The backbone of the U.S. economy isn’t Wall Street – it’s the 200,000-plus middle market companies quietly driving one-third of American jobs and 40% of its GDP. These businesses form the engine room of American growth, and now investors can tap directly into their momentum.

In this update, we look at the late 1980s and the pivotal decision of La Trobe Financial to enter retail asset management at that moment. The question of when a manager began a strategy, and why, matters. Because for those of us who have been around long enough, you’ll recognise that there’s nothing new under the sun.

Every so often, pivotal moments occur that shift a company or sector. Back in 1952, La Trobe Financial was founded when institutional investment was sourced to provide loans to returned servicemen to purchase a home. These were high quality borrowers who could demonstrate employment or running a successful business but were falling short on strict bank guidelines relating to continuity of income or level of savings.