Research in Finance

What Research in Finance does

Research in Finance Limited is a London-headquartered, privately-held market research, consultancy, publishing and data provider focused exclusively on the financial services industry. The firm operates four go-to-market surfaces: syndicated annual research studies (UKIMS, UKRIS, UKAS, European ETF Study, GPIMS, EuroFSS), bespoke custom research projects, a publishing service for individual reports, and a consultancy offering branded as Elevate 2.0. It serves asset managers, investment consultants, pension schemes, insurance firms, and — via its Professional Paraplanner sub-brand — the UK paraplanning community. A wholly-owned subsidiary, Research in Insurance (Rii), extends coverage into UK insurance distribution, claims, and product development research.

The underlying technology stack is conventional rather than proprietary: Research in Finance runs quantitative surveys (often 200+ respondents per institutional study) and qualitative work (telephone interviews, focus groups, online communities) delivered through standard research infrastructure, including Qualtrics for survey distribution and a proprietary panel network of professional and consumer investors. There is no evidence of in-house data platforms, AI/ML pipelines, or software-as-a-service productization; the firm's intellectual property is concentrated in longitudinal panel relationships and the multi-year time-series of its syndicated studies.

Commercially, Research in Finance generates revenue through three channels: recurring annual subscriptions to its syndicated research (12-month initial term with auto-renewal and a four-month price-change notice window), project-based bespoke research billed either time-and-materials (monthly in arrears) or on a fixed-fee basis (50% on acceptance, 50% on completion), and one-time fees for individual report purchases. Distribution is sales-led direct to financial services enterprises in the UK and selected international markets (Europe, APAC, North America), with content marketing, email newsletters, webinars (e.g., "Future in Focus"), LinkedIn/Twitter presence, and the Professional Paraplanner Technical Insight Seminars supporting top-of-funnel demand. Pricing is non-public and negotiated per Order or Statement of Work.

Name

Research in Finance

Legal name

Research in Finance Limited

Website

https://researchinfinance.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Research in Finance is a UK-based, privately-held market research and consultancy firm that provides syndicated and bespoke research studies on investor behaviour, brand perception, and market trends to asset managers, pension schemes, insurance firms, and paraplanners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Financial Market Research

NAICS

Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (54191)

akta.pro primary industry

Industry & Sector Research (Syndicated/Custom) (BPAHALAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Sector-Specific Industry Research (FSACAGAL)

Keywords

• Financial market research
• Syndicated investment research
• Asset management research
• Institutional investment studies
• Retirement income research

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Syndicated Subscription: Provides subscribers with regular access to syndicated market research reports and studies during the contract term. The reports and studies subscribed to, along with their frequency, are detailed in each Order and/or Statement of Work.
2. Bespoke Research: Custom research projects conducted for individual clients. Details of the work undertaken are specified in the Order and/or Statement of Work. Can be charged on a time-and-materials or fixed fee basis.
3. Publishing Service: One-time access to specific reports and publications. Clients receive access to the requested report(s) upon payment of the applicable charges.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Research in Finance is a London-based financial market research and consultancy firm that produces syndicated subscription research studies, bespoke research projects, and institutional publishing for the financial services industry. Its flagship programmes cover UK institutional investment (UKIMS), UK retirement income (UKRIS), UK asset management (UKAS), the European ETF market, group/personal investment market share (GPIMS), and European fund structure (EuroFSS). The firm also operates Professional Paraplanner and Research in Insurance (Rii) as sub-brands for publishing and events.

Product overview

Research in Finance is an award-winning global market research, consultancy, publisher, and data provider serving the financial services industry. The company operates three core service models: Syndicated Subscription (regular access to syndicated research reports), Bespoke Research (custom research projects), and Publishing Service (individual report purchases). Its product portfolio includes major annual research studies including UKIMS (UK Institutional Market Study), UKRIS (UK Responsible Investing Study), European ETF Study, UKAS (UK Advisory Study 360), GPIMS (Global Private Investment Markets Study), and EuroFSS (European Fund Selector Study). The company also operates specialized sub-brands: Professional Paraplanner (targeting the paraplanner market with events, publications, and awards) and Research in Insurance (Rii, focused on the UK insurance sector). Consultancy services are offered under the Elevate 2.0 brand.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Research in Insurance (Rii): A specialist market intelligence provider delivering actionable insight to the UK Insurance industry, operating as part of the Research in Finance Group.
• Professional Paraplanner

