Oh to be a high net worth individual. Financial institutions are falling over themselves to attract business from this rapidly expanding group and they're determined to make the whole investment experience as pleasant and rewarding as possible.

All investors, no matter how small, can learn from the approach of the "high net worth focused" institutions and look for the same level of service, value and professionalism when dealing with their own affairs.

Anglo Irish Bank, long associated with bespoke banking, has taken a leap this week into the investments market with the launch of its new assurance arm Anglo Irish Assurance Company (AIAC).

With a minimum set up charge of £1,500 (€1,904), the new company is openly targeting the loadsamoney end of the market. Not to be outdone, Goodbody Stockbrokers came out this week with a range of new products designed with tender loving care for wealthy people.

"At Goodbody we have a dedicated team in place who will provide high net worth individuals with a unique and dedicated personalised service," the brochure says.

Two of Goodbody's new products are retirement investment packages, the Personal Pension Portfolio and the Goodbody Approved Retirement Fund. The third is the Personal Portfolio Bond, allowing Goodbody clients "where appropriate" to manage their assets portfolio on a tax-deferred basis.

AIAC will focus on investment products, dealing with both before-tax and after-tax money. Under the brand name Elect, the assurance company will be offering eight investment products, mainly retirement- or pension-related.

The bank decided to create its own business so that it could take full advantage of technology in a "green field" operation.

According to Mr Anton Davies, managing director of AIAC, technological advances have not been applied to the standard industry offering because providers are handicapped by legacy systems.

By setting the business up from scratch, the back office technology and client website can be smoothly and efficiently dovetailed.

"Complete real-time information will be accessible, as well as the facility to update data through our secure website," Mr Davies said. As with almost all ecommerce launches, there is a delay with Anglo's website technology and clients will not be able to carry out their own electronic transactions for another six to eight weeks.

AIAC has applied five philosophies across its product range. Get used to the language because the industry is going mad for touchy-feely "customer-centric" vocabulary.

For the record, the philosophies are simplicity, flexibility, transparency, unbundling and value for money. The philosophies are carried through in the following specific features:

24-hour access to information;

unlimited free online fundswitching;

one contract, any contribution, any time;

transparent charging;

access to internal and external fund managers;

personal portfolios;

quarterly benefit statements.

The one contract offering is a particularly useful initiative. The products will not be tied by up-front commissions and can cater for any combination of single and annual premiums.

As for the unbundling element, the standard investment product combines an element of life cover, investment and perhaps disability cover.

Each will be priced separately with AIAC, something which is recommended for purposes of clarity and protecting the core investment. AIAC will not be writing death and disability cover itself.

As these are select product offerings from AIAC, the company won't be mass producing brochures.

Anglo Irish Bank will act as a broker for its insurance company, not a tied agent, and AIAC is building up a distribution base at the moment.

"We are finding brokerages that deal with our target market and have the same philosophy as AIAC and we expect that group to number less than 25," Mr Davies said.

Goodbody has made clever use of the new deferred tax or gross roll-up regime introduced on January 1st by applying it to portfolio management in its Personal Portfolio Bond.

Director of product development, Mr Brendan McGinn, explains. "In the Personal Portfolio Bond, customers have a dedicated portfolio manager who will advise them in growing and retaining their wealth.

"The main benefit of this product is that all profits accumulated within the bond are tax-free and are only taxed when the customer chooses to withdraw."

The new offerings from Goodbody and AIAC make full use of the changes in pensions legislation which have given Irish investors the opportunity to actively create and manage their own post-retirement wealth.

But the concept of having a long-term integrated investment strategy is not just the preserve of the rich. There is a greater level of control and choice for all tax-payers and even a modest pension fund can be a dynamic and rewarding investment vehicle.