Some solicitors and accountants are also authorised to act as financial advisers, although this is not their main area of business. You may want to check that they have the right expertise to give the advice you need, particularly if it is in a complex area such as pensions. Often, mortgage advisers are not authorised to give full financial advice and just deal with products related to house purchase. Most mortgage advisers comply with the Mortgage Code, which sets out their responsibilities to customers and requires them to explain the level of advice they provide. I am looking for a new house and the estate agent introduced me to their mortgage adviser.
Many estate agents have arrangements with mortgage advisers.
You should check the range of services the mortgage adviser is willing to provide, and whether he selects products from all mortgage providers or is tied to one. When taking out a mortgage, there are often many other financial considerations and you might prefer to deal with an independent financial adviser who is able to provide a full financial review. The financial sections of the newspapers often give helpful guides. The financial press is definitely worth reading to give useful background and the knowledge will be useful when you deal with a financial adviser. You should be very careful before taking any action which seems to be recommended in the press, as the journalist won't know about your individual circumstances, the advice will be very generalised, and it might not be the right thing for you.