Investment Policy Statement - IPS

A document drafted between a portfolio manager and a client that outlines general rules for the manager.

This statement provides the general investment goals and objectives of a client and describes the strategies that the manager should employ to meet these objectives. Specific information on matters such as asset allocation, risk tolerance, and liquidity requirements would also be included in an IPS.

For example, an individual may have an IPS stating that by the time he or she is 60 years old his or her job will become optional, and his or her investments will annually return $65,000 in today's dollars given a certain rate of inflation. This would be only one of many points included in an IPS; however, it probably would also include such things as general guidelines outlining what the individual wants to leave behind to loved ones when he or she dies.