RSMR
RSMR is a UK fund research and ratings firm that rates the top 10-15% of Investment Association funds and runs a Managed Portfolio Service for 15,000+ financial advisers, influencing approximately £50bn of assets under advice.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2004
- HeadquartersSilsden, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What RSMR does
RSMR (legal entity: Rayner Spencer Mills Research Limited) is a UK-based fund research and ratings company founded in 2004 in Silsden, West Yorkshire, that provides independent investment research, fund ratings, and managed portfolio services to professional financial advisers. Its core offering is the RSMR Fund Ratings system, which rates only the top 10-15% of funds within the Investment Association universe through qualitative assessment combined with quantitative inputs from FE Analytics and Morningstar Direct, supported by 600+ direct fund manager interviews annually and continuous monitoring by a research team with 200+ years of combined experience. Complementing the ratings is the Managed Portfolio Service (MPS), operated through the separately incorporated FCA-regulated RSMR Portfolio Services Limited (FRN 788854), which delivers three risk-profiled portfolio ranges (Rfolios, Passive Plus, Responsible) priced at a 0.15% portfolio management fee plus underlying fund OCFs.
The platform underpinning the offering is the RSMR Hub, a member portal that hosts 500+ rated fund factsheets, fund profiles, market insights, video, and podcast content, alongside the RSMR Connected content platform and the annual RSMR Awards. RSMR influences approximately £50 billion of assets under advice across over 15,000 UK advisers and integrates with major UK advice workflows via risk-profiling tools (Defaqto, Dynamic Planner, Synaptic) and platforms (Aviva, Fidelity Adviser Solutions, Nucleus, abrdn, Transact, Quilter), giving advisers an Agent-as-Client model where they retain end-client ownership.
RSMR generates revenue primarily through recurring subscription access to ratings and research, fees on its managed portfolios, and advisory services supporting Centralised Investment Proposition (CIP) work (fund panels, asset allocation, investment committee membership, and reporting). In 2025 the company was acquired by Fintel plc, an AIM-listed UK financial services group, contributing £3.4m in revenue to the acquirer's consolidated accounts and providing scale and cross-group distribution. Marketing is sales-led and B2B, combining direct adviser engagement, platform and risk-profiling partnerships, events, and content (RSMR Connected, podcasts, videos).
RSMR firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- RSMR
- Legal name
- Rayner Spencer Mills Research Limited
- Website
- https://www.rsmr.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2004
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- RSMR is a UK fund research and ratings firm that rates the top 10-15% of Investment Association funds and runs a Managed Portfolio Service for 15,000+ financial advisers, influencing approximately £50bn of assets under advice.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where RSMR is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Silsden
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
RSMR business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Fund Ratings and Research Services: RSMR provides investment fund research and ratings services to UK financial advisers and advice businesses. Revenue is generated through subscription/service fees for access to their research hub, rated fund lists, and support services.
- Managed Portfolio Service (MPS): RSMR Portfolio Services Limited provides a discretionary management proposition for advice businesses, charging a portfolio management fee of 0.15% (no VAT) plus the weighted OCF of underlying funds within each portfolio.
- Advisory Services: RSMR offers advisory services including Centralised Investment Proposition (CIP) components such as fund panels, asset allocation, portfolios, investment committee membership, and reporting. These tailored services support advice businesses with consumer duty compliance.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | MPS Portfolio Management Fee |
| Subscription | Annual | Rfolios Range (8 portfolios) |
| Subscription | Annual | Passive Plus Range (5 portfolios) |
| Subscription | Annual | Responsible Range (4 portfolios) |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
RSMR product offering
Product offeringCore offering
RSMR provides independent, FCA-authorised investment research and ratings to UK financial advisers, evaluating collective funds and selecting only the top 10–15% for its RSMR Fund Rating and RSMR Responsible Fund Rating (ESG+). It also operates a Managed Portfolio Service (MPS) delivered via three model ranges — Rfolios, Passive Plus, and Responsible — which are made available on leading UK adviser platforms.
