METLIFE AND WILSHIRE FUNDS MANAGEMENT COLLABORATE ON METLIFE ASSET ALLOCATION PROGRAM PORTFOLIOS
NEW YORK, May 04, 2009
MetLife Advisers, LLC (“MLA”), an affiliate of MetLife, Inc. (NYSE: MET), announced today its alliance with Wilshire Funds Management, a business unit of Wilshire Associates Incorporated (Wilshire®), for the MetLife Asset Allocation Program (“MAAP”) portfolios of Met Investors Series Trust, available primarily through MetLife Investors deferred variable annuities. MetLife Advisers, LLC is the manager of the MAAP portfolios.
“The MetLife Asset Allocation Program is an important component of MetLife’s variable annuity business, and we continually evaluate ways to protect and grow the franchise,” said Elizabeth M. Forget, senior vice president, Retirement & Wealth Strategies Group, MetLife and president, MetLife Advisers, LLC. “We are excited to collaborate with Wilshire Funds Management and leverage their extensive expertise and best practices around asset allocation, manager research, portfolio construction and risk analysis.”
“As a firm, Wilshire Associates has gained a considerable reputation providing sound investment recommendations to sophisticated institutional investors for nearly three decades,” noted Lawrence E. Davanzo, president of Wilshire Associates. “We are thrilled to be working with MetLife Advisers, LLC on its successful MAAP Portfolios and look forward to aiding MetLife Advisers and clients by contributing Wilshire’s strengths in asset allocation, manager research, and risk-controlled portfolio construction.”
MAAP comprises five risk-based asset allocation portfolios from which MetLife Investors clients can choose. Each of the five portfolios was designed for a specific type of investor, with particular investment objectives, retirement time horizon and risk tolerance. Wilshire Funds Management consults with MLA, as manager of the MAAP Portfolios, by providing information and insights regarding the capital markets in general, trends in asset allocation, and specialized risk and fund analytics at the asset allocation portfolio level.
About Wilshire Funds Management
Wilshire Funds Management, the investment management business unit of Wilshire Associates Incorporated, provides innovative financial solutions to financial intermediaries, helping its clients distinguish themselves in today’s highly competitive financial services industry.
About Wilshire Associates
Wilshire Associates, a leading global, independent investment consulting and services firm, provides consulting services, analytics solutions and customized investment products to plan sponsors, investment managers and financial intermediaries. Its business units include, Wilshire Analytics, Wilshire Consulting, Wilshire Funds Management and Wilshire Private Markets.
The firm was founded in 1972, revolutionizing the industry by pioneering the application of investment analytics and research to investment management for the institutional marketplace. Wilshire also is credited with helping to develop the field of quantitative investment analysis that uses mathematical tools to analyze market risks. All other business units evolved from Wilshire's strong analytics foundation. Wilshire developed the Wilshire 5000 Total Market IndexSM, the first asset/liability models for pension funds, the first U.S. equity style metrics work and many other "firsts" as the firm grew to approximately 350 employees serving the investment needs of institutional and high net worth clients around the world. Please visit www.wilshire.com for more information.
Wilshire is a registered service mark of Wilshire Associates Incorporated, Santa Monica, California.
About MetLife
MetLife, Inc. is a leading provider of individual insurance, employee benefits and financial services with operations throughout the United States and the Latin America, Europe and Asia Pacific regions. Through its subsidiaries and affiliates, MetLife, Inc. reaches more than 70 million customers around the world and MetLife is the largest life insurer in the United States (based on life insurance in-force). The MetLife companies offer life insurance, annuities, auto and home insurance, retail banking and other financial services to individuals, as well as group insurance and retirement & savings products and services to corporations and other institutions. For more information, visit www.metlife.com.