​CFM Partners Debuts DOL Fiduciary Program

WASHINGTON - Dec. 12, 2016 - PRLog -- CFM Partners today announced the availability of its DOL Fiduciary Program, a suite of solutions ranging from education in the fundamentals to monitoring and strategic GRC management. Previewed at the 2016 National Society of Compliance Professionals (NSCP) Conference, this new addition to CFM's cloud-based suite of GRC solutions is the first comprehensive program designed to help the financial services industry adapt to and prepare for the implementation of the DOL fiduciary rule, as well as meet the growing number of challenges involved in operationalizing its requirements.

"From keeping pace with the onslaught of regulatory changes to managing and communicating rapidly changing policies and procedures, to providing appropriate education—firms are looking for an all-encompassing solution," explained Beth Murphy, CFM Partners' president and CEO. "Our DOL Fiduciary Program provides all of these benefits in a comprehensive, efficient, and cost-effective solution.

Monitor, Educate, Modernize
The pressure is on to accelerate implementation plans around the DOL fiduciary rule, but the challenges to implementation are substantial. To address those challenges, CFM's DOL Fiduciary Program makes it possible for firms to monitor the rapidly changing regulatory environment, educate their Advisors, Supervisors, and other staff, and modernize their businesses and compliance processes.

Monitor: The pace of regulatory change resulting from the DOL's fiduciary rule is accelerating. CFM's Regulatory Monitoring tool, the Regulatory Matrix, provides compliance and risk management professionals the ability to easily stay current on regulatory and industry changes, and be alerted to those changes most relevant to them.  CFM has further enhanced this tool with forward-looking insights into how these changes impact business policies, procedures, and processes.

Educate:  Employee education and training are key. Firms need to train RRs, IARs, agents, and other employees on the requirements of the new rule, as well as their specific roles and responsibilities when acting in a fiduciary capacity. CFM's Fiduciary Education Program offers professional development courses to address the ongoing and in-depth training needs related to fiduciary obligations under the new rule.

Education features include:
- Initial and ongoing training in fiduciary roles, responsibilities, and best practices when acting as an investment advice fiduciary.
- Detailed and comprehensive training in fiduciary responsibilities related to recommendations of specifically prohibited transactions, including IRA rollovers, proprietary products, and variable compensation and third-party payments.
- CFM's extensive library of professional development courses that provide advisers with investment product and planning knowledge, essential to providing advice under the prudent person standard.
- Ability to tailor content with firm-specific policies, procedures, and processes.

In addition to its in-depth, longer-term solution, CFM has partnered once again with LIMRA to develop a baseline course and audience-appropriate versions focused on Registered Reps, Insurance Agents, and Wholesalers, et al.  The LIMRA Fiduciary Compliance Program, designed to provide client-facing employees with a fundamental understanding of the new rule and its practical impact on specific business activities, is available now by contacting compliance@limra.com.

"A group representing more than 40 financial services firms worked with LIMRA and CFM Partners to help define the solution," said Paul Henry, vice president and managing director for retirement clients at the LIMRA LOMA Secure Retirement Institute. "The result is a cost-effective solution that helps both sales and service professionals understand how the fiduciary rule impacts the information and advice they provide to prospects and clients, and it also enables financial institutions to document that the individuals representing them have been trained to an industry standard."

Modernize:  While the implementation of the fiduciary rule presents major challenges, it also presents an opportunity to modernize, streamline, and improve business processes and compliance operations.  CFM's cloud-based GRC platform, Access Compliance FS™, offers a suite of compliance management tools that helps firms more efficiently implement their compliance programs–including the DOL fiduciary rule–manage their risks, and improve their business performance.

Compliance Management in the Cloud
The DOL Fiduciary Program, like all CFM Partners' GRC solutions, resides in the cloud and presents its features and content in a well-organized, easy-to-use format. In addition, users can access the Program on any Internet-enabled device, from desktops to tablets, allowing advisors and employees to reference information whenever they need to via the device they are most comfortable using. Because it is cloud-based, updates are automatic, maintenance is minimal, the solutions are accessible 24/7/365, and information remains available to users for reference on an ongoing basis.

Pricing and Availability
The DOL Fiduciary Program is available directly from CFM Partners now. Pricing is based on the number of users. Additional information and a no-obligation consultation are available by visiting http://cfmpartners.com/dol-overview, calling (202) 354-2380 or emailing Solutions@CFMPartners.com.

About CFM Partners
CFM Partners is a GRC (governance, risk, and compliance) technology and intelligence solution provider located in Washington, DC. CFM combines innovative technology with deep compliance and industry expertise to deliver integrated, knowledge-based GRC solutions that enhance governance and improve risk management. CFM understands the marketplace, the regulatory environment, and the importance of putting the right tools and information into the hands of the right people at the right time. To learn more about CFM and why its solutions are used by many of the world's largest and most respected organizations, visit www.cfmpartners.com.

TRADEMARKS: CFM Partners, DOL Educate™, The Athletic Compliance Portal™, Access Compliance™, AC Policy Manager™, Access Sales™, Access Policies sp Manager™, and CFM Network™ are registered trademarks of CFM Partners, Inc. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners.