Ethics and fairness are increasingly being recognised as topics of interest in finance, particularly with respect to banking and the relationship to customers.
Since 2011, Z/Yen Group and Long Finance have conducted research to assist the Fairbanking Foundation, an independent research-based charity dedicated to encouraging and helping retail banks improve the financial well-being of their customers. The Foundation recently became the first accredited body for financial products in the UK.
The Foundation regularly publishes ratings of financial products based on how well they serve customers. Z/Yen Group and Long Finance have been assisting this process with data collection, by providing access to an online questionnaire and by engaging with banks and other financial institutions. After a first report released in April 2011, the second report will be published in Autumn 2013.