Local residents in Harbin in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province are now able to get professional advice on how to invest their money at the branches of the China Industrial and Commercial Bank.

With advice from the bank, one businessman in the city avoided more than 4,000 yuan (about 480 US dollars) in lost profits by transferring his account to Canada.

Most people have no idea how to deal with the extra money they are accumulating in increasing amounts. Now they can ask professionals at the bank about things such as the various kinds of investments, saving trusts, and other financial instruments.

This free service, as a new kind of intermediate business in China, will someday become a new career, and it will gradually play an important part in helping people make decisions about their financial matters, said Fei Tingdong, who is in charge of the expansion of the bank's consultation services. (Xinhua)