UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549



                                  SCHEDULE 13G

                   Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934*

                        Virtus Investment Partners, Inc.
                        --------------------------------
                                (Name of Issuer)

                     Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share
                     ---------------------------------------
                         (Title of Class of Securities)

                                    92828Q109
                                    ---------
                                 (CUSIP Number)

                                 January 2, 2009
                                 ---------------
             (Date of Event Which Requires Filing of this Statement)

           Check the appropriate box to designate the rule pursuant to
                         which this Schedule is filed:

                                [ ] Rule 13d-1(b)
                                [X] Rule 13d-1(c)
                                [ ] Rule 13d-1(d)

*The remainder of this cover page shall be filled out for a reporting person's
initial filing on this form with respect to the subject class of securities, and
for any subsequent amendment containing information which would alter the
disclosures provided in a prior cover page.

The information required on the remainder of this cover page shall not be deemed
to be "filed" for the purpose of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934 (the "Act") or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section of the
Act but shall be subject to all other provisions of the Act (however, see the
Notes).





-------------------                                           ------------------
CUSIP No. 92828Q109                   13G                     Page 2 of 10 Pages
-------------------                                           ------------------

---------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
1          NAME OF REPORTING PERSON

           Third Point LLC
---------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
2          CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*
                                                                      (a) [ ]
                                                                      (b) [X]
---------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
3          SEC USE ONLY

---------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
4          CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION

           Delaware
-------------------- ------ ----------------------------------------------------
                     5      SOLE VOTING POWER

                            0
                     ------ ----------------------------------------------------
     NUMBER OF       6      SHARED VOTING POWER
      SHARES
   BENEFICIALLY             352,000
     OWNED BY        ------ ----------------------------------------------------
       EACH          7      SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
     REPORTING
      PERSON                0
       WITH          ------ ----------------------------------------------------
                     8      SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER

                            352,000
---------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
9          AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON

           352,000
---------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
10         CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES*

           N/A
---------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
11         PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW 9

           6.2%
---------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
12         TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON

           OO
---------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------





-------------------                                           ------------------
CUSIP No. 92828Q109                   13G                     Page 3 of 10 Pages
-------------------                                           ------------------

---------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
1          NAME OF REPORTING PERSON

           Daniel S. Loeb
---------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
2          CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*
                                                                      (a) [ ]
                                                                      (b) [X]
---------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
3          SEC USE ONLY

---------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
4          CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION

           United States
-------------------- ------ ----------------------------------------------------
                     5      SOLE VOTING POWER

                            0
                     ------ ----------------------------------------------------
     NUMBER OF       6      SHARED VOTING POWER
      SHARES
   BENEFICIALLY             352,000
     OWNED BY        ------ ----------------------------------------------------
       EACH          7      SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
     REPORTING
      PERSON                0
       WITH          ------ ----------------------------------------------------
                     8      SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER

                            352,000
---------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
9          AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON

           352,000
---------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
10         CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES*

           N/A
---------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
11         PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW 9

           6.2%
---------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
12         TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON

           IN
---------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------





-------------------                                           ------------------
CUSIP No. 92828Q109                   13G                     Page 4 of 10 Pages
-------------------                                           ------------------

---------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
1          NAME OF REPORTING PERSON

           Third Point Offshore Master Fund, L.P.
---------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
2          CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*
                                                                      (a) [ ]
                                                                      (b) [X]
---------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
3          SEC USE ONLY

---------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
4          CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION

           Cayman Islands
-------------------- ------ ----------------------------------------------------
                     5      SOLE VOTING POWER

                            0
                     ------ ----------------------------------------------------
     NUMBER OF       6      SHARED VOTING POWER
      SHARES
   BENEFICIALLY             297,305
     OWNED BY        ------ ----------------------------------------------------
       EACH          7      SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
     REPORTING
      PERSON                0
       WITH          ------ ----------------------------------------------------
                     8      SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER

                            297,305
---------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
9          AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON

           297,305
---------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
10         CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES*

           N/A
---------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
11         PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW 9

           5.2%
---------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
12         TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON

           PN
---------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------





-------------------                                           ------------------
CUSIP No. 92828Q109                   13G                     Page 5 of 10 Pages
-------------------                                           ------------------

---------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
1          NAME OF REPORTING PERSON

           Third Point Advisors II L.L.C.
---------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
2          CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*
                                                                      (a) [ ]
                                                                      (b) [X]
---------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
3          SEC USE ONLY

---------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
4          CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION

           Delaware
-------------------- ------ ----------------------------------------------------
                     5      SOLE VOTING POWER

                            0
                     ------ ----------------------------------------------------
     NUMBER OF       6      SHARED VOTING POWER
      SHARES
   BENEFICIALLY             297,305
     OWNED BY        ------ ----------------------------------------------------
       EACH          7      SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
     REPORTING
      PERSON                0
       WITH          ------ ----------------------------------------------------
                     8      SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER

                            297,305
---------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
9          AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON

           297,305
---------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
10         CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES*

           N/A
---------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
11         PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW 9

           5.2%
---------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
12         TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON

           OO
---------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------





Item 1(a):     Name of Issuer:
---------      --------------

The name of the issuer is Virtus Investment Partners, Inc., a corporation
organized under the laws of the State of Delaware (the "Company").

