January 31st, 2025 Insight on Plan Design & Investment Strategy Every Weekday Data and Research Workers Eligible for Saver’s Match Likely to See Significant Increases in Retirement Wealth A new Morningstar report found that the Saver’s Match, if enacted on schedule in 2027, would disproportionately improve the retirement savings of single women, Black and Hispanic workers. Benefits Social Security Fairness Act Likely Faces Delays More than 7,000 people per day are trying to speak with Social Security Administration personnel about changes, with new information released in a recent FAQ. Most Read Benefits Health Care Cost Control to Take Center Stage in 2026 Compliance House Passes Legislative Package Allowing CITs in 403(b) Retirement Plans  Ask the Experts Can an Employer Match Catch-Up Contributions? ECONOMIC EVENTS In the week ending January 25, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 207,000, a decrease of 16,000 from the previous week’s unrevised level of 223,000, the Department of Labor announced. The four-week moving average was 212,500, a decrease of 1,000 from the previous week’s unrevised average of 213,500. Interest on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.95% for the week ending January 30, down from last week when it averaged 6.96%, Freddie Mac reported. A year ago at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 6.63%. Interest on a 15-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.12%, down from last week when it averaged 6.16%. A year ago at this time, the 15-year FRM averaged 5.94%. MARKET MIRROR Thursday, the Dow rose 168.61 points (0.38%) to close at 44,882.13, the Nasdaq rose 49.43 points (0.25%) to close at 19,681.75 and the S&P 500 rose 31.86 points (0.53%) to close at 6,071.17. The Russell 2000 rose 24.36 points (1.07%) to close at 2,307.45, and the FT Wilshire 5000 Index rose 382.47 points (0.63%) to close at 61,098.73. The 10-year Treasury note increased 2/32, bringing the yield to 4.519%. The 30-year Treasury bond increased 3/32, bringing the yield to 4.764%. PRODUCTS Product & Service Launches Equitable introduces a 401(k) PEP; Pontera, Orion announce new integration; PEO Partners, AlphaQuest launch actively managed ETF; and more. Awards MEPs and PEPs Eligible for Plan Sponsor of the Year PLANSPONSOR is opening its Plan Sponsor of the Year awards to closed MEPs and to PEPs. Only the pooled plan provider, or PPP, of a PEP can apply, and only the sponsoring entity of a closed MEP can apply. If we have enough entries, we will recognize these categories in the 2025 awards program.If you... SMALL TALK ON THIS DATE: In 1919, Jackie Robinson, a professional baseball player who became the first African American to play in Major League Baseball in the modern era, was born in Cairo, Georgia. In 1958, Explorer 1 was the first artificial space satellite orbited by the United States, marking the country’s entry into the space race. In 1966, the Soviet Union launched Luna 9, the first spacecraft to make a soft landing on the Moon. In 1977, the Pompidou Centre, a French national cultural center named for former president Georges Pompidou, opened in Paris. In 1981, singer and actor Justin Timberlake, a member of boy band *NYSNC before launching a solo career, was born in Memphis, Tennessee. In 2001, Libyan national Abdelbaset Ali Mohamed al-Megrahi was convicted in the 1988 Pan Am flight 103 bombing, in which 270 people were killed; in 2009, the Scottish government released Megrahi from prison after he was diagnosed with terminal cancer. In 2020, the U.K. formally left the European Union, more than three years after the country voted for “Brexit.” 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