February 7th, 2025 Insight on Plan Design & Investment Strategy Every Weekday Benefits Plan Sponsors Move Forward (Slowly) With SECURE 2.0 Provisions While catch-up contributions and cash-out thresholds have been adopted widely, take-up is more ponderous for student loan matching and emergency withdrawal flexibility. Benefits Bills to Allow CITs in 403(b) Plans Reintroduced in House, Senate The Retirement Fairness for Charities and Education Institutions Act of 2025 was reintroduced by a bipartisan group of senators and representatives on Wednesday. Most Read Compliance House Passes Legislative Package Allowing CITs in 403(b) Retirement Plans  Compliance Trump Signs Executive Order Targeting ‘Politically-Motivated’ Proxy Advisers  Compliance IRS Issues Guidance Expanding HSA Access ECONOMIC EVENTS In the week ending February 1, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial jobless claims was 219,000, an increase of 11,000 from the previous week’s revised level of 208,000. The four-week moving average was 216,750, an increase of 4,000 from the previous week’s revised average of 212,750. Interest on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.89% for the week ending February 6, down from last week when it averaged 6.95%, Freddie Mac reported. A year ago at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 6.64%. Interest on a 15-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.05%, down from last week when it averaged 6.12%. A year ago at this time, the 15-year FRM averaged 5.90%.  MARKET MIRROR Thursday, the Dow fell 125.65 points (0.28%) to close at 44,747.63, the Nasdaq rose 99.66 points (0.51%) to close at 19,791,99 and the S&P 500 rose 22.09 points (0.36%) to close at 6,083.57. The Russell 2000 fell 9.11 points (0.39%) to close at 2,307.12, and the FT Wilshire 5000 Index rose 178.94 points (0.29%) to close at 61,189.59. The 10-year Treasury note was unchanged, bringing the yield to 4.445%. The 30-year Treasury bond was unchanged, bringing the yield to 4.638%. Compliance Judge Limits Treasury Secretary From Widely Distributing Data to DOGE The order limits access to Department of the Treasury data to two individuals working with Elon Musk’s DOGE and excludes access to confidential data and payment systems. PRODUCTS Product & Service Launches Empower Expands Benefits Services With CDHC Offering; Alight Launches First of Two 2025 Releases of Alight Worklife Platform; and more. SMALL TALK ON THIS DATE: In 1940, the animated film “Pinocchio” had its world premiere. In 1964, the musical British Invasion began when the Beatles landed in New York City, and two nights later, as Beatlemania stormed America, their performance on “The Ed Sullivan Show” was watched by 73 million viewers. In 1965, comedian Chris Rock, known for his stand-up routines and films, was born. In 1974, Grenada gained independence from the U.K. In 1986, in the wake of political unrest, Haitian President Jean-Claude Duvalier fled his country, with U.S. assistance, for France. In 1999, Abdullah II became king of Jordan hours after the death of his father, Hussein. In 2013, Mississippi became the last U.S. state to officially abolish slavery; it had ratified the Thirteenth Amendment in 1995 but failed to submit the necessary paperwork. In 2019, baseball player and manager Frank Robinson, who was the first Black manager in Major League Baseball, died at age 82. In 2023, basketball player Lebron James became the all-time highest scorer in the NBA, surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record of 38,387. Did someone forward you this newsletter? Sign up here to get NEWSDash directly in your mailbox! Unsubscribe | Manage Subscriptions | Contact Us Copyright ©2025 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