A lot may depend on who Trump selects to head up the DOL in his second term. If we start seeing familiar faces, that might indicate the department’s direction.
Tag "DOL"
Honestly, I think most 401k plans are off-the-shelf items bought from the large asset management companies, purchased by executives who want to get rid of the vexing chore of setting up a retirement plan that benefits the employees.
The relative quickness of this one-two shot from the District Courts suggests an obvious flaw in the new Rule.
It’s too easy for plan sponsors to get lost in the weeds when dealing with plan minutia. Yes, “the buck stops here” reality can overwhelm many. Delegation is the key. It’s also the Achilles Heel. This is where the magic word emerges.
For all the good intentions, however, what will happen when the rubber finally meets the road? Will the new DOL Fiduciary Rule really level the playing field?
Here’s where the greatest controversy of the new Rule, as with its predecessors, comes to a head.
Herein lies the potential for a direct conflict of interest. This applies generally to all proxy voting in commingled portfolios.
Plan sponsors need to think about it in these terms: Does it make sense to have a pork-belly ETF on a 401k investment menu? How about orange futures?
Between the IRA Rollover matter and the redefinition of “regular services,” there is no shortage of ways to chip away at the new Rule. What might be one way we can expect to see the industry attack the Rule in front of a judge?
These Classic Movies (Unknowingly?) Promote The Fiduciary Standard
It seems like each decade produces a major box office hit that exudes fiduciary. This whole “best interest” thing seems to have caught on in Tinseltown. More recent movies have added a good dose of the “honesty” part of fiduciary.