WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump is delaying a series of rules that require financial professionals to put their clients’ best interests first when giving advice on retirement investments.
The rules, which were set to take effect in April, will be delayed for 90 days for review.
Under the so-called “fiduciary rule,” brokers who sell stocks, bonds, annuities and other products would have to do more than just make sure the investments they recommend are “suitable” for clients. They would have to meet a stricter standard that has long applied to registered advisers: They will be considered “fiduciaries” — trustees who must put their clients’ best interests above all. Full compliance originally was required by January 2018.
At stake are about $4.5 trillion in 401(k) retirement accounts, plus $2 trillion in other defined-contribution plans such as federal employees’ plans and $7.3 trillion in IRAs, according to the Investment Company Institute (ICI).
Too often, regulators say, brokers steer clients toward questionable investments for which the broker receives a fee, thereby acting in their own financial interest instead of the client’s.
The problems often arise when people who are retiring “roll over” their employer-based 401(k) assets into individual retirement accounts. Brokers may persuade them to put those assets into variable annuities, real estate investment trusts or other investments that can be risky or otherwise not in the client’s best interest.
The Obama administration previously said investors would save about $4 billion annually under the new rules. The industry countered that investment firms will have to shell out more than that just to comply with the rules. Financial firms also argued that the stricter rules will likely shrink Americans’ investment options and could cause brokers to abandon retirement savers with smaller accounts.
Americans increasingly seek guidance in navigating their options for retirement savings. Many professionals provide advice. But not all are required to disclose potential conflicts of interest.
How stricter rules for brokers will affect retirement savers
How stricter rules for brokers will affect retirement savers
Closing Bell: Saudi main index climbs to 10,485
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Tadawul All Share Index edged up on Sunday, gaining 34.32 points, or 0.33 percent, to close at 10,484.59.
The total trading turnover of the benchmark index stood at SR2.59 billion ($690 million), with 168 listed stocks advancing and 87 declining.
The Kingdom’s parallel market Nomu also gained 100.37 points to close at 23,454.65.
The MSCI Tadawul Index advanced by 0.13 points to 1,377.44.
The best-performing stock on the main market was Nama Chemicals Co., whose share price increased by 9.98 percent to SR22.38.
The share price of Al Masar Al Shamil Education Co. rose by 9.15 percent to SR23.85.
Saudi Paper Manufacturing Co. also saw its stock price climb by 8.42 percent to SR57.95.
Conversely, the share price of Canadian Medical Center Co. dropped by 6.37 percent to SR6.03.
The stock price of Kingdom Holding Co. also declined by 3.16 percent to SR8.28.
In the parallel market, Alfakhera for Mens Tailoring Co. was the top performer, with its share price advancing by 16.40 percent to SR8.80.
On the announcements front, Theeb Rent a Car Co. said it had signed a long-term vehicle leasing services contract valued at SR110.4 million with Hungerstation Co.
Under the deal, Theeb will lease 2,000 vehicles to HungerStation for a period of four years starting from 2026, according to a Tadawul statement.
The statement added that the vehicles will be delivered in batches within the first six months from the contract start date, taking into consideration global logistical circumstances and procedures beyond the control of both the agents and the company.
The contract is expected to have a positive impact on the company’s financials from the first quarter of 2026.
The share price of Theeb Rent a Car Co. declined by 0.79 percent to SR37.80.
