IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/acctfi/v61y2021i2p3305-3327.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The primacy of ethics in the provision of financial advice

Author

Listed:
  • Aaron Bruhn
  • Anthony Asher

Abstract

Most people need professional advice to navigate complex financial markets. However, information asymmetry between adviser and client makes the assessment of advice difficult, and is exacerbated when providers are motivated by self‐interest. This undermines the effectiveness of the financial system. New regulations aim to mitigate such issues, prohibiting some conflicts of interest and imposing educational requirements and a code of ethics for financial advisers practising in Australia. An Australian case study highlights the main ethical issues and suggests that the lens of virtue ethics can assist the development of more appropriate financial advice, and inform further regulatory developments.

Suggested Citation

  • Aaron Bruhn & Anthony Asher, 2021. "The primacy of ethics in the provision of financial advice," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 61(2), pages 3305-3327, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:acctfi:v:61:y:2021:i:2:p:3305-3327
    DOI: 10.1111/acfi.12703
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/acfi.12703
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/acfi.12703?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Gordon Menzies & Donald Hay & Thomas Simpson & David Vines, 2019. "Restoring Trust in Finance: From Principal–Agent to Principled Agent," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 95(311), pages 497-509, December.
    2. Beshears, John & Choi, James J. & Laibson, David & Madrian, Brigitte C., 2011. "Behavioral economics perspectives on public sector pension plans," Journal of Pension Economics and Finance, Cambridge University Press, vol. 10(2), pages 315-336, April.
    3. Weinstein Olivier, 2012. "Firm, Property and Governance: From Berle and Means to the Agency Theory, and Beyond," Accounting, Economics, and Law: A Convivium, De Gruyter, vol. 2(2), pages 1-57, June.
    4. Mitchell, Olivia S. & Smetters, Kent (ed.), 2003. "The Pension Challenge: Risk Transfers and Retirement Income Security," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199266913.
    5. Sendhil Mullainathan & Markus Noeth & Antoinette Schoar, 2012. "The Market for Financial Advice: An Audit Study," NBER Working Papers 17929, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    6. Xi Lin & Aaron Bruhn & Jananie William, 2019. "Extending financial literacy to insurance literacy: a survey approach," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 59(S1), pages 685-713, April.
    7. Mark Egan & Gregor Matvos & Amit Seru, 2019. "The Market for Financial Adviser Misconduct," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 127(1), pages 233-295.
    8. Jensen, Michael C. & Meckling, William H., 1976. "Theory of the firm: Managerial behavior, agency costs and ownership structure," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 3(4), pages 305-360, October.
    9. Berle Adolph A., 2012. "Accounting and the Law," Accounting, Economics, and Law: A Convivium, De Gruyter, vol. 2(1), pages 1-11, March.
    10. Roman Inderst & Marco Ottaviani, 2012. "Financial Advice," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 50(2), pages 494-512, June.
    11. Aaron Bruhn, 2019. "Relying on the heuristic of trust: a case study," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 59(S1), pages 333-357, April.
    12. Bonnie-Jeanne MacDonald & Bruce Jones & Richard Morrison & Robert Brown & Mary Hardy, 2013. "Research and Reality: A Literature Review on Drawing Down Retirement Financial Savings," North American Actuarial Journal, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 17(3), pages 181-215.
    13. Olivier Weinstein, 2012. "Firm, Property and Governance: From Berle and Means to the Agency Theory, and Beyond," Post-Print hal-01361182, HAL.
    14. Rui Xue & Adrian Gepp & Terry J. O'Neill & Steven Stern & Bruce J. Vanstone, 2019. "Financial literacy amongst elderly Australians," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 59(S1), pages 887-918, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Tyson Lamarra & Aaron Bruhn & Michael Miller, 2023. "Stochastic modelling of the home equity access scheme," Australian Journal of Management, Australian School of Business, vol. 48(3), pages 652-677, August.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Styhre Alexander, 2018. "The Making of the Shareholder Primacy Governance Model: Price Theory, the Law and Economics School, and Corporate Law Retrenchment Advocacy," Accounting, Economics, and Law: A Convivium, De Gruyter, vol. 8(3), pages 1-31, December.
