March 4th, 2024 Insight on Plan Design & Investment Strategy Every Weekday Benefits Can Multiple Employer Plans Help Close the Retirement Coverage Gap? Advertised as a more cost-efficient and less burdensome way for small employers to offer a retirement plan, pooled solutions may not be the perfect solution to the coverage gap. Investing PGIM: Core Menu Should Reflect Investment Needs of Older Participants Because equity funds tend to dominate core investment menus, PGIM argues in a new paper that there is a need for more fixed-income and conservative funds. Most Read Benefits JPMorgan Sued Over Cost of Generic Drugs in Health Plan Investing Johns Hopkins Study: Private Equity, 401(k)s Do Not Mix 2025 Service Stars ECONOMIC EVENTS Monday, the Census Bureau will will report factory orders for January. Tuesday, the Conference Board will report consumer confidence for February. Thursday, the Department of Labor will release its initial jobless claims report, and the Freddie Mac will update average mortgage rates for the week. Friday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics will report the unemployment rate for February. MARKET MIRROR Friday, the Dow rose 90.99 points (0.23%) to close at 39,087.38, the Nasdaq rose 183.02 points (1.14%) to close at 16,274.94 and the S&P 500 rose 40.81 points (0.80%) to close at 5,137.08. The Russell 2000 rose 21.55 points (1.05%) to close at 2,076.39, and the FT Wilshire 5000 rose 404.57 points (0.79%) to close at 51,725.80. The 10-year Treasury note increased 28/32, bringing the yield to 4.185%. The 30-year Treasury bond price increased 31/32, bringing the yield to 4.334%. For the week ending March 1, the Dow fell 0.11%, the Nasdaq rose 1.74% and the S&P 500 rose 0.95%. The Russell 2000 rose 2.96% and the FT Wilshire 5000 Index finished 1.12% higher. Administration Kodak Outsources Management of Overfunded US Pension Plan NEPC will manage the outsourced assets, as Kodak considers how to 'maximize the value of the over-funding.' DEALS AND PEOPLE Retirement Industry People Moves Hub makes Scott head of employee benefits for national market; Hatchett-Bodle joins Hall Benefits Law; The Standard Names Maixner national accounts sales director for retirement plans; and more. SMALL TALK ON THIS DATE: In 1789, the U.S. Constitution went into effect as the governing law of the U.S., the date having been established by Congress. In 1837, Chicago was incorporated as a city, with a population of about 4,200. In 1861, Abraham Lincoln was inaugurated at the 16th president. In 1933, in the midst of the Great Depression, Franklin D. Roosevelt was inaugurated as the 32nd U.S. president, and later he led the country out of the depression and to victory in World War II. The same year, government official Frances Perkins was sworn in as U.S. secretary of labor; she was the first woman appointed to a cabinet post. In 1989, Canadian jurist Bertha Wilson became the first woman appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada. In 2009, playwright and screenwriter Horton Foote—best known for his adaption of “To Kill a Mockingbird”—died in Connecticut. 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