You will find below information and links to major organisations and associations that exist in order to provide a fair and well informed arena for the consumer to buy both secured a1nd unsecured loans, and mortgages in the UK.

Association of Independent Financial Advisers
The AIFA is the organisation that now represents, and is funded solely by, around 70% of the IFA market in the UK. Their aim is to become the recognised representative body, speaking on behalf of IFA's to regulators, the authorities, product providers and the media. They also take a lead on training and competence amongst their members as well as informing IFA's about all developments affecting their businesses.

British Bankers Association
The BBA is the premier trade organisation in the banking and financial services industry, working to represent banks and other financial services firms in the UK. It was formed in 1919, working with the Committee of London Clearing Bankers (CLCB). It separated from the CLCB in 1975 after accepting foreign banks into membership. Its member banks are an influential group holding approximately 90% of the assets of the UK banking sector.

Building Societies Association
Since its establishment in 1869, the BSA has been the leading representative body for the building society movement. In 2004 its members controlled £200 billion of assets with over 15 million customers. The BSA represents the industry to parliament, the regulators, the media and all other interested bodies protecting and promoting the movement's position.

Consumer Gateway
The Consumer Gateway is a service operated by the Department of Trade & Industry. Its aim is to equip the consumer to tackle their consumer problems as well as helping them to make informed decisions before buying goods and services. Its website offers assistance on all aspects of consumer purchases and rights, including personal loans and mortgages, which it provides direct and through links to other sites containing consumer advice from government departments, consumer organisations and other respected bodies.

Council of Mortgage Lenders
The CML is a trade association which represents secured loan or mortgage lenders in the UK. Approximately 98% of mortgage lending is carried out by its members. Its sole purpose is to serve its members by encouraging and maintaining healthy residential mortgage and related housing markets in the UK which it does by representing the secured lending industry to all relevant bodies, providing technical market information and analysis, promoting best practice (by sponsoring the Mortgage Code) and the provision of a discussion forum for all matters of interest to its members.

Financial Ombudsman Service
The Financial Ombudsman Service was formed under statute and is an independent organisation dedicated to providing a free service to consumers for resolving disputes against financial firms. Their service does not replace the courts, but if you do accept an ombudsman's confidential and independent decision, it is binding on both parties. The Financial Ombudsman Service can only be utilised once the complaint has been taken to the company involved and remains unresolved to the consumer's satisfaction.

Financial Services Authority
The FSA is now the sole statutory regulator for the financial services industry, accountable to Treasury Ministers and, through them, to parliament. It is an independent non-governmental body, receiving its powers from the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 and its funding through fees received from the companies and firms it regulates. Its four principle aims are to the maintenance of confidence in the financial systems in the UK, promotion of public understanding of the financial system, ensuring the correct balance of consumer protection and helping to reduce financial crime.

Mortgage Code Compliance Board
The Mortgage Code Compliance Board seeks to promote honourable practice related to the provision of mortgage advice and information throughout the mortgage lending industry through adherence to the Mortgage Code. Most lenders and intermediaries have voluntarily agreed to be bound to the Mortgage Code. A range of activity including inspections, liaison visits, mystery shopping and consumer research are carried out by the MCCB to encourage and police compliance with the Code. Members of the MCCB are required to have their own complaints procedures and if the consumer is not satisfied the firm must refer the matter to the Mortgage Code Arbitration Scheme.

Office of Fair Trading
The OFT has three divisions dealing with the three areas of operation. These are: a) competition enforcement, that aims to ensure, through regulation, that the markets have open and fair competition, b) consumer regulation enforcement, which involves licensing certain traders, including the secured and unsecured loan traders, eliminating unfair trading practices and acting against rogue traders, and c) helping markets work well by carrying out studies exploring how markets and their traders operate.