A financial adviser's Facebook posts, which included images of Meghan Markle as a golliwog, are being investigated by the Chartered Insurance Institute, FTAdviser has learned.
A series of screenshots, such as jokes about the Holocaust, Madeline McCann and memes about former mortgage adviser Nicola Bulley, who was found dead earlier this year, had been sent via a whistleblower to FTAdviser.
FTAdviser approached the CII to ask if there was an investigation into this matter, given the CII's actions in the past regarding other advisers' social media comments, such as the public Twitter comment made by one Yorkshire-based adviser in 2021.
A spokesperson from the CII responded: “All PFS and CII members are required to adhere to the Chartered Insurance Institute’s Code of Ethics, so that the public can trust and have confidence in the professionals with whom they engage.
"We take any alleged breach of our Code extremely seriously. We are considering carefully the material that has been passed to us and will take any appropriate action."
A whistleblower, who had seen these posts, told FTAdviser that some of these had been reported to Facebook. The whistleblower also said some of these were still visible.
The posts were made on the adviser's personal page and not publicly viewable. The posts were also reposts of shared memes, and not content created by the adviser themselves.
Some images were visible to the public as at the time of writing (April 11), including an Irish joke and a joke about naked women that featured the C-word.
The financial adviser on whose personal Facebook page these appeared is known to FTAdviser, and they have said they are working openly and honestly with the CII.
The adviser added: "If something I have posted has caused offence to anyone and they are genuinely offended by something I have posted, of course I would apologise.
"I am only posting to friends and family and I would hate to think that I would genuinely offend one of my friends or family for their heritage or nationality or beliefs."
'Not to harm or discriminate'
However, the adviser also commented that a personal Facebook post, even if distasteful, was not something on which the quality of their work as an adviser should be judged.
They said: "I should be measured and regulated on the advice I give to clients and the satisfaction of my clients, not on my viewpoints outside of working hours.
"We are highly respected on VouchedFor and elsewhere, and our clients are happy with what we have done to help them. Contentious posts on Facebook, on a private page, are not for clients to see.
"It comes down to an individual's sense of humour. I know there is a fine line these days between what is acceptable and what is not."
