Requests For Independent Financial Advice Hits 280,000 in the First Half of 2007

03 September 2007

        Over 280,000 requests for an Independent Financial Adviser were made through Unbiased.co.uk in the first half of 2007 according to Unbiased.co.uk’s Advice Drivers report

        Demand for independent financial advice on personal retirement planning, investments and savings and mortgages continues to top the list of requests

        Demand for advice on investments and savings products saw the highest increase as a percentage of overall requests

New figures by Unbiased.co.uk, the find an Independent Financial Adviser search, reveal that consumer demand for independent financial advice remained high during the first half of 2007. 

Unbiased.co.uk’s Advice Drivers report shows that the site received a record total of over 280,000 requests for details of local IFAs between January and July 2007, broadly driven by consumer demand for advice on personal retirement planning, investment, savings and mortgages. 

While the demand for advice on specific product areas remained relatively stable over the last six months, demand for advice on savings and investment products increased to 25% in June 2007 (compared to 23% in January 2007) as an overall percentage of requests.

The top ten Advice Drivers in the first half of 2007 were as follows:

The report is compiled on a quarterly basis from comprehensive data collected as a result of individual consumer selections made when requesting details of a local IFA through Unbiased.co.uk.

^{*IFA Promotion figures using consumer searches on www.unbiased.co.uk NB: more than one product area can be selected}

David Elms, Chief Executive of Unbiased.co.uk, commented: “Our figures are proof that IFAs have an important role to play in the consumer financial advice arena. We have seen a lot of suggestions from the FSA with regards to changes to the IFA market as part of the recent Retail Distribution Review. These figures clearly highlight that consumers value the advice they receive and that any changes made to the current IFA market should be considered with the consumer’s best interest in mind. From an industry perspective it’s most reassuring to know that even more consumers are ensuring they get the best possible advice by going to see an IFA.”

Consumers can obtain details of local IFAs who focus on specific product areas by visiting www.unbiased.co.uk or by calling 0800 085 3250.  They can search for IFAs with incremental qualifications, specific payment options, or state a preference to see a male or female IFA.

For further information please contact:

For expert comment or case studies from over 200 media-friendly IFAs, journalists should call IFA Promotion’s Media Services hotline on

020 7294 3682 or search online at www.unbiased.co.uk/media

1.      Independent Financial Adviser Promotion

IFA Promotion, is 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 27 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: