The Power of Alternatives

Power “Lines” Phrases proven to work when discussing alternative strategies with retail clients The Power of Alternatives

It’s not what you say. It’s what they hear.

How do you explain complex alternative investments to retail investors? Choose your words carefully. Invesco Consulting teamed up with word specialist, Maslansky + Partners, in a year-long study that included advisor interviews, three focus group dial sessions and a national survey of 800 investors with the goal of finding the language that works when talking to clients about alternative investments. Maslansky + Partners, well known for shifting public opinion with phrases like “contract with America,” “death tax” and “energy exploration” applied its unique, scientific research to the language of alternative investments, and we have leveraged its findings in an effort to help advisors build confidence, avoid confusion and gain agreement with their clients.

These words are shown for illustrative purposes only and do not constitute a recommendation of the suitability of any investment strategy for any particular investor. 1

Power Lines Phrases proven to work when discussing alternative strategies with retail clients The Power Principles

Approach Language Adjustments make a difference Manage industry jargon

Start the conversation by acknowledging their personal goals. Alternative phrases for institutional jargon Which investment strategy is most appealing? Which best describes an investment that does not rise and fall with the markets? An investment that ______on/to the markets. A goals-based strategy 53% Behaves independently An outcomes-based strategy 59% 34% Is not reliant A risk-based strategy 23% 13% Is non-correlated 18%

The path to what’s new begins with what’s known. Which would you rather invest in? Investor-friendly definitions for alternative strategies Which would you rather invest in? Alternative mutual funds that are bought and sold like any other fund 77% Funds that focus on more consistent returns Liquid alternatives 64% 23% Equity funds that give up a little on the upside to get more protection on the downside 25% Long /short equity funds The power of the “complement.” 11% Which would you rather invest in? New investments that are specifically designed to… Complement the investments already in your portfolio 73% Replace some of the investments already in your portfolio 27%

2 Source: 2015 national survey by Invesco Consulting of 800 investors. Source: 2015 national survey by Invesco Consulting of 800 investors. 3

The Power of Alternatives Power Lines Helping advisors with the language shown to work Phrases proven to work when discussing alternative strategies with retail clients The Power Principles Additional Research

Talent The great dilemma

Selection | How to explain the selection process Approach Which alternative fund would you rather invest in? The alternative fund run by... Which would you rather hear from your advisor? “I recommend this investment because…” A team recognized as pioneers in alternatives 22% It will better help you reach your goals by protecting you from market volatility A team recognized as industry leaders in alternatives 63% 78% It’s always necessary to have strategies that deal with market volatility 37%

Specialty | Investors want specialists Which alternative fund would you rather invest in? The alternative fund run by… A firm that specializes in managing alternatives 73% Which higher performing would you most want to invest in? A firm with more than 300 investment professionals The investment fund that costs… 27% About the same as other high performing funds 55% About 2.0% per year Success | It’s not about the size or reputation; it’s about the track record 23% Which of the following teams would you most want to work with? An alternative fund About 0.5% more than a traditional fund managed by a team… 23% With a long track record in alternatives 71% That is well-known 16% That has over 900 million dollars under management 13%

4 Source: 2015 national survey by Invesco Consulting of 800 investors. Source: 2015 national survey by Invesco Consulting of 800 investors. 5

The Power of Alternatives Power Lines Helping advisors with the language shown to work Phrases proven to work when discussing alternative strategies with retail clients Additional Research

If you had to guess, compared to other actively managed funds... Which word is preferable? Which best represents the cost of alternative investments? That the manager divides the investment into different… They cost about the same Baskets 48% 60% They are more expensive Buckets 42% 40% They are less expensive 10%

Talking Points Which investment strategy is more appealing? One that allows managers to be more ______in today’s markets. Which investment strategy is more appealing? One that ensures you’re… Responsive Proactive 70% 52% Reactive Prepared 30% 48%

Which alternative fund would you rather invest in? The alternative fund run by… A team that manages assets for institutions, endowments and professional investors 67% A team that manages over $10 billion in assets 33%

Source: 2015 national survey by Invesco Consulting of 800 investors. Source: 2015 national survey by Invesco Consulting of 800 investors. 6 7

The Power of Alternatives Power Lines Helping advisors with the language shown to work Phrases proven to work when discussing alternative strategies with retail clients The Alternative Dictionary

Institutional Language Retail Language Institutional Language Retail Language

Fixed-income funds designed to Hedge your risks Balance your risks generate positive returns regardless Absolute return fixed-income funds Less volatile returns More consistent returns of market environment through any strategy necessary Funds that focus on more consistent Long/short equity funds returns Alternative investments Goal-directed investments Alternative strategies Alternative mutual funds Multi-alternative funds A diversified portfolio of alternative funds Beta Relative risk Non-correlated Behaves independently Prepared Proactive Established investment option newly Brand new type of innovative investment available to individual investors Reactive Responsive Buckets Baskets Reduce risks Achieve your goals

Carefully handpicked by me as your Carefully selected from a well-researched Replace some of the investments already Complement the investments already in advisor list in your portfolio your portfolio

Equity funds built to be sheltered from Risk-based strategy Goals-based strategy market volatility in order to provide more Equity market neutral funds Satellite investments Complementary investments conservative and consistent growth in all economic environments Short a stock Profit from a stock’s price decline

Exposure to the market Participation in the market A team recognized as pioneers in A team recognized as leaders in alternatives alternatives From institutional investors such as large From ultra-high net worth investors college endowments and pensions funds A team that has over $900 million under A team with a long track record in management alternatives A firm with more than 300 investment A firm that specializes in managing professionals alternatives A team that manages assets for A team that manages over $10 billion in institutions, endowments and Full market cycle Both good and bad markets assets professional investors Alternative mutual funds bought and sold Liquid alternatives Fixed-income funds that allow managers like any other fund Unconstrained fixed-income funds more flexibility in how they invest

