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Brits demonstrate lack of resolve in 2007 (Consumer)

• 16 million British adults made a New Year’s Resolution this year
• But more than a quarter (27%) of resolutions will fail within a month

With the end of January approaching, nearly 4.3 million (27%) of the British adults who began 2007 with a New Year’s resolution will have already let their good intentions slip, according to research* from Unbiased.co.uk, the organisation promoting the benefits of independent financial advice.

The annual New Year’s resolution research shows that:

• 16 million British adults intended to start 2007 with a New Year’s resolution, but last year 2.2million people lost their resolve in less than a day. 
• Of those who embarked on a New Year’s resolution this year, more than a quarter (26%) hoped to lose weight or improve their diet whilst one in ten aimed to quit smoking.
• More than a fifth (21%) of people aimed to improve their financial situation.
• Nearly one in ten pledged to exercise more and get fit in 2007.

Of those who aimed to tackle their finances, more than two fifths (43%) planned to curb their spending and budget more. Tackling debt was also a popular aim, with almost two fifths (38%) intended to get out of the red. Just over a third (34%) planned to save for a specific purchase such as a holiday or car, whilst more than one in ten (11%) hope to get a foot on the property ladder.

Karen Barrett, Marketing Director of Unbiased.co.uk, commented, “It is encouraging to see how many people intend to get their finances in order in 2007, however it is all too easy to let good intentions go to waste. Setting manageable goals and seeking the professional independent advice from an IFA could encourage you to persevere with your resolutions and improve your finances.”

At www.unbiased.co.uk/getsaving you can find details of how to get saving straight away and a budget calculator to help you better manage your money throughout 2007. To Find an IFA in your area who can give you expert advice on managing your money, go to www.unbiased.co.uk or call (0800) 085 3250.

-ends-

*Unbiased.co.uk commissioned a YouGov survey of 2,465 GB adults between 27 – 29 September 2006

For further information please contact:

For expert comment or case studies from over 200 media-friendly IFAs, journalists should call unbiased.co.uk’s Media Services hotline on 020 7294 3682 or search online at www.unbiased.co.uk/media

1.      Independent Financial Adviser Promotion

Unbiased.co.uk is the consumer brand of IFA Promotion, the organisation established in 1989 to promote the value and accessibility of independent financial advice to the public. It represents around 9,000 firms of independent financial advisers across the UK, incorporating over 17,000 registered individuals. These individuals hold over 20,000 incremental qualifications which are each individually verified by the awarding body. IFA Promotion welcomes the prominent display of incremental qualifications and further developments into the credentials of independent financial advice.  

IFA Promotion is sponsored by 31 leading financial institutions, and in the past 12 months, over 600,000 consumers and businesses used unbiased.co.uk to find local independent financial advice.

IFA Promotion believes Independent financial advice should be:

• Affordable. The option to take independent financial advice should be available, by right, to all- not just the wealthiest in society.
• Convenient. IFAs should be available in the location of the consumer’s choice, wherever they live in the UK.
• Transparent. It must be clearly transparent to consumers who is able to offer independent financial advice and who is not.

  2.      Independent Financial Adviser Promotion’s sponsors

  Aberdeen Asset Management	Lincoln Financial Group
  Abbey	Mortgage Express
  AEGON Scottish Equitable Plc	National Savings & Investments
  Alliance Trust	NatWest Business Banking
  AXA Life	New Star Investment Funds
  Bright Grey	Norwich Union Life
  BUPA Health Services	Prudential
  Canada Life Ltd	Scottish Life
  The Children’s Mutual	Scottish Life International
  Clerical Medical Investment	Scottish Widows Plc
  Defaqto	Skandia UK Group
  Friends Provident	Standard Life Assurance Company
  GE Life	UnumProvident
  Invesco Perpetual	Webline Limited
  Legal & General	Zurich Intermediary Group
  London Mortgage Company