Should Private Assets, Gold, and Crypto Be Investment Options in 401k and other Defined Contribution Plans?

A new executive order could radically reshape retirement investing by allowing private equity, crypto, and gold in 401(k) plans. This episode examines the factors driving the demand for alternative assets in defined-contribution plans, the potential risks to everyday investors, and why fiduciary rules and financial literacy gaps still matter.Insiders Guide Email NewsletterGet our free Investors' Checklist when you sign up for the free Money for the Rest of Us email newsletterOur Premium ProductsAsset CampMoney for the Rest of Us PlusShow NotesTrump Executive Order to Help Open Up 401(k)s to Private Markets by Miriam Gottfried, Dylan Tokar, and Matt Wirz—The Wall Street JournalDonald Trump set to open US retirement market to crypto investments by Antoine Gara, Jamie John, and Stephanie Stacey—The Financial TimesU.S. Labor Department Allows Private Equity in 401(k) Plans by Chris Cumming—The Wall Street JournalU.S. Department of Labor Supplement Statement on Private Equity in Defined Contribution Plan Designated Investment Alternatives—U.S. Department of LaborState Street New TDF Includes Private Assets by PSCA Net Staff—PSCAThe Power of Private Markets by Robert Crothers et al.—BlackRockUNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT OPINION No. 22-16268The Relentless Ask: Private Markets Are Eating the World by Michael Batnick—The Irrelevant InvestorDon’t Buy Into This Easy Fix for Stock-Market Craziness by Jason Zweig—The Wall Street JournalThe Private Equity Boom Is Leaving Midsize Players Behind by Preeti Singh and Laura Benitez—Bloomberg401(k) Retirement Plans: Many Participants Do Not Understand Fee Information, but DOL Could Take Additional Steps to Help Them—U.S. Government Accountability OfficeDEFINED CONTRIBUTION PLANS AND THE CHALLENGE OF FINANCIAL ILLITERACY by Jill E. Fisch, Annamaria Lusardi, and Andrea Hasler—CornellOn Endowments and Unintended Consequences by Paul Kedrosky—Paul KedroskyRelated Episodes509: How to Invest in Private Credit / Direct Lending?497: How to Fix the Retirement Savings Crisis490: Should You Invest in Private Equity?See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What this episode covers

A new executive order could radically reshape retirement investing by allowing private equity, crypto, and gold in 401(k) plans. This episode examines the factors driving the demand for alternative assets in defined-contribution plans, the potential risks to everyday investors, and why fiduciary rules and financial literacy gaps still matter.Insiders Guide Email NewsletterGet our free Investors' Checklist when you sign up for the free Money for the Rest of Us email newsletterOur Premium ProductsAsset CampMoney for the Rest of Us PlusShow NotesTrump Executive Order to Help Open Up 401(k)s to Private Markets by Miriam Gottfried, Dylan Tokar, and Matt Wirz—The Wall Street JournalDonald Trump set to open US retirement market to crypto investments by Antoine Gara, Jamie John, and Stephanie Stacey—The Financial TimesU.S. Labor Department Allows Private Equity in 401(k) Plans by Chris Cumming—The Wall Street JournalU.S. Department of Labor Supplement Statement on Private Equity in Defined Contribution Plan Designated Investment Alternatives—U.S. Department of LaborState Street New TDF Includes Private Assets by PSCA Net Staff—PSCAThe Power of Private Markets by Robert Crothers et al.—BlackRockUNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT OPINION No. 22-16268The Relentless Ask: Private Markets Are Eating the World by Michael Batnick—The Irrelevant InvestorDon’t Buy Into This Easy Fix for Stock-Market Craziness by Jason Zweig—The Wall Street JournalThe Private Equity Boom Is Leaving Midsize Players Behind by Preeti Singh and Laura Benitez—Bloomberg401(k) Retirement Plans: Many Participants Do Not Understand Fee Information, but DOL Could Take Additional Steps to Help Them—U.S. Government Accountability OfficeDEFINED CONTRIBUTION PLANS AND THE CHALLENGE OF FINANCIAL ILLITERACY by Jill E. Fisch, Annamaria Lusardi, and Andrea Hasler—CornellOn Endowments and Unintended Consequences by Paul Kedrosky—Paul KedroskyRelated Episodes509: How to Invest in Private Credit / Direct Lending?497: How to Fix the Retirement Savings Crisis490: Should You Invest in Private Equity? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.