Melanie Waddell

Melanie is senior editor and Washington bureau chief of ThinkAdvisor. Her ThinkAdvisor coverage zeros in on how politics, policy, legislation and regulations affect the investment advisory space. Melanie’s coverage has been cited in various lawmakers’ reports, letters and bills, and in the Labor Department’s fiduciary rule in 2024. In 2019, Melanie received an Honorable Mention, Range of Work by a Single Author award from @Folio. Melanie joined Investment Advisor magazine as New York bureau chief in 2000. She has been a columnist since 2002. She started her career in Washington in 1994, covering financial issues at American Banker. Since 1997, Melanie has been covering investment-related issues, holding senior editorial positions at American Banker publications in both Washington and New York. Briefly, she was content chief for Internet Capital Group’s EFinancialWorld in New York and wrote freelance articles for Institutional Investor. Melanie holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Towson University. She interned at The Baltimore Sun and its suburban edition.

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March 21, 2017 | Corporate Counsel

Texas Judge Denies Emergency Request to Block DOL Fiduciary Rule

Plaintiffs failed to satisfy four factors required to obtain an injunction pending appeal.

By Melanie Waddell, ThinkAdvisor

6 minute read

March 14, 2017 | Corporate Counsel

Business Groups Want Texas Court to Freeze Fiduciary Rule

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and industry groups are urging a Texas federal judge to block an Obama-era retirement advice rule pending an appeal and as federal regulators consider halting implementation of the rule for 60 days.

By Melanie Waddell

10 minute read

March 08, 2017 | National Law Journal

Quick Confirmation of Acosta for DOL Doesn't Mean Quick Action on Fiduciary Rule

While a compliance delay is likely, deciding to modify or kill fiduciary rule 'will be much slower than people think'

By Melanie Waddell

9 minute read

March 02, 2017 | National Law Journal

GOP Wants to Give Trump Power to Block Agency Rules

Democratic lawmakers are up in arms over legislation introduced recently that would give the Trump administration the power to block rules proposed by independent agencies, including the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

By Melanie Waddell

5 minute read

March 01, 2017 | National Law Journal

Labor Dept. Proposes 60-Day Fiduciary Rule Delay

The U.S. Labor Department on Wednesday released a proposed rule to extend for 60 days the applicability date of its fiduciary rule under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act.

By Melanie Waddell

7 minute read

February 16, 2017 | Daily Business Review

FIU Law Dean Acosta Seen as 'Safer Choice' at Labor

Veteran public servant Alex Acosta is the replacement nominee for U.S. labor secretary.

By Melanie Waddell

14 minute read

February 16, 2017 | Corporate Counsel

Law Dean Alexander Acosta Picked for Labor Secretary

President Donald Trump wasted little time in naming R. Alexander Acosta on Thursday as his new labor secretary nominee to replace Andrew Puzder, who withdrew his nomination amid opposition in the U.S. Senate. Acosta would become Trump's first Hispanic cabinet nominee.

By Melanie Waddell

13 minute read

February 15, 2017 | National Law Journal

Puzder Withdraws From Labor Secretary Nomination

Mounting opposition and Puzder being 'very tired of the abuse' led to him bowing out.

By Melanie Waddell, ThinkAdvisor

6 minute read

February 13, 2017 | National Law Journal

Sen. Warren Grills Puzder Ahead of Confirmation Hearing

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts, grilled U.S. Labor Department secretary nominee Andrew Puzder in a 28-page letter on Monday about how he'd deal with a range of issues, including minimum wage, the Wells Fargo fake-accounts scandal and the directive issued by President Donald Trump to review the fiduciary rule.

By Melanie Waddell

7 minute read

February 10, 2017 | Corporate Counsel

U.S. Labor Dept. Files Notice to Delay Fiduciary Rule

The U.S. Labor Department as expected filed a notice Thursday with the Office of Management and Budget to delay implementation of the Obama administration's controversial retirement-savings rule.

By Melanie Waddell

9 minute read

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