In his comment to my May 4 blog about SIFMA’s peculiar definition of fiduciary, Phillip Chao agreed wholeheartedly with Knut Rostad’s assertion that categorizing SIFMA’s proposed standard as a “watered down” fiduciary standard is completely misleading:
“In the case of the fiduciary standard, ‘watering down’ would indeed be misplaced. When we speak of the fiduciary standard, it should be thought of as a switch. Either there is light (switch on) or there is darkness (switch off). It cannot be thought of as a “dimmer” where the amount of light gets turned down or dimmed. Simply put, either an investment advisor is willing to meet the twin duties of loyalty and due care or not. The public should not be tolerant with watered down loyalty or due care. The question we should ask ourselves is, “Do I want someone to be sometime or from time to time loyal to me and work for my best interest?” I think the answer is self evident.”
Knut has been on a crusade lately, to convince editors, writers, pundits and other observers (such as yours truly) that taking SIFMA at its word about supporting a “fiduciary standard for brokers” without reviewing the relevant facts is a breach of our journalistic responsibility, and a gross disservice to our readers. As one who is criticized far more often for having a lack of tact rather than a lack of candor, I’m at a bit of loss over why I would have suggested to Knut that calling the folks at SIFMA “liars” for suggesting that they support a fiduciary standard for brokers, when in fact, they support a standard that is anything but. (After all, I’m the same guy who once told a former CFP Board chairman [for whom I have tremendous respect] who uttered a particularly lame rationalization, that planners who go on the Board appear to receive frontal lobotomies.)