Inside the Beltway — April 25, 2017


Announcement

Please join us for our 20th Inside the Beltway presentation on April 25, 2017. This is the next session in our ongoing series of free audiocasts discussing developments in Washington that directly impact our industry.

During this session of Inside the Beltway Fred Reish and Brad Campbell will discuss:

  • Update on Secretary of Labor and DOL Appointees
  • Update on the fiduciary rule
  • Impact of the Congressional proposals for tax treatment of retirement plans
  • Impact on retirement plans of other Trump administration priorities
  • SEC ReTIRE Initiative

The audiocast will be recorded and available to all registrants within a week of the presentation. An Outlook appointment request will be sent with registration confirmation.

Questions? Please contact liz.jutila@dbr.com.

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Interesting Angles on the DOL’s Fiduciary Rule #41


DOL, fiduciary, prohibited transaction, prudent

While We Wait: The Current Fiduciary Rule and Annuities

This is my 41st article about interesting observations concerning the Department of Labor’s fiduciary rule and exemptions. These articles also cover the DOL’s FAQs interpreting the regulation and exemptions and related developments in the securities laws.

As explained in previous posts, the delay of the new fiduciary rule does not mean that we are “rule-less.” Instead, the “old” rule, and exemptions, which have been place for decades, will continue to apply. Does that mean that we are back in the “good old days” where we won’t need to pay attention to the application of the fiduciary rule to IRAs?  I don’t think so.

Over the past few years, a tremendous amount of attention has been paid to the meaning and consequences of being a fiduciary . . . and I doubt that we can walk back from that. And, with this newfound attention, it is possible that many common practices will, when closely examined, result in fiduciary status under the old rule.

The consequences of unknowingly being a fiduciary are significant. If a fiduciary recommendation results in the payment of a commission to a fiduciary adviser or insurance agent, that payment would be a prohibited transaction and, absent compliance with any exemptions (e.g.., 84-24), the commission would be prohibited.

For example, the most common reason that advisors and insurance agents haven’t considered themselves to be fiduciaries for annuities is that their services haven’t been rendered “on a regular basis”. In other words, the sales have been viewed as one-time events. Let’s see how that stands up against common practices for sales and servicing of annuities in IRAs.

What about fixed rate (or “traditional”) annuities? It’s possible, perhaps even probable, that the sale of the annuity is a one-time event and that recommendations are not provided on an on-going basis. In that case, these sales would not be fiduciary services. However, if the agent periodically recommends additional purchases, that could result in fiduciary status. (Keep in mind that the definition is “functional” and it doesn’t matter what the agreements say. Instead, the conduct of the advisor is examined.)

What about fixed indexed annuities? Similar to their fixed rate cousins, the sale could be a one-time event and, therefore, not a fiduciary recommendation. On the other hand, if there are ongoing services that would be fiduciary activities, it can result in fiduciary status.

What about variable annuities? The recommendation of a variable annuity may contemplate ongoing fiduciary services, for example, recommendations about the mutual funds inside the annuity and the allocations and reallocations among those investments. In that case, the services could result in fiduciary status and the payment of the commission could be a prohibited transaction. As a result, both advisers and agents should consider using PTE 84-24. (Remember that 84-24, in its old form, is still in effect and that, therefore, all three types of annuities are covered by the exemption.)

So, after you heave a sigh of relief for the delay of the fiduciary rule, it’s time to go back to work on fiduciary issues . . . and an important one is the treatment of the recommendation of annuities to IRAs.

The views expressed in this article are the views of Fred Reish, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Drinker Biddle & Reath.

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DOL Issues Temporary Enforcement Relief for Fiduciary Rule Non-Compliance


DOL, fiduciary

The DOL has published Field Assistance Bulletin 2017-1, which provides some limited temporary relief while the industry waits to find out if the Fiduciary Rule will be applicable April 10. The Drinker Biddle Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation Group has written a Client Alert, in which we discuss the two scenarios in which the DOL will not take enforcement action for non-compliance with the Fiduciary Rule during this period of uncertainty. We also provide suggestions on how advisers and financial institutions should proceed while we wait to see what happens with the Fiduciary Rule.

