Any significant changes would likely spur a lawsuit, and the courts have been tougher on regulators when they reverse course on rules after a new president comes into office.
The contest involved persuading customers to take out securities-based loans in which they borrowed against the value of their portfolios.
DOL fiduciary rule inspires questions about whether annuity transactions' current suitability standard is sufficient.
Explanations for removing a complaint from a broker's record range from a couple paragraphs to several pages, but critics still worry about the impact to investors of wiping a slate clean.
Sure, the delay of the DOL fiduciary rule is big news. But there are other important matters going on in Washington.
The regulator sees difference in compliance levels between W-2 and affiliated advisers, says Peter Driscoll, acting director of the SEC's Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations.
But the Labor Department says 'there is little basis for concluding that advisers need still more time before they will be ready to give advice that is in the best interest of retirement investors.'
Financial industry opponents continue their losing streak in court
Agency pushes back implementation date just before April 10 deadline
