(Washington)

Have you been concerned about the newest iteration of the DOL’s Fiduciary Rule, which is due out by the end of this year? You should have been. While investors have been anxious about it, the generally more industry-friendly DOL under Trump has alleviated some anxieties. However, some thing very big just happened—DOL chief Acosta has resigned (amidst the Jeffrey Epstein scandal). That means there is likely to be a significant review and change of priorities as new leadership comes in. That leaves the fate and direction of the DOL very uncertain.

FINSUM: This is not necessarily good news. One could get giddy and think the Fiduciary Rule might no longer be a priority, but there is an equal chance the next head of the department may come in and say “this isn’t tough enough”.