January 9th, 2025 Insight on Plan Design & Investment Strategy Every Weekday Compliance Northern Trust Reaches $6.9M Settlement Over In-House TDFs Participants in the firm’s 401(k) plan had sued the company for its alleged failure to regularly monitor plan investments and remove underperformers. PLAN ADMINISTRATION 2025 Compliance Calendar Updated The calendar article and handy printable version are now edited to reflect the technical update from the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation regarding the new, earlier deadline for premium payments. Most Read Compliance FTC Issues 2nd Report Exposing Practices of Pharmacy Benefit Managers Compliance 2025 Retirement Outlook Includes Tax Reforms, Cryptocurrency and Litigation Reform Compliance EBSA Offers Proposed ESOP Appraisal Regulations MARKET MIRROR Wednesday, the Dow rose 106.84 points (0.25%) to close at 42,635.20, the Nasdaq fell 10.80 points (0.06%) to close at 19,478.88 and the S&P 500 rose 9.22 points (0.16%) to close at 5,918.25. The Russell 2000 fell 10.84 points (0.48%) to close at 2,238.96, and the FT Wilshire 5000 Index rose 70.39 points (0.12%) to close at 59,387.57. The 10-year Treasury note decreased 1/32, bringing the yield to 4.694%. The 30-year Treasury bond decreased 2/32, bringing the yield to 4.918%. On Thursday, U.S. stock markets will be closed in observance of the National Day of Mourning for President Jimmy Carter and bond markets will close early, at 2 pm ET. Deals and People DCIIA Names 2025-2026 Executive Committee Members Another retirement organization, the Institutional Retirement Income Council, named Groom Law’s Kreps as chair of its board. SPECIAL COVERAGE Plan Benchmarking Benchmarking retirement plans is key for ERISA compliance and for overall competitiveness. These stories explore what plan sponsors need to know about it. SMALL TALK ON THIS DATE: In 1776, writer Thomas Paine published his pamphlet “Common Sense,” setting forth his arguments in favor of American independence. In 1861, Mississippi became the second U.S. state after South Carolina to secede from the Union in the run-up to the Civil War. In 1941, folksinger and political activist Joan Baez, who was at the forefront of the 1960s folk music revival, was born. In 1960, construction began on the Aswan High Dam in Egypt; upon completion in 1970, it generated enormous amounts of electric power and allowed for the control of the annual Nile flood. In 1982, Catherine Middleton, who in 2011 married Prince William and became the duchess of Cambridge, was born in Reading, Berkshire, England. In 2001, Apple introduced iTunes, a digital media player application. In 2005, Mahmoud Abbas, who was a founder of Fatah in the 1950s and served briefly as the prime minister of the Palestinian Authority in 2003 under Yasir Arafat, was elected president of the PA. In 2007, Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveiled the iPhone—a touchscreen mobile phone with an iPod, camera and web-browsing capabilities, among other features—at the Macworld convention in San Francisco. 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