Mercer, the global investment consultancy, has today announced that it will be using FE and Lipper to provide the technology and data behind the consultancy’s Mercer Advisor Portal (MAP). The collaboration, and the launch of MAP, is part of the consultancy’s continued efforts to bring institutional quality research to the Wealth Management sector.
FE is a leader in the provision of investment data, software and performance analysis to the financial services industry. Under the agreement with Mercer, it will provide, through the Mercer-branded MAP tools, Mercer’s research analysis of investment strategies combined with advanced analytical functionality. Using MAP and the user friendly technology provided by FE, financial intermediaries will be able to select and analyse funds, assess their clients’ investment fund and portfolio risk, and conduct analysis of fund sectors. Underpinning all this will be the provision of high quality data feeds of prices, dividends, corporate actions and documents for around 300,000 funds from markets across the world.
Mercer will be using FE capabilities and data in most markets outside the United States. Within the US, Mercer and FE will be using Lipper as the main source of investment data.
According to Cara Williams, Senior Partner at Mercer and Global Head of the company’s Wealth Management service, “FE is a well-known and dynamic technology provider and this collaboration will make Mercer’s Advisor Portal the most advanced advisor information tool available to the global wealth management market. Wealth managers, private client asset managers, private banks and financial advisors will be able to improve the performance of their clients’ assets by accessing, through MAP, forward-looking, institutional-quality research and analytical tools. We’ve developed the system as an alternative to strictly quantitative approaches to asset allocation and manager selection.”
Michael Holland, Managing Director at FE, said, “Mercer is a world-renowned leader in consulting with a reputation for working in close partnership with its clients. It is a great accolade that Mercer has chosen FE investment data for its dynamic new MAP tool and we are looking forward to a long and fruitful relationship with the firm. FE remains committed to providing detailed, up-to-the-moment data to all of its partners, coupled with a highly-trained team of support staff.”
According to Lars Asplund, Managing Director and Head of Lipper, “We are very excited about providing Lipper content including our Lipper Leaders fund rating via Mercer’s MAP platform to wealth advisors in the US. Packaging Lipper content along with Mercer’s forward-looking research delivers a powerful proposition that any wealth advisor would find highly beneficial in serving clients and their investment needs. ”
MAP is being formally launched from October 2013 onwards and Mercer has already announced that it is being used by the US wealth management firm, HighTower Advisors. The consultancy has also previously disclosed some of the services that it has developed for the Wealth Management Industry including the High Volume Research (HVR) and High Volume Monitoring (HVM) services. These are aimed at giving financial advisors and wealth management oversight on potential issues in funds in which their clients are invested.
Mercer’s MAP microsite may be accessed at www.merceradvisorportal.co
Mercer is a global leader in talent, health, retirement and investments. Mercer helps clients around the world advance the health, wealth and performance of their most vital asset – their people. Mercer’s 20,000 employees are based in 42 countries and the firm operates in over 140 countries. Mercer is a wholly owned subsidiary of Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE: MMC), a global team of professional services companies offering clients advice and solutions in the areas of risk, strategy and human capital. With 53,700 employees worldwide and annual revenue exceeding $10 billion, Marsh & McLennan Companies is also the parent company of Marsh, a global leader in insurance broking and risk management; Guy Carpenter, a global leader in providing risk and reinsurance intermediary services; and Oliver Wyman, a global leader in management consulting. Follow Mercer on Twitter @MercerInsights |
