Advice please

whiteflag_3

EdInvestor wrote:

Looks like Pal is a "benefit consultant" aka actuary.

nothing like multi tasking eh PAL

Pal

EdInvestor wrote:

Looks like Pal is a "benefit consultant" aka actuary.

Nope! Guess again...

Edna_Bucket_2

whiteflag wrote:

...Thats why i cant understand why the investor twins keep knocking the IFAs who generously give their professional views for free.

Sadly whiteflag, it probably works on the basis that the great British public has been ripped off mercilessly by the Financial Services industry, the people involved in that industry, and their awful opaque products for the last 40 plus years.

As a consequence, surely the prudent Moneysaver would be wise to be cautious about anyone calling themselves an "expert" on the field (apologies here for treading on the toes of anyone on this section of the Board.) I guess I would concur with the "twins" in that I've personally met more than a few IFAs whose ignorance is truly staggering.

Once again, I'm conscious that I'm probably about to make myself very unpopular once again, for which I'll apologise in advance but you talk of people who "generously give their professional views for free." The cynic might say that isn't there a potential there for "free advertising" and possibly business, so it might be worth the (honest) IFA flagging up their profession here?

Thanks to Martin's hard work over several years, this BB is read extremely widely - it therefore makes a good platform for IFAs to appear on. The answers given may well lead to PMs and enquiries which in turn lead to business so it may well be a good investment of time to give that "free" advice.

I should say that I think there is nothing wrong with that, especially if the poster has identified their professional interest, but I don't think we should just assume that these contributors are doing so entirely out of community spirit. Sorry!

whiteflag_3

Edna_Bucket wrote:

Sadly whiteflag, it probably works on the basis that the great British public has been ripped off mercilessly by the Financial Services industry, the people involved in that industry, and their awful opaque products for the last 40 plus years.

As a consequence, surely the prudent Moneysaver would be wise to be cautious about anyone calling themselves an "expert" on the field (apologies here for treading on the toes of anyone on this section of the Board.) I guess I would concur with the "twins" in that I've personally met more than a few IFAs whose ignorance is truly staggering.

Once again, I'm conscious that I'm probably about to make myself very unpopular once again, for which I'll apologise in advance but you talk of people who "generously give their professional views for free." The cynic might say that isn't there a potential there for "free advertising" and possibly business, so it might be worth the (honest) IFA flagging up their profession here?

Thanks to Martin's hard work over several years, this BB is read extremely widely - it therefore makes a good platform for IFAs to appear on. The answers given may well lead to PMs and enquiries which in turn lead to business so it may well be a good investment of time to give that "free" advice.

I should say that I think there is nothing wrong with that, especially if the poster has identified their professional interest, but I don't think we should just assume that these contributors are doing so entirely out of community spirit. Sorry!

While there is a lot of truth in what you say, i see the IFAs who post on this site trying to restore the publics faith in advisers.

I certainly disagree with you that touting for business on this site is OK.

Edna_Bucket_2

whiteflag wrote:

I certainly disagree with you that touting for business on this site is OK.

Sorry once again if my words have been misinterpreted - I wasn't for one minute suggesting for one minute that any of the IFAs who give "advice" on this site are overtly touting for business at all. I certainly haven't seen that, and let me clarify that I wasn't suggesting it.

My point was that it is a more subtle form of personal Marketing i.e. an IFA comes here, openly badges himself/herself as such, and gives lots of helpful and free advice.

In those circumstances, who are the readers likely to contact if they want to take things a step further and get professional advice

As I say, it's subtle and as it is not a blatant "plug" I can't see anything wrong with that. There are also no guarantees that they'll get anything back out of it at all of course!

However, if you take that view, then the purpose of chipping in becomes somewhat less altruistic.

Regards.

whiteflag_3

Edna_Bucket wrote:

Sorry once again if my words have been misinterpreted - I wasn't for one minute suggesting for one minute that any of the IFAs who give "advice" on this site are overtly touting for business at all. I certainly haven't seen that, and let me clarify that I wasn't suggesting it.

My point was that it is a more subtle form of personal Marketing i.e. an IFA comes here, openly badges himself/herself as such, and gives lots of helpful and free advice.

In those circumstances, who are the readers likely to contact if they want to take things a step further and get professional advice

As I say, it's subtle and as it is not a blatant "plug" I can't see anything wrong with that. There are also no guarantees that they'll get anything back out of it at all of course!

However, if you take that view, then the purpose of chipping in becomes somewhat less altruistic.

Regards.

Why dont you ask the IFAs to post how many times thay have been PMd and done business as a result of this site?

Edna_Bucket_2

Inappropriate to ask and a meaningless exercise I think - as I said, I don't have a problem with this subtle personal Marketing as long as it remains subtle, and I can't see that the site would either.

matto

Edna - I agree 100% with your assessment and analysis of the situation and your conclusions.

Pal

Of course one could also argue that the investor twins are only here to promote their website, particularly given their blatant biase towards the latest media fad investments (SIPPs, HYP etc).


(They'll love me for that one! )

I have never been contacted regarding any business.

But then I am not an IFA. And most people probably think I post crap...

Pal

BTW - From this site's point of view the fact that some posters might get some business from this site is not a problem. As long as they pay their dues here by helping out other site visitors then there it's ok. The forums are full of professional advisers, particularly the mortgage board.

Of course this board does not recommend the services of any professional advisers just because they post here a lot! At your own risk and all that.

Blatant adverts are obviously deleted and the people posting them banned.