Integrity
All Allied members share a devotion to high professional standards and best practices. This is made concrete by the fact that every member at every level – from student to CFC – must agree to abide by this stringent Uniform Code of Professional Conduct.
Building Trust
- To succeed as a consultant your clients must believe in you, and trust that you are working in their best interest. In a profession where there are often few guideposts, membership in the Institute serves as a benchmark for the client community.
- The Code of Conduct, as well as the global CFC designation, assures clients that they are hiring the best consulting talent. The Institute’s very public establishment and promotion of this Code sets you apart from non-members and aids you in building a professional relationship with your clients founded on trust.
Purpose
- The purpose of this code is identify those professional obligations that serve to protect the public in general, and the client in particular. The code is also designed to identify clearly the expectations of members with respect to other members and the profession.
Knowledge
- A member shall keep informed of the applicable Code of Professional Conduct and the profession’s Common Body of Knowledge.
- A member shall strive to keep current with developments in any area of the profession where specific expertise is claimed.
Self Discipline
- A member shall recognize that the self disciplinary nature of the profession is a privilege and that the member has a responsibility to merit retention of this privilege. Therefore, a member shall report to the Board unbecoming professional conduct by another member.
Responsibilities for Others
- A member shall ensure that other financial consultants carrying out work on the member’s behalf are conversant with, and abide by, the applicable Code of Professional Conduct.
- A member shall behave in a manner that maintains the good reputation of the profession and its ability to serve the public interest.
- A member shall avoid activities that adversely affect the quality of that member’s professional advice.
- A member may not carry on business that clearly detracts from the member’s professional status.
Responsibilities to the Client
Due Care
- A member shall act in the best interest of the client, providing professional services with integrity, objectivity, and independence.
- A member shall not encourage unrealistic client expectations.
Business Development
- A member shall not adopt any method of obtaining business that detracts from the professional image of the Institute or its members.
Competence
- A member shall accept only those assignments that the member has the knowledge and skill to perform.
Informed Client
- A member shall, before accepting an assignment, reach a mutual understanding with the client as to the assignment objectives, scope, workplan, and costs.
Fee Arrangement
- A member shall establish fee arrangements with a client in advance of any substantive work and shall inform all relevant parties when such arrangements may impair or may be seen to impair the objectivity or independence of the member.
- A member shall not enter into fee arrangements that have the potential to compromise the member’s integrity or the quality of services rendered.
Conflict
- A member shall avoid acting simultaneously for two or more clients in potentially conflicting situations without informing all parties in advance and securing their agreement to the arrangement.
- A member shall inform a client of any interest that may impair or may be seen to impair professional judgment.
- A member shall not take advantage of a client relationship by encouraging, unless by way of an advertisement, an employee of that client to consider alternate employment without prior discussion with the client.
Confidentiality
- A member shall treat all client information as confidential.
Objectivity
- A member shall refrain from serving a client under terms or conditions that impair independence and a member shall reserve the right to withdraw from the assignment if such becomes the case.
Legal
- A member shall act in accordance with the applicable legislation and laws.