How do you find a financial consultant, and how do you choose one?

I don’t really like money and have never paid much attention to financial matters. Now I am suddenly rather close to retirement (closer than I was a week ago by a big jump) and have to understand some things.

I would like to talk to someone who can help me grasp the picture, understand the implications and consequences, and help guide my choices. I want to talk to someone who has no financial interest in my decisions and no stake in persuading me toward any particular course of action.

What is the best way to look for someone like that, and how do I judge their ability?

Friends are all declining to recommend the services they use and saying they are considering making a change. Maybe they are unfairly blaming their advisors for inauspicious events of the past year, which aren’t their fault, but in any case word of mouth is not helping me. And our tax preparers only do taxes.