How to find a regulated pension adviser near you

To find a pension adviser in the UK, search a directory by your location, then check the firm and adviser on the FCA's Financial Services Register.

Looking for a pension advisor in the UK usually means two jobs: finding names, then checking each one is who it says it is. Free guidance is one place to start for anyone 50 or over who holds a defined contribution pension: MoneyHelper's Pension Wise appointment explains your options for taking the money and is impartial. Where the choice hinges on your own pots, tax and household, you can describe your situation briefly in the form on this page; one FCA-authorised adviser then replies by phone or email, and the introduction costs you nothing. The steps below cover searching for one yourself.

Should you start with free guidance or paid advice?

Advice is a paid service, and MoneyHelper says that "for most things, financial advice is optional and can be costly". Its page on finding a retirement adviser suggests free guidance first if you are unsure, listing its online guides, its helpline and "a Pension Wise appointment (if eligible) to understand your options for taking a defined contribution pension" (MoneyHelper, How to find a pension or retirement adviser, archived copy of 14 August 2026).

Guidance and a personal recommendation differ in ways set out in what counts as pension advice; the free help is listed in free pension help, whether you must see Pension Wise first is in do I have to use Pension Wise?, and whether a fee pays off is in are pension advisers worth it? The rest of this page assumes you have decided to look for an adviser.

How do you find a regulated pension adviser in your area?

MoneyHelper's first rule is short: "If you choose to find a financial adviser, you should only use one that is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)." It says "Online directories let you search for regulated retirement advisers near you. Each directory has slightly different features, so try a few to see which one you prefer." The four it named in the 14 August 2026 copy, in its own descriptions:

• VouchedFor and Unbiased. "Both let you search by advice type, contact method and location – or you can choose to be matched to an adviser. You can enter the size of your pension to filter out those that cannot help."
• Society of Later Life Advisers (SOLLA). It "Specialises in accredited advisers who understand financial needs in later life. You can search by location and advice type, including paying for care and equity release."
• Personal Finance Society (PFS). "Run by the professional body for financial planning in the UK, you can search by location, areas of expertise and contact method."

Each of them lets you search by location, which is what "near me" comes down to; a companion MoneyHelper guide suggests a shortlist of "advisers in your local area who specialise in the type of advice you’d like". This page covers FCA-regulated advice, and the checks below are the same anywhere in the UK. Two other routes appear on the same page as the directories: "ask for personal recommendations if someone you trust has already paid for advice", and "check if your employer, trade union or other organisation you’re a member of has special arrangements with advisory firms."

Prefer not to begin with a blank directory? Your details, sent with the form on this page, reach an FCA-authorised adviser, who will make contact. Saying no afterwards is always allowed, and the checks in the next section apply to that firm as much as to any other.

How do you check an adviser is really authorised?

The FCA says using an authorised firm with the correct permissions "will greatly reduce your risk of harm", though it "won't remove all risk". MoneyHelper says to use the FCA's Financial Services Register to check two things: that "the adviser (or the firm they work for) is listed as being authorised to provide advice", and that "you have their genuine contact details."

The FCA describes the register as "a public record of firms, individuals and other bodies that are, or have been, authorised by us or the PRA", and its Firm Checker as a service to check that a firm "is authorised by us" and "has our permission to provide the services you want". The Financial Services Register page also says: "You should check the details of any individual carrying out regulated activities on your behalf, especially current roles, and any disciplinary or regulatory action on their record." MoneyHelper adds that a firm listed as an "appointed representative" can "provide regulated advice on behalf of another firm". The Firm Checker page is also clear about a limit: the tool "can't confirm whether Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) or Financial Ombudsman Service protection will definitely apply if something goes wrong."

Scam warnings

The register check matters because pension scammers pose as advisers. The FCA's warning is that a firm which approached you unprompted is not one to take advice from, and that "Most of the companies offering free pension reviews aren’t authorised, but many falsely claim they are" (FCA, Pension scams, last updated 19 January 2026). A claim of authorisation is only worth what the register shows. How these scams work is in pension scams explained, and who to tell in how to report a pension scam.

Independent or restricted advice: what is the difference?

MoneyHelper says "There are two main types of financial adviser". Independent advisers "can search the entire market to recommend a product or service for you, including all types of investments", while restricted advisers "usually: give advice on a specific type of product or area (such as retirement) and/or recommend products from a certain number of providers." It stresses that "Both types of advice will be tailored to you."

