You don’t have to see a financial adviser when you’re buying a financial product, but if you don’t, you may choose something that isn’t suitable for you and you’ll have fewer grounds to make a complaint.
A financial adviser will assess your personal circumstances and recommend financial products that are suitable for you.
You can get professional financial advice to help you plan ahead and make the most of your money from a variety of sources, including banks and building societies, insurance companies, financial advisers and planners, mortgage brokers and stockbrokers.
A financial adviser can give you advice about managing your money as a whole, or help you with specific needs or goals. You may decide you want professional financial advice if, for example, you:
- want to start saving for a pension or to get a mortgage;
- are considering protecting your family in the event of accident, illness or death;
- receive a lump sum of money, either through inheritance or redundancy, or;
- are coming up to retirement and want help converting your pension fund into retirement income.