Transparency & Disclosure

Mercer Marsh Benefits (“MMB”) provides clients with a single source for managing the costs, people risks, and complexities of employee benefits. It is a collaboration between Mercer and Marsh companies, global leaders for innovative and reliable health and benefits advice strategic solutions, and brokerage services.

We take pride in our transparency and disclosure approach, and we make the following commitments when working for our clients:

• We engage in ethical business practices
• We define with our clients the terms of our engagement, including our role and responsibilities
• We make available to our clients on request, and subject to local law and practices, our compensation from insurers and other third parties and our interests in the services we provide our clients
• We manage conflicts of interest with integrity honestly and fairly

Our commitments are applied throughout MMB globally, although how we are compensated and the nature of our disclosure may differ according to the services we provide and in accordance with local law and practices.

This Global Transparency and Disclosure Statement summarises the types of compensation received across MMB globally. There may be countries that either do not receive certain of the compensation types noted below due to local practices or restrictions under local law and regulation. Accordingly, please consult your local MMB consultant for information related to a specific entity.

Broadly, MMB offers a wide range of services to its clients, with a variety of compensation arrangements with clients and insurers, including one or a combination of:

1. Fee arrangements
2. Commissions
3. Insurer services revenue
4. Other forms of compensation

1. Fee arrangements

Some clients may agree to pay a fee to MMB for the services it provides in lieu of, or in addition to, any commissions MMB receives from insurance companies. Fee amounts will be agreed with clients and included in the contract for services entered into between MMB and client at the outset of the engagement.

2. Brokerage Commissions

Retail commissions are paid to MMB by insurers as a percentage of the premium charged to the client for its insurance policy. The amount of commission may vary depending on a number of factors, including the type of insurance product sold, the related consultancy services and the insurer selected by the client, and commission rates may vary from transaction to transaction and change from time to time.

Additional information about MMB’s insurer commission arrangements are available to MMB clients on request to MMB.

3. Insurer services revenue

MMB receives compensation from insurers for specific portfolio-related services delivered by MMB (or MMB’s representatives), in some cases by dedicated teams.  These insurer relationships are documented in formal service agreements.  Depending on the services, MMB may receive fee-based compensation or compensation that is set as a percentage of premium.

MMB earns three types of compensation associated with the different forms of services provided to insurers as follows:

• Insurer Consulting Compensation: MMB’s insurer consulting team may provide a range of consulting and data analytics services to insurers designed to improve the product offerings available to MMB policyholders, assist insurers in identifying opportunities, and enhance insurers’ operational efficiency.  Compensation for these services is by fixed fee only – MMB’s insurer consulting compensation arrangements do not include percentage-based compensation, discretionary components, bonuses or variable elements.
  
  
• Insurance Solutions Compensation: MMB may create, manage and/or administer certain panels, portfolio facilities, quota shares, line slips and delegated authorities and participating insurers may compensate MMB for the activities MMB carries out for or on their behalf by way of a fixed fee and/or on a percentage of premium basis.
  
  
• Work Transfer Compensation: MMB may receive compensation from insurers for administrative work that MMB does for or on their behalf, including where MMB assists with policy servicing, claims, and placement execution (which is unrelated to the work MMB carries out as broker, and for the avoidance of doubt, MMB will not receive compensation twice for the same service). 

4. Other forms of compensation

MMB may also receive other forms of compensation including the following:

• MMB may, from time to time, participate in insurer sponsored promotional events or employee training and development, and sometimes MMB is reimbursed by insurers for costs related to promotional marketing.
• Additionally, in the process of handling clients' money we may earn interest on, or benefit from, investment income or exchange rates. We also receive payments from the companies that provide premium finance facilities to allow our clients to pay their premiums in monthly instalments.
• In certain countries MMB may also enter into referral arrangements with third parties (including insurers) to refer clients to these third parties for their provision of products or services, and MMB may receive referral fees for this.

5. Requesting details of how we are paid                                                                                                                                        

Clients of MMB may obtain further details of how we are paid by making a request to their usual MMB contact.

How we are compensated and the level of information we can disclose may change according to the services we provide and in accordance with local law and practices.

6. Related Party Transactions

Our subsidiaries or affiliates of MMB may own shares in and have contracts with certain insurers and reinsurers. They may also own or have interests in other insurance-related businesses that may provide services associated with a client's account.

If you have any questions about MMB’s transparency and disclosure commitments, or would like information on the compensation we receive, please do not hesitate to contact your MMB client contact.

Mercer believes in building brighter futures by redefining the world of work, reshaping retirement and investment outcomes, and unlocking real health and well-being. Mercer’s approximately 25,000 employees are based in 43 countries and the firm operates in 130 countries. Mercer is a business of Marsh McLennan (NYSE: MMC), the world’s leading professional services firm in the areas of risk, strategy and people, with 86,000 colleagues and annual revenue of over $20 billion. Through its market-leading businesses including Marsh, Guy Carpenter and Oliver Wyman, Marsh McLennan helps clients navigate an increasingly dynamic and complex environment. For more information, visit mercer.com. Follow Mercer on LinkedIn and Twitter.