All members of CFA UK agree to abide by and adhere to CFA Institute’s Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct.
The code and standards describe best practices relating to:
- professionalism
- the integrity of capital markets
- duties to clients
- duties to employers
- investment analysis
- recommendations & actions
- conflicts of interest
The code and standards provide guidance to members allowing them to identify and resolve ethical conflicts so that the integrity of the profession is maintained. CFA Institute and CFA UK enforce the code and standards through self-disclosure, public complaints and publicly available information.
To see the full Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct, please click here.
Self-reporting
An important element of ethical conduct is self-disclosure of potential violations. Members are encouraged to self-report incidents to CFA Institute or CFA UK’s professional conduct team as soon as they occur in order to permit rapid, orderly resolution:
- If you are a local member (companion or IMC member) and you wish to self-report, please do so by emailing CFA UK’s chief executive on chiefexecutive@cfauk.org
- If you are a CFA Institute member (regular or affiliate) or a CFA Program candidate, please email CFA Institute on pcprogram@cfainstitute.org
Reporting others
CFA Institute and CFA UK review possible violations by members that come to their attention and open investigations if an initial review of the complaint shows sufficient cause. All investigations are undertaken confidentially. Please bear in mind that CFA UK has no regulatory powers and complaints should be made in a first instance to an individual’s firm. If a firm fails to provide a satisfactory response, you might wish to contact the Financial Ombudsman Service, or the regulator. CFA UK and CFA Institute can take action in relation to the professional behaviour of their members, but have no powers beyond that. CFA UK’s activity in reviewing member conduct is governed by the Disciplinary Review Committee.
Contact us
CFA UK and CFA Institute are pleased to provide members with practical guidance on ethical issues, though advice should only be sought if it is unavailable from a line manager, compliance manager or other senior manager or director. To contact CFA Institute’s professional conduct team for guidance, please email pcprogram@cfainstitute.org. To contact CFA UK for advice, please email ethics@cfauk.org.
