Today, Tuesday, September 8, EBSA posted the transcripts of the four-day long public hearing on the Conflicts of Interest proposed regulatory package http://www.dol.gov/agencies/ebsa/laws-and-regulations/rules-and-regulations/proposed-regulations/1210-AB32-2/hearing. We welcome comments on the testimony presented and the dialogue between witnesses and the government panel reflected at the hearing.
In addition to the transcripts, I want to bring to your attention three research reports released on August 26, 2015: Comments on a Review of a White House Report on Conflicted Investment Advice by Constantijn W.A. Panis, 2015, Financial Advice Markets: a Cross-Country Comparison by Jeremy Burke and Angela A. Hung, 2015 and Effective Disclosures in Financial Decision Making by Angela A. Hung, Min Gong, and Jeremy Burke, 2015. A fourth report by RAND entitled "Do Financial Advisers Influence Savings Behavior?" is being released contemporaneously with the posting of the transcripts. All four research reports are now posted on EBSA's website at http://www.dol.gov/agencies/ebsa/laws-and-regulations/rules-and-regulations/proposed-regulations/1210-AB32-2#additionalresearchpapers.
The Department previously announced that the public comment period would officially close approximately two weeks after EBSA posted the hearing transcript In accordance with that announcement, the public comment period will close on Thursday, September 24, 2015. No hand-delivered comments will be accepted after 6 p.m EDT on that date.(*)
Sincerely,
Phyllis Borzi
Assistant Secretary
Employee Benefits Security Administration
* On Thursday, September 24, 2015, the Frances Perkins Building at 200 Constitution Avenue and offices at 122 C Street NW will be "Closed" to the public and to employees as a result of security surrounding the visit of His Holiness Pope Francis. Thus no hand-delivered comments will be accepted on that date.