Investment solutions for wealth managers and financial intermediaries

We offer independent research and advice, discretionary investment services and, single and multi-asset funds through highly-rated third party asset managers.1 Our solutions span geographies, asset classes and public and private markets. We can help you build custom portfolios and identify opportunities for your clients. We can supplement your own team’s efforts and act as an extension of your team. We are flexible in how we work with you and we adapt our services to meet your needs.

Common challenges faced by wealth managers

Investors look to their wealth managers and financial intermediaries to help them build well-diversified portfolios, source and access high-quality asset managers and strategies, invest in a sustainable manner, monitor risks and manage overall investment costs.

Building and managing investment portfolios takes time, precision and focus. For wealth managers and financial intermediaries, there are a range of additional challenges that limit their time to providing exceptional service to clients. These include sourcing and selecting traditional and private market opportunities from a global universe, integrating and monitoring environmental, sustainability and governance (ESG) considerations, managing operational demands and costs, differentiating among competitors and navigating complex regulatory environments.

Leveraging our extensive research, advice and implementation services and range of investment solutions, we can help you build portfolios that are designed to deliver future growth. Below are five benefits of working with us to help you achieve your investment goals. 

Five factors that could impact investment outcomes

  1. High-quality asset managers and strategies
    Comprehensive and impartial research can help you identify high-quality asset managers and strategies. Our team of dedicated research professionals can act as an extension of your in-house expertise. We conduct extensive forward-looking research on asset managers, across public and private markets globally, and can provide you with independent and sound insights to support your investment decisions.
  2. Robust and well-managed risk frameworks
    Your clients expect you to meet their investment objectives within a well-managed risk framework. This an area we can support you with by leveraging our expertise in building well-diversified, risk-profiled investment portfolios, dynamically managing them in the ever changing market conditions and providing access to highly-skilled asset managers across traditional and alternative asset classes.
  3. Reinforced governance and oversight
    Your clients expect prompt execution of investment ideas and a robust risk management framework. Our dedicated and experienced teams can help you achieve this. Our infrastructure, risk management framework and tools allow you to monitor a portfolio’s performance and the drivers of that performance. You can leverage the insights and reporting to provide effective, timely communications to your clients and guide their decision-making.
  4. Integration of ESG considerations
    Integrating sustainability into portfolios remains high on the agenda for most investors. In addition to the environment and climate factors, some place a high importance on integrating DEI factors or are looking to make a broader impact to society. We can support you and your clients in defining, executing and monitoring your sustainable investing objectives.
  5. Reducing administrative burden
    Managing investment portfolios comes with a significant operational burden that takes time away from your core focus, your clients and meeting their investment objectives. Our extensive range of investment services could help you reduce your administrative burden and free up more time to spend delivering on your clients’ investment wishes. We are flexible and have developed our services to suit your needs, by either supplementing some of your work, or working as an extension of your in-house team.

Why wealth managers choose to work with us

Wealth managers and financial intermediaries come to us as a gateway to a wider universe of investment opportunities. Our products and services contain a range of core building blocks fit for the full range of client portfolios and risk profiles. We have expertise across geographies, asset classes, public and private markets, and can help you offer quality investments to your clients.

  • Impartiality 

    Independent research is a crucial element of building strong portfolios for wealth management clients. With access to a wide range of managers across every asset class, we make our selections based on a forward-looking combination of qualitative and quantitative analysis. This ensures clients only have top-quality managers in their portfolios.

  • Functionality 

    Our strong operational investments platform and tested continuity plans means that our wealth clients are better placed to respond to market challenges. Wealth managers use our platform to ensure they can offer clients resilient portfolios and the highest level of service, even during times of crisis.

  • Flexibility 

    We understand that wealth managers and financial intermediaries have a wide range of challenges and priorities. We are well equipped to support clients through the breadth of our capabilities and our flexible operating model.

  • Cost efficiency

    Wealth managers can benefit from our heritage as an institutional investment adviser. Our scale empowers us to negotiate on manager fees, helping drive down costs for you and your clients, while our experts construct and implement your portfolios.

  • ESG integrity

    Integrating ESG and sustainability has become a core part of the investment process in recent years. It’s an area where we are proud to be pioneers, as one of the first consultants to explore and implement ESG factors into our research and decisions. We can help you build, maintain and measure a robust framework for integrating sustainability into your client portfolios.

  • Individuality

    Every wealth management client is different, so it’s important that we tailor our products and services to suit a client’s overall objectives. As part of the process, we work to understand what clients are trying to achieve and present them with a choice of solutions for their portfolios. 

Top considerations for financial intermediaries in 2024

Learn more about the top five considerations for wealth managers and financial intermediaries in 2024.
Download report

Investment solutions to suit your needs

  • Implementation and OCIO

    We can help you define, develop and implement your investment strategy by addressing areas such as governance, risk, sustainability and diversification. We flex our services to suit your needs and help you achieve your investment goals.

  • Sustainable investments 

    We help you build a sustainable investment strategy that integrates environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations; diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) factors and seeks an optimal mix between positive change and favorable returns.

  • Alternative investments

    Leveraging our existing relationships with hundreds of asset managers around the world, we can help you identify and source new investment strategies, opportunities, ideas and innovations across private markets and hedge funds. 

  • Strategic research 

    Become a member of the MercerInsight® Community today to get access to strategic research from hundreds of thought leaders around the world, including Mercer and third-party publishers. It’s complimentary and easy to join.

  • Asset manager research 

    By subscribing to MercerInsight®, an alliance with eVestment, you can gain access to data, analytics and our forward-looking research on asset managers and thousands of investment strategies across both public and private markets. 

  • Managing investment risk

    Our Mercer Sentinel team can help you conduct due diligence and mitigate operational risks across your portfolios and strategies. We assess asset managers, custodians and other service providers to help you deliver on your governance objectives.

Related insights

    It's all here: MercerInsight® Community

    Simplify your search. Get strategic research tailored to your interests from thought leaders across the investment industry, including Mercer and hundreds of third‑party publishers. Membership is complimentary, and it takes seconds to sign up.
    Join the community

    Leverage our breadth and depth

    $16.2T

    US $16.2 trillion in global assets under advisement1

    $548Bn

    US $548 billion in global assets under management2

    11K+

    More than 11,900 investment strategies rated3

    3K+

    More than 3,000 asset managers rated4

    * 1 June 30, 2023,  2 September 30, 2024,  3 March 31, 2024,  4 March 31, 2024

    Find out how we can help you achieve your investment goals

    Contact our investment specialists today