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Interesting Angles on the DOL’s Fiduciary Rule #40


DOL, fiduciary, General, prohibited transaction, registered investment advisers

New Rule, Old Rule: What Should Advisers Do Now?

This is my 40th article about interesting observations concerning the Department of Labor’s fiduciary rule and exemptions. These articles also cover the DOL’s FAQs interpreting the regulation and exemptions and related developments in the securities laws.

Now that it seems clear that the applicability date of the new fiduciary regulation will be delayed, many advisers (including broker-dealers and RIA firms) may heave a sigh of relief. However, while some relief is justified, that does not mean that their services are not governed, in many cases, by the “old” fiduciary regulation. (By “old” rule, I refer to the DOL regulation that defines fiduciary advice and that has been in effect for decades.) With all the attention that has been devoted to fiduciary status and prohibited transactions, it is possible, perhaps even probable, that the old rule will be applied more vigorously. As a result, advisers need to understand its provisions and need to review their practices to determine whether they are currently acting as fiduciaries under the old rule. To properly discuss that issue, advisory services need to be divided into four categories: advice to plans; advice to participants; advice to IRAs; and recommendations of plan distributions and rollovers. This article will discuss the first of those categories . . . advice to retirement plans.

Briefly stated, the old—and current–fiduciary rule has a five-part test:

  • A recommendation of an investment, insurance product, investment manager, and/or investment strategy or policy.
  • The advice must be given on a regular basis, that is, on an ongoing basis.
  • There must be a mutual understanding between the adviser and the plan fiduciaries.
  • The understanding is that the advice will be a primary basis for decision-making.
  • The advice is individualized and based on the particular needs of the plan.

With regard to qualified retirement plans (for example, 401(k) plans), those conditions will likely be satisfied in many cases. For example, it is common, perhaps even typical, for an adviser to meet with plan fiduciaries quarterly or annually. As a result, the advice is given on a regular basis. Similarly, when an adviser provides a list of investments, it is difficult to say that they are not individualized to the plan, because of the suitability requirements that apply to broker-dealers, RIAs, and insurance agents. In any event, there is a significant risk that an adviser who provides a list of investments to plan fiduciaries will be considered to have made fiduciary recommendations.

As a result, and with likely heightened scrutiny of advisers’ recommendations and fiduciary status, broker-dealers and insurance agents should consider whether they are willing to run the risk of being a fiduciary. (As this suggests, RIA’s probably are fiduciaries for ERISA plans.) And, if they are willing to be fiduciaries, there should be a formal program in place for that purpose. For example, a broker-dealer might establish a fiduciary advisory program under its corporate RIA and allow its most experienced retirement plan advisers to participate in that program. For those advisers who won’t be allowed to be fiduciaries under the RIA program, those broker-dealers should consider requiring that the advisers only recommend 401(k) providers who have platform fiduciaries. For example, a recordkeeping platform might offer a 3(21) non-discretionary fiduciary investment adviser and/or a 3(38) discretionary fiduciary investment manager. In that case, the platform fiduciary would recommend or select the investments, while the adviser would provide other services to the plan, for example, assistance with plan design, coordination with the recordkeeper, participant education meetings, and so on.

My point is that, now that we are more aware of the fiduciary definitions and the impact of fiduciary status, advisers need to be more attentive to their services and to whether those services result in fiduciary status. Correspondingly, their supervisory entities (for example, broker-dealers) need to make decisions about how those services will be offered, including whether some of the registered representatives can be 401(k) fiduciaries under the corporate RIA.

The views expressed in this article are the views of Fred Reish, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Drinker Biddle & Reath.

 

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Interesting Angles on the DOL’s Fiduciary Rule #39


DOL, fiduciary, General

FINRA Regulatory Notice 13-45: Guidance on Distributions and Rollovers

This is my 39th article about interesting observations concerning the Department of Labor’s fiduciary rule and exemptions. These articles also cover the DOL’s FAQs interpreting the regulation and exemptions and related developments in the securities laws.

Even though the DOL fiduciary rule is being delayed, other regulators have indicated their interests in protecting participants from inappropriate recommendations to take plan distributions and roll over to IRAs.

