In the wake of any new tax law, there are always issues that cause problems when the new provisions are actually put into practice. One such issue with the recently enacted Tax Cuts and Jobs Act: hardship withdrawals from a 401(k) plan to address a personal casualty loss of a principal residence... READ MORE

A recent analysis suggests that the SEC’s take on a fiduciary standard may be inching closer to that of the DOL.In “SEC Enforcement Slowly Tilting Fiduciary Needle toward ERISA,” an article appearing on the Corporate Compliance Insights website, Duane Thompson argues that “the SEC’s examination and... READ MORE

Most plan sponsors didn’t change the number of funds on their plan menu – but the proportion of those who did was the highest since 2012, according to a new survey.Perhaps more significantly, those making a change (35%) more often decreased the number of funds (20.2%) than increased them (14.6%)... READ MORE

As a step toward increasing transparency, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) for the first time has released its annual budget, showing that the 2018 budget does not include a fee rate increase for its member firms, despite certain “evolving” challenges.FINRA’s Financial Guiding... READ MORE

An amended claim in an excessive fee litigation treads some new ground – including naming the plan’s investment advisor as a defendant.New York University was the target of one of the first of the university 403(b) excessive suits filed in August 2016, and representing the plaintiffs then (and now... READ MORE

Knowledge of passive investment strategies, portfolio risk management, behavioral finance, fiduciary responsibilities and ethics top the list of enhancements to the Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA) certification process, according to a new report.Based on findings in the Investments... READ MORE

A new survey examining what consumers look for in a financial professional finds that personal communications and overall experience are key factors in building trust and solidifying the relationship.More than half of Americans say their trust would increase if a financial professional communicated... READ MORE

ERISA attorney Fred Reish looks at another “mistaken belief” about the fiduciary regulation.In his most recent blog post on the fiduciary regulation, Reish explains that under that regulation, and the transition Best Interest Contract Exemption (BIC) – which has been in effect since June 9, 2017 –... READ MORE

The advent of 2018 has brought new requirements for practitioners who contact the IRS Practitioner Priority Service line for assistance.RSM US LLP, part of a global network of independent audit, tax and consulting firms, recently issued an alert that the IRS has changed its verification procedures... READ MORE

Every month, it seems, new research comes out suggesting that Millennials are doing better at saving than their older counterparts. But are they really?The latest results come from Discover, which found that Millennials apparently are outperforming older generations as a whole when it comes to... READ MORE

Earlier this year I went to an event in our nation’s capital called “Awesome Con.”As event names go, it’s a bit corny, but if it evokes a reference to Comic-Con, well that’s the point. Awesome Con is a mixture of cosplay (dressing up like your favorite comic book, gaming, or anime characters),... READ MORE

As we head into the new year, there are lots of predictions and portents (and predictions based on portents) for the year ahead – and this week NAPA Net readers peeked into their crystal balls, and took a shot at their predictions for markets, the elections, the fiduciary regulation, retirement... READ MORE