Even through the global Financial Crisis, as markets temporarily took a sharp hit, we kept growing our number of clients who trusted us to preserve and grow their money over the long term. At the peak of the crisis in September 2008 we increased our opening hours to make sure all clients who wanted to get in touch could do so. Fidelity received and dealt with an average of 2,700 calls per day in the UK alone during these weeks.
From 2009, we developed 'Guidance', information that helps investors orient themselves over the long term and in periods of acute volatility. We also started to think about new user requirements around accessing information on their savings and investments, and in 2011 were the first investment manager to launch an iPhone app in the UK, with our other markets swiftly following suit.
In 2008 we also launched "Bricks and Mortar" institutional real estate funds launched to complement our existing expertise in equities, fixed income and cash.
