ING launches research house

A new player has emerged in the investment research house market with more than 15 years experience and a handful of heavyweight clients already under its belt.

Until recently, Financial Facts was the in-house research capability of ING Australia, providing investment research and ratings to the company’s aligned dealer groups including RetireInvest, Tandem, Millennium3 and ING Financial Planning.

In order to reduce costs for its existing clients, Financial Facts has been launched as an independent research house offering research on managed funds and structured products across a broad range of investment platforms.

However, Financial Facts director and research head Margaret Callinan said there was no intention to position the company as a major competitor in the research market.

“Our primary aim is to continue to provide a really good, tailored service to our existing clients,” she said.

“We want to reduce the costs of our team for our clients by leveraging externally and picking up a few extra clients.”

She added, though, that Financial Facts would provide a fresh alternative to the current offerings in the market.

“Our key point of difference is that we provide research information not just to help advisers recommend the appropriate investments, but also to be able to clearly explain the benefits and risks as part of their financial plan — this includes provision of investment information for use in Statements of Advice,” she said.