Tuesday, 29 April 2014 11:20
'RDR turns people off financial advice and towards family'
The Retail Distribution Review has led to people increasingly turning to their parents for financial advice, research suggests.
Work carried out by NFU Mutual found RDR has put off people seeking financial advice from seeing a professional and researchers concluded that more of those in need of guidance are simply going to family, friends or in some cases, even their boss.
Of those who based their financial decisions on the advice of a non-professional almost one third (30%) said they were deterred by the cost of seeing a professional adviser, while one in five (22%) felt the level of fees was unclear.
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The findings also identified the perceived value of professional financial advice with respondents willing to pay almost twice as much for a lawyer's service compared to a financial adviser.
The report by the financial services provider showed that since the January 2013 changes, one in seven Brits making major financial decisions asked a family member for advice, with a further one in six opting for the internet. Prior to RDR it was about one in ten for both of these sources of advice.
The number of people looking for financial guidance at work has almost doubled since the new rules came into play, with seven per cent now turning to a boss or colleague for personal finance tips, compared to just four per cent previously.
The shift comes as the number of people seeking financial advice from a bank has decreased by more than a third (34%) while the number turning to independent financial advisers has fallen by 14%.
Sean McCann, a Financial Planner at NFU Mutual, said: "Although many people see their parents as a source of financial advice, mums and dads may also need some financial guidance as they face their own set of changing circumstances.
"As with everything you buy: price is what you pay and value is what you get. The right advice is just as important when you take money out of pensions and investments as when you're deciding when and where to invest. Getting those critical decisions right can make thousands of pounds worth of difference.
"Wise words from the people you trust will often take you far in life, but expert, qualified advice can make a real difference to your family wealth."
Work carried out by NFU Mutual found RDR has put off people seeking financial advice from seeing a professional and researchers concluded that more of those in need of guidance are simply going to family, friends or in some cases, even their boss.
Of those who based their financial decisions on the advice of a non-professional almost one third (30%) said they were deterred by the cost of seeing a professional adviser, while one in five (22%) felt the level of fees was unclear.
{desktop}{/desktop}{mobile}{/mobile}
The findings also identified the perceived value of professional financial advice with respondents willing to pay almost twice as much for a lawyer's service compared to a financial adviser.
The report by the financial services provider showed that since the January 2013 changes, one in seven Brits making major financial decisions asked a family member for advice, with a further one in six opting for the internet. Prior to RDR it was about one in ten for both of these sources of advice.
The number of people looking for financial guidance at work has almost doubled since the new rules came into play, with seven per cent now turning to a boss or colleague for personal finance tips, compared to just four per cent previously.
The shift comes as the number of people seeking financial advice from a bank has decreased by more than a third (34%) while the number turning to independent financial advisers has fallen by 14%.
Sean McCann, a Financial Planner at NFU Mutual, said: "Although many people see their parents as a source of financial advice, mums and dads may also need some financial guidance as they face their own set of changing circumstances.
"As with everything you buy: price is what you pay and value is what you get. The right advice is just as important when you take money out of pensions and investments as when you're deciding when and where to invest. Getting those critical decisions right can make thousands of pounds worth of difference.
"Wise words from the people you trust will often take you far in life, but expert, qualified advice can make a real difference to your family wealth."
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