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You may have been given some bad financial advice in the past, but don't let that affect your decisioning when it comes to getting advice this time round.

Everyone has heard the horror stories about self certified mortgages – mortgage advisers over-inflating people's income so they could get a bigger loan and then in turn earn themselves a bigger fee. They didn't care whether their clients could afford the mortgage, nor did they care whether they fell in difficulties a few years down the line.

And there could be more to come – the authorities are looking closely at self certification and how it was lent, how advisers advised on it and how borrowers filled out their application forms.

But if you have in the past had some bad advice when it came to your mortgage, don't let that ruin your chances of getting good advice this time round. Yes, there are some bad advisers out there, but there are also some great advisers who can really help you get hold of the right mortgage credit.

There is of course onus on your part to make sure your chosen adviser is up to scratch in the first place. Check they are registered with the Financial Services Authority – that's the Government arm which makes sure the adviser gives fair, qualified advice. This means if they do give you bad advice, the law is on your side. And there is more you can do – ask past clients how the adviser dealt with their mortgage or ask the adviser for testimonies to prove that their clients have got the right mortgages and continue to get good service from their adviser.

There is nothing wrong with self certified mortgages, whatever the media may say. If they are advised on corerctly, they are a great way for people who cannot prove their income to get a mortgage. So do your homework and chose your adviser wisely – but don't be afraid of self cert advice.

Keep up with the latest news and comments on Self Employed Mortgages at the Self Cert Mortgage Blog