News & Analysis as of

Department of Labor (DOL) Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) 401k

Proskauer - Regulatory & Compliance

From Wall Street to Main Street: Investor Advocate Puts Private Funds on the 401(k) Horizon

On June 25, 2025, the SEC’s Office of the Investor Advocate (OIAD) released its annual report to Congress on its policy priorities for fiscal year 2026. The office was established by Congress to focus on retail investor...more

Paul Hastings LLP

CLARITY Act Unveiled, SEC Issues Staking Guidance and 401(k) Crypto Ban Reversed

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This week’s tracker covers several significant developments in crypto policy. Lawmakers released a new draft of the CLARITY Act, a market structure bill that would expand the CFTC’s role and clarify how digital assets are...more

Jackson Lewis P.C.

Why Retirement Plan Sponsors and Fiduciaries Need to Know about the SEC Cybersecurity Amendments

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In 2021, the Department of Labor (DOL) issued cybersecurity guidance for ERISA-covered retirement plans. The guidance expands the duties retirement plan fiduciaries have when selecting service providers. Specifically, the DOL...more

Seward & Kissel LLP

DOL Publishes Final Regulation Expanding the Definition of an ERISA Fiduciary

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On April 25, 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor (the “DOL”) finalized a collection of regulatory changes in its ongoing quest to update the definition of a “fiduciary” under ERISA and Section 4975 of the Internal Revenue Code...more

Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP

DOL Expands Investment Advice Subject to Fiduciary Liability

Following previous failed attempts to expand the fiduciary liability of financial services providers, the DOL released a new rule that broadens the definition of “fiduciary” under ERISA. The new rule is expected to face...more

Proskauer - Employee Benefits & Executive...

Game of Tomes: A Guide to the DOL’s Retirement Security Rule Proposal

The new “retirement security rule” package, issued by the U.S. Department of Labor (the “DOL”) on October 31, 2023, is the latest chapter in an almost 15-year effort by the DOL to amend the five-part test in its 1975...more

Quarles & Brady LLP

2023 Year-End Employee Benefits Updates

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This newsletter provides updates employers should be aware of heading into 2024, including an outline of the updated 2024 retirement and welfare plan limits, instructions related to the “gag order” attestation requirements...more

Paul Hastings LLP

Public Company Watch: September 2023

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In the September edition of our Public Company Watch, we cover key issues impacting public companies, including the SEC’s new C&DIs and sample comment letter; considerations for issuers as they start their Form 10-Q...more

Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP

A Rollover Recommendation Is a Securities Recommendation

The Department of Labor considers a rollover recommendation to be a recommendation to liquidate the investments in a participant’s 401(k) account or to transfer (and change) securities. In addition, as explained in...more

Seyfarth Shaw LLP

Between A Rock and A Hard Place... ESG Investments in 401(k) Plan Line-Ups

Seyfarth Shaw LLP on

Seyfarth Synopsis: The ever evolving landscape of environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors and 401(k) plan investment options may have just become even more complicated....more

Morgan Lewis - ML Benefits

DOL Calls for ‘Extreme Care’ Before 401(k) Plans Dive into Cryptocurrency Investments

Cryptocurrency investing has experienced a tidal wave of popularity since the fabled genesis of Bitcoin in 2009. This growth has been fueled by “extreme” investment returns (despite “extreme” volatility) and innovative means...more

King & Spalding

DOL Expresses Extreme Skepticism About Allowing 401(k) Plan Participants to Invest in Cryptocurrency

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On March 10, 2022, the U.S. Department of Labor (the “DOL”) issued Compliance Assistance Release No. 2022-01 (the “Release”) regarding 401(k) plan participant-directed investments in cryptocurrencies. The Release “cautions...more

Jackson Lewis P.C.

Private Equity Investments In 401(K) Plans – The DOL Says Not So Fast

Jackson Lewis P.C. on

Hot button ERISA fiduciary issues remain a focus for investment committees of 401(k) plans in 2022. From “excessive” fee litigation – including litigation over the duty to monitor the fees charged by various mutual funds...more

Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP

Department of Labor Issues New Guidance on Private Equity Investments in Individual Account Plans

On December 21, 2021, the Department of Labor (DOL) issued additional guidance on the use of private equity investments in certain retirement plans, warning that most plan fiduciaries will not have enough experience to...more

Morgan Lewis - ML Benefits

Department of Labor Teases Cryptocurrency Interest

Hinting that the US Department of Labor (DOL) is currently working on guidance related to cryptocurrency, the Acting Assistant Secretary for the DOL’s Employee Benefits Security Administration recently commented that the DOL...more

Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP

Best Interest Standard of Care for Advisors #41

The Department of Labor’s Prohibited Transaction Exemption and Its Impact on Recommendations to Plans, Participants and IRAs (Part 6) - On February 16, 2021, the DOL’s prohibited transaction exemption (PTE) 2020-02 became...more

McDermott Will & Schulte

DOL: Path for 401(k) Plans to Offer Private Equity Investment Options

The US Department of Labor (DOL) issued an information letter in June 2020 indicating that, in limited circumstances, it will allow defined contribution retirement plans (such as 401(k) plans) to indirectly invest in private...more

Goodwin

Financial Services Weekly Roundup: The CFPB Digs Into “Seasoned” Qualified Mortgages

Goodwin on

In the News. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued a notice of proposed rulemaking to create a new category of “seasoned” qualified mortgages; the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) Office of...more

Fox Rothschild LLP

The DOL: The New Securities Regulator?

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The United States Department of Labor (“DOL”) has had a very active summer regulating the securities industry. Yes, you heard it right, the DOL has made certain pronouncements that have considerable effect on the securities...more

Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP

Best Interest Standard of Care for Advisors #15

The SEC has issued its final Regulation Best Interest (Reg BI), Form CRS Rule, RIA Interpretation and Solely Incidental Interpretation. I am discussing the SEC’s guidance in a series of articles entitled “Best Interest...more

Ary Rosenbaum - The Rosenbaum Law Firm P.C.

Retirement Plan Advisors Advantage - September 2019

Some "Truths" About The Retirement Plan Business. You may not be able to handle it. I'm very outspoken, probably too much. Many people in the industry don't like flamethrowers who call things as they see it. While it...more

Ary Rosenbaum - The Rosenbaum Law Firm P.C.

It’s legal until it’s not

Shelf space payments where mutual fund companies pay to get access on a particular 401(k) custodial platform is a trending topic. The payments made are for access and if you don’t pay if you’re a mutual fund company, you...more

Proskauer Rose LLP

ERISA Newsletter - Fourth Quarter 2017

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Editor's Overview - For over two decades, federal law has required covered health plans and insurers to ensure that certain mental health benefits are in parity with offered medical/surgical benefits. The meaning of...more

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP

"Change in Administration Presents Opportunity to Revisit DOL Fiduciary Rule"

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

Robins Kaplan LLP

Your Daily Dose of Financial News

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The December 22 announcement that Deutsche Bank had settled with the DOJ over long-standing RMBS-related claims and investigations for a reported $7.2 billion prompted this Times long-read that traced the Icarus-like rise and...more

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