Five financial industry trade associations today released a set of principles relating to retail structured products today.

The non-binding principles focus on the management of the relationship between providers and distributors. The associations say the principles seek to address issues that financial services firms have found helpful to consider with the process of delivering structured products to retail investors. They are intended to be sufficiently broad in their applicability to provide a reference framework for retail structured products markets globally.

The principles are the product of a working group of firms, taking in the views of both distributors and providers and supported by a coalition of trade associations: European Securitisation Forum, International Capital Market Association, International Swaps and Derivatives Association, London Investment Banking Association, and Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association. The associations initially issued the principles for public comment on April 19 and are today publishing them in final form.

The chairman of the joint-associations working group, Timothy Hailes (managing director and associate general counsel at J.P. Morgan Chase in London) noted in a release, “These principles have arisen from the practical experiences of firms active in this growing product area, and will also be of great value in dialogue with regulators around the world.”