Unbiased.co.uk

Unbiased.co.uk is a professional advice search site which provides financial, mortgage, legal and accounting information, run by an independent non-profit body. It was founded as IFA Promotion Limited in 1989 by 19 financial product providers, to raise the profile of independent financial advice and promote the sale of financial products to consumers via independent financial advisers (IFAs).

Unbiased.co.uk has the largest professional services database in the financial industry in the United Kingdom. Its search has been described by The Times as the "only database in the UK which lists truly independent financial advisers".

The Company

Unbiased.co.uk was founded to help consumers find an independent financial adviser. It started as a consumer hotline in 1989 and changing to the online search in 2000. Unbiased.co.uk was amongst the first organisations to promote IFAs to consumers and created badge of ‘independence’ (or roundel) for IFAs to prove they were giving the highest quality of financial advice. Unbiased.co.uk registered the blue roundel logo device as a trademark in 1995.

The ‘find an IFA’ search also runs on various partner websites such as CashQuestions, the Financial Times, the Guardian, Interactive Investor International, Investors Chronicle, Is4profit, Moneymagpie, Money Observer, Moneywise, MSN, Myfinances.co.uk, Mymoneydiva.com, Pension Management, the Telegraph, The Sun (United Kingdom), This is Money, The Times and Whatinvestment.co.uk.

Unbiased.co.uk expanded its service in 2008 by launching a local whole of market mortgage adviser search, and again in 2009 with a local solicitor search. It was revealed that there was “a 25% jump in the number of people contacting advisers for help with a mortgage” as the numbers of people using the search rose from 36,000 to 45,000 between January and June 2009.

In June 2011, unbiased.co.uk launched an accountant search. Like the existing unbiased.co.uk searches, the free and confidential, postcode-driven service matches users with the nearest appropriate registered accountant, allowing them to search for a range of criteria, such as area of specialism, gender of adviser and preferred method of payment. Potential customers can also further research advisers by visiting their websites and viewing their profiles on LinkedIn and Twitter if listed by the adviser. Unbiased.co.uk the website was relaunched to create a hub full of tools, calculators and information to help people manage their money and legal matters.

Sponsor Companies

Founding Sponsors (as IFA Promotion in 1989)

• Abbey for Intermediaries
• Aegon
• AMP NPI
• Aviva
• Brarbie Life
• Clerical Medical Investment Group
• Dresdner RCM Funds (UK) Ltd
• Fidelity Investments
• Henderson Touche Remnant Unit Trust Management
• Invesco Perpetual
• LAS Group
• MGM Assurance
• Prudential Assurance Co Ltd
• Schroder Unit Trusts Limited
• Scottish Life
• Scottish Widows Plc
• Standard Life
• The Skandia Group of Companies
• National Mutual

Sponsors

• Alliance Trust
• Aviva
• AXA
• Bright Grey
• Canada Life Financial
• Franklin Templeton
• Hearthstone
• ICM Research
• J.P. Morgan Asset Management
• Legal & General
• Lockton Insurance
• MetLife
• National Savings and Investments
• Prudential plc
• Opinium Research
• Royal London 360°
• Schroders
• Scottish Life
• Scottish Widows
• Standard Life
• Zurich Intermediary Group

In 2010 the organisation announced that their funding model had changed, and was now 50% funded by advisers paying for an enhanced profile listing and extra benefits, and only 50% funded by its sponsors.

Chief Executives of Unbiased.co.uk

• Karen Barrett: 12 October 2009 – Present
• David Elms: 22 May 2000 - 12 October 2009
• Ann-Marie Martyn: October 1997 - 22 May 2000
• Robert Browne-Clayton: 18 April 1995 - October 1997
• Joanne Hindle: July 1989 - 18 April 1995

Chairmen of Unbiased.co.uk

• Tony Langham: 1 October 2011 – Present
• David Graham: 14 April 2003 – 30 September 2011
• Roy Nicolson: 4 November 2002 - 14 April 2003
• Kevin McBrien: 1 July 2001 - 4 November 2002
• Douglas Claisse: March 1996 - 30 June 2001
• Peter Glover: July 1989 - March 1996

Operations

Unbiased.co.uk assigns a level to all qualifications and designations on the website, based on an analysis undertaken by UK NARIC, a national DfES agency which provides guidance on levels of international qualifications (academic, vocational and professional). The qualifications are split into two levels (A & B). Level A qualifications are equivalent to A level standard. Level B qualifications are deemed to be at least equivalent to components of a degree.

Unbiased.co.uk is also listed on various trade bodies, such as AIFA, the AIC, the IMA and Reita. Relevant UK government and regulatory bodies also refer consumers to this service and it is featured on websites such as the Citizens Advice Bureau, Directgov, Consumer Direct, Department of Work and Pensions, Financial Services Authority, Financial Ombudsman Service, Financial Services Compensation Scheme, Pensions Advisory Service, Pensions Ombudsman, Pensions Regulator and the Pensions Service.

External links

• unbiased.co.uk website
• Types of IFA Qualification