ERISA Safe Harbor for Government-Run Plans Officially Eliminated

In a new final rule, the Department of Labor removed its final rules regarding the ERISA safe harbor of government-run plans for private-sector workers.

In a new final rule, Definition of Employee Pension Benefit Plan Under ERISA, the Department of Labor’s (DOL)’s Employee Benefit Security Administration (EBSA) removed its final rules regarding the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) safe harbor of government-run plans for private-sector workers from the Code of Federal Regulations.

Earlier this year, Congress passed, and President Donald Trump signed resolutions to roll back the regulatory safe harbors created by the Obama administration.

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The EBSA says these resolutions invalidate its previous final rules.

eMoney Enhancing Platform with Annuity Wizard

The eMoney Advisor platform will be updated with tools designed to help users suggest the right retirement products for clients based on their individual needs and preferences.

eMoney Advisor plans to enhance its platform with new features powered by CapitalROCK’s RightBRIRDGE technology to provide clients with retirement product suggestions based on their individual financial situations.

The Product Profiler will utilize a scoring methodology to devise a product mix best suited for a particular client. The tool also can compare current fees, employer contributions and other features of a client’s 401(k) or individual retirement account (IRA) against those of another firm’s IRA. A 401(k) rollover analysis can follow.

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The RightBRIDGE Annuity Wizard helps advisers determine which annuities available on their product shelf are best suited to meet a client’s needs preferences by using a sales intelligence engine to scan the best available products across all annuity types.

These new features expected to go into effect later this year will complement eMoney’s Fiduciary Framework. This provides firms with an adviser training platform that offers insight on Department of Labor (DOL) best practices and discussions related to product offerings within the planning process. It also creates a centralized location where firm-wide activities are monitored for compliance adherence. It provides automated onboarding workflow as well as financial planning tools, calculators and detailed event logs of client and adviser activity.

“Providing a holistic solution from financial planning through product selection on one platform provides streamlined and well-documented process to support the best interest standard,” says John Hyde, CEO and founder of CapitalROCK. “eMoney’s Fiduciary Framework and CapitalROCK’s product selection technology dovetail together to provide a complete solution for the best interest standard.”

“This new tool powered by CapitalROCK enables advisers to put their financial plans immediately into action from one place efficiently and compliantly, eliminating the need for double entry and ensuring that planning and products are more in sync,” said Lisa Graham, product manager at eMoney. “Our partnership with CapitalROCK reinforces our commitment to providing eMoney users with the tools they need to streamline business operations, serve more clients and grow their businesses.”

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