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Discover what helps financial professionals stay ethical—and the unexpected forces that threaten to derail us.
Why do smart, capable and caring financial professionals sometimes make ethical mistakes? In this groundbreaking work, a seasoned financial services lawyer joins forces with a neuropsychologist to expose the hidden psychological currents and power dynamics that threaten to drive high-stakes ethical failures. Through riveting case studies of real-world frauds and moral crises, they take you beneath the surface of everyday decisions to reveal the invisible forces that can compromise even the most principled professionals.
This isn't abstract ethical theory. It's a practical roadmap that reveals:
- How ethical breaches actually occur in real-world scenarios
- Why scandals persistently plague financial services
- The common psychological blind spots that leave everyone vulnerable
- Concrete strategies that will transform integrity from aspiration to deliberate practice
Whether you're a veteran adviser, team leader, or rising professional, this book provides essential tools to build resilience against ethical failure. It will help you safeguard your career, reputation and the integrity of your industry.
Dr. Moira Somers is a leading practitioner in the fields of financial psychology and behaviour change. She consults with financial professionals and organisations around the globe, training them on the factors affecting the human side of money. She also works directly with individuals and families who want to ensure that their wealth is a force for good in the world.
Philippa Hann is an accomplished financial services expert and leader, recognised for her skill in navigating complex legal and regulatory challenges within the financial sector. With over twenty years’ experience as a specialist financial services lawyer, she built a strong reputation for her deep understanding of regulatory frameworks and her work addressing financial wrongdoing.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Part 1 Mapping the Terrain: Ethical Hazards, Human Behaviour and Regulatory Oversight
1 Here be Dragons: The World of Work in Financial Services
2 Why the Old Maps Don’t Work: The Trouble with Traditional Business Ethics Teaching
3 Understanding Ourselves and the Ground Beneath our Feet: How Behavioural Ethics Helps on the Journey
4 Travelling Companions: The Importance of the Company We Keep
5 How It Happens: Insights from the Regulators
Part 2 Inside Ethical Failure: When People Lose their Bearings
6 Bad Choices that Feel Right: When Good Intentions Steer Us Wrong
7 Workplace Fraud and Embezzlement: Stumbling Down that Slope
8 Losing the way: How Not to Ask For Directions
9 Addiction: When You’re No Longer Fit to Drive
10 The Complexity Lure: Those Who Would Take Us Off Course
11 No Natural Predators: Snakes in the Financial Services Landscape Review and Preview
Part 3 Staying the Course: How Integrity is Built, Restored and Sustained
12 The Journey of a Lifetime: Designing Your Moral Operating System
13 Recalibrating: When You Realize You’ve Gone Off Course
14 Making the Right Path the Easy One: Building a Culture of Integrity
15 Signal, Soothe or Serve: The Role of Money on the Journey