Investing through a managed account has been around for a long time. In fact, its been around for as long as investing.
With that in mind, there have generally been 3 types of managed forex accounts that prevail- Individual, Pooled, and more recently; varieties of PAMM accounts.
Individual Account:
This type of account is the most simple and standard type of account when you think of a managed account. The account managed is a segregated account where the money manager makes all the trades on your behalf. The traders decisions are based solely on your instruction or desire, he/she is trading for you and only you.
Their decisions will be based on your risk level and whether you provide any specific strategy or guidance. Since there are no additional traders funds involved in this account, the minimum deposit may be quite high- exceeding $10,000. For this reason, and the fact the manager is trading this account individually for you, you will want to ensure a professional and competent money manager is chosen. A great deal of research and client testimonials will be beneficial when going this route.
Pooled Account:
This type of account is very similar too mutual funds, in where many investors pool their money together in a separate account and share the profits after fees and expenses. With pooled accounts, there are often a variety of pools to choose from. Each may be offering different risk levels, minimum deposits, investment strategies, currencies traded, and fees and expenses. These types of accounts are managed for a variety of investors, requiring you to choose or be advised on which pool suits your needs.
Unlike individual accounts, the manager is trading for numerous investor desires. To help determine an account for you, each fund will have years of past performance for review. A main benefit of pooled accounts is the lower minimum deposit required to enter, being as low as $2000. Although, there are often minimum participation requirements upon entering a pool fund. These are all factors you need to consider before diving in.
PAMM, LAMM, & MAMM Accounts:
These types of accounts use sophisticated technology to distribute profits, losses, and fees based on percentages of funds each investor has involved in the master account used for trading. These account methods are relatively new in comparison with the other two listed here, and offer the satisfaction of dealing directly with the broker of your choice in a secure and transparent way.
Its similar to the mirror and copy trading features some brokers offer, because of the automation and technicality. Although, it still has more similarities to a managed account. All these types of accounts are basically pool accounts, in the sense that numerous investors pool their money together and reap the profits or losses of the money manager.