Podcast Center
Video Center
Webcasts
Resource Center
Events
May 05, 2017 at 10:41 AM
As Morgan Stanley and other firms move to push some providers like Vanguard off their product platforms ahead of the now-delayed Department of Labor fiduciary standard, it’s possible that their advisors may get less or no compensation for assets clients want to keep in these holdings.
According to a report in Friday’s Wall Street Journal, Morgan Stanley is considering several options – including taking these assets out of fee and other compensation arrangement for its FAs. Though a decision hasn’t been reached yet, such a move is possible as are plans that may still pay advisors for such funds, people familiar with the issue told the paper.
As of next week, Morgan Stanley’s 15,700-plus reps can no longer offer new sales of Vanguard mutual funds, though they can sell Vanguard ETFs. Clients who previously bought and are holding these funds in their accounts are not being asked to sell them, and they can expand these positions until early 2018.
Such moves are being questioned by fund specialists like Paul D. Ellenbogen of Morningstar, as the industry grapples with a now-delayed Department of Labor fiduciary standard: “How do you explain that on a BIC [best interest contract] basis?” asked the head of Global Regulatory Solutions. “It’s not like these [Vanguard] funds are pricey or of poor quality.”
In other words, “Advisors can make the case to clients that they should move to cheaper funds or those with great diversification or higher quality,” Ellenbogen said. But that’s not what’s happening at the wirehouse.
Morgan Stanley’s moves appear to be happening in sync with the June 9, 2017, and Jan. 1, 2018, compliance deadlines for the fiduciary rule, sources say. The firm reported total client assets of $2.2 trillion in its first-quarter earnings statement.
“This seems to be all about compensation to the advisor not about the client or asset management,” he added. “It’s about somebody getting paid – not about providing advice. An independent advisor would say, ‘Let’s stay in [the cheaper product].’ ”
Cutting Funds
The wirehouse told its reps in April that it was making a series of pricing, policy and product changes “regardless of the status of the DOL rule that were designed to further raise the standard of care for our clients,” according to a statement. “These changes are designed to reduce client costs, ensure we are offering top quality products to clients, and reduce the potential for conflicts of interest.”
These changes entailed dropping the number of funds available to clients by 25%.
“While the funds we are closing to new sales (including Vanguard) represent less than 5% of the total mutual fund assets held by our clients, this reduction will allow us to increase our research coverage and due diligence on the funds remaining open,” it explained.
