Regulation and Compliance News from Financial Planning

A federal judge finds that the embattled brokerage Alpine Securities' argument that FINRA should answer to the federal executive branch amounts to " wishful thinking" that "collapses under the weight of spiraling aspiration."

The firms' collaboration shines a light on how the wealth management business works today and how it is evolving, as advisors weigh independence against the risks of "poking the bear" when they leave.

Court decisions vacated the Biden administration's DOL rule — but that didn't make rollover rules easy, experts say. Firms that get compliance right will have an edge in tapping a trillion-dollar-plus market.

New research from the nonprofit, nonpartisan Employee Benefit Research Institute shows pessimism about retirement preparedness is on the rise — that could open doors for advisors.

A California man's complaint alleges that Morgan Stanley's website enabled tracking tech from Google and Microsoft to collect web visitors' browsing data for targeted online ads.

A three-judge panel on the Fourth Circuit Appeals agrees with Merrill that its deferred compensation policies are a bonus used to reward brokers for loyalty to the firm.

For advisors like Chris Diodato of WELLth Financial Planning, everything from insurance to industry software is costing more these days.

SEC regulators instead take aim at their predecessors in the Biden Administration, saying the outsized fines were partly the result of a desire to "pursue media headlines and run up numbers."

Despite ongoing concerns over geopolitics and more, many advisors said they would increase allocations to foreign equities over the next few months.

The partnership between the long-established bank and the fintech brokerage will handle the development of the government-owned account platform behind the new government-seeded retirement accounts for children. 

FINRA and consumer advocates are raising alarms about online scams that are driving fraud losses into the hundreds of billions of dollars.

The Trump DOL has said it "has no current plans" for further rulemaking, but that contradicts its own notice of potential regulation last year.

A proposed Labor Department rule could ease the path for alternative investments in 401(k)s, but advisors may face new due diligence and communication challenges.

The new state income tax is expected to make Washington munis, which are exempt, more attractive for high-earning residents.

The investment recommendations from a now-barred broker may ultimately cost the St. Louis-based firm more than $200 million in various penalties and awards.

With enhanced ACA subsidies gone, even a small income mistake can cost clients thousands.

A decade after the SEC first raised concerns about outsourced CCOs, the model is growing. But the fundamental tension remains: How many firms can one person truly oversee, and at what risk?

The company's investment advisory subsidiary was dinged for failing to properly disclose that its allocation of certain client assets represented a conflict of interest.

Oil-driven volatility is fueling client anxiety, but advisors say steady messaging helps keep clients invested.

Swiss banking giant UBS Group received federal approval from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency to convert its $1.6 trillion-asset UBS Bank USA from a Utah-chartered industrial bank to a national charter.