On April 23, 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) released its final amendments to the regulations under Section 3(21) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) defining an “investment advice...more
On October 31, 2023, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) released proposed amendments to the regulations under Section 3(21) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to the definition of an “investment...more
On December 29, 2022, President Joe Biden signed into law the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, which includes the SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022 (SECURE 2.0). SECURE 2.0 is an expansion of the Setting Every Community Up for...more
12/30/2022
/ 401k ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employees ,
Employer Contributions ,
EPCRS ,
Hardship Distributions ,
Joe Biden ,
Plan Participants ,
Required Minimum Distributions ,
Retirement ,
Retirement Plan ,
SECURE Act ,
Student Loans
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) became law on March 27, 2020, providing financial assistance to individuals and businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, as previously discussed in our...more
3/31/2020
/ Airlines ,
CARES Act ,
Compensation Restrictions ,
Covered Employees ,
Critical Infrastructure Sectors ,
Defined Benefit Plans ,
Defined Contribution Plans ,
Employee Benefits ,
Federal Loans ,
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) ,
Payroll Taxes ,
Pensions ,
Retirement Plan ,
Self Employed ,
Tax Credits ,
Tax Deferral
On June 21, 2018, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit issued its order, or mandate, putting into effect its earlier decision to vacate the Department of Labor’s (DOL) conflict of interest regulation (the fiduciary...more
6/26/2018
/ Best Interest Contract Exemptions ,
Conflicts of Interest ,
Consumer Financial Products ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Fiduciary Rule ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Investment Adviser ,
Investment Management ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Retirement Plan ,
Vacated
On March 15, 2018, in a 2-1 decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit vacated entirely the conflict of interest regulation of the Department of Labor (DOL) and its related prohibited transaction exemptions...more
In a May 23, 2017, op-ed in The Wall Street Journal, Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta indicated that the conflict of interest regulation (commonly referred to as the fiduciary rule) issued by the Department of Labor (DOL)...more
5/30/2017
/ Broker-Dealer ,
Conflicts of Interest ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Dodd-Frank ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Fiduciary Rule ,
Field Assistance Bulletins ,
Financial Adviser ,
Investment Adviser ,
Retirement Plan ,
Secretary of Labor ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
On April 4, 2017, the Department of Labor (DOL) released its final rule providing a 60-day delay of the April 10, 2017, applicability date of its conflict of interest regulation (the so-called fiduciary rule) and related...more
4/7/2017
/ Best Interest Contract Exemptions ,
Broker-Dealer ,
Conflicts of Interest ,
Delays ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Fiduciary Rule ,
Final Rules ,
Investment Adviser ,
Prohibited Transactions ,
Repeal ,
Retirement Plan ,
Trump Administration
In 2016, regulatory developments introduced fundamental changes in the legal standards that govern the relationship of broker-dealers with their customers. Although the changes are not applicable until April 10, 2017, most in...more
2/8/2017
/ 401k ,
Best Interest Contract Exemptions ,
Broker-Dealer ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Dodd-Frank ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Fiduciary Rule ,
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) ,
Individual Retirement Account (IRA) ,
Investment Adviser ,
Retirement Plan ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Trump Administration
The Department of Labor (DOL) recently issued guidance on the Conflicts of Interest Rule it released earlier this year. The guidance, issued on October 27, 2016, is in the form of answers to frequently asked questions, which...more
11/8/2016
/ Audits ,
Best Interest Contract Exemptions ,
Compliance ,
Conflicts of Interest ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Executive Compensation ,
Financial Adviser ,
Individual Retirement Account (IRA) ,
Internal Revenue Code (IRC) ,
Investment Adviser ,
New Guidance ,
Prohibited Transactions ,
Retirement Plan