A decision out of a federal district court in Minnesota represents something of a mixed bag for both the plaintiff, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, and for Department of Labor defendants.
Two executives focused on institutional retirement business at
Merrill Lynch sit down for a fiduciary chat, offering inside views of one major
advisory firm’s approach to navigating regulatory uncertainty.
New research follows previous Cerulli analyses showing home-office discretion over advisory clients' investment exposures will increase significantly under the DOL fiduciary rule and other competitive pressures.
Leadership at both the DOL and SEC have signaled a willingness to work together to find complementary approaches to managing advisers’ conflicts of interest—but it will be a heavy lift to accomplish a uniform standard.
Nominating a plan sponsor client is a great way to show appreciation
and highlight important best practices that are improving outcomes for defined
contribution and pension plan participants. Nominations for all types of
retirement plans will be considered, so don’t delay.
Retirement plan advisers are in a unique position to help
working Americans build wealth and a sense of security and dignity when it
comes to thinking about long-term finances.
Broker/dealers
(B/Ds) can address new regulatory pressures, and new competition, by enhancing
their value proposition and embracing technology, a report by Cerulli suggests.
The plaintiffs’ allegations regarding what they allege to be
an excessive amount of investment options was summarily tossed by the court,
which cites a number of important recent cases as precedence; however, claims
regarding excessive recordkeeping fees and providers will proceed.
From a rapidly evolving recordkeeping provider landscape to
a potential wholesale rewrite of the tax treatment of retirement assets,
today’s environment puts advisers and their clients in a constant
state of flux.
The checklist covers various fiduciary responsibilities including those not associated with supposed delays or changes to the fiduciary rule, RiXtrema says.
Joining a number of other regulatory agencies, the SEC has
issued important easements and compliance relief provisions for companies and
individuals impacted by three recent hurricanes striking the U.S. and its
territories.
In conversation with PLANADVISER, cybersecurity attorney and
former SEC staffer Marlon Paz suggests it is absolutely essential for advisory firms
to have a senior executive “not just appointed but also empowered” as the chief
information security risk officer.
Comments submitted to the Department of Labor by experts
with Morningstar warn the loose use of the term “clean shares” could jeopardize
fiduciary compliance.
In an ever-evolving fiduciary landscape, the tool aims to identify in real time issues that may put plan advisers at risk, such as the availability of lower-cost share classes.
The Department of Labor and the White House have seemingly agreed
to extend the applicability date of the full fiduciary rule and its
accompanying exemptions by another year.
A new report, “Everything You Wanted to Know About BICE But Were Afraid to Ask,” offers plan officials key insights on the requirements of the fiduciary rule and the best-interest contract exemption.