I read with great interest in the recent Sunday Times article, “Free legal help on the rise in Singapore” dated 10 June 2012. That article pointed out that there has been an increased in lawyers offering pro bono services. In the legal profession, lawyers have to be ‘encouraged’ to provide pro bono services. In the financial advisory industry, it is the opposite. The financial adviser (FA) has to be discouraged from providing pro bono services. Why? You see, almost all FA provides free service. Their prospects also demand free service. It is as if the entire industry is a charitable organization with more than 15,000 FAs providing free service. Let’s examine this from a consumer point of view. When a consumer walks into a car showroom, he will be greeted by a car salesperson. The car salesperson will help answer the consumer’s questions relating to the cars in ......