The FCA's rules make a firm say which it is. Under COBS 6.2B.33R a firm must disclose "in good time before the provision of investment advice" whether its advice will be "independent advice" or "restricted advice", and "whether the advice will be based on a broad or more restricted analysis of different types of relevant products". A firm that tells a client it gives independent advice "must assess a sufficient range of relevant products available on the market" (COBS 6.2B.11R, FCA Handbook, last updated 6 April 2026). A restricted firm that speaks to you must also tell you aloud, before advising, that its advice is restricted and "the nature of that restriction" (COBS 6.2B.38R).

You can ask any adviser, including the one this site introduces you to, to explain its range and why its advice counts as independent or restricted, and to put the answer in writing.

When does a defined benefit transfer need a specialist?

Leaving a final salary or other defined benefit scheme narrows the field. Where the transfer value of safeguarded benefits is above £30,000, the scheme must check you have taken appropriate independent advice before it pays (SI 2015/742, regulation 5; the transfer advice requirement explains who it covers). The FCA's rules add that a firm must make sure such advice "is given or checked by a pension transfer specialist" (COBS 19.1.1A, FCA Handbook, last updated 26 June 2026).

So not every adviser a directory shows can take this on. The FCA explains how to spot those that can: "Firms who can offer DB transfer advice are listed as ‘advising on pension transfers and opt-outs’" (FCA, Pension transfer advice: what to expect), so look for that wording on the firm's entry before you book.

Advice on whether to transfer is not a push to transfer: the FCA and The Pensions Regulator "believe it’s in most people’s best interests to keep their DB pension", and a transfer cannot be reversed. The steps are in how to transfer a pension, how these schemes work in final salary pensions, and moves overseas in choosing a QROPS adviser.

What should you ask a pension adviser before choosing one?

MoneyHelper says "It’s a good idea to shortlist at least three" (MoneyHelper, How to choose a financial adviser, archived copy of 20 August 2026). Its own table of key questions is a good script for each first conversation:

• "Do I need to have a minimum amount in savings for you to help me?"
• "Do you offer independent or restricted advice?"
• "What qualifications do you have and what do they mean?" MoneyHelper's retirement-adviser guide also suggests asking whether they have "had previous experience dealing with a situation similar to yours."
• "Are you an appointed representative?" This matters if you could find only the firm, not the adviser, on the register.
• "How much will the advice cost me?" How fees are set, and what an ongoing charge covers, is in how much pension advice costs.

Ask for the quote in writing, and expect the recommendation as a written report; MoneyHelper says you should receive both. Once you have chosen, the adviser will carry out a fact-find covering your "finances – including your income, spending, debts, savings and pensions", your goals, your family situation and your attitude to investment risk, so have your statements to hand.

Pressure is a warning sign in itself. MoneyHelper says a good adviser will "encourage you to take the time to understand your options and ask questions – you should never feel rushed", and that "If an adviser pressures you, does not explain any recommendation clearly or will not provide a written report, these are warning signs that the adviser might be a scammer." The same guide adds that choosing a regulated adviser means you can complain and seek compensation if the advice proves unsuitable.

Finding a pension adviser: questions people ask

Is it pension advisor or pension adviser?

Both spellings are searched. The FCA's rules and MoneyHelper's pages use "adviser", and this page does too.

Does Pension Wise recommend or approve advisers?

Pension Wise gives guidance on your options, not a personal recommendation. For finding a paid adviser, MoneyHelper's own page sends you to the directories above and to the FCA register. More on the service is in what Pension Wise is.

Can I find an adviser who covers my pension scheme, such as an NHS or police pension?

The directories above let you filter by advice type and areas of expertise, and some public-sector schemes have their own pages here: NHS pension advice and police pension advice.

Will an adviser take on a small pension?

Not always. MoneyHelper says some firms want a minimum before they advise, "such as a pension worth over £50,000 or £100,000". VouchedFor and Unbiased let you enter your pension's size to filter out firms that cannot help, and Pension Wise has no minimum: "It doesn’t matter how much your pension is worth."

Your next step

You can search the directories above, check each firm on the FCA register and put your questions to a shortlist. Or, for a single conversation instead, use the form on this page: your enquiry reaches an FCA-authorised adviser, who replies; the same register check applies, and Pension Wise stays free either way.