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February 26th, 2025
Insight on Plan Design & Investment Strategy Every Weekday
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| MARKET MIRROR |
Tuesday, the Dow rose 159.95 points (0.37%) to close at 43,631.16, the Nasdaq fell 260.54 points (1.35%) to close at 19,026.39 and the S&P 500 fell 28.00 points (0.47%) to close at 5,955.25. The Russell 2000 fell 8.18 points (0.38%) to close at 2,170.08, and the FT Wilshire 5000 Index fell 301.54 points (0.50%) to close at 59,519.98.
The 10-year Treasury note increased 31/32, bringing the yield to 4.300%. The 30-year Treasury bond increased 1 28/32, bringing the yield to 4.564%.
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ON THIS DATE: In 1815, forced to abdicate as French emperor in 1814, Napoleon escaped from exile on the island of Elba and, gathering support en route, retook power on his return to Paris on March 20. In 1919, Congress established Grand Canyon National Park in northwestern Arizona. In 1929, Grand Teton National Park was established in Wyoming; in 1950 it was expanded to include most of Jackson Hole National Monument. In 1951, novelist James Jones published “From Here to Eternity,” about the U.S. Army in Hawaii before the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor; it was later adapted into an Academy Award-winning movie. In 1993, the World Trade Center in New York City was bombed in an act of terrorism, and Islamic radicals were later convicted for the crime. In 2012, national debates about racism and racial profiling ensued after Trayvon Martin, an unarmed African American teenager returning from a convenience store in Sanford, Florida, was fatally shot by a neighborhood-watch volunteer, George Zimmerman, who later successfully argued that he had acted in self-defense.
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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: Principal | March 24, 2026 | | The retirement ripple effect: The cost of delayed retirement | | More employees are working beyond age 65—not only by choice, but often because they’re not financially prepared to retire. This shift creates a notable ripple effect across organizations, influencing cost structures, mobility, and long-term workforce strategy. A new Principal® analysis reveals that delayed retirements create a measurable cost impact, but those costs vary significantly by industry. As the retirement landscape evolves, many organizations are rethinking how they support long-term financial security for their workforce. Employees want the ability to retire when they feel personally and financially ready, and employers want to help make that possible. When people can retire on their own terms, it creates space for thoughtful workforce planning, smoother transitions, and a healthier overall workplace. Employers can support those outcomes through thoughtful plan design. Automated features—such as auto enrollment, auto increase, and annual re-enrollment—help employees start saving earlier, stay engaged, and build confidence in their retirement readiness. When employees can retire on time, organizations benefit from lower long-term costs, improved mobility, and a more resilient talent strategy.
Join managing directors of Enhanced Plan Design at Principal for a practical, data-driven conversation on:
• What’s driving delayed retirement across industries.
• How delayed retirement affects employer cost structures and why the impact varies by sector.
• Scalable ways plan design—especially automated features—can influence retirement readiness, often at a cost lower than a single year of delayed retirement.
• Practical design actions to support employee readiness. |
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|  | | August 19, 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: MetLife | March 3, 2026 | | Paycheck or Pot of Gold? Helping Participants Navigate the Decumulation Dilemma | | In this webinar, you’ll discover how defined contribution plan participants are navigating the decumulation dilemma— taking their accumulated savings as a paycheck (i.e., an annuity) or a perceived “pot of gold” (i.e., a lump sum). We’ll share key findings from MetLife’s 2026 Paycheck or Pot of Gold Study, which show how quickly lump sums are being depleted and, in contrast, the high levels of satisfaction among annuitants. Whether you already enable your plan participants to convert their DC savings into guaranteed lifetime income – or are considering it – you won’t want to miss this webinar. ● Hear how pre-retirees and retirees are navigating the challenge of making their savings last ● Learn about employers’ growing interest in guaranteed lifetime income solutions from the industry's market leader ● Understand how you can shape successful retirement outcomes for your plan participants |
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| | | January 28, 2026 | | Benchmarking Your Plan: Using Data to Stay Competitive | | In this webinar, you’ll discover how benchmarking can transform your retirement plan into a powerful tool for attracting and retaining talent. We’ll highlight key findings from the PLANSPONSOR Defined Contribution Survey and show how benchmarking drives smarter plan design decisions.
Hear real-world examples and advisor insights on improving plan competitiveness and employee outcomes. Find out why benchmarking matters, what to look for, and how to put these strategies into action. |
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