FinReg or The American Financial Stability Act of 2010

We are almost there. Everyone has been waiting for the final version of The American Financial Stability Act of 2010 to become law. Shortly, we will be able to see it for ourselves and look for how it will impact the financial industry.

The early word is that the authority to require the fiduciary standard  for broker/dealers and investment advisers will be granted to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The current status of the fiduciary standard is that investment advisers (like my firm) are already subject to the fiduciary standard. It is the broker/dealers (Wall Street firms, Banks & Insurance Companies) who are not subject to the fiduciary standard.

The SEC will have to wait six months until a study is done. This is really an opportunity for Wall Street firms, Banks and Insurance Companies to fight it and or, time to get prepared for it. The law is supposed to give the SEC the power to implement a rule related to the fiduciary standard. The SEC has commissioners who vote on such any rules, if presented. So, there is no guarantee that after the results of the study, the SEC will make such a rule. FinReg only gives them the power to make such a rule, I believe. It doesn't necessarily make it etched in stone. Also, they normally put proposed rules out for a period of time before implementation and allow people to comment on them. Then, after the comment period, the SEC reviews the comments and determines the impact that making the final rule may have on the industry.

I wonder, if it is easier for Wall Street firms, Banks and Insurance Companies to fight the implementation of an SEC rule such as the fiduciary standard, as opposed to a law passed by Congress. There is a major difference if you catch my drift. It would be much tougher to overturn legislation, in my opinion. Do not think for a minute that Wall Street firms, Banks and Insurance Companies will not be flooding the SEC with comments on any proposed rule on the fiduciary standard. It is obvious they do not want it.

The main thing you need to understand is that registered investment advisers are already subject to the fiduciary standard and they (we) only wear one hat. So, if you see a lot of resistance to the fiduciary standard in the next six months, keep in mind that is not coming from registered investment advisers.

As I have blogged about many times before, the best financial advisor to hire is an Independent Registered Investment Adviser with no Wall Street firm, Bank or Insurance Company broker/dealer affiliations. Like me.