Fiduciary standard

"Vitriol" and "vileness" lead FPA national to take unprecedented "nuclear option" against New York chapter

The commission's approach stands a good chance of superseding the Labor Department's fiduciary rule.

Should advisors and brokers have plain-English job descriptions and be required to work in their clients’ best interest? Commissioners will vote on whether to move ahead with key proposals.

Instead of thinking about fiduciary purely as an obligation or regulation, advisors should envision it as something much bigger: a way of life.

As the financial planning industry nears a fee-only, fiduciary world, independent broker-dealers will face some important choices about their future business models.

The revised code of conduct will broaden fiduciary responsibilities for planners, but critics say the framework falls short on disclosures and conflicts.

Instead of harmonizing standards of client care across the industry, it may be better to re-differentiate them in light of the fiduciary rule's recent court loss.

After a federal appeals court strikes down the fiduciary rule, a legal path forward seems uncertain, but the regulation has already made its mark.

Merrill Lynch, UBS and others made considerable alterations to policies and procedures in order to be compliant with the Labor Department regulation.

Industry insiders see the agency proceeding with its rule to harmonize standards for brokers and advisors.