Regulation and Compliance News from Financial Planning

Brokerages applaud a new rule that will relieve them of the obligation to monitor advisors' side gigs such as driving for Uber or bartending. But regulators say they still have plenty of obligations to monitor outside business activities.

A bipartisan bill awaiting a Senate vote aims to reduce tax burdens for financial fraud victims by restoring an expanded personal casualty loss deduction.

As advisors rush to build their own AI tools, experts warn that guardrails need to cover data going in, not just data going out.

Regulators are stressing fiduciary and disclosure obligations for advisory firms. Adding human oversight to AI outputs is often the answer.

Financial advisors would be wise to treat "health span" like an investment portfolio to better prepare clients to afford and enjoy longer retirements, a researcher said.

The Securities and Exchange Commission proposal would eliminate a ban on investment advisors receiving government contracts within two years of making political contributions. The agency says existing laws can address pay-to-play conflicts of interest.

Marketing experts suggest alternative ways for firms to promote themselves after a $6 million "gift" received by a former top editor at Forbes was seen as tarnishing the publication's industry awards and rankings.

Firms are using AI more than ever, but few have adopted clear policies outlining human oversight or how third-party vendors should handle cybersecurity.

As wealth tax proposals pop up around the country, advisors guide clients through assessing how these factors change the equation of financial planning.

Under the proposed regulations, funds can only be invested in eligible investments beginning when the account is established until the beneficiary turns 17.

The Internal Revenue Service and the Treasury Department offered guidance on rollovers between retirement plans and individual retirement accounts.

The proposed regulations clarify nondiscrimination requirements for employers offering Trump account contribution programs and dependent care assistance.

The IRS and the Treasury issued guidance on the permanent extension of the employer tax credit for paid family and medical leave under the OBBBA.

The Treasury's financial crime prevention arm said the Swiss firm's U.S. brokerage wing largely ignored a 2018 consent order to clean up its anti-money-laundering processes, leading to the historic settlement announced early in August.

Industry lawyers and recruiters share the key steps bank-based advisors can take to avoid litigation or lower legal exposure when moving clients to a new firm.

Some ultrahigh net worth clients would be affected by a change to retirement plan contribution and distribution rules that's under consideration in Congress.

The SEC opened public comment on Regulation E-Delivery, a proposal that would replace its decades-old guidance-based framework and make electronic delivery the default for required investor disclosures.

JPMorgan has a habit of taking its former private client advisors to court and accusing them of trying to steal clients they met through bank referrals. An industry recruiter says such suits aren't necessarily a sign of recruiting deals gone bad.

As the SEC pushes to widen access to private equity, private credit and other alternative investments, Morgan Stanley and Envestnet are among firms that already have funds no longer aimed exclusively at "accredited investors."

Taxpayers and tax pros have already dealt with many changes from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act on 2025 returns, but many provisions will be effective for the first time in 2026.