Products and services

• UK Institutional Investment Study (UKIMS) Long-running syndicated research study covering UK institutional investment behaviour, built on a proprietary panel of 100+ participants. Targeted at asset managers, pension funds, and institutional investors seeking market intelligence.
• UK Retirement Income Study (UKRIS) Syndicated study tracking the UK retirement income and at-retirement market, supporting product, distribution, and strategy decisions for providers and advisers.
• UK Asset Management Study (UKAS) Syndicated study of the UK asset management market, providing subscribers with market sizing, competitor positioning, and trend data.
• European ETF Study Syndicated research study tracking the European ETF market, including flows, product innovation, and distribution dynamics. Used by ETF issuers, distributors, and service providers across Continental Europe and the UK.
• Group/Personal Investment Market Study (GPIMS) Syndicated study providing market-share and competitive intelligence on the UK group and personal investment market.
• European Fund Structure Study (EuroFSS) Syndicated research on European fund vehicles, wrappers, and structural trends for asset managers, distributors, and service providers.
• Bespoke Research Tailored research projects commissioned by individual clients to answer specific strategic questions, using RIF's panel network and research expertise.
• Research in Insurance (Rii) Specialist publishing and research-focused sub-brand covering the UK insurance and protection market for insurers and distribution partners.
• Professional Paraplanner Sub-brand offering events, news, and technical content for UK financial paraplanners and advisers, supporting continuing professional development and product/platform knowledge.
• Consultancy Services Client-facing advisory work drawing on RIF's research expertise to support strategic decisions in asset management, retirement, and protection.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Cerulli Associates: US-headquartered research firm specialising in asset management, wealth management, and institutional investor intelligence via syndicated and custom studies. Highly comparable in business model, target buyers, and syndicated-study mechanics to Research in Finance.
• NMG Consulting: Global consulting firm focused on asset management, wealth management, and insurance distribution, combining benchmarking, syndicated research, and bespoke advisory. Closely comparable on customer segments (asset managers, insurers, advisers) and syndicated-plus-bespoke model.
• CoreData Research: Specialist financial services research firm covering asset management, retail distribution, and digital channels. Comparable on syndicated study delivery, financial-services-only focus, and similar buyer profiles.
• The Lang Cat: UK-focused financial services research and consultancy firm covering platforms, advisers, and asset managers. Directly comparable on UK retail and adviser-channel market intelligence and bespoke consulting.
• Investment Trends: Specialist research firm tracking investor behaviour across UK, Europe, APAC, and other markets for asset managers and intermediaries. Highly comparable on syndicated study design, geographic coverage, and target audience.

Broad incumbents

• Broadridge Financial Solutions: Large global fintech and data provider to the buy-side and sell-side, with an extensive market intelligence and data distribution offering serving asset managers. Overlaps with Research in Finance's institutional investor research audience; Mark McFee, RiF's Editorial & Insights Director, was previously Global Insights Director at Broadridge.
• Morningstar: Global investment research and data provider with broad coverage of funds, asset managers, and adviser platforms. Overlaps with Research in Finance in serving asset managers and advisers with intelligence products, but at far greater scale and with a wider product portfolio.
• Mercer (Mercer Investments): Global investment consulting and research firm serving pension schemes, trustees, and institutional investors — directly comparable to Research in Finance's pension scheme and institutional segments but operating at much larger scale as part of Marsh McLennan.
• Willis Towers Watson (WTW): Global advisory firm serving pension schemes, insurers, and asset managers with research, consulting, and benchmarking. Overlaps with Research in Finance on institutional asset owner research needs but operates as part of a broad insurance and HR services portfolio.

Emerging players

• Platforum: UK financial distribution research firm (now part of Broadridge) covering platform, adviser, and fund selection audiences. Comparable to Research in Finance on UK retail distribution intelligence and target audience; Jennifer Mallett, Research Manager at RiF, previously worked at Platforum.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/RiFSocial
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/research-in-finance

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Research in Finance