Item 1(b):     Address of Issuer's Principal Executive Offices:
---------      -----------------------------------------------

The Company's principal executive office is located at 100 Pearl Street, 9th
Floor, Hartford, Ct 06103.

Item 2(a):     Name of Person Filing:
---------      ---------------------

This Schedule 13G is filed by:

     (i)    Third Point LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the
            "Management Company"), which serves as investment manager or adviser
            to a variety of hedge funds and managed accounts (such funds and
            accounts, collectively, the "Funds"), with respect to shares of
            Common Stock (as defined in Item 2(d)) directly owned by the Funds;
            and

     (ii)   Mr. Daniel S. Loeb ("Mr. Loeb"), who is the Chief Executive Officer
            of the Management Company and controls its business activities, with
            respect to shares of Common Stock indirectly beneficially owned by
            Mr. Loeb by virtue of such position.

     (iii)  Third Point Offshore Master Fund, L.P., a Cayman Islands exempted
            limited partnership (the "Offshore Master Fund") which invests and
            trades securities, with respect to shares of Common Stock directly
            beneficially owned by it.

     (iv)   Third Point Advisors II L.L.C., a Delaware limited liability company
            ("Advisors II"), which serves as the general partner of the Offshore
            Master Fund.

The Management Company, Mr. Loeb, the Offshore Master Fund and Advisors II are
hereinafter sometimes collectively referred to as the "Reporting Persons." Any
disclosures herein with respect to persons other than the Reporting Persons are
made on information and belief after making inquiry to the appropriate party.

Item 2(b):     Address of Principal Business Office or, if None, Residence:
---------      -----------------------------------------------------------

The address of the principal business office of the Management Company, Mr. Loeb
and Advisors II is 390 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10022. The address of the
principal business office of the Offshore Master Fund is c/o Walkers SPV
Limited, Walker House, 87 Mary Street, George Town, Grand Cayman KY1-9002,
Cayman Islands, British West Indies.

Item 2(c):     Citizenship:
---------      -----------

The Management Company and Advisors II are organized as limited liability
companies under the laws of the State of Delaware. Mr. Loeb is a United States
citizen. The Offshore Master Fund is organized as an exempted limited
partnership under the laws of the Cayman Islands.

Item 2(d):     Title of Class of Securities:
---------      ----------------------------

Common Stock, par value $0.01 ("Common Stock").

Item 2(e):     CUSIP Number:
---------      ------------


                                      -6-





92828Q109

Item 3:        If this statement is filed pursuant to Rules 13d-1(b) or 13d-2(b)
------         -----------------------------------------------------------------
               or (c), check whether the person filing is a:
               --------------------------------------------

               A. [ ] Broker or dealer registered under Section 15 of the Act,
               B. [ ] Bank as defined in Section 3(a)(6) of the Act,
               C. [ ] Insurance Company as defined in Section 3(a)(19) of the
                      Act,
               D. [ ] Investment Company registered under Section 8 of the
                      Investment Company Act of 1940,
               E. [ ] Investment Adviser in accordance with Rule 13d-1
                      (b)(1)(ii)(E),
               F. [ ] Employee Benefit Plan or Endowment Fund in accordance with
                      13d-1 (b)(1)(ii)(F),
               G. [ ] Parent Holding Company or control person in accordance
                      with Rule 13d-1 (b)(1)(ii)(G),
               H. [ ] Savings Association as defined in Section 3(b) of the
                      Federal Deposit Insurance Act,
               I. [ ] Church Plan that is excluded from the definition of an
                      investment company under Section 3(c)(14) of the
                      Investment Company Act of 1940,
               J. [ ] Group, in accordance with Rule 13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(J).

Item 4:        Ownership:
------         ---------

On January 2, 2009, the Funds acquired an aggregate of 352,200 shares of Common
Stock (297,305 of which were acquired by the Offshore Master Fund) as a result
of the Company's spin off from the Phoenix Companies, Inc. The Funds (other than
the Offshore Master Fund) sold 200 shares of Common Stock on January 9, 2009. As
a result, the beneficial ownership of Common Stock by the Reporting Persons, as
of the date of this Schedule 13G, is as follows:

  A.      Third Point LLC
          ---------------
     (a) Amount beneficially owned: 352,000
     (b) Percent of class: 6.2%. The percentages used herein and in the rest of
this Schedule 13G are calculated based upon the 5,714,546 shares of Common Stock
issued and outstanding as reported in the Company's Information Statement, filed
with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 19, 2008, as an exhibit
to Amendment No. 4 to General Form for Registration of Securities on Form 10.
     (c) Number of shares as to which such person has:
          (i)    Sole power to vote or direct the vote: 0
          (ii)   Shared power to vote or direct the vote: 352,000
          (iii)  Sole power to dispose or direct the disposition: 0
          (iv)   Shared power to dispose or direct the
                  disposition: 352,000


