Unwary or naive consumers of any age can still be pressured into making decisions they only vaguely understand, and paying for products they don't really need/want. But when high-pressure selling crosses over into misrepresentation, it becomes a "crime."

Financial service advisers must err on the side of professionalism. No one expects you to be perfect, but good intentions are not enough. As you'll learn elsewhere in this unit, professional ethics require producers to adhere to a higher standard, do more than pay lip service to continuing education, and demonstrate a heightened sense of social and professional responsibility.

In fact, a fast-growing phenomenon called "proactive ethics" has ushered in an idealistic, value-driven approach to business, personal, and community affairs. According to Craig Cox, managing editor of Business Ethics magazine, "The new proactive ethical movement arises from the recognition that in the world at large and business in particular, idealism has become the most practical policy to assure long-term viability and growth."