What Advisors Really Think About the Fisher Controversy

The disclosure of Ken Fisher's remarks during a closed-door session at a recent industry event and the resulting fallout have been carefully watched by financial advisors and the media. Given the significance of these developments, Investment Advisor/ThinkAdvisor polled advisors and other financial professionals to ask them what they specifically think about Fisher's remarks and the ensuing reactions, overall bad behavior in the industry and what should come next to deter it. The survey's 1,350-plus respondents — about 30% of whom are women — have common views on many themes across gender lines. However, on some topics, the differences in the opinions of men and women are striking. The exclusive poll — which drew more than three times the number of advisor respondents gathered in some prior industry surveys on gender issues — should serve the financial-services business well in its quest for greater diversity and better treatment of all its participants. In addition to the responses, the poll collected over 322 comments on what the industry should do to curb bad behavior. For details on these remarks, see our special report: Tipping Point: Why Ken Fisher's Lewd Remarks Matter. (Results were collected from Nov. 9 through Nov. 19.)