Lorenzo V Tan | The Basics of Investment Banking

There are always entrepreneurs that are looking for cash inflows to help them grow their business and take it to the next level. There are also people that have surplus cash that they would like to grow by means of investments. Investment banking is simply facilitating the transfer of money from investors to entrepreneurs. In very simple words, it links one to the other. As a banker, Lorenzo Tan says Investment banks help to bring in cash resources and then distribute it to those who are seeking the funds for their business interests. But that isn't all that the banks do. They also include asset management for those who are too busy to manage their assets themselves. Generally, investment banking services include facets of asset or portfolio management, tax management and other legal formalities related to wealth management.

They act as a financial adviser who gives you relevant advice on matters pertaining to growing and managing your wealth. These might include matters like mergers and acquisitions, restructuring to gain better profits and so on. Investment bankers generally focus on initial public offerings or IPOs. They also focus on large share offerings, either public or private. They keep their focus on large companies, though - rather than small or medium level companies. Because they focus largely on fully grown, large scale companies, the banks don't really bother with trade financing. Large scale companies as well established and don't really require such services - if trade financing is what you want, then you want to turn to merchant banking instead of investment banking.

Lorenzo V Tan - These services can be either fund based or fee-based. You would do best to avoid people who may be getting commissions from investment houses - you have no guarantee that the advice they offer is the best for your money. This is where a good deal of research is required before moving on to hiring an investment banking services provider. Make sure that you thoroughly look into the background of the provider, and pay attention to how successful their advice has been to other clients. You would be handing over the responsibility of handling your wealth to others, it is the least and sensible advice. Remember, you need to make sure that you don't start taking advice from random strangers about your wealth. This means that you need to know that the profession you hire is, in fact, a professional - and a successful one, at that. Doing your research before you hand over responsibility will save you a great deal of regret later on.