Confidentiality
Under Standard III(E), keeping information about current, former and prospective clients private unless it concerns illegal activities, disclosure is required by law, or the client permits it.
Where you will meet it
Confidentiality appears in 6 learning outcomes on the CFA syllabus. A few of them:
- Use Standard III (Duties to Clients) to judge a case
“Performance presentation must be fair, accurate and complete, and confidentiality survives the end of the relationship.”
- Explain what the Code and Standards expect of members ethically, covering every standard and its subsections
“Duties to Clients cover loyalty, fair dealing, suitability, performance presentation and confidentiality, and Duties to Employers cover loyalty, additional compensation and supervision.”
- Propose practices and procedures that head off breaches of the Code and Standards under Standard III, Duties to Clients
“Complying with GIPS, and claiming it, gives performance presentation a tested framework, and access controls on client files protect confidentiality.”
- Put the Preservation of Confidentiality standard, III(E), into practice
“A CFA Institute Professional Conduct Program investigation is an exception: cooperating with it is not a breach of confidentiality.”
Practise it
Practise confidentiality until it is automatic: questions that explain every wrong option.
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