Managing Director, Philip Ryan spoke to WILLIAMS MEDIA about Trilogy and his own property investing philosophies that permeate through his business and private life.

Philip, can you tell us a little about Trilogy?

We are a fund manager that specialises in income generating investments and provides tailored finance solutions to the property and construction sectors in Australia. We have been in operation since 1998 and our core offering to clients are cash, mortgage and property trust products that can provide investors with a competitive investment income, distributed monthly.     

When did your own interest in investing first surface?

I think I have always had the mind of an investor, though it took a high school mathematics exercise to really ignite the spark that set me on my journey. As a school boy who worked part-time in a local garage, I was acutely aware of the value of money and the effort required to accumulate a decent savings account. 

Find out more about Trilogy by visiting their website.

We’d been learning about shares in class and once I understood their earning potential, I was eager to get involved. It was 1975 and the insurance industry had taken a pounding following devastating floods in Brisbane and the impact of Cyclone Tracey in the north of the state. I took the money I’d saved from my after-school job and invested in an insurance company whose share price had plummeted amid the natural disasters. When the value rebounded in my favour, I was hooked.

So, how did you get involved in the property game?

The 80's were challenging for a stock market investor, especially the crash in 1987. I was forced to look inward and assess my own investment profile and tolerance for risk. I endured a few sleepless nights, but was also motivated to understand more about myself and improve as an investor. 

My attention turned from shares to other investment opportunities, which ultimately led me to property. I felt property gave me more control over my investment and I wasn’t at the mercy of decisions made by a company board. I could see ways to add value to property and it offered more stability than other investment vehicles.

Now, you steer one of the country’s leading mortgage and property fund management firms. Tell us how that happened? 

I studied law at university and at night I completed post graduate qualifications with the Securities Institute of Australia (now FINSIA). In 1990, I was a partner in a Brisbane law firm and in 1998 we commenced an investment vehicle to offer more diverse solutions to our clients. A timely merger in 2004 with the former directors of the successful Challenger Financial Services firm – Rodger Bacon and John Barry - led to the birth of the new Trilogy.

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Together, we could call on an extensive arsenal of property, share market and international money market knowledge to offer clients access to monthly income mortgage trusts and investment finance.

Can you tell us a little more about Trilogy’s product offerings?

The Trilogy Monthly Income Trust (Trust) is our flagship product. Spread across more than 50 loans secured by registered first mortgages over property in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria, the Trust has delivered average returns of 7.85 per cent p.a. over its 11-year lifespan to date, navigating the Global Financial Crisis (GFC), among other destabilising world events.

We also designed the Trilogy Enhanced Cash product to suit more conservative investors that are seeking a higher yield than traditional cash investment funds.  It is a hybrid diversified cash-style investment product where approximately 70 per cent of the portfolio is invested into cash investment funds handpicked by our experienced investment team. The remaining is allocated in the Trilogy Monthly Income Trust.

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Since launching, Trilogy Enhanced Cash has returned an average net rate of 4.08 per cent p.a. and most recently a return of 3.68 per cent p.a. for the month of June*. One of the other benefits is its liquidity, with investors able to access their funds readily and with no penalties. Investors can make a partial or full withdrawal of their investment and have their money in hand within seven days. They can also build capital by reinvesting their monthly income distribution back into the product. It really is a flexible alternative that offers investors more control over their money.  

What is the most satisfying aspect of your role as Trilogy’s Managing Director?  

The continued success of our products and the great care our trusted people demonstrate for our many and varied clients. When an investor speaks positively about Trilogy, it always brings me back to the early days of my own investing, and how valuable knowledge and experience can be. 

 It also gives me great pride to know that each loan included in the Trilogy Monthly Income Trust has been the subject of investigation by a highly skilled team that is dedicated to only financing assets that share the right balance of opportunity and risk. It is a source of confidence for our valued investors, who appreciate the approach Trilogy takes with all its investments on their behalf. 

What are you focusing on now? 

Today, I am firmly focused on growing our business. Outside of our pooled mortgage trust, we are seeing great returns from our other assets under management, including commercial and industrial property trusts, and look forward to having some new product offerings come to market later this year. 

Our work to support the first NDIS housing plan in Mackay is also set to come to life, providing 15 single occupancy dwellings for Australians with high support needs. 

Can you summarise the experience of being an investor in a few sentences? 

Investing is challenging. As you grow and learn, you’ll experience highs and lows - and probably have your fingers burnt on more than one occasion – as I did. The key is to be prudent with your investments, make informed decisions around risk and seek appropriate advice for your own financial situation and life stage. Investing can bring reward and financial security to you and your family, so to anyone thinking of investing, get your journey started. 

If you are looking to invest, borrow, or would just like to chat further, get in touch with the Trilogy team today via the contact details below.

Find out more about Trilogy by visiting their website

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