Don't be frivolous about finance this festive period urges unbiased.co.uk
With all the presents and parties it is easy to see how Christmas spending can spiral out of control. To help manage your money during the festive period Unbiased.co.uk provides tips for getting your finances in order to help cope with the Christmas spending spree.
We all seek an expert’s help from time to time and the Christmas period is no different. Whether it is a hairdresser to give you that party look, or a doctor to cure any winter ailments, we all have our preferred source of professional help and select this on an basis to suit our specific needs. When it comes to making some of the biggest financial decisions at Christmas, seeking unbiased advice is even more important.
Unbiased.co.uk provides a ‘one stop shop’ to match consumers to a suitable independent financial adviser (IFA). More than 600,000 consumers have found their IFA match from around 9,000 independent advisers through Unbiased.co.uk in the last 12 months. When it comes to financial advice it is not a case of ‘one size fits all’ and there are some simple considerations to help select your most suitable independent financial adviser.
Is it convenient?
We know that seeing someone face to face to make important long term financial decisions is important. At Unbiased.co.uk by simply entering your postcode you can find an appropriate IFA close to your home or work, making visiting your IFA less time consuming.
What do you really need?
Do you need an IFA that genuinely focuses on particular advice areas? Different life stages will affect the type of financial products and advice you may need and therefore can influence your spending at Christmas. Whether it’s planning for retirement, saving for your first home, or investing for your children’s future, Unbiased.co.uk enables you to get advice to meet these goals.
How do you want to pay?
Only an IFA can recommend the most suitable combination of products for you from all the providers on the market, free of commercial ties to financial companies. IFAs must offer you the option of paying by fee, although many will offer the choice of paying for the advice through commission on the products you buy, or a combination of fee and product commission. With Unbiased.co.uk you can choose the payment method that best suits your needs.
Having the stamp of approval from an awarding body not only highlights the knowledge of your IFA, it also demonstrates their commitment to providing the best possible financial advice. Whilst a jumble of letters after their name can seem confusing Unbiased.co.uk explains what the qualifications mean and enables you to find your closet IFA holding specific qualifications. It is important to remember that having letters after your name is no guarantee of ability. It is also the case that many extremely good and talented IFAs have become so because of their many years’ experience in the industry.
David Elms, Chief Executive of Unbiased.co.uk comments: “The festive period sees people drawing on all kinds of professional help. Christmas can be draining physically and financially and when it comes to seeking professional help, health and wealth should not be treated differently.
“Making big financial decisions can seem like a daunting and confusing prospect for many and therefore it is important to select an independent financial adviser who can provide advice unique to an individual’s needs.
“At Unbiased.co.uk consumers have a one stop shop to finding their perfect match by selecting their IFA by expertise, location, payment method, gender and qualifications.”
Consumers can find an independent financial adviser in their local area at www.unbiased.co.uk and download a series of guides and fact sheets on how to find an IFA. Unbiased.co.uk’s ‘Advice Decision Tree’ can help consumers discover the best type of financial advice to suit their financial needs.
For further information please contact:
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David Elms |
Laura Wood/Jonathon Grove |
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Chief Executive |
Lansons Communications |
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Unbiased.co.uk |
020 7294 3689 / 020 7294 3653 |
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020 7833 3131 |
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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
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Aberdeen Asset Management |
London Mortgage Company |
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Abbey |
Lincoln Financial Group |
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AEGON Scottish Equitable Plc |
Mortgage Express |
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Alliance Trust |
National Savings & Investments |
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AXA Life |
NatWest Business Banking |
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Bright Grey |
New Star Investment Funds |
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BUPA Health Services |
Norwich Union Life |
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Canada Life Ltd |
Prudential |
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The Children’s Mutual |
Scottish Life |
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Clerical Medical Investment |
Scottish Life International |
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Defaqto |
Scottish Widows Plc |
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Friends Provident |
Skandia UK Group |
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GE Life |
Standard Life Assurance Company |
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INVESCO Fund Managers Ltd |
UnumProvident |
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Legal & General |
Webline Limited |
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Zurich Intermediary Group |