FINRA, which oversees broker-dealers, addressed rollover recommendations to participants in Regulatory Notice 13-45. In describing the purpose of the notice, FINRA said:

“FINRA is issuing this Notice to remind firms of their responsibilities when (1) recommending a rollover or transfer of assets in an employer-sponsored retirement plan to an Individual Retirement Account (IRA) or (2) marketing IRAs and associated services.”

FINRA noted that:

“A broker-dealer’s recommendation that an investor roll over retirement plan assets to an IRA typically involves securities recommendations subject to FINRA rules. . . . Any recommendation to sell, purchase or hold securities must be suitable for the customer and the information that investors receive must be fair, balanced and not misleading.”

FINRA went on to say that:

“A recommendation concerning the type of retirement account in which a customer should hold his retirement investments typically involves a recommended securities transaction, and thus is subject to Rule 2111. For example, a firm may recommend that an investor sell his plan assets and roll over the cash proceeds into an IRA. Recommendations to sell securities in the plan or to purchase securities for a newly opened IRA are subject to Rule 2111.”

In essence, FINRA concludes that a recommendation to take a rollover includes a recommendation to liquidate* the investments in a participant’s 401(k) account. . . and that the liquidation recommendation is a “recommended securities transaction” and “thus is subject to Rule 2111.” The guidance then goes on to say:

“If Rule 2111 is triggered, a registered representative must have a reasonable basis to believe that the recommendation is suitable for the customer, based on information about the options obtained through reasonable diligence, and taking into account factors such as tax implications, legal ramifications, and differences in services, fees and expenses between the retirement savings alternatives.” (Emphasis added.)

Earlier in the Notice FINRA also describes the need for an adviser to compare investments, services and expenses in the plan and the recommended IRA before making a recommendation.

That is strikingly similar to the Best Interest Contract Exemption (BICE) requirement that fiduciary advisers must do a comparative analysis of the investments, services and expenses in the Plan and the proposed IRA before recommending a rollover.

The regulators appear to be harmonizing around the type of analysis and investigation required to make a suitable or prudent recommendation.

*In a footnote, FINRA observes that it is possible that a plan could permit distributions in kind, rather than requiring liquidation of the plan’s designated investment alternatives. As a practical matter, I have not worked with any 401(k) plans that distribute in kind. I assume that my experience is typical and that few, if any, 401(k) plans permit distributions of their mutual fund shares.

The views expressed in this article are the views of Fred Reish, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Drinker Biddle & Reath.

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DOL Proposes Delay of Fiduciary Rule Applicability Date


DOL

The Department of Labor (DOL) published a proposed rule to delay the applicability date of the fiduciary rule from April 10 to June 9. The proposal for the delay will still need to go through a regulatory process, including a 15 day comment period; however we expect that the DOL will make the delay effective immediately upon the final regulation’s publication to the Federal Register. The DOL also announced a 45 day comment period on policy issues raised in the February 3 Presidential Memorandum. There are three possible outcomes at the end of the 45 day comment period. In this Alert, we discuss the regulatory process and when the delay might actually go into effect, as well as the possible outcomes at the end of the 45 day period.

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Interesting Angles on the DOL’s Fiduciary Rule #38


broker-dealers, DOL, registered investment advisers, SEC

SEC Examinations of RIAs and Broker-Dealers under the ReTIRE Initiative

This is my 38th article about interesting observations concerning the Department of Labor’s fiduciary rule and exemptions. These articles also cover the DOL’s FAQs interpreting the regulation and exemptions.

As explained in my last post (Angles #37), the SEC’s Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations (OCIE) issued a National Exam Program Risk Alert concerning examinations about services offered by RIAs and broker-dealers to investors with retirement accounts. One of the areas specifically identified for those examinations is “Reasonable Basis for Recommendations.” The OCIE described that issue as:

“Registrants have important obligations under the federal securities laws and SRO rules (with respect to broker-dealers) when making recommendations or providing investment advice. To the extent applicable and required, the staff will assess the actions of registrants and their representatives for consistency with these obligations when: (i) selecting the type of account; (ii) performing due diligence on investment options; (iii) making initial investment recommendations; and (iv) providing on-going account management.”

