Informa Research Services

Informa Research Services is a United States–based market research company that primarily serves financial services organizations nationwide. Informa Research Services provides competitive intelligence, sales and service evaluation, regulatory compliance testing, and lead generation services to the financial industry. The company gathers competitive product pricing information, branch experience measurements (mystery shopping), and consumer opinions in order to deliver market information, analysis, and targeted recommendations.^[1]

Informa Research Services is part of the Business intelligence division of Informa plc, a provider of specialist information and services for the academic and scientific, professional and commercial business sectors.

Informa Research Services is also part of the Financial intelligence division of Informa plc.

Informa Research Services is a Credit Union National Association (CUNA) provider of intelligence, market research, and mystery shopping services. ^[2]

History

In 1983, Informa Research Services was originally launched as Meyer Interest Rate Survey. Although Alan Meyer began consulting with banks as early as 1971, and the idea for the first survey and report came during the late months of 1982, the very first interest rate survey was not published until March 8, 1983. In 1993, the company was purchased by the BISYS Group. The same management team led the company to further successes and increased growth. New divisions were developed as new areas of research and the resulting products became in high demand.

In June 2000, the company was purchased by Informa plc and was renamed Informa Research Services, Inc. The resulting changes came from an increased focus on new research areas and enhanced technology systems and solutions.^[3]

In February 2013, the company announced that Informa Research Services was to provide financial product information for the Finance App on Windows 8. ^{[4] [5]}

Currently, the company claims to serve more than 6,500 clients, including all of the nation’s top 100 banks.^[6]

Acquisitions

In the past 33 years, Informa Research Services has made more than eleven major competitor acquisitions. Three major acquisitions were Barry Leeds & Associates, Inc., in 2003, Market Trends, Inc., in 2004, and Moorthy, Riggs and Associates, in 2005.^[7]

In 2012, Informa Research Services acquired a lead gen company, ICANBUY, Corp., announced March 16, 2012. ICANBUY is an Internet company which specializes in generating high converting consumer leads for mortgage, consumer lending, and deposit products.^[8]

Products

According to their website, Informa Research Services offers the following products and services:

Competitive Intelligence

Using mystery shopping survey methodologies and direct feeds from financial institutions, Informa Research Services collects rate, fee, and product information in the areas of deposits and savings accounts, credit cards, personal loans, mortgage loans, home equity loans, auto finance, small business lending, and commercial services. Informa also collects competitive intelligence in the area of customer experience measurement.

Sales and Evaluation

Using mystery shop methodologies, Informa seeks to improve sales skills, service delivery, and the effectiveness of financial institution employees. Employee behavior pertaining to sales and services is monitored and employees are supposedly motivated to exhibit superior levels of performance.

Regulatory Compliance Testing

Using mystery shop and customer survey methodologies, Informa captures the "customer experience" to identify areas of improvement or concern relating to fair lending and fair treatment, compliance and suitability testing for Non-Deposit Investment Products (NDIP), and other various compliance requirements such as, but not limited to, RESPA, FACTA, HMDA, Customer Complaint Processes, Third Party Referral Activity, etc.

Lead Generation (Online Advertising and Media Partnerships)

Informa Research Services' financial product data is available to consumers at most of the Internet's top financial portals. Consumers are able to search for the best rates on mortgage loans, consumer loans, and auto loans as well as credit cards and deposit products.

Key portal partners displaying Informa Research Services product rate data are:

About.com^[9]
MSN Money^[10]
ERATE^[11]
The Street.com^[12]

Executive Management

• Charles A. Miwa - President
• Lori Jomsky - Senior Vice President, Deposit Products and Market Intelligence
• Paul Needels - Senior Vice President, Loan Products
• Brian D. Richards - Senior Vice President, Business Development
• Sherif Shokralla - Vice President, Product Operations
• James Royal - Vice President, Marketing

References