The AIF Distributor: who sells you an AIF, and how they're paid
As with a PMS, the person who sells you an Alternative Investment Fund is usually not the person who runs it. The distributor earns a commission for placing you, and on AIFs that commission has historically been large. There is also a way to skip it entirely. This guide is about the distributor.
What an AIF distributor actually is
An AIF distributor is an intermediary, typically a wealth firm, a private bank, or a relationship manager, who introduces and sells you units of an Alternative Investment Fund managed by someone else. They onboard you and stay as a contact, and they are paid a commission by the fund manager for bringing you in. They hold a NISM certification, but they are a salesperson, not the manager.
How they earn, and the Direct plan that skips it
Distribution commissions on AIFs have been heavy, historically around four to five percent of the amount you commit. SEBI has since reformed this. Category III AIFs now pay distributors on a trail basis only, from the manager's fee, while Category I and II may pay up to a third upfront and the rest as trail. Most importantly, SEBI now requires every AIF to offer a Direct plan, with no distribution commission at all, exactly as mutual funds do.
Source: SEBI, recognised AIFs
What you can, and can't, trust them for
- Trust them for
- Access to AIF options, onboarding through a complex process, and an ongoing contact, if you value that and accept the commission.
- Don't rely on them for
- An unbiased view on whether an AIF suits you, or which one. The upfront component on some categories still rewards placing you, so read the recommendation in that light.
When an AIF distributor fits, and how to verify one
A distributor suits you if the access and service are worth the commission to you. If not, ask for the Direct plan and deal with the fund directly. Either way, confirm the AIF itself is SEBI-registered on the SEBI recognised intermediaries page (select Alternative Investment Funds), ask the distributor for their NISM certification, and ask plainly what they are paid, upfront and trail.
See: the AIF Manager, who runs the fund →
See: the types of AIF, Categories I, II and III explained →
See: negotiating PMS and AIF fees like a veteran →
An AIF distributor places you in the fund for a commission, and a Direct plan can remove that commission entirely.
The manager runs the strategy. The distributor earns for the introduction, sometimes a large amount upfront. Knowing the Direct plan exists turns that commission from a hidden cost into a choice.
This guide describes how the role works. It isn't a recommendation to invest in an AIF or to use a distributor. The distributor is a commission-paid intermediary, and the question is whether their access and service are worth a cost you can often avoid.