For whatever reason, I fear that most Irish people still have an innate dislike of the idea of paying upfront fees for financial advice, regarding such major financial products such as pensions, mortgages and investments. I would go further to speculate that most people don't even want "financial advice" as such when it comes to making such decisions.
They just want to buy a product which is suited to their needs - the same as it they are buying clothes or a car.
However, that is not to say that people are stupid - far from it, and most people can judge when an advisor, product intermediary or company salesperson is trying to sell them a pup.
That said, I honestly don't think that the vast majority of people have the slightest idea of the difference between a RAIPI and an AA. Certainly in the accountancy world, most people can't differentiate between ACAs, ACCA's, CPAs, IIPAs and for that matter CIMAs.
I think once people see that their own accountant or financial advisor is regulated by an Institute or the Central Bank, that this does provides a degree of reassurance. However, I fear that the whole attempt to differentiate AAs from RAIPIs is far to academic an exercise to bother the average consumer.
If someone has dealt in the past with, and received valued assistance from, a trusted professional who is now classed as a RAIPI, are they really going to cross the road to start a new relationship with an unknown AA, just because the latter carries a slightly more prestigious title? I doubt it.