> Not just in finance. Everywhere.

It seems more prevalent in finance. In the real economy, consumers show scepticism. They’re trading money for a good or service they get at or shortly after the point of sale. Financial and insurance products are more difficult to diligence; you don’t know what you’re getting (or not) until long after purchase.

Products can hide all sorts of “bad acting” in the supply/manufacturing chain. Companies that are willing and able to [use indentured servants, etc] will be able to sell a product cheaper than a competitor that holds themselves to higher standards.

The appearance of ethics/morals might be a benefit, but true ethics/morals are often a cost.

That's because finance is virtualized, so it's more efficient to transact in than containers of goods.

Amazon.com shows how the goods market is as bad it can be when transaction costs decrease.