The new Trump administration combined with a Republican-controlled House and Senate could usher in the most significant regulatory changes to the ETF industry since 1990. That year, the Republican-led U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) granted exemptive relief that gave birth to the ETF, one of the most consequential and innovative financial products in history.

Robo-advisory firms often build client portfolios with exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and mutual funds.  This makes practical sense – these instruments allow advisers to efficiently meet a wide range of client investment objectives.  Nevertheless, as mentioned in our last post, the SEC’s Division of Exams (EXAMS) has made it a priority this year to focus