I think IFAs are a different breed now FB - to be an IFA you do need to have passed some quite stringent exams, and in my mate's experience all of your day-to-day work is "marked" by someone independent ( - in his case it was a company in India) to make sure your advice is sound and fits the facts.
In my mate's case this eventually resulted in him retiring probably earlier than planned due to the stress it induced, though it may course be that as a senior and respected IFA of many years standing he may have found it irritating, to say the least, to have nit-picky questions raised on everything he did - I think I would. Still, there is stronger regulation in the industry now and, as a result, less sharks I believe.
(Though I do not use one now the pension is somewhere where I can manage it myself, but I do keep it in managed funds which provide a level of spread and de-risking without me having to get too involved)
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