Investment Advisory Consulting
What is Investment Advisory Consulting?
Investment advisors collaborate with a wide range of institutional investors, including corporate defined benefit and defined contribution plans, public/governmental plans and non-profits. Among the solutions and services advisors provide are: portfolio structure analysis, alternatives consulting, manager research, asset allocation and investment policy services.
What are the Benefits of Investment Advisory Consulting?
Investment advisory consulting helps organizations implement investment programs, effectively manage and diversify assets and ensure robust governance. To meet the unique needs of each institutional investor, investment advisory consulting blends investment and asset modeling experience to help build tailor-made investment programs.
When it comes to defined benefit plans, asset and liability risks must be carefully managed in an integrated manner to manage funded status volatility and ultimately meet the benefit obligations to participants. Meanwhile, non-profit portfolios must incorporate scenario stress testing, modeling of funding patterns and analysis of spending needs to arrive at the appropriate asset structure. Defined contribution plans, on the other hand, must offer well-structured arrays of investment options with a variety of asset class exposures and risk/return profiles to participants.
How Aon Can Help
Aon provides a comprehensive suite of services, including strategy development, asset allocation and tailored research services. By leveraging our team’s expertise across asset classes and spanning a wide variety of institutional pool types, we can provide multifaceted advice that considers your risk tolerance and long-term goals. Our team provides implementation advice, portfolio structure, manager selection, monitoring and reporting services.
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Asset Allocation
Asset allocation is an important part of an institutional investor’s portfolio strategy. An effective asset allocation strategy includes:
- Assessing the organization’s financial goals and risk tolerance
- Analyzing different asset classes and liabilities/spending needs to determine the optimal mix
- Selecting a portfolio manager with experience in implementing the chosen asset allocation strategy
- Continually monitoring performance to ensure that objectives are being met
- Rebalancing the portfolio as needed to maintain optimal asset allocation
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Asset Manager Research and Selection
Asset manager research and selection are critical to ensure the success of any portfolio or investment strategy. It can help identify asset managers best suited to manage funds according to the investor’s desired risk profile. The manager selection process also helps ensure that investments are managed in accordance with industry regulations.
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Monitoring and Reporting
Continuous monitoring of asset managers is key to ensuring that the portfolio remains on track with its goals. Aon’s team works with organizations to regularly review and update their selection of asset managers to ensure that objectives are being met.
Aon's Asset Manager Research and Selection Process
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01
Initial Inputs
News flow, quantitative screens, portfolio analysis and intro meetings
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02
Pre-Meeting
Discuss key issues, set the agenda and share with the manager
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03
Rating Discussion
Full airing of issues with consultants and specialists
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04
Post-Meeting
Do they do what they say they do?
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05
Manager Visit
We ask the questions and listen to the answers
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06
Rating Sheet
Review and update then shen with the manager
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07
Implementation of Research
Meetings and manager selections