February 17th, 2022 Insight on Plan Design & Investment Strategy Every Weekday Administration Tactics to Avoid Failing Nondiscrimination Testing Plan sponsors should consider the trade-offs involved between the costs of funding safe harbor contributions and the corrective actions that result from failing the tests. Data and Research Institutional Investors See Strong Returns in 2021 Public funds bested corporate funds thanks to higher equity allocations. Most Read Compliance Regulators Clarify Part-Time Eligibility Rules for ERISA 403(b) Plans Opinions Accumulating Differences: Why Personalization Matters More for Older Investors Products Apollo, Athene Working On Alts, Annuities in DC Investing Economic Events Advance estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for January, adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences, but not for price changes, were $649.8 billion, an increase of 3.8% from the previous month, and 13.0% above January 2021, the Census Bureau announced. Total sales for the November through January period were up 16.1% from the same period a year ago. Retail trade sales were up 4.4% from December, and up 11.4% from last year. Gasoline stations were up 33.4% from January 2021, while food services and drinking places were up 27.0% from the prior year. Market Mirror Wednesday, the Dow closed 54.57 points (0.16%) lower at 34,934.27, the Nasdaq decreased 15.66 points (0.11%) to 14,124.10, and the S&P 500 was up 3.94 points (0.09%) at 4,475.01. The Russell 2000 increased 2.85 points (0.14%) to 2,079.31, and the Wilshire 5000 was down 12.64 points (0.03%) at 45,285.27. The price of the 10-year Treasury note was virtually unchanged, with its yield down to 2.042%. The price of the 30-year Treasury bond was up 2/32, decreasing its yield to 2.355%. Compliance Industry Support Voiced for LIFE Act’s Introduction in House Financial services companies and retirement plan industry advocacy groups are rallying behind the legislation, which would allow plan sponsors to utilize default investments that include an annuity component. Fiduciary Forum The Cybersecurity Challenge Time to implement the DOL tip sheets and get prepared for enforcement. Small Talk ON THIS DATE: In 1801, Thomas Jefferson was elected the third president of the United States. In 1820, the Senate passed the Missouri Compromise, an attempt to deal with the dangerously divisive issue of extending slavery into the western territories. In 1897, the National Congress of Mothers was organized in Washington, D.C., by Alice McLellan Birney and Phoebe Apperson Hearst. It was the forerunner of the National PTA. In 1924, swimmer Johnny Weissmuller set a world record in the 100-yard freestyle. He did it with a time of 57-2/5 seconds in Miami, Florida. In 1933, “Newsweek” was first published. In 1934, the first high school automobile driver’s education course was introduced in State College, Pennsylvania. In 1996, in the final game of a six-game match, world chess champion Garry Kasparov triumphed over Deep Blue, IBM’s chess-playing computer, and won the match, 4-2. In 1998, in Nagano, Japan, the United States defeated Canada, 3-1, to win the gold medal in the first women’s hockey tournament held at the Winter Olympics. In 2005, President George W. Bush named John Negroponte as the first national intelligence director. No SURVEY SAYS this week. Did someone forward you this newsletter? Sign up here to get NEWSDash directly in your mailbox! Unsubscribe | Manage Subscriptions | Contact Us Copyright ©2024 Asset International, Inc. All rights reserved. No reproduction without prior authorization. Modern Slavery Statement 2022 | Do Not Sell My Personal Information | Privacy (including cookies), Social Media & Legal 702 King Farm Boulevard, Suite 300, Rockville, MD 20850