Investment management by definition is when a variety of securities are managed by a professional investment company in order to meet certain objectives to benefit its investors.  Investors can be businesses such: as insurance companies, pension funds or corporations.  Investors can also be private (usually wealthy) entities directly through contracts or commonly through collective investment schemes (for example, mutual funds).  Investment management includes financial analysis, asset selection, stock selection, plan implementation and ongoing monitoring of investments. Financial analysis makes assessments to determine whether an investment is: feasible, stable and profitable.  In order for an investment management firm to be successful in asset and stock selection they have to figure out which risks are worth taking and which to avoid. Getting an understanding of what the client wants is also a vital key, because if the client does not feel that you have their best interest at heart, they will not be your client for long. Once you know the clients objectives you can develop a plan and put it to action and of course oversea the results, if it is not achieving the goals of the client then the portfolio manager needs to take the necessary steps to reach that goal. Investment management is a very important global industry b/c it is responsible for trillions of dollars, euros, pounds and yen; many of the world’s largest companies that provide financial services are also involved in investment management (also see investing stock). 

ING Investment Management which is also well known for it high interest savings and checking accounts also offers a variety of investment management products for different investors.  They serve a diverse group of institutional clients that include: corporate, public, and Taft-Hartley pension funds, endowments, healthcare organizations, insurance companies, and mutual funds. ING also offers manage accounts that meet the objectives of institutions and high net worth investors. Real Estate Finance is another type of investment they offer which provides financial backing to income-producing real estate properties. Those are only few of the types of accounts that ING Investment Management offers.

JP Morgan (also the owner of Chase) is an older financial institution (they have been around for more than two centuries) that has held a reputation for private banking which is another form of investment banking. JPMorgan serves four distinct client groups through three businesses: institutions and retail clients through JPMorgan Asset Management; ultra high net worth clients through the Private Bank; and high net worth clients through Private Client Services.  They manage assets totaling 1.2 trillions dollars which would make them one of the largest asset and wealth managers in the world.  Their network spans the globe: America, U.K., Continental Europe, Asia, and Japan.

Generation Investment Management LLP is an independent, private, owner-managed partnership established in 2004 and with offices in London and Washington, D.C.  This firm is very new and they deal risks and opportunities that are based on long-term performance. Their focus is on economic, environmental and social aspects of a company that can affect a company’s ability to keep profits and produce returns. Al Gore is responsible for Generation’s research in issues dealing with poverty, climate change, ecosystem services and development just to name a few (read more about investment opportunities).

This was an overview of investment management, you can get more info from the websites of the firms I have mentioned along with other sources (see also investment opportunity).