The International Association of Registered Financial Consultants (IARFC®) is pleased to announce that since the inception of the Ethics Approved Status Program, the Association has achieved a 90% approval rate for its member consultants. Started in 2016, this Program has been a major benefit for members who meet the criteria and are awarded approval.
“We felt like an additional layer of ethical confirmation of our financial consultants would be relevant to the public in this day and age of skepticism,” remarked IARFC Board of Trustees Chairman and CEO H. Stephen Bailey, MRFC®. “It’s part of our Association benefits and so far has been accepted wholeheartedly by our membership.”
To be Ethics Approved, a consultant must adhere to the IARFC Code of Ethics with a clear record for the past five years. Members are biennially verified through FINRA, State licensing records and internet searches. They are granted an Ethics Approved Seal, with the year approved or renewed to utilize in their marketing. Digitized logos are available for placement on websites and social media. Individual media releases are encouraged to make clients and prospects aware of the Ethics Approved Status.
The public is able to view the status of members by visiting the IARFC website and looking through the IARFC member database.
“Feedback from our members supports this program,” commented Vicki Caplinger in Membership Services. “We encourage those approved to use this seal of ethics approval on business cards, member certificates, letterhead – anywhere the consultant is in front of the public. It’s a great visual statement of a commitment to ethical practices.”
Through the years, the Ethics Approval Program has become a natural vetting process when the public is blasted with countless information regarding the financial services industry.
“We know it cuts through the data overload and helps the consumer make a decision,” continues Bailey. “I can’t imagine a better first impression than a prospect walking into my office and understanding that I am pledged to servicing a client in an ethical and proper fiduciary manner.”
To apply for membership which includes the Ethics Approved Status check, a candidate must fulfill the requirements of the designation or credential and join the Association. For more information on the IARFC and to download an application visit www.iarfc.org.
