A Message to Our Members

During this time of market turmoil, social distancing and anxiety, it is more important than ever that we continue to strengthen the bonds of our community by staying in touch with each other virtually, even as face-to-face interactions have been curtailed because of the coronavirus pandemic. I am very grateful for your continued commitment to staying connected with your peers and with us during this challenging time.

Even more important than the links among FSI members are the connections between independent financial advisors and your clients. As the markets continue to experience severe and persistent volatility, advisors stand heroically on the front lines, helping Main Street American investors work through the financial anxiety that has begun to compound concerns over their families’ health and safety.

In the weeks and months ahead, advisors’ central role in the lives of your clients will become even more critical, as questions over how to pay for healthcare, how to cope with temporary business closures, whether to relocate loved ones from senior care facilities and many other unforeseen challenges disrupt investors’ carefully-laid plans.

We are incredibly proud to represent our nationwide community of independent advisors and firms as they help their clients through this uncertain time. We are committed to ensuring that legislators and regulators at both the national and state level understand the invaluable support our profession is providing to Main Street American workers and retirees in the midst of this upheaval. As these authorities develop measures to support and repair the economy during this unprecedented period, we will continue to watch over the interests of the independent financial services community

As with many of your firms, we have asked our staff to work remotely to protect their health and help flatten the curve until the pandemic can be brought under control. While we are working in different settings, I want to assure you that our focus on fighting for the needs of our members and your clients will not change.

We remain fully engaged with state and federal policy makers to advance our 2020 advocacy priorities, including ensuring the success of Reg BI while opposing a confusing patchwork of fractured, state-level fiduciary standards; protecting advisors from re-emerging threats to their independent contractor status; maintaining our working dialogue with FINRA to influence the direction of potential future cybersecurity regulations; defending senior investors from the threat of financial exploitation, and many more.

Even though ‘social distancing’ is the watchword of the day, my team and I are always available to listen to the needs of FSI members. As new challenges present themselves, please do not hesitate to reach out to us to let us know what is happening in your communities and what we can do to help.

Again, we are honored and proud to represent a community of financial professionals and firms that provides such vital guidance – not to mention emotional and personal support – to so many Americans at a time when it is so clearly needed. We will continue to do all we can in this uncertain environment to empower our members to perform these crucial functions – and to help America overcome these challenges as quickly as possible.

Dale E. Brown, CAE
President & CEO
Financial Services Institute (FSI)