Ethics, Integrity and Fairness in Financial Services

Description

Given its role and importance to any functioning modern economy, ‘trust’ is an essential ingredient between providers of financial services, its clients and even wider society. Culture, conduct and ethics are words which have come to pepper the regulatory lexicon. The importance of these intangible concepts and “getting it right” has been clearly communicated, and myriad speeches and initiatives in the financial services sector focus on these themes. This programme does not purport to dictate how firms should define their values or operate their businesses. However, lawmakers, regulators and society have defined certain minimum expectations and standards of behaviour from the perspective of customer and business outcomes. These are sometimes framed or described (whether explicitly or implicitly) as issues of trust, integrity or honesty; concepts which have a distinct ethical underpin. Firms and individuals operating in the sector must be conscious and mindful of these standards and expectations and consider both whether they are satisfying the letter and spirit of the rules and/or guidance and whether the values and principles which they have set for themselves are effective in directing and delivering the firm’s desired outcomes.