The U.S. federal securities laws, the Commodity Exchange Act and regulations thereunder, and certain other applicable federal laws, rules and regulations, as well as rules of U.S. self-regulatory organizations (such as the...more
Overview The U.S. Department of Labor (the “DOL”) on December 15, 2020 issued a release (the “Release”) finalizing Prohibited Transaction Class Exemption (“PTCE”) 2020-2 (the “Final Exemption”) for retirement accounts...more
1/20/2021
/ Best Interest Standard ,
Biden Administration ,
Conflicts of Interest ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Fiduciary Rule ,
Investment Adviser ,
Investment Management ,
Regulation BI ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Retirement Plan ,
Rollover Equity
Last week, the U.S. Department of Labor (the “DOL”) on December 15, 2020 issued a release (the “Release”) finalizing an important new initiative for retirement accounts (“Plans”) that are subject to the Employee Retirement...more
The U.S. Department of Labor (the “DOL”) on June 29, 2020 issued a release (the “Release”) proposing an important new initiative for retirement accounts (“Plans”) that are subject to the Employee Retirement Income Security...more
7/20/2020
/ 1975 Rule ,
Banks ,
Broker-Dealer ,
Brokers ,
Comment Period ,
Covered Transactions ,
Defined Contribution Plans ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Exemptions ,
Fiduciary Rule ,
Five-Part Test ,
Individual Retirement Account (IRA) ,
Insurance Industry ,
Investment Adviser ,
New Guidance ,
Prohibited Transactions ,
Proposed Rules ,
Public Comment ,
Regulation Best Interest ,
Retirement Plan ,
Rollover Equity
This week, on June 29, 2020, the U.S. Department of Labor (the “DOL”) issued a release (the “Release”) proposing an important new initiative for retirement accounts (“Plans”) that are subject to the Employee Retirement Income...more
Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on June 1, 2020 in Thole v. U.S. Bank that a participant in a defined benefit (“DB”) plan is constitutionally barred from bringing a fiduciary-breach (or similar) claim under the...more
6/11/2020
/ Article III ,
Breach of Duty ,
Defined Benefit Plans ,
Duty of Loyalty ,
Duty of Prudence ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Injury-in-Fact ,
Investment Adviser ,
Mismanagement ,
Pensions ,
Plan Participants ,
Retirement Plan ,
SCOTUS ,
Standing ,
Thole v U.S. Bank
The U.S. federal securities laws, the Commodity Exchange Act and regulations thereunder, and certain other applicable federal laws, rules and regulations, as well as rules of U.S. self-regulatory organizations (such as the...more
2/12/2020
/ Asset Management ,
BEA ,
Benefit Plan Sponsors ,
CFTC ,
Commodities Traders ,
Commodity Exchange Act (CEA) ,
Commodity Trading Advisors (CTAs) ,
Compliance ,
CPOs ,
Cross-Border Transactions ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Equity Securities ,
Filing Requirements ,
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) ,
Form 13F ,
Form ADV ,
Form PF ,
Investment Adviser ,
Investment Funds ,
Large Traders ,
NFA ,
Private Funds ,
Private Placements ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Schedule 13D ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, on June 5, 2019, voted 3-1 in favor of adopting a package of rules, amendments and interpretations (Final Rules) intended to improve the retail investor experience and to provide...more
6/12/2019
/ Best Interest Standard ,
Broker-Dealer ,
Compliance ,
Compliance Dates ,
Conflicts of Interest ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Duty of Care ,
Duty of Loyalty ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Form CRS ,
Investment Adviser ,
Investment Advisers Act of 1940 ,
New Rules ,
Regulation Best Interest ,
Retail Investors ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Standard of Conduct
The U.S. federal securities laws, the Commodity Exchange Act and regulations thereunder, and certain other applicable federal laws, rules and regulations, as well as rules of U.S. self-regulatory organizations (such as the...more
1/31/2019
/ Commodities Traders ,
Commodity Exchange Act (CEA) ,
Commodity Pool ,
Compliance ,
CPOs ,
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Investment Adviser ,
Investment Management ,
NFA ,
Private Funds ,
Registered Investment Advisors ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Securities ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on April 18, 2018 published a package of proposed rules and interpretations intended to improve the retail investor experience and to provide greater clarity regarding customers’...more
7/11/2018
/ Best Interest Standard ,
Broker-Dealer ,
Comment Period ,
Conflicts of Interest ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Due Diligence ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Investment Adviser ,
Investment Products ,
Proposed Rules ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Retail Investors ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Standard of Care
The U.S. Department of Labor’s amended “investment advice” fiduciary rule need no longer ask for whom the bell tolls. It tolls for thee. So - ding dong, the rule is dead....more
Fiduciary rule, we hardly knew ya. The death knell for the DOL’s amended rule appears to be sounding this week with the expected mandate from the Fifth Circuit effectuating the vacatur of the amended rule in the case of...more
5/9/2018
/ Amended Rules ,
Best Interest Contract Exemptions ,
Broker-Dealer ,
Chamber of Commerce ,
Collateralized Loan Obligations ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Fiduciary Rule ,
Investment Adviser ,
Retirement Plan ,
Risk Retention ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Vacated
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit on March 15, 2018 issued an opinion (Opinion) vacating the Department of Labor (DOL) fiduciary rule and related applicable exemptions. The DOL had promulgated the rule and...more
4/18/2018
/ Appeals ,
Best Interest Standard ,
