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Retirement remains number one 'advice driver' for consumers ahead of Emergency Budget

·   Unbiased.co.uk’s latest Advice Drivers report reveals over a third (35%) of consumers searching for independent financial advice sought guidance on personal retirement planning in May on unbiased.co.uk’s ‘find an IFA’ service

·   First-time buying advice remains top enquiry search on unbiased.co.uk’s ‘find a mortgage adviser’ service

·   Number of consumers searching for remortgage advice continues to creep up

As the Emergency Budget fast approaches – and with recently announced measures surrounding pensions and taxes high on the agenda – latest figures from unbiased.co.uk, the professional advice website, reveal retirement planning continues to be the number one advice driver when searching for an independent financial adviser (IFA).  Over a third (35%) of consumers sought retirement planning advice in May when using unbiased.co.uk’s ‘find an IFA’ service.

The second most popular ‘advice driver’ in May remained investment and savings, with a quarter of consumers (25%) searching for an IFA who specialises in this area.  A need for independent financial advice on these complex areas continues to be high as consumers consider their investments and long-term financial planning for the future.

Unbiased.co.uk ‘find a mortgage adviser’ statistics also reveals first-time buyers remained the top search topic over the last month, dominating 39% of consumer enquiries for a local, whole of market mortgage adviser.   The numbers of consumers looking for remortgage advice also continued to creep up, with 32% of searches in this area in May- up 3% from April. 

Karen Barrett, Chief Executive of unbiased.co.uk, comments: “With the coalition Government underway and an Emergency Budget imminent, many consumers will be scrutinising their finances in a bid to understand how they will be affected by any changes.  Alterations to pensions and tax levels, such as capital gains tax, will have significant repercussions for those affected, and it is crucial for everyone to understand if and how this will impact them.  Retirement planning is a hugely complex area and only an independent financial adviser can look at all factors relevant to an individual and their circumstances, and recommend the best solution for them.

“While the housing market may still be a little uncertain due to the knock on effect of the new coalition Government, an increase in affordable mortgage options has meant the market is a lot more tempting to first-time buyers than it was a year ago. However, the mortgage maze can always be confusing whatever the circumstances so it’s for first-time buyers and also those looking to remortgage to seek professional advice.   Only a whole of market mortgage adviser can give advice on products from across the market, which suit the individual’s needs and financial position. 

“Visit unbiased.co.uk to find a qualified independent financial adviser or whole of market mortgage adviser using our ‘find and IFA’ and ‘find a mortgage adviser’ services.”

‘Find an IFA’ and ‘Find a Mortgage Adviser’ top ten Advice Drivers in May 2010 were as follows:

 

ENDS

Karen Barrett, Chief Executive, unbiased.co.uk: 020 7833 3131

Anna Schirmer/Anna Moulds/Charli Scouller, Lansons Communications: 020 7294 3682

For expert commentary or case studies from over 150 media-friendly IFAs, journalists should visit www.unbiased.co.uk/bluebook.

About unbiased.co.uk, the professional advice website

The unbiased.co.uk portal is a free and confidential UK-wide search matching consumers with local professional advisers: ‘find an IFA’, ‘find a mortgage adviser’, and ‘find a solicitor’, and is currently inviting registrations for its ‘find an accountant’ service.  These searches enable consumers to find professional advisers by postcode, area of specialism, qualification and payment method. In 2009, unbiased.co.uk fulfilled half a million searches for local, professional advice. 

IFA Promotion, the organisation behind unbiased.co.uk, is now in its 21st year, and was set up to promote the benefits of independent financial advice to consumers.  IFAP is sponsored by the following companies:

Registered Office: unbiased.co.uk is the consumer brand of IFA Promotion Ltd, 90 St. Vincent Street, Glasgow G2 5UB. Registered in Scotland: No. 114606