Biden to announce retirement savings safeguards

The Obama administration on Friday is proposing regulations aimed at protecting workers' retirement savings.

The safeguards would protect workers from conflicts of interest in their dealings with financial advisers who manage their
401(k)s and individual retirement accounts, an administration official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the
proposal had not yet been formally announced.

Retirement investment advisers and money managers would only be allowed to give investment advice if that guidance were based
on objective computer models certified by independent experts. Investment advisers would also be barred from steering workers
into funds they are affiliated with or from which they are receiving a commission.

Vice President Joe Biden was to announce the proposal during a meeting of the White House Middle Class Task Force. Retirement
security is among the task force objectives.

If the Labor Department enacts the proposed regulations, the rules would apply to all financial institutions that offer 401(k)
programs to employers and offer financial advice to their employees. The administration says the protections would affect
tens of millions of workers across the country.