Product overview
RSMR operates as a fund research and ratings company providing investment intelligence services to UK financial advisers. The core offering consists of RSMR Fund Ratings—an independent rating system where only the top 10-15% of funds earn a rating—supplemented by the Managed Portfolio Service (MPS), which offers three distinct portfolio ranges: Rfolios (8 actively managed risk-profiled portfolios), Passive Plus (5 portfolios blending passive and active funds), and Responsible Range (4 portfolios for responsible investing). Additional offerings include Fund Factsheets/Profiles providing detailed research reports, RSMR Connected content platform (blog, videos, podcasts), annual RSMR Awards program, and Advisory Services covering fund panels, asset allocation, and investment committee support. The company engages directly with 600+ fund managers annually and covers the entire Investment Association universe.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Rfolios Range: Eight risk-profiled managed investment portfolios constructed using predominantly active RSMR-rated funds, including capital growth and income options.
- Passive Plus Range
- Responsible Range
- RSMR Connected
- RSMR Hub
- RSMR Awards
Products and services
- RSMR Fund Rating
Quantifiable outcome
- Only top 10-15% of Investment Association universe funds earn an RSMR rating
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use RSMR
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
RSMR technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration12 records
Feature3 records
RSMR partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
RSMR competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- AJ Bell: UK investment platform providing research, model portfolios and adviser tools (including via Transact). Adjacent peer given shared focus on UK adviser fund research distribution and model-portfolio services.
- Synaptic: UK research and risk-profiling software provider for financial advisers. Adjacent ecosystem peer given that RSMR portfolios are risk-rated and distributed via Synaptic, making it an enablement partner rather than direct competitor.
- Bestinvest: UK investment platform with proprietary fund research and model portfolios for direct and advised investors. Comparable as a research-and-portfolio service for advisers/wealth clients though distribution model is more platform-driven.
- Dynamic Planner: UK risk-profiling and financial planning tool for advisers and a direct distribution partner for RSMR MPS. Comparable as an adviser-software/data provider that feeds adviser investment choices alongside RSMR's rated lists.
Direct peers
- FundCalibre: UK fund ratings and research platform targeting financial advisers with its Elite Ratings system. Direct peer on selective fund ratings, adviser subscriptions and portfolio support.
- Defaqto: UK fund and product data/rating provider serving advisers and wealth managers. Direct peer because it sits in the same adviser-facing ratings ecosystem, with portfolios mutually risk-rated on the Defaqto platform and overlapping board ties.
- Square Mile Investment Research: UK fund research and ratings firm providing due diligence and model portfolios to financial advisers. Closest direct competitor on selective fund ratings, MPS construction and adviser research distribution.
Broad incumbents
- FE fundinfo: Major UK/European investment data and ratings platform (MPS Directory, FE Analytics). Incumbent peer that competes with RSMR via deeper data infrastructure, broader ratings coverage and bundled adviser platform products.
- Morningstar: Global investment research, ratings and data provider used by UK advisers via Morningstar Direct. Incumbent peer with significantly broader scale and overlapping fund research, ratings and portfolio analytics for advisers.
Emerging players
- Chelsea Financial Services: UK fund research, ratings and platform business (FundExpert). Comparable niche player offering fund ratings and research-driven portfolios to advisers and direct investors, sitting between a pure research firm and a platform.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
RSMR social profiles
Digital presenceRSMR compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
RSMR financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
RSMR leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
RSMR funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
RSMR M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about RSMR
What does RSMR do?
RSMR provides independent, FCA-authorised investment research and ratings to UK financial advisers, evaluating collective funds and selecting only the top 10–15% for its RSMR Fund Rating and RSMR Responsible Fund Rating (ESG+). It also operates a Managed Portfolio Service (MPS) delivered via three model ranges — Rfolios, Passive Plus, and Responsible — which are made available on leading UK adviser platforms.
Is RSMR a public or private company?
RSMR is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was RSMR founded?
RSMR was founded in 2004. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is RSMR based?
RSMR is headquartered in Silsden, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does RSMR make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Fund Ratings and Research Services are the primary driver. The others are managed Portfolio Service (MPS) and advisory Services.
Who are RSMR's main competitors?
Others on record are AJ Bell, Synaptic, Bestinvest and Dynamic Planner. Direct peers are FundCalibre, Defaqto and Square Mile Investment Research. Broad incumbents are FE fundinfo and Morningstar. Chelsea Financial Services is listed as an emerging player.
Does RSMR have an API?
No public API is recorded for RSMR.