At the end of the language about “selecting the type of account,” the SEC included a footnote that referenced FINRA guidance on rollovers to IRAs. That footnote said:

“See FINRA, Rollovers to Individual Retirement Accounts, Regulatory Notice 13-45 (December 2013) (FINRA Regulatory Notice 13-45) (“A recommendation concerning the type of retirement account in which a customer should hold his retirement investments typically involves a recommended securities transaction, and thus is subject to Rule 2111. For example, a firm may recommend that an investor sell his plan assets and roll over the cash proceeds into an IRA. Recommendations to sell securities in the plan or to purchase securities for a newly-opened IRA are subject to Rule 2111.”)”

Combining the language in the Risk Alert with the language in the footnote, the OCIE is saying that recommendations to participants to take distributions from plans (that is, from one type of account), and rolling over to an IRA (that is, to another type of account) will be scrutinized. It also suggests that the OCIE favorably views FINRA’s analysis in Regulatory Analysis 13-45.

In my next post, I will discuss the rollover discussion in FINRA Regulatory Notice 13-45.

For the moment, though, as a word to the wise, broker-dealers and RIAs should review their procedures and policies, as well as their supervisory programs, to ensure that their advisers are complying with the expectations of the OCIE and with the provisions of Regulatory Notice 13-45.

The views expressed in this article are the views of Fred Reish, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Drinker Biddle & Reath.

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Interesting Angles on the DOL’s Fiduciary Rule #37


DOL, fiduciary, prudent, SEC

SEC Retirement-Targeted Examinations

This is my 37th article about interesting observations concerning the Department of Labor’s fiduciary rule and exemptions. These articles also cover the DOL’s FAQs interpreting the regulation and exemptions and related developments in the securities laws.

In 2015, the Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations (OCIE) of the SEC issued a National Exam Program Risk Alert describing its “Retirement-Targeted Industry Reviews and Examinations Initiative” (ReTIRE). The Initiative announces that the OCIE “will conduct examinations of SEC-registered investment advisers and broker-dealers (collectively, registrants) under the ReTIRE Initiative that will focus on certain high-risk areas of registrants’ sales, investment and oversight processes, with particular emphasis on select areas where retail investors saving for retirement may be harmed.”

In its Risk Alert, the OCIE says:

“The staff intends to use data analytics, information from prior examinations, and examiner-driven due diligence to identify registrants to examine under this Initiative. As part of the examinations or the selection of examination candidates, the staff may focus on the activities of investment advisory representatives and/or broker-dealer registered representatives (collectively, representatives). The risk-based examinations conducted under the ReTIRE Initiative will focus on the services offered by the registrants to investors with retirement accounts in the following areas:

Reasonable Basis for Recommendations. . . .

Conflicts of Interest. . . .

Supervision and Compliance Controls. . . .

Marketing and Disclosure. . . .”

The purpose of this post is to emphasize that there are agencies, in addition to the Department of Labor, that are focused on advisers’ practices for retirement investing and related activities (for example, the recommendation of rollovers). In future posts, I will discuss the OCIE’s focus for those examinations.

For the moment, though, a good approach is to make sure that recommendations regarding plan distributions and rollovers are in the best interest of the participants and that investment practices for IRAs should be consistent with prudent investing in retirement (and should reflect practices such as appropriate portfolio investing, diversification, and mitigation of conflicts of interest).

The views expressed in this article are the views of Fred Reish, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Drinker Biddle & Reath.

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Interesting Angles on the DOL’s Fiduciary Rule #36


DOL, fiduciary, SEC

Retirement Advice and the SEC

While the DOL’s fiduciary regulation and prohibited transaction exemptions have occupied everyone’s attention over the last year, other regulatory agencies have been focusing on retirement plan issues, as well.

For example, in its “Examination Priorities for 2017,” the SEC has indicated that it will focus on “Senior Investors and Retirement Investments.” Specifically, the SEC says:

As the U.S. population ages and investors become more dependent than ever on their own investments for retirement income, we are devoting increased attention to issues affecting senior investors and those investing for retirement.

