Updated Articles

  1. Can I create a panel of products?

    Synaptic’s comprehensive   market research   can be used to establish panels and/or lists of approved products. Panels can be based on either of the following two things, or a combination of them: A manual selection of approved contracts. ...
  2. How do I use Manual fund lists?

    As described above, a manual fund list is simply an ad hoc list of funds chosen by you, rather than a list of funds which have something in common – such as unit trusts in the same sector, funds linked to a specific contract etc. You add funds to a...
  3. How is the monthly premium graph calculated?

    The monthly premium graph shows the performance of a £100 monthly investment into the fund(s) over the chosen time period. One of its uses is to demonstrate to clients the potential benefits of pound-cost averaging. Performance will obviously be...
  4. How do I start fund research?

    You start fund research by choosing one of the types from the  Fund Data  section on the  Investments  tab of the Home page. The screenshot below shows this tab with the fund section highlighted.  You then have the option...
  5. What report templates do you have on Synaptic?

    For most types of product, the system offers a choice of two Report Manager Templates (in addition to any bespoke ones your firm has created):  Template Contents Research Report An appendix to a full suitability repor...
  6. How is the sector position graph calculated?

    N.B. When inspecting multiple funds, this graph is only available if all funds are in the same ABI/IMA sector. The sector position graph shows a fund’s performance in each discrete 12-month period versus the spread of returns in its sector, a...
  7. Can I save and export the research grid?

    The research grid, including all the data fields you have   added, can be saved in PDF form using the   Save as PDF   link on the menu bar. The grid can also be exported in CSV format (for opening in Microsoft Excel) by clicking on the Export...
  8. What fund reports can I produce?

    You can generate suitability reports for fund research in exactly the   same way as for product research: you use the   Report   link on the menu bar of either the filtering screen or the ranking screen. As ever, it is worth bearing in mind that...
  9. What is the difference between Quick reports and Suitability reports?

    The final stage in the client-focused research process is to generate documentation for the client explaining which contract you are recommending, and why.   N.B. Don’t forget that the system can be used to generate many other types of “repor...
  10. How is the portfolio value graph calculated?

    The portfolio value graph can be used for a projection of two things: either the performance of a hypothetical portfolio starting n years ago, or the historical performance of a current portfolio given its current holdings. You specify the am...