Did you know FMB are members of the Personal Finance Society's Financial Vulnerability Taskforce? This is an initiative created to promote greater understanding, encourage appropriate behaviours and establish good practice in respect of consumer vulnerability. We are committed to the Charter which is embedded into our working practices to ensure that we recognise and respond to those in vulnerable circumstances and they receive as good an outcome following financial planning advice as anybody else.
FMB Director of Financial Planning, Roger Jackson, says "Being client centred is, and always has been our main priority. Providing high levels of service is key, but ensuring that we’re looking after our clients is also very important. Recognising that people may need more support comes second nature to our team and we train them extensively to ensure that this is at the forefront of their mind. The badge from the PFS goes some way to support this ethos in our team."
We uphold the PFS Vulnerability 5 point Charter
1.
We acknowledge that as our services often involve the application of specialist and technical financial knowledge, this places many clients in a position of dependency and as such imposes upon us a greater moral duty to act in their best interests and as a ‘safe pair of hands’ , especially to those who find themselves in vulnerable circumstances.
2.
We accept that our professional obligation to use ‘best endeavours’ and place our clients’ interests above our commercial interests have a greater significance to clients who are in vulnerable circumstances and, therefore, at greater risk of detriment.
3.
We recognise that vulnerability can manifest itself in either physical, mental or emotional form (knowingly or otherwise), is dynamic in nature (short lived or longer term, sometimes permanent, transient, recurring or fluctuating over time) and may be hidden.
4.
When working with clients who seek to access our services, we treat all fairly, regardless of their identity, age, gender, race, sexual orientation, disability, gender reassignment, religion or belief, and guard against making assumptions about individuals.
5.
We believe that language and terminology is important. Vulnerability relates to circumstances and not a category of person. As such, descriptions such as ‘those in vulnerable circumstances’ should be used at all times instead of ‘vulnerable individuals’, except when only referring to individuals or groups of individuals where vulnerability is permanent.