Ethics for Financial Services Professionals

Comprehensive ethics training for insurance producers, investment advisers, and financial planners. Covers fiduciary duty, suitability standards, conflicts of interest, AML compliance, senior financial exploitation, and real enforcement actions.

8 Units

20 minutes per unit

Curriculum Map

What You Will Learn

Fiduciary vs. Suitability

Understand the critical distinction between fiduciary duty and suitability — and how Reg BI is reshaping the standard of care across the industry.

Cross-Regulatory Coverage

One course satisfies insurance ethics requirements, NASAA ethics credits, and CFP Board ethics hours. Three audiences, one enrollment.

Real Enforcement Cases

Learn from actual SEC, FINRA, and state insurance department disciplinary actions — what went wrong and why.

All Units

20 minutes

The Ethical Framework: Fiduciary Duty vs. Suitability

Explores the foundational distinction between fiduciary and suitability standards, including SEC Reg BI, the Investment Advisers Act, and NAIC model regulations.

•Distinguish between fiduciary duty and suitability obligations across regulatory frameworks
•Identify which standard applies based on registration type, product, and client relationship
•Analyze how SEC Regulation Best Interest bridges the gap between the two standards

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20 minutes

Conflicts of Interest in Financial Services

Examines compensation-based, structural, and personal conflicts of interest, with practical frameworks for identification, disclosure, and mitigation under current regulations.

•Identify the most common categories of conflicts of interest in insurance and securities practice
•Apply regulatory requirements for conflict identification, disclosure, and mitigation
•Evaluate compensation structures for potential conflicts under Reg BI and NAIC standards

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20 minutes

Disclosure Obligations Across Regulatory Regimes

Covers disclosure requirements under the Investment Advisers Act, Reg BI Form CRS, FINRA rules, and state insurance disclosure mandates, with examples of common failures.

•Identify the specific disclosure documents required under SEC, FINRA, and state insurance regulations
•Explain the timing, content, and delivery requirements for Form CRS, Form ADV, and insurance disclosure forms
•Recognize common disclosure failures that trigger enforcement actions

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20 minutes

Client Privacy and Confidentiality

Covers privacy and data protection obligations under Regulation S-P, Gramm-Leach-Bliley, state insurance privacy laws, and SEC cybersecurity requirements for financial professionals.

•Explain the privacy obligations imposed by Regulation S-P, the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, and state insurance privacy laws
•Distinguish between nonpublic personal information and publicly available information under federal privacy rules
•Implement compliant practices for information sharing, data security, and breach notification

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20 minutes

Anti-Money Laundering and Suspicious Activity

Covers anti-money laundering obligations under the Bank Secrecy Act and USA PATRIOT Act, including Customer Identification Programs, suspicious activity reporting, and red flag recognition.

•Describe the AML obligations applicable to broker-dealers, insurance companies, and investment advisers
•Identify red flags for money laundering and terrorist financing in financial services transactions
•Explain the requirements for filing Suspicious Activity Reports and the penalties for non-compliance

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20 minutes

Senior Financial Exploitation and Vulnerable Clients

Addresses the regulatory protections for senior and vulnerable clients, including FINRA Rule 2165, NASAA model legislation, state insurance hold provisions, and practical intervention strategies.

•Identify the regulatory framework protecting senior and vulnerable clients in financial services
•Recognize signs of diminished capacity, undue influence, and financial exploitation
•Apply FINRA Rule 2165 and state insurance protections when exploitation is suspected

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20 minutes

Social Media, Marketing, and Testimonial Rules

Examines the regulatory framework for social media, digital marketing, testimonials, and endorsements under FINRA Rule 2210, the SEC Marketing Rule, and state insurance advertising regulations.

•Apply FINRA Rule 2210 and the SEC Marketing Rule to social media and digital communications
•Identify the compliance requirements for testimonials, endorsements, and third-party ratings
•Recognize the boundaries between educational content, advertising, and personalized recommendations in digital channels

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20 minutes

Case Studies: Enforcement Actions and Lessons Learned

Presents detailed case studies drawn from SEC, FINRA, and state insurance enforcement actions, analyzing the ethical failures, regulatory responses, and practical lessons for financial professionals.

•Analyze real enforcement actions to identify the ethical failures that triggered regulatory sanctions
•Apply lessons from enforcement cases to develop proactive compliance practices
•Evaluate the cumulative consequences of ethical violations across professional licenses and registrations

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