Russell/Mellon and Mercer in Data Agreement

The addition of the new performance evaluation service and delivery capabilities, accomplished via a systems leasing arrangement, will allow Mercer Investment Consulting “to focus more fully on its core business of providing clients with interpretation of investment results and strategic investment advice,” the Mercer company said.

The first major benefit to clients will be the addition of the Mercer client base into the Russell/Mellon Trust Universes. “By significantly increasing the number of participants, Russell/Mellon and Mercer are now in a position to provide the highest quality and one of the most comprehensive sets of total fund universe data available in the industry,” the company said.

Expanded Data Base

All clients who subscribe to the Russell/Mellon Trust Universes will now be able to access the expanded database, including Mercer’s contribution.

Conversion to the Russell/Mellon system will begin this month, and it is expected that all third-quarter reports will be processed through the new system beginning this fall.

Mercer will have a secure-access link to Russell/Mellon’s system for posting, both electronically and manually, data from clients’ custodians to generate performance returns, characteristics, and attribution results and to generate quarterly performance evaluation reports, according to a joint company press release.

Mercer will be able to perform research and analysis within and across its client base, including use of the Russell/Mellon Trust Universe to analyze clients’ total plan and asset class performance results via electronic access to Russell/Mellon’s suite of analytical tools.