Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility

A code of ethics is the cornerstone of any recognized professional certification, and all financial planning professionals registered with the IFPHK, including CFP certificants, AFP certificants and candidates are required to abide by, and be held accountable to, the  Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility adopted by the IFPHK.

The Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility consists of two parts. Part I – Ethical Principles and Part II – Rules of Conduct.

Part I – Ethical Principles mirror the FPSB’s Code of Ethics. By adhering to ethical principles, financial planning professionals agree to provide financial planning in the interests of clients to the highest possible ethical and professional standard, and agree to uphold and promote the interests of the financial planning profession for the benefit of society. The IFPHK expects that clients of financial planning professionals will benefit from a globally accepted set of ethical standards for financial planning professionals.

Part II – Rules of Conduct adopted and modified from the FPSB’s Model Rules of Conduct. The rules establish standards for the level and type of conduct expected of financial planning professionals. The Rules serve as the enforcement mechanism for the Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility.

The Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility is binding on all financial planning professionals registered with the IFPHK. At each renewal, a financial planning professional of the IFPHK must acknowledge the right of the IFPHK to enforce the Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility and proper use of the CFP marks and AFP marks (applying to CFP certificants and AFP certificants only). All financial planning professionals must be knowledgeable and aware of the Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility, and must apply and abide by the rules that are relevant to the financial planning professional’s activities. The Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility is actively enforced through an investigative and disciplinary process described in the  Disciplinary Rules and Procedures .