As a portfolio manager at a boutique investment firm, you are faced with a dilemma. You recently learned that a significant portion of your firm’s clients have expressed concerns about the rising costs associated with your firm's management fees. At the same time, the firm’s leadership is pressuring you to promote a new proprietary investment product that offers higher fees but has not been previously tested in volatile markets.

Given that some of your clients may be affected by the higher fees and could question the rationale behind selecting the proprietary product, you need to decide how to communicate this to your clients while ensuring you adhere to the CFA Institute's ethical standards.

Which course of action would best demonstrate your commitment to ethical principles in this context?