IRA rollover recommendations are among the most common decisions financial advisors help clients make—and they can also present significant fiduciary and compliance considerations. In this session, securities attorney Michelle Atlas-Quinn will provide an in-depth look at how financial professionals can apply their fiduciary duty when advising clients on whether to remain in an employer plan, roll assets to another employer plan or IRA, or take a distribution.
Michelle will explain the key distinctions between financial advice and financial education, the conflicts of interest that can arise in rollover recommendations, and a practical seven-step Duty of Care process for evaluating a client’s alternatives. Through real-world scenarios and case studies, she’ll explore how advisors should evaluate costs, services, investment options, creditor protection, tax considerations, and client-specific needs—and why cost should be an important factor, but never the only factor.
The session will also examine documentation best practices, compensation-related conflicts, directed rollover requests, and common compliance pitfalls. Advisors will leave with a practical framework for making and documenting rollover recommendations that are client-specific, well-supported, and consistent with their fiduciary responsibilities.
