Complaint Procedures

The Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility bind all financial planning professionals registered with IFPHK. The principles and rules contained in the Code reflect a commitment by financial planning professionals to provide the highest standard of professional conduct when delivering financial planning services to consumers.

To ensure that all financial planning professionals uphold these standards, the IFPHK has a formal process which enables complaints about financial planning professionals to be heard, evaluated and, where appropriate, disciplinary action to be taken. Please refer to the IFPHK’s  disciplinary rules and procedures .

Making a formal complaint

A complaint against the conduct, behavior and/or actions of a financial planning professional, particularly a CFP certificant, or AFP certificant or candidate is taken very seriously by the IFPHK. Complaints that involve evidence of misconduct should be made formally. Please note that the IFPHK has jurisdiction to deal with complaints about itself and its members only. It also does not have jurisdiction to award compensation to consumers.

We also suggest consumers formally register their complaint with the appropriate regulatory authority. These authorities include but not limited to;

• the Securities and Futures Commission (“SFC”) ( www.sfc.hk )
• the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (“HKMA”) ( www.info.gov.hk/hkma )
• Insurance Authority (“IA”) ( www.ia.org.hk )
• the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority ( www.mpfahk.org )

To lodge a complaint about an IFPHK’s financial planning professional, a complainant should;

• Set out the complaint in full
• Not make any defamatory statements or comments in the complaint form
• Send the written complaint to:
  The Investigating Officer
  The Institute of Financial Planners of Hong Kong
  13/F, Causeway Bay Plaza 2,
  463 - 483 Lockhart Road,
  Hong Kong

All complaints must:

• Be in writing
• Show the name and address of the complainant
• Show the individual name of the CFP Certificant or AFP Certificant or candidate
• Detail the nature of the complaint
• Be signed by the complainant

1. Note that copies of the form and enclosures (if any) may be sent to the respondent to which the complaint is directed for a response, and in some cases to the disciplinary panel.
2. Remain courteous throughout the investigation

If a complaint against a financial planning professional is being investigated externally (either by courts, SFC, etc), the IFPHK will consider whether it is appropriate to commence its own investigation into the matter. If the IFPHK has already commenced an investigation, then it will consider whether it is appropriate to suspend the investigation until a formal determination is made.