"We're obviously in favor of the DOL attempting to make a clear distinction between the two. But what specifically defines education? In our perspective, it has to be conflict free," he said.

Since the company's inception in 1999, the push to extend financial education to plan participants has become an almost universal objective among large plan sponsors. As evidence, Ward points to recent AON data that shows 93 percent of sponsors either have a financial wellness program in place, or plan to add a program.

Those sponsors are highly cognizant of potential hidden fiduciary liabilities when they contract with third-party educators, says Ward, as the question of fiduciary liability comes up every time Financial Finesse answers a request for proposal.

Not having any affiliation with advisors, investment firms or their products has provided a clear advantage, he said.

"Sponsors greatly appreciate the lack of bias in our products, but they are skeptical at first," he explained. "We're not giving asset advice, selling investment products or managing assets, so the question of whether or not we act as fiduciaries, or whether a sponsor has to monitor us as fiduciaries, has always been clear to answer," claims Ward.

The sponsor-driven demand for retirement and financial education services that can be passed on to employees has created a cottage industry of education providers.

Several have been a part of headline-grabbing acquisitions this year. Morningstar recently bought HelloWallet, a Washington D.C.-based startup, for a reported $52 million.

On its website, HelloWallet says its software-based solutions "help employees climb the ladder to financial wellness" one step at a time.

Northwestern Mutual recently announced its acquisition of LearnVest for a reported $250 million. The software-based program claims to take a holistic approach to financial advice, going so far as to help uses budget weekly expenses and disposable income.

Both the acquired tech-based solutions were designed to leverage education to build improved financial and retirement outcomes.

Now, those tech-based services, which could be thought of at least in part as education providers, are aligned with larger providers of products and advice that would be fiduciaries under the DOL's new rule, creating potential new questions as to where the line between education and advice is drawn.

"This will definitely be an area of challenge for the DOL," Ward predicts. "How do we define financial wellness, and which products and services are and are not aligned with other aspects of fiduciary advice."

If there is a certainty to be presumed about financial education, it could be that the demand isn't softening anytime soon.

That could mean advisors to plans and providers of investment products will have to partner with, acquire or create more developed education programs, potentially making the line between education and advice even murkier.

"It's critical the DOL create specific language for sponsors to help them differentiate the two," Ward said.