Regulatory reform

The Office of Management and Budget concluded its review of the proposal, a key step in the administrative process, which puts a freeze on further implementing the regulation.

The move will likely be seen as a win by the opponents of the regulation.

The door has closed for public comments on the board’s propositions. While some industry heavyweights commended them, critics call out contradictions.

Regulations can take a long time to reverse.

Let's have a robust discussion about how to improve outcomes for clients, but let's stop inventing bogus reasons why we shouldn't look after their best interests.

The Labor Department is receiving a deluge of feedback from advisers and investors on whether to revise its controversial regulation.

A new bill would go further than past attempts to block the Labor Department altogether.

Expanding the fiduciary role of CFPs is a good thing — but the fine print is worth sweating.

Some predict the new standards will push more planners to drop their CFPs.

The move comes the same week that the SEC said it would try to coordinate with the Labor Department on the regulation.

Jay Clayton acknowledged in testimony on Capitol Hill that it's a “very complicated issue.”

Even as the board seeks stricter fiduciary rules, there are concerns about loopholes on conflicts and commissions.

It allows more flexibility than some may think, according to executives from the two firms.

The legislation ― called the Financial Choice Act ― has little chance of passing the Senate in its current form.

The truth is, many investors would be horrified to learn the true extent of the fees they pay.

With the Labor Department and SEC signaling further potential changes in the regulatory framework, here's what advisers need to know now.

Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta may have left a little wiggle room for future revisions.

Seeking more help from the industry, the regulator emphasizes a process that offers leniency for firms that proactively report and fix compliance failures.

There is "no principled legal basis" to do so, Labor Secretary Acosta says.

The regulator wants the exam process to be a dialogue with firms and advisers.