NewsDash – January 20, 2021

January 20th, 2021
Insight on Plan Design & Investment Strategy Every Weekday

Benefits

Evaluating HSA Providers

What employers should ask to make sure they choose the right health savings account (HSA) provider for their employees.

Compliance

Stars Have Aligned for Union Pension Funding Action

Sources hopeful for Congressional action say arguments about saving union pensions should be linked to the broader social and economic challenges facing the U.S. and its labor force.

Most Read

Compliance
New Retirement Bill Amending ERISA Introduced in Congress

Data and Research
More Concern on the Doorstep of Retirement

Compliance
Pensions Will Recoup Losses From Allianz Structured Alpha Investments

Market Mirror

Tuesday, the Dow was up 116.26 points (0.38%) at 30,930.52, the NASDAQ climbed 198.68 points (1.53%) to 13,197.18, and the S&P 500 increased 30.66 points (0.81%) to 3,798.91. The Russell 2000 gained 27.94 points (1.32%) to finish at 2,151.14, and the Wilshire 5000 closed 346.87 points (0.87%) higher at 40,328.84.

The price of the 10-year Treasury note was unchanged, with its yield up to 1.092%. The price of the 30-year Treasury bond was unchanged, with its yield down to 1.835%.

Data and Research

Pandemic Puts More Households at Risk in Retirement

The Center for Retirement Research says half of American households are at risk of not being able to live at pre-retirement standards of living in retirement.

More Employers Prioritizing Health and Work-Life Balance

The Mercer/HERO Scorecard shows a growing consensus around the business case for well-being initiatives and an increase in social media strategies to reach employees.

Investing

Employers Can Expect ESG Guidance From New Administration

Clarification on the final rule is expected at some point in the first half of 2021, experts say.

Small Talk

There were opportunities due to lockdown orders for Americans to spend less and save more last year, but many admit they didn’t. However, in a survey from Travis Credit Union, a majority of respondents indicated they plan to change their approach to spending in 2021.

ON THIS DATE: In 1885, the roller coaster was patented by L.A. Thompson. In 1945, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the only president to be elected to three terms in office, was inaugurated to his fourth—and final—term. He was also the first president to be inaugurated on January 20th, the date set by the 20th Amendment to the Constitution. In 1981, minutes after Ronald Reagan’s inauguration as the 40th president of the United States, the 52 U.S. captives held at the U.S. embassy in Teheran, Iran, were released, ending the 444-day Iran Hostage Crisis. In 1986, the U.S. observed the first federal holiday in honor of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. In 1994, Shannon Faulkner became the first woman to attend classes at The Citadel in South Carolina. In 2009, Barack Hussein Obama was sworn in as the 44th U.S. president, becoming the first African American to hold the nation’s highest office.

WEDNESDAY WISDOM: “Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.”—Desmond Tutu, South African Anglican cleric and theologian

Industry Intel Roundup—Featured White Paper

PLANSPONSOR is pleased to present the next edition of our Industry Intelligence roundup. This week, we are featuring white papers offering key insights and analysis about the industry. The content was created to educate, inform and offer ideas for plan sponsors regarding plan design, investing, administration and compliance.