Regulation and Compliance News from Financial Planning

A new academic paper finds variable prepaid forwards to be much more effective than options collars with margin loans — even though they're more complex and less accessible.

The U.S. House bill aimed at protecting investors 65 or older or those who have a mental or physical impairment from fraud, has bipartisan support.

Whether advisors choose individual stocks or not, the SEC's proposal to allow semiannual reporting rather than quarterly could impact clients' portfolios.

Speakers at the Association of African American Financial Advisors' growing event called for greater collaboration and many types of advocacy.

The Carefull tool integrated into Edward Jones accounts aggregates client accounts and monitors for fraud or mistakes.

Some advisors say they already have a hard enough time explaining what a fiduciary is under federal law and that NAPFA's new definition for fee-only planners will only add to the confusion.

JPMorgan wants a judge to overturn the FINRA arbitration award it was hit with after firing one of its brokers over expenses stemming from a Super Bowl-timed client meeting.

Innocent client missteps can retroactively zero out balances in the alternatives-rich, held-away retirement accounts, with the advisor none the wiser.

The Treasury Department offered a preview of upcoming guidance on a new federal scholarship tax credit that was included in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

Nearly two years into a pilot program designed to test remote inspections of brokers' residential and other remote offices, FINRA feels comfortable enough with the results to push for a permanent policy.

As brokerage firms keep getting sued for allegedly not providing clients fair returns on their uninvested cash, the SEC tells investment advisors they also have legal liabilities.

Members of the Transparent Advisor Movement are meeting around the country in "Flat Fridays" events. And the collaboration is revealing all of the nuance around fees.

The latest projections indicate the main Social Security retirement fund will reach insolvency in less than six and a half years. For retirees and their advisors, that could mean a potential rethink of retirement plans.

In a recent industry snapshot, the Investment Adviser Association found the average number of data points advisors have to report in annual regulatory filings has nearly doubled to more than 1,000 since 2011.

A technicality in the federal law enacted in July 2025 changed how deductions work for estates and trusts, creating uncertainty over how taxes are allocated after a person's death.

New research from the TIAA Institute finds financial literacy slipping further, with investors across generations struggling to with risk comprehension.

The U.S. Department of Labor collected public comments on its proposal to give fiduciaries discretion to include alternative investments in 401(k) plans.

Schwab, Vanguard and Fidelity barred the DAFs they sponsor from making grants to the indicted nonprofit. The episode highlights why advisors should help clients choose fund sponsors carefully.

A presentation by Succession Resource Group shares the key pitfalls to avoid for RIAs seeking to create succession plans and recruit financial advisors.

A report from the Financial Stability Board said limited transparency in the private credit market makes it difficult for regulators to monitor and understand risks, potentially masking challenges to the financial system.