The Duty to Disclose Material Conflicts of Interest When Recommending a Product Issued by an Affiliate

Best Response: Response A is the best response. This case involves the Duty to Disclose and Manage Conflicts of Interest (Standard A.5.) and the definitions of Conflict of Interest and Material (Glossary).

A CFP® professional must make full disclosure of all Material Conflicts of Interest with the CFP® professional’s Client that could affect the professional relationship. The Duty to Disclose a Conflict of Interest requires the CFP® professional to provide the Client with sufficiently specific facts so that a reasonable Client would be able to understand the CFP® professional’s Material Conflicts of Interest and the business practices that give rise to the conflicts, and either give informed consent to such conflicts or reject them. One way in which a Conflict of Interest occurs is when a CFP® professional’s interests (including the interests of the CFP® Professional’s Firm) are adverse to the CFP® professional’s duties to a Client. Information is Material when a reasonable Client or prospective Client would consider the information important in making a decision.

In this case, the affiliation between Olivia’s firm and the insurance company that issued the annuity, and the fact that Olivia’s firm and an affiliate of Olivia’s firm will receive an additional economic benefit if Michael purchases an annuity from that insurance company, are Material Conflicts of Interest. As a result, Olivia must make full disclosure of the potential additional economic benefit that will result if Michael purchases the annuity from the affiliate and obtain Michael’s informed consent to the Material Conflict of Interest before or when recommending the annuity issued by the affiliate.

Response B is not the best response because it is not reasonable to assume that Michael understands the conflict solely from the fact that the names of the firm and the affiliate are similar.

Response C is not the best response because if DEF Advisers’ affiliation with DEF Mutual, and the additional economic benefit, are fully disclosed and informed consent is obtained, Olivia may manage the conflict through business practices reasonably designed to prevent the Material Conflict of Interest from compromising her ability to act in the Client’s best interests. Here, for example, Olivia has analyzed the annuities that are available to Michael, and she may recommend the annuity issued by DEF Mutual if she concludes that the annuity is in Michael’s best interests.