Backing Up The Brokers

Regulators are requiring brokers who sell retirement savings plans to meet a fiduciary standard.

by Scott Revare, CEO, Smart 401k

The last thing that most broker-dealers that sell and service 401(k) plans want is for regulators to classify their representatives as fiduciaries. Under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, brokers who give plans or participants advice on specific investments are considered to be acting as fiduciaries. As regulators step up enforcement of these rules and new layers of regulation are added, the likelihood that a broker may become a fiduciary inadvertently is increasing sharply.

Click here to learn how some brokers are handling this.