| Principles | |
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Our planning teams typically include lawyers who
uphold ethical guidelines of the bar association, CPA's who uphold
standards of the AICPA, and other professionals who promise
to maintain the highest standards of professionalism. All
of our planning team members are expected to uphold the principles published
by the Financial Planning Association:
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| Integrity | FPA
members may be placed by clients in positions of
trust and confidence. The ultimate source of such
public trust is the FPA member's personal integrity.
In deciding what is right and just, an FPA member
should rely on his or her integrity as the appropriate
touchstone. Integrity demands honesty and candor,
which must not be subordinated to personal gain and
advantage. Within the characteristic of integrity,
allowance can be made for innocent error and legitimate
difference of opinion; but integrity cannot co-exist
with deceit or subordination of one's principles.
Integrity requires an FPA member to observe not only
the letter but also the spirit of this Code. |
| Objectivity | Regardless
of the service they provide or the capacity in which
they perform, FPA members are counted upon by clients
to utilize intellectual honesty and impartiality
in providing advice. An FPA members’ primary
responsibility is to protect the integrity of his
or her work, ensuring objectivity is maintained at
all times, and avoiding any subordination of judgment
that would result in violation of this Code. It is
essential that any advice be based solely on a client’s
particular situation, goals, objectives and risk
tolerance. This ensures that the advice meets the
ethical and fiduciary standards to which financial
planning professionals adhere to for the benefit
of their clients. |
| Competence | An
FPA member shall provide services to clients using
not only competence in financial planning, but the
prudence expected from a professional possessing
the necessary knowledge and skill to do so in those
areas in which the services are being provided. Competence
is achieved by attaining and maintaining an adequate
level of knowledge and skill, and applying that knowledge
effectively when rendering services to clients. It
also requires the wisdom to recognize the limitations
of that knowledge and determining when referral to
other professionals is appropriate. A continuing
commitment to learning and professional improvement
is necessary to ensure the professional remains current
with the laws and regulations that affect each client’s
particular financial situation. |
| Fairness | An
FPA member is expected to perform in a manner that
is considered to be fair and reasonable to clients,
principals, partners, and employers. To be considered
fair and reasonable, services must be performed utilizing
impartiality, intellectual honesty, and disclosure
of conflict(s) of interest(s). It is absolutely necessary
to subordinate one's own feelings, prejudices, and
desires if a professional is to achieve a proper
balance of conflicting interests. Fairness is providing
services to a client equivalent to those a professional
would expect to receive and is an essential trait
of any prudent financial planning professional. |
| Confidentiality | A
client seeking the services of a financial planning
professional is interested in creating a relationship
of personal trust and confidence in dealing with
his or her personal matters. Trust and confidence
can only be achieved through mutual understanding
that information supplied will remain confidential.
For services to be rendered effectively while protecting
the client’s privacy, the professional must
safeguard the confidentiality of the information
provided. An FPA member can legally only disclose
confidential client information with the specific
consent of the client unless the information is disclosed
through proper legal process, in defense to charges
of wrongdoing by the professional or in response
to a civil dispute by the client. |
| Professionalism | An
FPA member is expected to display conduct befitting
the profession. Financial planning is a needed service
that is dependent upon the confidence of the public
to whom it serves. The obligation is to behave with
dignity and courtesy at all times towards not only
clients, but other financial planners and those in
related professions with whom you deal in conducting
the services as well. Cooperation is vital to enhance
and maintain the profession's public image and to
work together with other professionals to improve
the quality of the services provided. |
| Diligence | An
FPA member should exercise diligence in providing
professional services. Diligence is ensuring reasonably
prompt and thorough service is rendered through proper
planning and appropriate supervision of the services
being provided. Diligence ensures that a client’s
financial plan is developed and implemented in a
timely manner that effectively allows the client
to take maximum advantage of financial planning opportunities
that may benefit their particular situation. |