Regulation

A "cautionary" note on the third day of hearings after DoL officials quiz industry attorney in the slippery task of trying to ascertain details of common commission sales.

"When you put this in the context of rule changes that have occurred since the financial crisis, this would rank at the top," notes James Allen, CEO of Hilliard Lyons.

Critics: DoL fiduciary rule would harm investors; Advocates: Americans' "retirement savings are being depleted by conflicts of interest every day."

The DoL’s proposed fiduciary rule would likely push some commission-based brokers out of the retirement market altogether, NAIFA’s JuIi McNeely testified during the second day of DoL hearings on the proposed rule.

Concerns about over-regulation and accusations of industry cynicism led the opening of the Labor Department's hearings on its proposal to impose fiduciary requirements on retirement advisors.

Brokerage industry leaders told Labor officials that the plan's contract requirements will compel them to drop less-affluent clients who want to retire.

Stifel CEO Ronald Kruszewski remains upbeat about his latest acquisition of Barclays' wealth management unit despite rising advisor attrition, telling analysts that "it will still be a wonderful deal from a shareholder perspective."

In its first day of hearings about the proposed fiduciary rule, the DoL has heard testimony from advisors, legal experts and other industry representatives — many seeking revisions to minimize the ‘burden’ of the rule’s future implementation.

A week of hearings on contentious fiduciary proposal gets underway as SIFMA chief warns brokers will abandon retirement market if rules take effect.

Warnings of a liquidity crisis in the bond market are a myth created by Wall Street in hopes of repealing regulation, said Krishna Memani, the chief investment officer of OppenheimerFunds.