August 30, 2010
I will keep my message very simple and "to the point." The public has NO CONFIDENCE WHATSOEVER in the financial services "profession" or the regulatory authorities charged with policing it. How can anyone seriously expect them to... when financial "advisors" are not even required to act in the client's best interest? The decision is totally obvious: ANYONE who holds himself out to the public as an "advisor" should be held to a fiduciary standard, regardless of what label that person chooses to give himself or what license(s) he holds. Until that is the standard, the public will continue to think of the financial services industry as a "den of thieves," with the consumer continuing to suffer from financial illiteracy as a result.