A new service has been launched today aimed at giving advisers at smaller firms more time with clients rather than researching and reviewing funds.
Fund research and ratings group RSMR has produced Rfolios, a range of model portfolios exclusively for directly authorised smaller advisory firms.

Geoff Mills, director of RSMR, said it was created in response to demand from advisers. The service is there to assist planners by giving them more opportunity to spend their working hours dealing directly with clients.

Mr Mills said it would help advisers avoid spending a disproportionate amount of their time on the research aspect of the process.

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The company has been working on the project for six months and it is the third new service launch this year.

Mr Mills said: "Using Rfolios, advisers will be able spend more time with clients - time which would otherwise be spent researching and reviewing funds and thanks to our thorough due diligence process, advisers will be able to recommend these portfolios, safe in the knowledge that all funds have received the RSMR stamp of approval."

RSMR has created seven model portfolios. These are labelled as defensive, cautious, conservative, moderate, progressive, ambitious and aggressive. They have been set up selecting funds using RSMR's quantitative and qualitative research designed to identify not just those funds, which have performed well in the past, but also those that have the potential to continue doing so.

The portfolios are intended to work with an adviser's existing risk profiling approach and RSMR will provide guidance to help advisers when they are discussing suitability, risk and capacity for loss with their clients.

Mr Mills said: "We have many years' experience in building portfolios and we wanted to make this service available to the smaller firm for whom the allocation of time and resource in their businesses is growing evermore challenging post RDR.

"Rfolios have been designed to complement the advice process of all advisers and with clear supporting information and reporting we can help advisers in their detailed conversations with clients, creating the environment for a better understanding of how much risk they are prepared to take."

Rfolios are available to firms comprising one or two advisers for a monthly subscription fee. The portfolios are reviewed every six months by the RSMR team and advisers will be alerted of any significant changes to the funds held within Rfolios – for example, a change of fund manager or investment philosophy.