                                      -7-





  B.      Daniel S. Loeb
          --------------
     (a) Amount beneficially owned: 352,000
     (b) Percent of class: 6.2%.
     (c) Number of shares as to which such person has:
          (i)    Sole power to vote or direct the vote: 0
          (ii)   Shared power to vote or direct the vote: 352,000
          (iii)  Sole power to dispose or direct the disposition: 0
          (iv)   Shared power to dispose or direct the disposition: 352,000

  C.      Third Point Offshore Master Fund, L.P.
          --------------------------------------
     (a) Amount beneficially owned: 297,305
     (b) Percent of class: 5.2%.
     (c) Number of shares as to which such person has:
          (i)    Sole power to vote or direct the vote: 0
          (ii)   Shared power to vote or direct the vote: 297,305
          (iii)  Sole power to dispose or direct the disposition: 0
          (iv)   Shared power to dispose or direct the disposition: 297,305

  D.      Third Point Advisors II L.L.C.
          ------------------------------
     (a) Amount beneficially owned: 297,305
     (b) Percent of class: 5.2%.
     (c) Number of shares as to which such person has:
          (i)    Sole power to vote or direct the vote: 0
          (ii)   Shared power to vote or direct the vote: 297,305
          (iii)  Sole power to dispose or direct the disposition: 0
          (iv)   Shared power to dispose or direct the disposition: 297,305

Item 5:        Ownership of Five Percent or Less of a Class:
------         --------------------------------------------

If this statement is being filed to report the fact that as of the date hereof
the reporting person has ceased to be the beneficial owner of more than five
percent of the class of securities, check the following: [ ]

Item 6:        Ownership of More than Five Percent on Behalf of Another Person:
------         ---------------------------------------------------------------

Other than as set forth herein, no other person has the right to receive or the
power to direct the receipt of dividends from, or proceeds from the sale of, in
excess of 5% of the total outstanding Common Stock.

Item 7:        Identification and Classification of the Subsidiary Which
------         ---------------------------------------------------------
               Acquired the Security Being Reported on by the Parent Holding
               -------------------------------------------------------------
               Company:
               -------

Not applicable.

Item 8:        Identification and Classification of Members of the Group:
------         ---------------------------------------------------------

Not applicable.

Item 9:        Notice of Dissolution of Group:
------         ------------------------------

Not applicable.


                                      -8-





Item 10:       Certification:
-------        -------------

Each of the Reporting Persons hereby makes the following certification:

By signing below I certify that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, the
securities referred to above were not acquired and are not held for the purpose
of or with the effect of changing or influencing the control of the issuer of
the securities and were not acquired and are not held in connection with or as a
participant in any transaction having that purpose or effect.


                                      -9-





                                    SIGNATURE

After reasonable inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and belief, I certify
that the information set forth in this statement is true, complete and correct.


Dated:  January 12, 2009



                         THIRD POINT LLC

                         By: Daniel S. Loeb, Chief Executive Officer


                         By: /s/ William Song
                            ----------------------------------------------------
                            Name:   William Song
                            Title:  Attorney-in-Fact


                         THIRD POINT OFFSHORE MASTER FUND, L.P.

                         By: Third Point Advisors II L.L.C., its general partner
                         By: Daniel S. Loeb, Managing Director


                         By: /s/ William Song
                            ----------------------------------------------------
                            Name:   William Song
                            Title:  Attorney-in-Fact


                         THIRD POINT ADVISORS II L.L.C.
                         By: Daniel S. Loeb, Managing Director


                         By: /s/ William Song
                            ----------------------------------------------------
                            Name:   William Song
                            Title:  Attorney-in-Fact


                         DANIEL S. LOEB


                         By: /s/ William Song
                            ----------------------------------------------------
                            Name:   William Song
                            Title:  Attorney-in-Fact





                                  EXHIBIT INDEX
                                  -------------


Exhibit 99.1:  Joint Filing Agreement, dated January 12, 2009, by and between
               the Reporting Persons.

Exhibit 99.2:  Power of Attorney granted by Daniel S. Loeb in favor of James P.
               Gallagher, William Song, Joshua L. Targoff and Bruce Wilson,
               dated January 5, 2009, was previously filed with the SEC on
               January 5, 2009 as an exhibit to Amendment No. 3 to Schedule 13G
               filed by Third Point LLC, Daniel S. Loeb, Third Point Offshore
               Fund, Ltd., Third Point Offshore Master Fund, L.P., and Third
               Point Advisors II L.L.C. with respect to Energy XXI (Bermuda)
               Limited and is incorporated herein by reference.