January 4th, 2024 Insight on Plan Design & Investment Strategy Every Weekday Administration Plan Sponsors Benchmark Plan Data to Reveal Participant’s Disparities, Retirement Readiness Plan sponsors dig deeper into data to define and measure the success of their retirement plans against the backdrop of auto-enrollment. Compliance Fiduciary Proposal Comment Period Closes, Receives Both Praise and Criticism Morningstar argued that the DOL proposal would lower fees for smaller plans, while ACLI argued it would reduce access to annuity products for lower income savers. Most Read Benefits Plan Sponsors Warm Up to Super Catch-Up Compliance District Court Sends Nationwide 401(k) Fee Complaint to Trial Compliance Kaiser to Pay $28M in Mental Health Care Settlement With DOL MARKET MIRROR Wednesday, the Dow fell 284.85 points (0.76%) to close at 37,430.19, the Nasdaq fell 173.73 points (1.18%) to close at 14,592.21 and the S&P 500 fell 38.02 points (0.80%) to close at 4,704.81. The Russell 2000 fell 53.59 points (2.66%) to close at 1,959.20, and the FT Wilshire 5000 Index fell 488.22 points (1.02%) to close at 47,497.84. The 10-year Treasury note fell 1/32, bringing the yield to 3.920%. The 30-year Treasury bond was unchanged, bringing the yield to 4.074%. Data and Research Social Security Bridging: A Low-Hanging Strategy for Plan Sponsors, Participants? Delaying the collection of Social Security and using a bridging strategy to fill in the income gap is an effective way to optimize participants’ retirement income, according to PGIM’s David Blanchett.   Benefits Employers Have An Opportunity to Press Demographic Trend: Hiring Older Workers The growing pool of workers 65 and older is affecting how plan sponsors should look at workplaces and benefits in the future. AWARDS Nomination Period Open for 2024 Plan Sponsor of the Year Awards Finalists will be recognized and winners will be announced at PLANSPONSOR’s annual Excellence in Retirement Awards dinner in June. RESEARCH 2023 PLANSPONSOR Participant Survey Participants’ insights help plan sponsors optimize their benefits strategies.  SMALL TALK ON THIS DATE: In 1809, French educator Louis Braille, who developed a system of printing and writing that is extensively used by the blind and that was named for him, was born near Paris. In 1835, Solomon Northrup, a free Black man who had been kidnapped and sold into slavery, legally obtained his freedom, and he later wrote about his experiences in “Twelve Years a Slave.” In 1935, boxer Floyd Patterson was born in Waco, North Carolina. Patterson was the first boxer to hold the world heavyweight championship twice. In 1948, the Southeast Asian nation of Burma (Myanmar) formally gained independence from Great Britain, completing the transfer of power negotiated by Burmese leader Aung San and British Prime Minister Clement Attlee in 1947. In 1960, French novelist and playwright Albert Camus, who received the 1957 Nobel Prize for Literature, was killed in an automobile accident. In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson proclaimed his vision of a “Great Society” and called for an enormous program of social welfare legislation. In 2007, Nancy Pelosi was elected speaker of the House of Representatives, becoming the first woman to hold the office. In 2010, Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, officially opened in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Did someone forward you this newsletter? Sign up here to get NEWSDash directly in your mailbox! Unsubscribe | Manage Subscriptions | Contact Us Copyright ©2026 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