Finance Remains Least-Trusted Industry in Annual Edelman Survey

Less than half of the public trust financial services and banks to do what is right, making them the least-trusted industries for the second year in a row, according to an annual survey by public relations firm Edelman.

Banks are trusted by 47 percent of the public, down from 50 percent a year ago, while the percentage who said financial-services companies will do the right thing dropped to 45 percent from 48 percent, according to interviews in 20 countries from Oct. 10 to Nov. 30. Technology companies topped the ranking with 79 percent, down from 80 percent.