How to find a financial advisor

[decisionsinsandouts]

I have a sizeable amount of money (inheritance), rent, very little pension and various other complications regarding my personal financial position. How do I find a financial advisor? I have googled and got screeds and screeds of potential advisors. I don't want to just take a stab in the dark. I have asked one or two friends for recommendations without much success.
Has anybody found an advisor they could recommend? I am in SW London. Or can anyone help me in selecting someone based on the information online? What sort of things should I be looking for?

The Personal Finance Society's website has a directory of all their qualified members which is searchable by postcode, and you can refine the search by area of interest, i.e. retirement, later life, investment, etc.

Or you could look up the Retirement Adviser Directory which is part of the government's Money Advice Service if you particularly wanted pension/retirement advisers.

Ring round a few that are local to you and see who you like the sound of and think you'd be comfortable having personal discussions with. Most, if not all, will offer a free initial meeting to understand what you're looking to achieve.

Chartered advisers have the highest levels of qualifications but all advisers meet minimum standards so don't get too hung up on that. Avoid St James Place/SJP advisers as they are restricted to only offering their own products and investments, and have hefty fees and exit penalties.

There is some information on how to get financial advice on the Citizens Advice website here