Fund research company RSMR has added propositions from Brewin Dolphin and Quilter Cheviot to its list of rated Discretionary Fund Managers (DFMs).

The DFM ratings, built on RSMR’s experience in assessing funds and the processes and skills of fund managers, are provided as part of the marketing support to advisers to aid their research and due diligence process.

Ken Rayner, director at RSMR, said: “Our rated DFM designation has been developed in response to adviser demand for additional clarity in the selection and use of DFMs. The rating is supported by our DFM matrix and factsheets, and our detailed DFM Profiles.

He added: “We have been assessing DFM services for a number of our clients for some time, and so have developed a robust methodology for use in this area. The nature of the DFM market means that a purely quantitative approach is not appropriate – indeed obtaining relevant performance and risk data is difficult due to the bespoke nature of the portfolios. This makes our qualitative based approach all the more suitable, as we look in detail at how the managers run the portfolios, and base our assessment far more on this aspect.”

“The DFM rating indicates that we have assessed the whole proposition against our methodology, and are happy to endorse its use. Of course under a DFM umbrella there can be a number of services, from bespoke DFM portfolios to more generic unitised fund ranges. Where we have rated a DFM, we have effectively rated all of the services that fall within that.”