Hi Helen,
A guy telling you that you are dear to him could either mean that he cares about you in the same way that he would a friend or that he does have some romantic inclinations towards you.
Telling you that you can come to him for advice, a favor or money is not really enough to determine whether he only likes you as a friend or as a woman with romantic potential.
You should pay closer attention to the way he acts whenever he is around you.
If he tends to get as physically close to you as he can get away with and tries touching you as often as he can in some capacity, those are often signs of physical attraction.
If you notice that he tends to preen whenever he is around you, as in, fidgeting with his hair, clothing, jewelry or anything that he gets his hands on within the environment that you are both in, there is a chance that he is nervous around you which could also suggest romantic interest.
You just have to start watching for clues in his body language in order for you to better determine whether he only likes you as a friend or as a woman with romantic potential.