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 "Reg BI"
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.
Back then, at least, we knew who wore the white hats and who whore the black hats. Today, thanks to muddled and often conflicting regulations for multiple agencies, everyone is wearing fifty shades of gray.
“The SEC’s Regulation BI is terribly disappointing. It not only fails to protect consumers; it actually makes the situation worse… The confusion that will ensue will be very damaging to investors nationwide.”
Just as summer changes into fall, Reg BI will change the way all participants – investors, service providers, and 401k plan sponsors – interact with each other. These are the changes we might expect.
Regulators (including the DOL) seem intent on splitting the baby in half by allowing two incompatible business models – one fiduciary with no self-dealing fees, the other non-fiduciary with conflict-of-interest fees – to coexist within the same market. Does this mean “fiduciary” has lost its inherent advantage?
Was “fiduciary” done in by over-saturation? Or was it the victim of a super successful negative campaign? Or is there something missing in our analysis?
Here’s an inside look at what’s been making all those headlines the last few years, and maybe what might be making headlines in the next few years.
FiduciaryNews.com Trending Topics for ERISA Plan Sponsors: Week Ending 4/12/19
Tangled compliance, a broken fiduciary record, and irrational fees.