During a submission on the FHR Exchange, you may be asked to upload two different kinds of files: source financials and supporting documents. These are distinct categories with different definitions and different roles in the rating process. Which ones you are asked for — and whether they are used to generate your rating — depends on the submission method you choose.
Source Financials
Source financials are your company's actual financial statements: the income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement. They contain the line-item figures that a Financial Health Rating is calculated from.
How source financials are handled depends on your submission method.
Under Option 2 (Enter Your Own Financials)
If you enter your financial figures manually, those entered figures are what RapidRatings uses to generate your rating. At the end of the submission flow, you will be given the option to attach your source financial statements as PDFs.
In this case, the uploaded PDFs are not used to generate the rating. They are used by analysts to verify the figures you entered and to create a complete audit trail of the submission. Attaching them helps resolve any discrepancies quickly and reduces the likelihood of follow-up queries.
Whether the upload is optional or required at this step depends on the settings configured by the client who requested your submission.
Under Option 3 (Manual PDF Upload)
If you choose to submit by uploading PDFs directly, the source financial documents you upload are the input to the rating. RapidRatings analysts extract the financial data from those PDFs to generate your Financial Health Rating. In this case, source financials are required — the submission cannot be completed without them.
Supporting Documents
Supporting documents are files other than your financial statements that help RapidRatings analysts contextualize your submission. Common examples include:
Auditor's reports and audit opinions
Corporate or organizational structure charts
Notes to the financial statements
Supporting documents are never the source of your rating figures. They provide context that analysts may reference during the analysis to better understand your financials or your corporate structure.
Supporting documents can typically be attached alongside either submission method and are generally optional, though providing them is recommended when relevant, as they can help analysts complete the analysis without needing to reach out with questions.
Quick Reference
Submission Method | Source Financials | Supporting Documents |
Option 2 — Enter Your Own Financials | Optional upload at the end of the flow. Used for verification and audit trail only; not used to generate the rating. | Optional. Provides context for analysts. |
Option 3 — Manual PDF Upload | Required upload. Used to generate the rating. | Optional. Provides context for analysts. |
Where Uploads Appear in the Submission Flow
Under Option 2, the option to attach source financials and supporting documents appears near the end of the submission flow, after you have entered your financial figures. You do not need to have any files ready before starting.
Under Option 3, uploading your source financials is the core step of the submission itself. You can add supporting documents in the same flow.