Under what circumstances must a CFP disclose confidential client information without the client's consent?

• A. It must be disclosed only under law or court order, or to prevent imminent harm as permitted by law; otherwise confidentiality is maintained.
• B. It must be disclosed whenever possible.
• C. It must always be disclosed upon client request.
• D. It can be disclosed to any third party with consent.

Answer: (B)

Confidentiality is the default obligation in CFP practice, and disclosure without the client’s consent is allowed only under very limited, legally defined circumstances. The essential rule is that you disclose only when required by law or court order, or to prevent imminent harm, and you must do so only to the extent permitted by law. This keeps the client’s information protected in all other situations.

Disclosing whenever possible would undermine the trust and the duty to keep information confidential; there’s no obligation to reveal information just because it could be revealed. If a client requests disclosure or you share information with a third party, that involves consent or a separate, appropriate basis for sharing, not a blanket requirement to disclose without consent.