Suitabilty change in the works?

We've discussed the slew of new financial regulations that may be coming down the pike. Here's one that would have a profound affect on financial services firms. FINRA has asked for comment on whether it should propose to the SEC a rule that would expand suitability obligations for brokers. The new rule would apply the suitability standard to all products and services regardless of whether they involve securities. 

This could be a real boon to securities-oriented plaintiffs lawyers. They could likely bring a greater range of suitability-related cases. The issue has gathered some momentum as FINRA struggles with the concept of a fiduciary standard vs. a suitability standard for investment advisors, even though some think the two are hardly mutually exclusive. It doesn't appear hard--to a layman anyway--to harmonize the two. 

For more:
- here's the Dow Jones article
- here's an Investment News article