One of the most disputed policy initiatives of the Obama administration was the Department of Labor’s fiduciary rule, which subjects brokers and other financial professionals managing retirement accounts to a fiduciary duty to avoid conflicts and act in the best interest of investors. Functionally, the rule mandates a drastic change to how brokers are compensated. The rule has been enormously controversial, garnering thousands of comments, subjected to days of hearings, and spawning hundreds of pages of news articles and commentaries. The Trump administration has halted enforcement of the rule for 18 months to review its effects, and its future remains uncertain, though further action by the DOL and SEC is likely. Despite its importance, the fiduciary rule has received relatively little academic attention. In a new paper, The Fiduciary Rule Controversy and the Future of Investment Advice, I argue that the rule, while well-intended, risks leaving some investors worse off.
Citation
Quinn Curtis, The Fiduciary Rule Controversy and the Future of Investment Advice, CLS Blue Sky Blog (March 14, 2018).