It seems that the controversies surrounding SEC’s newly adopted Regulation Best Interest rule (Reg BI), would continue to take center stage, even though it goes into effect next summer. The regulation is the culmination of a decade-long process that started in 2010, immediately after the great recession. The Dodd-Frank Act passed that same year authorized the SEC under section 913 to enact a fiduciary standard and best of interest rule to govern broker-dealers and investment advisors when engaging with private investors.

In the aftermath of the introduction of Reg BI, stakeholders, state regulators, investment advisers and broker-dealers have weighed in on various factors that could undermine or aid its effectiveness.

5 Key Takeaways

Brokers Dealers required to adhere to new “best interest” standard Sets up U.S. Department of Labo r (DOL) to synchronize rule-making (later this year) Big win for broker dealers → even bigger for financial services The New Common Reporting Standards (CRS) Says Broker = Advisor → confusion between broker vs fiduciary advisor Reverse focus on protecting brokerage role than consumer = more confusion

However, before we highlight these takeaways, let’s first take a look at the substance of the fiduciary standard clarification rule.

The Takeaways from SEC’s Regulation Best Interest Rule

SEC intends to subject broker-dealers, who currently are only required to meet suitability standards, under fiduciary standards.

On one hand, fiduciary standards presently govern the relationship between financial advisors and their clients. And it expects the former to only offer services that are in the best interest of the latter. On the other hand, suitability standards require brokers to ascertain that the investment they recommend suits their clients.

In essence, the rule looks to extend the fiduciary rule on broker-dealers who are increasingly taking up the roles of financial advisors, when their primary duty is to sell an investment product for a stipulated commission. Under the suitability standard, it is legal for a broker to recommend an investment product that avails him a good commission, so long the product is suitable to the customer.

While this is a given, it also presents a conflict of interest. It’s possible that there are cheaper investment products with similar features to the one the broker recommends, but with a less attractive commission. This conflict of interest is what the Reg BI looks to eliminate, as it requires brokers to place the client’s interest above theirs.

To do this, the rule would enforce brokers to explicitly disclose important information such as incentives and commissions that could influence their recommendations. More so, it would, to an extent, ban industry practices, like incentives in the form of vacations, that could spur brokers to betray the interests of their clients.

Knowing fully well that brokers could find a way around this requirement by disclosing conflict of interests with technical terms or in a voluminous document, the SEC also introduced another requirement that could counter such practices. The requirement states that brokers must outline conflict of interests and their compensation structure in plain English and in a concise manner on a document called form CRS.

Also, brokers would document the history of legal or disciplinary actions taken against the firm offering the investment product or its financial professionals. Another vital feature of the rule is Care Obligation. This requirement entails that financial advisors to make sure that they diligently and carefully ensure that their recommendations are in the best interest of their clients.

The last requirement is the Conflict of interest obligation. It requires the management and mitigation of commissions that could represent a financial conflict of interest.

Dissecting the Implications of The Regulation Best Interest Rule

As expected, critics left and right have dissected SEC’s Reg BI, and the prominent argument that many have brought up is the fogginess of the rule. For one, some critics have condemned SEC’s reluctance to clearly define what it means by “Best interest”, the actions that would suggest that an investment advisor is not compliant, and how to mitigate financial conflict of interest.

Chances are that broker-dealers would look to find a way around this rule, at least until SEC starts enforcing disciplinary actions against non-compliant investment advisors. Besides, Reg BI does not seem to have enforcement muscle. It is unlikely that non-compliance would lead to class action lawsuits and litigations.

Furthermore, there is an outcry that SEC’s rule has done nothing to clarify to investors the roles of Investment advisors and broker-dealers. Note that a majority of brokers-dealers are registered with the SEC. Technically, this means that they could assume the roles of Registered Investment Advisors (RIA), and yet, they are not fiduciaries.

More concerning is the fact that the Form CRS requirement would do little to change the status quo. This notion stems from the fact that studies showed that consumers found it difficult to understand the contents of CRS forms.

While responding to many of the criticisms leveled against Reg BI, SEC’s chairman, Jay Clayton stated that “differing views were expressed regarding whether the standard should be more principles-based or more prescriptive — and in particular, whether to provide a detailed, specific, situation-by-situation definition of ‘best interest’ in the rule text.”

As such, after careful consideration, the agency concluded that the principle-based approach adopted for the rule “is a common and effective approach to addressing issues of duty under law, particularly where the facts and circumstances of individual relationships can vary widely and change over time, including as a result of innovation,”

Judging from the details of Reg BI discussed above, there is no doubt that the rule has elements of the fiduciary rule that the Obama administration proposed through the Department of labor. The difference is that the latter was looking to classify all investment professionals as fiduciaries. In other words, a client could decide to sue his investment advisor or broker once he notices any discrepancies that would suggest that his interests were not best served by the actions of his investment manager.

Recall that this rule hit a roadblock under the present administration, as the securities industry challenged its viability in court. And while DOL has also indicated that it is pushing for a new fiduciary rule, there is no guarantee that its future proposal would have the same grit as the previous one. This assertion is probable, considering the likelihood that Eugene Scalia, the attorney that led the case against DOL’s previous fiduciary rule, would emerge as the new Labor Secretary.

Also, it is important to note that the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards plans on enforcing an ethics code that would entail that its 84,000 members adhere to fiduciary standards, irrespective of the regulatory frameworks that govern them. Interestingly enough, this code’s implementation date coincides with that of Reg BI’s.

More importantly, some states are contemplating on taking matters into their own hands by imposing separate fiduciary rules that would correct the apparent flaws of Reg BI. For instance, New Jersey’s security bureau has released a rule proposal that explicitly classifies brokers- dealers as fiduciaries. Other states that have taken a similar path are Nevada and Massachusetts.

In response to this development, SEC’s chairman, Jay Clayton, stated that “I and many others believe a patchwork approach to the regulation of the vast market for retail investment advice will increase costs, limit choice for retail investors and make oversight and enforcement more difficult. I am hopeful that our regulatory colleagues will continue to work with us to minimize inconsistencies and maximize the effectiveness of our collective efforts.”

However, regardless of the loopholes of Reg BI, and the controversies that spurred responses from state regulators, I believe that the SEC’s proposal is a step in the right direction in order to protect investors.

For investors, it is a matter of asking the right questions:

Who pays your broker’s commission? How much he gets paid for encouraging you to buy an investment product. Are you a fiduciary? How does a broker apply investor protection rules?

The information provided here is personal opinion and provides only a subjective opinion of the rules and regulatory guidance provided by the SEC. It should not be read as legal or compliance advice. Consult with your compliance professional for further details.