(Washington)

Speaking as a financial publication, the SEC’s new Reg BI has been an odd story to cover. For something so consequential to the industry, there has been quite scant coverage of it, and very little industry commentary from actual advisors and networks. Unlike the DOL rule, there has not been the ceaseless cacophony of voices chiming in for and against the rule. But why? The answer is that the SEC has much sharper teeth than the DOL. Unlike the DOL, which has a very narrow scope of regulation in wealth management, the SEC is the principal regulator of the industry, and thus nobody wants to get on its bad side with aggressive commentary about the rule. Accordingly, everyone has been quite tight-lipped, even in interview requests.

FINSUM: This makes a lot of sense. If one wants to get really critical of the SEC’s new rule, they better have very deep pockets for lawyers, as the SEC can basically put any firm out of business.