Synaptic Software has bolstered its Synaptic Product and Fund research tool to provide its 8,000 subscribers with access to more information about investment risk ratings.

The company says integration of its risk ratings with Synaptic Product and Fund will offer a new due diligence factsheet that combines Synaptic Risk metrics for any risk rated fund or portfolio range, alongside appropriate commentary from qualitative research specialists RSMR.

Risk ratings will continue to be published quarterly on the Synaptic website and via print publications, accessible for free by advisers and planners.

Synaptic consulted a number of firms about the changes to Synaptic Risk as part of the design process for the new enhancements.

The service is designed to help advisers to risk profile their customers and manage their client’s subsequent exposure to risk. The service now includes over 20 fund groups, discretionary investment managers and product providers and is expanding rapidly, says the company.

Adam Byford, managing director at Synaptic Software, said: “Synaptic risk ratings have proved to be very popular with advisers who are seeking more robust research around investment risk.

“Previous reliance on volatility based measures are not enough either for the regulator, or in meeting the challenges around asset allocation in today’s market. Synaptic Product and Fund users will have full access to the service within their existing package, benefitting from what we believe to be the superior methodology of all the risk ratings services available.”