The Financial Times has reported that Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) are now to offer the public free financial guidance from every branch. This is in a bid to rebuild the shattered trust of consumers in the banking industry.

About 1,000 customer service staff at the bank, have been trained by Consumer Credit Counselling Service, (the debt advice charity) to offer impartial help on areas such as budgeting skills and how basic financial products work.

The bank says it is open to RBS account holders, customers at rival banks, and to people with no bank account at all.

RBS recently announced that it would give customers who had fallen behind on their mortgage repayments six months’ breathing space before instigating repossession proceedings. The bank has also frozen overdraft charges for small businesses for one year, because of the recession.

RBS said the advisers, who currently work as service advisers to RBS customers in its branches, would not be allowed to sell products. Anyone wanting to buy an RBS product must talk to a separate member of staff

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