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February 21st, 2024
Insight on Plan Design & Investment Strategy Every Weekday
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| MARKET MIRROR |
Tuesday, the Dow fell 64.19 points (0.17%) to close at 38,563.80, the Nasdaq fell 144.87 points (0.92%) to close at 15,630.78 and the S&P 500 fell 30.06 points (0.60%) to close at 4,975.51. The Russell 2000 lost 28.60 points (1.41%) to close at 2,004.14, and the FT Wilshire 5000 Index lost 339.10 points (0.67%) to close at 50,112.30.
The 10-year Treasury note increased 1/32, bringing the yield to 4.280%. The 30-year Treasury bond decreased 3/32, bringing the yield to 4.453%.
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ON THIS DATE: In 1885, the Washington Monument was dedicated on the grounds of the Mall in Washington, D.C. In 1916, the Battle of Verdun, one of the most devastating engagements of World War I, began. In 1925, the weekly magazine “The New Yorker” began publication under founding editor Harold W. Ross. In 1936, lawyer and politician Barbara Jordan, the first African American congresswoman to come from the Deep South, was born in Houston, Texas. In 1965, Malcolm X, who articulated concepts of racial pride and Black nationalism in the U.S., was assassinated and became an ideological hero after the posthumous release of “The Autobiography of Malcolm X.” In 1972, U.S. President Richard Nixon visited to the People’s Republic of China, ending a 21-year estrangement between the communist country and the U.S. In 1995, businessman and adventurer Steve Fossett became the first person to fly solo across the Pacific Ocean in a balloon. It was the first of his many aviation records. In 2018, evangelist Billy Graham—whose large-scale preaching missions, known as crusades, and friendship with numerous U.S. presidents brought him to international prominence—died at age 99.
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| Industry Intel Roundup—Featured Webinars | | PLANSPONSOR is pleased to present the next edition of our Industry Intelligence roundup. This week, we are featuring webinars sponsored by experienced providers in the industry. The content was created to educate, inform and offer ideas for plan sponsors regarding plan design, investing, administration and compliance. |  | | SPONSORED BY: ACI | December 16, 2025 | | Retirement Realities – What Sponsors May Be Missing | | What do plan sponsors believe about retirement readiness, and how does that compare to what participants actually feel? During this webinar, Glenn Dial, Senior Retirement Strategist at American Century Investments, will unpack the findings from the firm’s 12th Annual Retirement Survey. He’ll explore where sponsor and participant perspectives align – and where they diverge – on key issues like savings confidence, market risk, and retirement income expectations. Glenn will also touch on the evolving role of target date funds (TDFs) and how guaranteed income is being viewed in today’s defined contribution landscape. This session is designed to help retirement professionals better understand the sentiment gaps and take action to close them.
What You’ll Learn:
Fresh insights from the 2025 Retirement Survey.
Key disconnects between plan sponsors and participants.
Perspectives on market risk, TDFs, and retirement income.
Strategic considerations for plan design and communication
Whether you're a plan sponsor, advisor, or industry stakeholder, this webinar will help you rethink how retirement plans can better serve the people they're built for. |
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|  | | January 28, 2026 | | Benchmarking Your Plan | | In this webinar, we’ll review findings from the annual PLANSPONSOR Defined Contribution Survey. Speakers will discuss ways to benchmark a DC plan to ensure it’s an important workforce attraction and retention tool. They will also address incorporating key plan design features that can improve employee retirement outcomes. |
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| | | August 18, 2026 | | DB Plan Administration | | Besides findings from PLANSPONSOR’s annual Defined Benefit Administration Survey, our panel will discuss trends in the defined benefit plan sector. Speakers will also talk about ongoing management of DB plans—whether closed, frozen or active—and benchmarking DB plan providers. With many corporate DB plans now overfunded, the panel will also discuss ways that sponsoring companies can use their plan’s surplus. |
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| | | November 18, 2026 | | Understanding Participant Behavior | | The PLANSPONSOR Participant Survey examines the attitudes and behaviors of American workers participating—or not—in an employer-sponsored retirement plan. We’ll explore findings about respondents’ participation and saving decisions, retirement expectations and most-valued benefits. Speakers will suggest what the findings mean for retirement plan design, benefit offerings and participant engagement. |
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|  | | SPONSORED BY: Alight | December 3, 2025 | | The Vital Role of HSAs—Beyond a Spending Account | | This webinar will explore the multifaceted value of Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) for both employers and employees, positioning them as more than just tools for healthcare spending. It highlights the unique triple tax advantage of HSAs which makes them a powerful and cost-effective benefit for organizations aiming to enhance employee financial wellness without increasing costs.
We will also emphasize immediate employee benefits such as tax savings, flexibility in covering a wide range of medical expenses, portability, and the absence of a “use it or lose it” rule.
Finally, we will address the importance of minimizing fees, as even small differences can significantly impact long-term savings. It encourages plan sponsors to evaluate HSA providers with the same rigor as 401(k) vendors and to focus on low-cost investment options. |
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