Broker-Dealer ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Dodd-Frank ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Fiduciary Rule ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Internal Revenue Code (IRC) ,
Investment Adviser ,
Mutual Funds ,
Petition For Rehearing ,
Retirement Funds ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Vacated
It has been a long and winding road for the amended fiduciary regulation (the "Regulation") and the related new and amended exemptions (collectively, the "Rule") of the U.S. Department of Labor (the "DOL") under the Employee...more
3/26/2018
/ Appeals ,
Arbitrary and Capricious ,
Best Interest Contract Exemptions ,
Broker-Dealer ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Fiduciary Rule ,
Investment Adviser ,
Lack of Authority ,
Retirement Funds ,
Secretary of Labor ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Trump Administration ,
Vacated
The U.S. federal securities laws and the rules of U.S. self regulatory organizations (such as the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority) impose certain reporting and compliance obligations on investment advisers and funds....more
1/24/2018
/ Beneficial Owner ,
Benefit Plan Sponsors ,
CFTC ,
Commodities ,
Commodity Trading Advisors (CTAs) ,
Compliance ,
CPO ,
Cross-Border Transactions ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Derivatives ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Equity Securities ,
Filing Deadlines ,
Filing Requirements ,
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) ,
Foreign Investment ,
Form 13F ,
Form ADV ,
Form D Filing ,
Form PF ,
Investment Adviser ,
Investment Funds ,
Investors ,
NFA ,
Offerings ,
Private Funds ,
Private Placements ,
Registered Investment Advisors ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Schedule 13D ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Traders ,
Securities Violations ,
Self-Certification ,
Verification Requirements ,
Virtual Currency
The U.S. Department of Labor on April 6, 2016 released the final version of its “investment advice” regulation and accompanying prohibited transaction exemptions (collectively, the “Final Rule”), a highly-anticipated...more
The U.S. Department of Labor (the “DOL”) today (August 9, 2017) submitted a Notice of Administrative Action in the Thrivent v. Acosta litigation (D. Minn.). The Notice relates to the final regulation that defines who is a...more
The U.S. Department of Labor (the “DOL”) published in the Federal Register on July 6, 2017 a Request for Information (the “RFI”) regarding the final regulation defining who is a “fiduciary” of an employee benefit plan as a...more
7/8/2017
/ Best Interest Contract Exemptions ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Fiduciary Rule ,
Investment Adviser ,
IRS ,
Mutual Funds ,
Presidential Memorandum ,
Prohibited Transactions ,
Public Comment ,
Request For Information ,
Rollbacks ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Trump Administration
It has been a long and winding road for the amended fiduciary regulation (the "Regulation") of the U.S. Department of Labor (the "DOL") under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 ("ERISA"). The highly...more
5/30/2017
/ Best Interest Contract Exemptions ,
Broker-Dealer ,
Delays ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Enforcement ,
Exemptions ,
Fiduciary Rule ,
Field Assistance Bulletins ,
Final Rules ,
Individual Retirement Account (IRA) ,
Investment Adviser ,
Obama Administration ,
Prohibited Transactions ,
Retirement Plan ,
Secretary of Labor ,
Trump Administration
The controversial new fiduciary regulation of the U.S. Department of Labor (the “DOL”), together with related new and amended “prohibited transaction” exemptions (collectively, the “Rule”), had been scheduled to become...more
The U.S. federal securities laws and the rules of U.S. self-regulatory organizations (such as the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority) impose certain reporting and compliance obligations on investment advisers and funds....more
2/21/2017
/ Accredited Investors ,
Benefit Plan Sponsors ,
CFTC ,
Compliance ,
Cross-Border Transactions ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Equity Securities ,
Filing Requirements ,
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) ,
Form ADV ,
Form PF ,
Fund Managers ,
Hedge Funds ,
Investment Adviser ,
NFA ,
Private Funds ,
Private Placements ,
Registered Investment Advisors ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
The U.S. Department of Labor (the “DOL”) released two additional sets of FAQs on January 13, 2017 regarding the new “investment advice” regulation and related exemptions (the “Rule”) under the fiduciary provisions of the...more
The U.S. Department of Labor issued its long-awaited and highly controversial "investment advice" regulation under ERISA's fiduciary rules on April 6, 2016. The regulation is slated to begin becoming applicable in April 2017....more
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued in April 2016 the final version of its controversial “investment advice” regulation and various related exemptions (collectively, Final Rules), which are widely expected to have a...more
11/18/2016
/ Annuities ,
Asset Management ,
Best Interest Contract Exemptions ,
Broker-Dealer ,
Compensation Agreements ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Fiduciary Rule ,
Final Rules ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Internal Revenue Code (IRC) ,
Investment Adviser ,
Retirement Plan
The U.S. Department of Labor (the “DOL”) released its first set of FAQs (the “FAQs”) regarding the DOL’s recently finalized “investment advice” regulation and various related exemptions (collectively, the “Final Rules”) on...more
11/8/2016
/ Best Interest Contract Exemptions ,
Compensation Agreements ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Exceptions ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Fiduciary Rule ,
Final Rules ,
Insurance Industry ,
Internal Revenue Code (IRC) ,
Investment Adviser ,
Prohibited Transactions