Advocacy in action blog

The Department of Labor’s (DOL’s) current efforts to revive a fiduciary-only regulation for financial professionals is unnecessary and likely to harm low- and middle-income consumers by limiting their access to professional financial services, National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA) CEO Kevin Mayeux, CAE, told officials from the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) of the White House’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

“By moving forward with the Proposed Rule, OIRA and DOL are ignoring … the real-world experience that NAIFA members saw first-hand before the 2016 Fiduciary Rule was vacated,” Mayeux said. “If finalized, the Proposed Rule will again force financial professionals to move away from brokerage services into a fee-for-service model that is tailored to higher-income clients. This model simply does not work when a year-round fiduciary duty is imposed.”

NAIFA CEO Kevin Mayeux, CAE, issued the following statement in response to the U.S. Department of Labor’s decision to advance its proposed “Retirement Security Rule” for review by the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

When it comes to preparing for retirement, having choices matters. Congress, in recent years, has passed landmark legislation encouraging Americans to invest in their futures and save for retirement while giving them greater flexibility and more planning options. Now more than ever Americans need retirement planning assistance.

American Council of Life Insurers (ACLI) President and CEO Susan Neely and NAIFA-Vermont President Tyler Wood issued the following joint statement on the best interest annuity rule adopted recently by the Vermont Department of Financial Regulation:

“A new rule adopted by the Vermont Department of Financial Regulation, led by Commissioner Kevin Gaffney, provides stronger protections to consumers seeking lifetime income through annuities. The rule enhances the standards financial professionals must follow and protects consumers' access to, and information about, annuities, the only financial product in the marketplace that can provide guaranteed income for life. 

NAIFA members in a recent survey overwhelmingly said that the Department of Labor’s fiduciary-only proposal for retirement planning services would increase the costs of serving clients. That sentiment is borne out on a macro level by a new Financial Services Institute study conducted by Oxford Economics, which found that the rule would cost financial services firms $2.7 billion in the first year with continuing annual costs of $2.5 billion. These figures are more than six times the upfront costs and nearly 11 times the ongoing costs estimated by the DOL.

NAIFA appreciates the work of a bipartisan group of federal lawmakers who oppose the Department of Labor’s proposed “Retirement Security” rule that would require a fiduciary-only model for financial services.

Representatives French Hill (R-AR) and David Scott (D-GA) and forty-eight of their colleagues in the House signed a letter to acting DOL Secretary Julie Su and Assistant Secretary Lisa Gomez asking the Department to withdraw its proposal.

NAIFA members are committed to working in the best interests of the consumers they serve. They follow a Code of Ethics requiring them to put clients’ interests first. Yet, the Department of Labor’s rehashed fiduciary-only proposal is decidedly not in the best interests of the American public who benefit from the ability to choose how and from whom they receive financial guidance.

NAIFA conducted a survey of more than 1,000 members between November 27 and December 1, 2023, to gauge the potential effects of the U.S. Department of Labor’s proposed “Retirement Security Rule: Definition of an Investment Advice Fiduciary” on the consumers who rely on financial professionals for retirement products, services, and advice.

The Department of Labor thinks it knows what's best for Americans preparing for retirement. NAIFA President Bryon Holz, CLU, ChFC, LUTCF, CASL, LACP, and his long-time client Chuck Ross think the DOL is wrong and bring their real-life experience to the argument.

Just two days after NAIFA members were on the Hill, House Committee on Small Business Chairman Roger Williams (R-TX), Rep. Dan Meuser (R-PA), Rep. Mark Alford (R-MO), and Rep. Aaron Bean (R-FL) wrote to Department of Labor Acting Secretary Julie SU inquiring about the impact of the DOL proposal on small businesses.