18 Aug 2019
RSMR has been providing rigorous and qualitative investment research and analysis to the advisory community since 2004. Our ratings are a badge of quality, backed by our experience and reputation, and we don't mess around with rankings, we either rate funds or we don't. We apply our independent filtering process to over 4000 funds in the investment universe, rating those that meet our exacting standards and we’re proud to offer the widest set of recognised and respected ratings in the marketplace.
We take a qualitative approach to fund rating. While past performance and risk measures play a part, our research team rely on face-to-face meetings with fund managers and management teams across the globe to establish how they’ll develop performance. We also undertake thoughtful and detailed analysis of social, governmental and market factors to build a picture of the fund over the coming years. Our full methodology is available on our Hub:
http://members.rsmgroup.co.uk/related/rd/fund-rating-methodology/
We seek opinion and feedback from our adviser clients and adapt our services so that we are offering the best and most relevant assistance and giving maximum value.
Sustainable and Responsible Investing has evolved from a niche in the advice process to a mainstream approach. As wider societal attitudes have adapted over time, the principles on which SRI are based have become more appealing to a wider group of investors and SRI funds are becoming a more central part of the advice process.
There’s now a variety of investment options in the SRI space: Responsible Engagement Funds;
Sustainability Themed Funds; Balanced Ethical Funds; Environmentally Themed Funds; Negative; Ethical Funds; Faith Based Funds; Clean Technology Funds; Specialist SRI Options.
For more information take a look at the RSMR Guide to Sustainable and Responsible Investing.
http://members.rsmgroup.co.uk/related-guides/sri-funds/
Our standard emblem for rated funds, our flagship logo, allows advisers to immediately identify the top active and passive funds endorsed by RSMR. Under our binary system, a fund is either rated or it isn’t. While some other fund rating agencies use star or numerical ratings, we recognise that every investor has different circumstances and it’s up to the adviser and investor together, rather than the rating agency, to establish what the soundest investment will be.
We are constantly evolving and improving our services for advisers and have extended our range of ratings to cover the discretionary fund management (DFM) sector. We are experts in assessing funds and the processes and skills of fund managers and we’ve applied this expertise to the DFM market. Our rating indicates that we have assessed the whole DFM proposition against our methodology and subsequently endorse it. The regulatory environment is continuously shifting and the advisory market has an expanding range of choices. Using a DFM helps to take away some of the stress of selecting assets, allowing the adviser to focus on all the other areas of financial planning.
You can find out more about our DFM rating, and view the matrix, factsheets and other supporting documents on our Hub: http://members.rsmgroup.co.uk/
One of the primary reasons for separating out ranges from the sector funds that form our usual review type is to provide a simpler process for advisers and to bring analysis and guidance from a more practical perspective.
Our rating means that we’ve researched the fund management group and are satisfied that they have a sound investment process for the fund range, and that our analysis of the performance and risk of the range of funds is in line with our expectations.
Investment trusts have always been an option for advisers but lack of access via platforms and underlying complexity have been deterrents. Complexity can still be an issue, but access is improving and wider use by retail investors is beginning to increase demand. We’ve expanded our research into this part of the market to help advisers choose the most appropriate investments for your clients.
All funds and solutions are assessed on an ongoing basis by our Monthly Review & Monitoring Committee (MRMC). During the last six months we have removed 25 funds and placed 28 funds ‘under review’.
This information is for UK Professional Advisers only and should not be given to retail clients.The value of investments and the income from them may go down as well as up and investors may not get back the amounts originally invested.
Rayner Spencer Mills Research Limited is a limited company registered in England and Wales under Company Registration Number 5227656. Registered office: Number 20, Ryefield Business Park, Belton Road, Silsden, BD20 0EE. RSMR is a registered trademark.