January 6th, 2025 Insight on Plan Design & Investment Strategy Every Weekday Administration Retirement Plan Benchmarking: ‘More Art Than Science’ Experts say ongoing monitoring of retirement plans to ensure they maintain competitive offerings should be more nuanced than merely looking at costs and investment performance. Data and Research Adoption of Optional SECURE 2.0 Provisions Still Slow Going Into 2025 Emergency sidecar accounts and student loan matching have been picked up by few employers, according to a new Alight survey. Most Read Compliance American Airlines Failed to Protect Workers’ 401(k)s in ESG Case, Federal Court Finds Compliance Treasury, IRS Issue Proposed Regulations on SECURE 2.0 Provisions Compliance IRS Provides Relief for Participants Impacted by California Wildfires ECONOMIC EVENTS Thursday, the Department of Labor will issue its initial jobless claims report, and Freddie Mac will update average mortgage rates for the week. MARKET MIRROR Friday, the Dow rose 339.86 points (0.80%) to close at 42,732.13, the Nasdaq rose 340.88 points (1.77%) to close at 19,621.68 and the S&P 500 rose 73.92 points (1.26%) to close at 5,942.47. The Russell 2000 rose 36.80 points (1.65%) to close at 2,268.47, and the FT Wilshire 5000 Index rose 787.79 points (1.34%) to close at 59,666.98. The 10-year Treasury decreased 3/32, bringing the yield to 4.603%. The 30-year Treasury bond decreased 4/32, bringing the yield to 4.814%. In the week ending January 3, the Dow rose 0.60%, the Nasdaq rose 0.51% and the S&P 500 rose 0.48%. The Russell 2000 fell 1.16%, and the FT Wilshire 5000 Index finished 0.27% higher. Compliance Verizon, SSGA Join List of Fiduciaries Hit By PRT Suits A deal that transferred Verizon liabilities to group annuity contracts with Prudential and SSGA face ERISA breach allegations from former employees. DEALS AND PEOPLE Retirement Industry People Moves Faustino expands role at Broadridge, adds O’Brien of Cerulli; Pension Investors adds new retirement plan consultant; adviser Banerjee joins SRP to lead Austin, L.A. teams; and more. SMALL TALK ON THIS DATE: In 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt outlined his Four Freedoms in his State of the Union message to Congress. In 1950, Great Britain announced its recognition of the People’s Republic of China. In 1966, Indian composer A.R. Rahman, known as the “Mozart of Madras,” was born in Madras (now Chennai), India. In 1974, in an effort to conserve energy during the oil crisis, Daylight Savings Time began several months early in the U.S. and was slated to remain in place for more than a year; the move, however, proved hugely unpopular, and its duration was later amended. In 2001, the U.S. Congress certified George W. Bush as the winner of the 2000 presidential election following a legal battle. In 2021, supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol, where Congress was meeting to certify Joe Biden’s win in the 2020 election; Trump and his backers alleged widespread voter fraud, though there was no evidence for the claims. 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