After years of discussion, today the Department of Labor proposed a new rule altering the long-standing fiduciary standard and it was approved by the Office of Management and Budget. Controversial from their start in 2010, these new regulations have been framed as a way to help the middle-class avoid excessive fees and poor advice from financial professionals who do not already serve as a fiduciary.

After nearly five years of waiting, the DOL has released its proposal to amend the regulation governing ERISA’s fiduciary definition. The proposed fiduciary rule aims to expand fiduciary duties to those who provide investment advice. With expert analysis and reaction, EBA is covering the highly anticipated unveiling of the rule. Here you can find our complete coverage on the proposed rule.

On Tuesday, the Department of Labor released its much-anticipated rule proposal extending a fiduciary standard to thousands of brokers and advisers providing investment advice to clients on retirement accounts. As the days follow, check back for coverage and analysis of what to expect during the 75-day notice and comment period.

The much-anticipated rule that provides a new definition of who is a fiduciary was released by DOL this week to much fanfare. And while most people agree there won’t be much impact on plan sponsors, there are passionate groups on both sides of the aisle fighting for or against this new proposal.

Commentary: By shifting some of the focus to the advisers, the DOL is getting closer to the heart of the problem, but it still doesn’t go far enough.

Commentary: Both fiduciary and non-fiduciary advocates are likely to find some language that appeases them in the Labor Department's new Proposed Rule to greatly expand the application of fiduciary duties to those who provide investment advice to most qualified retirement plans and IRA accounts — but both sides will also find language which causes much concern.

Commentary: ERISA lawyer shares 9 initial reactions to the Department of Labor’s proposed fiduciary definition rule, including how the proposal differs from the DOL’s 2010 effort.

Commentary: The new proposal will provide greater transparency regarding fees and a uniform definition of who is a fiduciary.

Although interest in private exchanges is growing slowly among large employers, many still have reservations about whether exchanges will offer more value than the plans they already offer. So, how does a large employer determine if a private exchange is the right move?

Technical difficulties may have marred public exchanges' first year of operation, but at least providers were able to breathe a collective sigh of relief about not being inundated with a sharp increase in new or sick patients scheduling appointments.

Commentary: Administration's headline on fee disclosure speaks for itself, but meanwhile, keep an eye on two more decisions on adviser fee disclosures that are on the horizon, says EBA Advisory Board member Jerry Kalish.

The Department of Labor on Tuesday unveiled its much-anticipated rule proposal extending a fiduciary standard to thousands of brokers and advisers providing investment advice to clients on retirement accounts – but details on enforcement were still forthcoming.

The Department of Labor Tuesday unveiled its much-anticipated rule proposal extending a fiduciary standard to thousands of brokers and advisers providing investment advice to clients on retirement accounts – but details on enforcement were still forthcoming.

The Affordable Care Act has increased the burden for benefit professionals and forced employers to alter their business practices to comply with the health care reform law, industry experts told Congress.

It’s not often a company finds itself in a market position where it has the flexibility and agility of a newcomer, along with a storied history that provides name recognition and a solid base of existing expertise. Global financial services giant AXA is in this sweet spot as it enters the U.S. employee benefit business for the first time.

Anyone who works with people knows the positive effect offering high-quality employee benefits can have on a workforce. They attract the best potential candidates for new jobs and foster a sense of loyalty and support among current staff, in addition to other things.

Seattle-based Array Health says it has formed a partnership with HealthEquity providing personal health accounts on Array’s e-commerce platform – Array Spectrum.

Employees and employers need to make sure their 401(k), 403(b) and 457 plan assets are in the right allocations for where they are in life, and that means revisiting those allocations on a regular basis.

Despite the best efforts of workplace-sponsored retirement plans and even the relatively positive status of Social Security, many baby boomers say they have lost confidence in their ability to live comfortably in retirement.

A plan’s average account balance is a key metric used by recordkeepers and other service providers to evaluate its health. Increasing it can give sponsors the leverage they need to negotiate lower fees.