August 30, 2010
I urge the SEC to adopt a fiduciary standard for all financial professionals who provide personalized investment advice. This is of great importance to me, my clients, and the general public.
Investors need to know that they are getting financial advice that is in their best interest, not advice that is only considered suitable. A fiduciary standard will help my business as prospects will know what my clients know, that I am on their side. It will help the public because people can have confidence that they are getting advice that is best for their situation, history, and personality.
An investor should know that if they are only getting advice that is "suitable", it is advice based on a hand full of questions on a application or a questionnaire and the "advisor" has no obligation or motivation to know anything further about their client. Therefore, they could have investments that are "suitable", yet highly inappropriate.
Sincererly,
Steven M Reents, CFP(r)