Last month, financial professionals around the world joined together to recognize Putting Investors First Month, an initiative to affirm the rights of investors and to inspire those in the investment industry to place investor interests above all others.
Putting Investors First Month was led by CFA Institute—the global association of investment professionals that sets the standard for professional excellence and credentials—and hosted by many of the organization’s 143 member societies worldwide. The program received official recognition from governors in Michigan, Florida, Colorado, Wisconsin, and Georgia, and included a series of global events and outreach throughout the month of May. Programs included: a Future of Finance symposium in Amsterdam, a conference in Istanbul featuring the Minister of Economics, the Philippine Retail Investment Conference in Manila, a conference for financial professionals and students in Mexico, and a presentation in Toronto to explore industry reforms.
While May 31st marked the end of Putting Investors First Month, CFA Institute provides resources and information to support its goals year round, including the Statement of Investor Rights, which provides buyers with clear guidelines for the conduct they are entitled to expect from financial service providers.
“The Statement of Investor Rights is an inspiration to me,” says Robert Shiller, Sterling Professor of Economics at Yale University and member of the Future of Finance Advisory Council. “It’s a kind of self-regulation—we don’t necessarily want to rely on government regulation.” Because the Statement of Investor Rights was created by a group that represents financial analysts, Shiller says it demonstrates the moral dimension underpinning industry conduct.
Putting Investors First Month is part of the Future of Finance Project, a long-term global effort to shape a trustworthy, forward-thinking financial industry that better serves society.
This article was produced by CFA Institute and was not written by the Quartz editorial staff.