Responsible Treatment of Clients: Practicing Non-discrimination

Financial service providers should treat clients (including potential clients) with honesty, fairness, and respect. The Smart Campaigns Client Protection Principle on Fair and Respectful Treatment of Clients states: "Financial service providers and their agents will treat their clients fairly and respectfully. They will not discriminate." Most financial service providers intend to treat clients responsibly and do not intentionally discriminate against clients based on personal characteristics (gender, race/ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation) or affiliations (religion, politics). At the same time, few institutions check their policies and behaviors for discriminatory practices. Greater intentionality is needed to ensure that all clients are treated with respect. This tool provides financial service providers with insight into the difference between client targeting and harmful discrimination and illuminates examples of common forms of discrimination. Finally, the tool provides financial service providers with seven action steps to correct and prevent discrimination.