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The Power of Alternatives Power Lines Helping advisors with the language shown to work Phrases proven to work when discussing alternative strategies with retail clients Power Outage The Alternative Future

Ten toxic phrases, tortured clichés and tragic mistakes advisors should Five Reasons to Partner With Invesco for Retail Alternatives avoid when discussing alternatives with clients. As investors consider the role of alternatives in their portfolios, advisors are considering which asset managers to partner with for retail alternative strategies. Here are five reasons 1. “Derivatives” to partner with Invesco: Why? When derivatives are in the news, something usually has gone terribly wrong. Leaders in managing alternatives 2. “Future-proof your portfolio” • We have been managing alternative investments for more than three decades. Why? Investors have grown very cynical of lofty, overstated and implausible claims. 1 • Institutionalized, repeatable processes 3. “Smooth equity returns” Diversified choice of alternative mutual funds Why? It lacks credibility. “Smoother” returns are credible; “smooth” returns are not. 2 Our alternative offerings include a wide variety of strategies that investors can use to 4. “Allocate 20% of your portfolio to alternatives” pursue their goals: -Real estate -Infrastructure -Global macro - Risk balanced Why? This will startle investors if said as an inflexible rule without consideration to -Master limited -Commodities -Market neutral - Unconstrained bond their personal objectives. partnerships -Bank loans -Long/short equity - Multi-alternative 5. “Non-” Why? Investors want to know what alternatives are—not what they aren’t. Resources designed to help you build your alternatives business Invesco is focused on educating financial advisors and their clients about 6. “Strategies usually associated with hedge funds” 3 alternatives, providing advisors with ideas for implementing alternatives in client Why? Hedge funds have an image problem; they have too often been featured portfolios, and offering common-sense, goals-based insights into this market. negatively in the headline news. Extensive knowledge in the retail space 7. “We can predict that rates will rise in the future” Alternative investments have long been part of large, institutional portfolios such as Why? Highly competent investors may be able to “anticipate” market moves but no 4 college endowments and pensions funds. As retail investors now look to this market, one can “predict” the markets. Invesco is uniquely positioned to meet their needs. • We have relationships with all of the major brokerages. 8. “These are portfolio managers that I have carefully selected” • Our knowledgeable distribution team is well-versed in the needs of the retail market. Why? Investors are highly skeptical of advisors personally handpicking portfolio managers. Robust risk management and governance 9. “Arbitrage” At Invesco, we’ve embedded risk-mitigation processes into every aspect of our business. Why? Investors do not understand it – and they don’t like what they don’t understand. 5 • Our investment managers evaluate risks specific to their portfolios. • An independent team monitors the consistency of global investment results 10. “Satellite” against expectations. Why? If you don’t work for NASA, consider using the phrase “a complement to your • Corporate committees and independent boards provide comprehensive oversight other investments.” and governance.

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The Power of Alternatives Power Lines Helping advisors with the language shown to work Phrases proven to work when discussing alternative strategies with retail clients Notes

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The Power of Alternatives Helping advisors with the language shown to work Helping select financial professionals with skeptical clients get, keep and grow business with never-before-seen ideas Leaders in helping Proprietary, relevant The complete advisors, worldwide and actionable research advisor experience Founded in 1998, I•C is a team of I•C presentations are based on Each presentation is complemented 14 specialists with over 25 programs extensive research, streamlined by online video reviews and toolboxes and 15 books that is seen by over into actionable steps and implementable designed to help advisors easily apply 40,000 advisors each year.* with I•C Studios follow-up. the research findings into their businesses. *as of 12/18

I•C programs, designed to help advisors with...

• Presentation development and delivery • Value propositions shown to resonate with investors • Public seminars that fill rooms • Communication skills • Retirement strategies… simplified • Proven referral strategies • Strategies for gathering assets

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FOR USE ONLY — NOT FOR USE WITH THE PUBLIC NOT FDIC INSURED | MAY LOSE VALUE | NO BANK GUARANTEE This material is designed to be used in conjunction with the “The Power of Alternatives” presentation or by financial advisors who have attended it. “The Power of Alternatives” is based on Invesco Consulting’s work with Maslansky + Partners. Invesco Distributors, Inc. is not affiliated with Maslansky + Partners. This material is for illustrative, informational and educational purposes only. If the illustrations herein are used outside of the designated audience, it is the respective user’s responsibility to ensure that such material complies with all applicable regulations and is filed with the appropriate regulatory bodies if so required. We make no guarantee that these statements will result in increased business. This does not constitute a recommendation of any investment strategy or product for a particular investor. Investors should consult a financial professional before making any investment decisions. Alternative products typically hold more non-traditional investments and employ more complex trading strategies, including hedging and leveraging through derivatives, short selling and opportunistic strategies that change with market conditions. Investors considering alternatives should be aware of their unique characteristics and additional risks from the strategies they use. Like all investments, performance will fluctuate. You can lose money. Diversification/asset allocation does not guarantee a profit or eliminate the risk of loss. Before investing, investors should carefully read the prospectus and/or summary prospectus and carefully consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses. For this and more complete information about Invesco mutual funds, investors should ask their advisors for a prospectus/summary prospectus or visit invesco.com/fundprospectus. invesco.com/ic Invesco Distributors, Inc. VKC-POA-BRO-1 12/19 ©2019 Invesco Ltd. All rights reserved. NA3954