managed accounts provide investors with several key advantages. Customization allows SMAs to align with individual risk profiles and goals while direct security ownership ensures transparency and allows for the added benefit of tax-loss harvesting. Additionally, SMAs are often available for lower fees than mutual funds. SMAs suit investors seeking personalized, long-term investment solutions for effective wealth management.

 

AB: A Long History of Investing

AB SMAs are guided by teams of experienced portfolio managers, analysts and traders with access to in-depth research and advanced technologies.

50+ Years

of experience and expertise

$785 Billion

Firm Assets Under Management

76 Thousand+

Retail Separately Managed Accounts

$40 Billion+

Retail Separately Managed Account Assets

As of March 31, 2025. Source: AB

 

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  • Fixed Income
  • Equities
  • Balanced
 
 

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Recommended Products

Equity

Our equity expertise is founded on deep resources across regions and sectors. Delivering consistent results is at the heart of everything we do. Our equity SMAs are offered across a broad range of investment styles and geographies.

  • US Core
  • US Growth
  • US Value
  • Thematic
  • International
     

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Run on-demand Equity transition analysis

Fixed Income

Our fixed income platform offers a powerful combination of expertise, deep resources and time-tested processes. Our customizable SMAs offer flexibility and transparency and seek to deliver income with a focus on capital preservation.

  • Municipals
  • Taxable Investment Grade
  • High Yield
  • Preferreds
     

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Request fixed income transition analysis

Index

J.P. Morgan has over 30 years experience managing passive index strategies with over $70 billion in indexed assets. Index SMAs on our Tax-Smart SMA Platform pair this expertise with active tax management and personalization.

  • US Large Cap Core

Explore Index SMA Offerings
Learn about our Tax-Smart SMA Platform

 

Service That Helps You Work SMArter, Not Harder.

 
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Premium SMA Service

We support advisors in building their SMA business at every stage of a client relationship. Our SMA service model is designed to help advisors work smarter, not harder.

 
SMA

Custom Muni Bond

Create a municipal bond portfolio tailored to each client’s needs 

Featured Resources

Institutional-quality solutions designed to deliver better outcomes.

What are completion funds and why are they in your SMA? Read more to find out.

A pen and calculator rest on top of a tax return form.
22 February 2025 / 3 min read
Mark Gleason , Gavin Romm , Paul Robertson

Maximizing after-tax returns should be the goal for assets in investors’ taxable accounts.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

 

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There is no assurance that a separately managed account will achieve its investment objective. Separately managed accounts are subject to market risk, the market values of securities owned will fluctuate so that your investment, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than its original cost.