Updated 03 December 2020
2min read
A boost in customers searching for financial advisers could be due to clarity in the rules brought at the end of last year
Everyone likes to know what theyâre spending before they part with their hard-earned cash, especially if itâs investments, which can leave anyone with sweaty palms. And it looks as if the changes to rules about commission-based selling could have boosted confidence with the industry.
As reported over the weekend in The Sunday Times, latest unbiased.co.uk statistics have shown a 9 per cent increase in searches for financial advisers from January to April this year, compared with the same period in 2012.
This may be linked to reforms that came into force at the end of last year. The Financial Services Authority (which was recently renamed the Financial Conduct Authority) retail distribution review (RDR) meant that financial advisers started charging fees to their customers rather than receiving commission from companies supplying financial products.
The idea is to make sure customers know exactly what theyâre paying out for and make the whole process more transparent. These figures seem to suggest that consumers are starting to embrace this change.
The benefits of RDR:
For now it looks as if upfront fees are helping customers to feel more secure in making a commitment to investing and, above all, avoiding nasty surprises when it comes to fees.
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