"For wealth advisors and RIAs, the implications of this ongoing dispute extend beyond the legal maneuvers. Deferred compensation remains a powerful retention tool across the wirehouse and brokerage landscape ... If courts or regulators were to determine that such programs fall under ERISA, it could significantly alter how firms structure advisor pay, adding compliance burdens and limiting forfeiture provisions that firms rely on to retain talent." [DOL Advisory Opinion 2025-03A; O'Neill v. Morgan Stanley, No. 24-00358 (FINRA Aug. 8, 2025)]  MORE >>