Aval Fiduciaria, a subsidiary of Grupo Aval, and BlackRock have launched a new Collective Investment Fund (FIC) allowing Colombians to access global markets from $1 million via ETFs listed on the Colombia Stock Exchange. The product aims to boost fund participation, currently at just 5% of the population. It features a fully digital onboarding process completed in under five minutes.
The FIC incorporates model portfolios designed by BlackRock experts, one of the world's largest asset managers, focusing on highly liquid and transparent ETFs. Mario Estupiñán, commercial vice president of Aval Fiduciaria, stated that the fund enables access to international markets via local structures, offering sophisticated yet simple options for moderate-risk investors.
Diego Mora, BlackRock's country manager for Colombia, Peru, and Central America, emphasized that investors can build portfolios and remain invested over time. "Not taking advantage of international market opportunities due to lack of knowledge may not be the right decision for managing assets," Mora pointed out.
This launch is the first of three announced by Alejandro Gómez, president of Aval Fiduciaria, following the merger of four trust companies under Grupo Aval, which manages $28.2 trillion in FICs, stock products, and wealth management.