FDATA in the News

Welcome to the bonus year. Independent annuity agents and the marketing organizations that serve them were against the proverbial wall, blindfolded and enjoying a last vape when the Department of Labor’s (DOL) new secretary, Alexander Acosta, issued a fiduciary rule reprieve until mid-2019. Now, instead of exiting from the annuity market en masse, dazed agents and IMOs find themselves with a new lease on life.

Have you found a financial management app you’re dying to download? Your bank might be withholding your account data from the app.

Yodlee, a financial data aggregator and technology company, hired Allon Advocacy to work on issues relating to consumer financial data, credit reporting, cybersecurity and government rules about fiduciary standards. The company is one of Allon Advocacy’s first lobbying clients. The firm has also signed Freedom Financial Network, which offers loans and mortgages, in addition to debt settlement services.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s entrance into the battle between banks and fintechs over customer information appears to have done something remarkable by largely pleasing both sides.

The Department of Labor’s Fiduciary Rule on retirement advice is taking effect today. After much delay and uncertainty, particularly in the last six months under the new administration, retirement advisors now must put investor interests first when choosing products and determining fees for their services.

The June 9 initial applicability date of the DOL fiduciary rule is here, and advisors tell FA-IQ they’re largely ready to comply with the requirements of acting in the best interest of their clients. But a law firm notes that many advisors have been asking exactly how to comply with the Impartial ICS, which are in place until the rule’s full implementation on January 1, 2018.

Host Brian Wesolowski sits down with Natasha and Vijay from our Privacy and Data team to shine a spotlight on the myriad ways states are taking privacy regulations into their own hands, after several moves in the opposite direction from Congress. Then Brian brings in Steve Boms, Vice President of Government Affairs at Envestnet | Yodlee, to discuss what’s happening at the crossroads of finance and technology.

Young digital-first firms hoping to revolutionize the way advisors manage client finances and build their wealth claim they have run into resistance from major banks opposed to sharing financial data.

The ability of Americans to see their total financial picture across multiple financial institutions and quickly access technology-based tools to analyze their financial data is no longer theoretical. The fintech industry provides this capability to millions of consumers.