You're ethical, right? You do thorough fact-finding with clients. You recommend only suitable products. You believe in full disclosure. And since you do these things, your clients believe you are ethical. So what's the problem?
The problem is you're a human being. That means you're hardwired to get comfortable when life is good. The more success you achieve, the more likely this will happen. And when complacency erodes your commitment to ethics, you'll be on thin ice before long. How to avoid skating there? By periodically testing ?? 1/2 and sharpening ?? 1/2 your ethics edge. The quiz below will get you started.
1. Do you always protect and promote your client's best interests, even to your own financial detriment?
2. Are you totally honest in explaining your education and business background, including your licenses and designations?
3. Do you always disclose the important features of your products or services, including potential risks that may affect future performance or value?
4. Are you totally truthful about the realistic returns or future values a client can expect?
5. Do you thoroughly probe a client's current and future needs in order to make suitable recommendations?
6. Do you respect client confidentiality even under third-party pressure to disclose information?
7. Do you only use advertising and presentation materials that are completely accurate and legally compliant?