  • ReTIRE. We will continue our multi-year ReTIRE initiative, focusing on investment advisers and broker-dealers along with the services they offer to investors with retirement accounts. This year, these examinations will likely focus on, among other things, registrants’ recommendations and sales of variable insurance products as well as the sales and management of target date funds. We will also assess controls surrounding cross-transactions, particularly with respect to fixed income securities.
  • Senior Investors. Today’s Americans are more reliant on returns from their investment portfolios to fund their retirement compared to previous generations. We will evaluate how firms manage their interactions with senior investors, including their ability to identify financial exploitation of seniors. Examinations will likely focus on registrants’ supervisory programs and controls relating to products and services directed at senior investors.

With regard to retirement investments, the most impactful “focus” will be on recommendations and sales of variable insurance products. In the context of individual retirement accounts and annuities, that refers to individual variable annuities. (Also see Retirement-Targeted Industry Reviews and Examinations Initiative, June 22, 2015. Note that the SEC references FINRA’s guidance on rollovers, Regulatory Notice 13-45.)

However, unlike the DOL, the SEC will not focus on the fiduciary process and prohibited transaction exemptions. Instead the SEC will examine for violations of rules that are, in some ways, similar to the fiduciary rule, such as the best interest of the investor, the suitability of the product for the investor’s needs, and disclosures. However, unlike the DOL rule, the securities laws do not include prohibited transactions.

With regard to senior investors, it’s important to keep in mind that the terms “Senior Investors,” “Retirees,” and “IRA Owners” are, in many cases, synonymous. For these investors, the SEC will focus on:

  • The ability of advisers to identify financial exploitation of seniors;
  • Registrants’ supervisory programs and controls related to products and services directed at senior investors.

In terms of qualified assets, this means that the SEC will be looking at the products and services recommended to retirees who are IRA owners. Are the services and products recommended to those IRAs suitable for retirees and were the recommendations in the best interest of the IRA owners? In my opinion, increasing attention will be given to the recommendations of particular investments and strategies to older investors. Those recommendations should be consistent with retirement investing, including appropriate asset allocation.

Forewarned is forearmed.

POSTSCRIPT: Some readers may think that, since this article is about SEC examinations, it is limited to registered investment advisers. However, when the SEC uses the term “registrants,” it is referring to the “more than 4,000 broker-dealers (including approximately 162,000 branch offices and 640,000 registered representatives), more than 12,000 investment advisers (with nearly $67 trillion in assets under management) . . .” (See footnote 2 in Examination Priorities for 2017.)

The views expressed in this article are the views of Fred Reish, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Drinker Biddle & Reath.

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Interesting Angles on the DOL’s Fiduciary Rule #35


DOL, fiduciary

Presidential Memorandum on Fiduciary Rule

Last Friday, the White House directed a memorandum to the DOL to review the fiduciary regulation and the related exemptions (the “fiduciary rules”).

This article discusses what the memo did and did not do, and what the next steps are.

As a legal matter, the memo was more “show” than “go,” in the sense that it did not delay, withdraw or modify the fiduciary rules. Instead, it directed the DOL to evaluate the rules and to determine if they should become applicable, be modified or be withdrawn.

Shortly after the memo was signed, the Acting Secretary of Labor said that the Department would look into possible legal actions to delay the application of the rule. While that clearly indicates a desire to delay the applicability date beyond April 10th, it also suggests that the DOL has not decided if there is a legal maneuver that could accomplish that result. On the other hand, it could just be government-speak indicating that a delaying action will be coming in the next few days. Either way, I’m a little surprised that the action wasn’t taken immediately.

If it is delayed, that leaves us with the questions of (1) what rules apply now, and (2) will the rules be withdrawn or modified (and, if modified, how)?

The answer to the first question is easy . . . the “old” fiduciary rules are in effect until something is done. The second question is not easily answered. There is a split of opinion about whether the DOL will kill or modify the rules. At this point, we need to wait and see.

The views expressed in this article are the views of Fred Reish, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Drinker Biddle & Reath.

 

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