    2. Butzbach Olivier & von Mettenheim Kurt E., 2015. "Alternative Banking and Theory," Accounting, Economics, and Law: A Convivium, De Gruyter, vol. 5(2), pages 105-171, July.
    3. Clarke Thomas, 2013. "Deconstructing the Mythology of Shareholder Value: A Comment on Lynn Stout’s “The Shareholder Value Myth”," Accounting, Economics, and Law: A Convivium, De Gruyter, vol. 3(1), pages 15-42, January.
    4. Stephen G. Dimmock & William C. Gerken & Tyson Van Alfen, 2021. "Real Estate Shocks and Financial Advisor Misconduct," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 76(6), pages 3309-3346, December.
    5. Clarke, Thomas & Jarvis, Walter & Gholamshahi, Soheyla, 2019. "The impact of corporate governance on compounding inequality: Maximising shareholder value and inflating executive pay," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 63(C).
    6. Veldman, Jeroen, 2019. "Inequality, Inc," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 63(C).
    7. Veldman, Jeroen, 2018. "Inequality, Inc," MPRA Paper 86644, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    8. Christopher P. Clifford & William C. Gerken, 2021. "Property Rights to Client Relationships and Financial Advisor Incentives," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 76(5), pages 2409-2445, October.
    9. Alice Klettner & Thomas Clarke & Martijn Boersma, 2014. "The Governance of Corporate Sustainability: Empirical Insights into the Development, Leadership and Implementation of Responsible Business Strategy," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 122(1), pages 145-165, June.
    10. Guiso, Luigi & Pozzi, Andrea & Tsoy, Anton & Gambacorta, Leonardo & Mistrulli, Paolo Emilio, 2022. "The cost of steering in financial markets: Evidence from the mortgage market," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 143(3), pages 1209-1226.
    11. Weinstein, Olivier, 2013. "Comment comprendre les « communs » : Elinor Ostrom, la propriété et la nouvelle économie institutionnelle," Revue de la Régulation - Capitalisme, institutions, pouvoirs, Association Recherche et Régulation, vol. 14.
    12. Dziri Houda & Jarboui Anis, 2017. "The venture capitalist’s cognitive approach: Validation through the Tunisian context," Cogent Economics & Finance, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 5(1), pages 1323371-132, January.
    13. Pan, Xuefeng & Wu, Weixing & Zhang, Xuyang, 2020. "Is financial advice a cure-all or the icing on the cake for financial literacy? Evidence from financial market participation in China," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).
    14. Jonnergård Karin & Larsson-Olaison Ulf, 2018. "Doxa of Shareholders and Owners: On the Threshold of Financialization," Accounting, Economics, and Law: A Convivium, De Gruyter, vol. 8(3), pages 1-18, December.
    15. Bender, Svetlana & Choi, James J. & Dyson, Danielle & Robertson, Adriana Z., 2022. "Millionaires speak: What drives their personal investment decisions?," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 146(1), pages 305-330.
    16. Houda Dziri & Anis Jarboui, 2019. "The extent of social contribution of venture capital organisationsto funded financed companies," Asian Journal of Empirical Research, Asian Economic and Social Society, vol. 9(10), pages 293-304, October.
    17. Thomas Lamarche & Catherine Bodet, 2018. "Does CSR Contribute to Sustainable Development? What a Régulation Approach Can Tell Us," Review of Radical Political Economics, Union for Radical Political Economics, vol. 50(1), pages 154-172, March.
    18. Weinstein Olivier, 2013. "The Shareholder Model of the Corporation, Between Mythology and Reality," Accounting, Economics, and Law: A Convivium, De Gruyter, vol. 3(1), pages 43-60, January.
    19. Sorravich Kingsuwankul & Chloe Tergiman & Marie Claire Villeval, 2023. "Why do oaths work? Image concerns and credibility in promise keeping," Working Papers hal-04209489, HAL.
    20. Michael Grubb, 2015. "Failing to Choose the Best Price: Theory, Evidence, and Policy," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 47(3), pages 303-340, November.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:acctfi:v:61:y:2021:i:2:p:3305-3327. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/aaanzea.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.