[Official Guidance]

Text of DOL FAQs on Conflict of Interest Exemptions (PDF)
24 pages. 34 Q&As, including: "Is compliance with the BIC Exemption required as a condition of executing a transaction, such as a rollover, at the direction of a client in the absence of an investment recommendation? ...Is the BIC Exemption available for advisers who act as discretionary fiduciaries to retirement plans and then provide investment advice to a participant to roll over assets to an IRA for which the adviser will provide advice? ... Is the BIC Exemption available for recommendations to roll over assets to an IRA to be managed on a going- forward basis by a discretionary investment manager? ... Is 'robo-advice' covered by the BIC Exemption or other exemption? ... Does the full BIC Exemption prohibit a financial institution or adviser from discounting prices paid by customers for services? ... Under the BIC Exemption, who are 'level fee fiduciaries' and what prohibited transaction relief is available to them? ... Can an adviser and financial institution rely on the level fee provisions of the BIC Exemption for investment advice to roll over from an existing plan to an IRA if the adviser does not have reliable information about the existing plan's expenses and features? ... Can a financial institution and adviser rely on the level fee provisions in the BIC Exemption to recommend a rollover from an employee benefit plan to an IRA if the adviser will become a discretionary manager with respect to the IRA assets after the rollover? ... Can insurance companies rely on independent insurance agents to sell fixed rate and fixed indexed annuities to retirement investors after the applicability date of the Rule? ... What is the role of insurance intermediaries, such as independent marketing organizations (IMOs), in the sale of annuity contracts to retirement investors after the applicability date of the Rule? Can they receive compensation such as commissions and override payments? ...Is there a way to get an exemption for advice to engage in principal transactions involving assets that are not specifically covered by the Principal Transactions Exemption? ... Does PTE 84- 24 cover rollovers into an annuity? ... The wording of PTE 84-24's reasonable compensation standard differs from the reasonable compensation standard used in the BIC Exemption. Does the Department intend to interpret them differently? ... How will the Department approach implementation of the new rule and exemptions during the period when financial institutions and advisers are coming into compliance?"
Employee Benefits Security Administration [EBSA], U.S. Department of Labor [DOL]

From EBSA Secretary Phyllis Borzi: Your Conflicts of Interest Questions Answered
"Earlier this year, we announced new protections to ensure that Americans who are saving for retirement will have access to financial advice in their best interest.... One of the first and most important efforts on this front is the publication of FAQs based on the input we've received from the financial services industry and others. These questions are an important part of the regulatory process as they allow the department to clarify important parts of the rule, and head off misunderstandings that could lead to bad results for retirement savers, or financial services professionals.... Our initial focus has been, and remains, broad compliance with the rule."
U.S. Department of Labor [DOL] Blog