Advice on the advisers: rankings point the way to an IFA you can trust

Online Financial help

Consumers wanting to find a competent independent financial adviser can now read the recommendations of their previous clients on a new website, Rubii.co.uk.

The site aims to make the process of looking for an adviser much more effective. Users are asked to rank the service of any advisers advertised on the website who they may have used – a little like the system used on eBay to recommend particular sellers. The service is free as a search tool but you must register your name, postcode and email address before you can contact an adviser for a meeting or leave comments or ratings.

Every time a search is carried out on Rubii.co.uk, the results are automatically arranged with the highest-ranking advisers, according to other users, at the top.

"In these difficult times, finding a good, trustworthy adviser is paramount. Ranking advisers in this way will help people make a more informed choice about who they see," said Toby Goldblatt, a director of Rubii.co.uk.

Once registered, users can view the adviser profiles, which detail qualifications and areas of expertise, how experienced they are and whether they are paid by a flat fee or commission.