Topic Tags: Defined Contribution

Alternatives in Defined Contribution Plans

On August 7, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order to expand alternative investment access in defined contribution retirement plans (e.g., 401(k) plans). This order instructs the Department of Labor (DOL) to reexamine its guidance to plan sponsors incorporating alternative investments into these types of retirement plans. According to the order, the six classes of alternative assets included are:

  • Private markets investments, including private equity and private debt
  • Real estate
  • Actively managed vehicles investing in digital assets
  • Commodities
  • Infrastructure
  • Lifetime income strategies, including longevity risk-sharing pools

Defined Contribution Plan Legislative Update – 1Q 2024

This legislative update covers proposed regulation by the Department of Labor defining “investment fiduciary,” outlines SECURE Act 2.0’s optional provision regarding student loan repayments, analyzes an increasing trend of private real estate investments within defined contribution plans, summarizes new guidance from CFA Institute defining responsible investment terminology, and reviews 2024 contribution limits from the IRS.

Defined Contribution Plan Legislative Update – 1Q 2023

This legislative update covers the SECURE Act 2.0, part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 signed into law by President Biden on December 29, 2022. SECURE 2.0 is a follow-up law to the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act of 2019 (SECURE Act) and includes an array of changes that will impact employer retirement plans.

The text itself is quite lengthy (357 pages to be exact) so we have summarized a few of SECURE 2.0’s key provisions, broken down by effective date. While many provisions are already in effect, there is a grace period for compliance. For the 2023 effective date provisions, amendments to satisfy the new rules must be adopted by plans no later than the end of the 2025 plan year for nongovernmental plans, and the end of the 2027 plan year for governmental plans and collectively bargained plans. SECURE 2.0 also extends the plan amendment deadline for the SECURE Act, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”), and the Taxpayer Certainty and Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2020 to align with the plan amendment deadlines noted above.

Read > 1Q 2023 DC Legislative Update

 

The opinions expressed herein are those of Marquette Associates, Inc. (“Marquette”), and are subject to change without notice. This material is not financial advice or an offer to purchase or sell any product. Marquette reserves the right to modify its current investment strategies and techniques based on changing market dynamics or client needs.

Are HSAs the Next Retirement Account?

A Health Savings Account (HSA) is a type of savings account that allows an individual to set aside pre-tax money to pay for qualified medical expenses, such as doctors, dentists, vision care, and prescriptions. Individuals are eligible to contribute to an HSA if they are covered under a High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP), most often offered by an employer.

This newsletter covers the growth of HSAs as a potential savings and investment vehicle for retirement, reviewing how HSAs work, contribution limits, and the recent trend by defined contribution plans to provide a consolidated holistic view of a participant’s retirement assets.

Read > Are HSAs the Next Retirement Account?

The opinions expressed herein are those of Marquette Associates, Inc. (“Marquette”), and are subject to change without notice. This material is not financial advice or an offer to purchase or sell any product. Marquette reserves the right to modify its current investment strategies and techniques based on changing market dynamics or client needs.

Defined Contribution Plan Legislative Update – 2Q 2022

This legislative update covers the SECURE Act 2.0, summarizes requirements in the SECURE Act for defined contribution plans to provide participants with lifetime income illustrations, addresses the Department of Labor’s recent guidance regarding cryptocurrencies in retirement plans, and reviews plan features and enhancements employers are considering to improve employee retention amidst the “Great Resignation.”

Read > 2Q 2022 DC Legislative Update

 

The opinions expressed herein are those of Marquette Associates, Inc. (“Marquette”), and are subject to change without notice. This material is not financial advice or an offer to purchase or sell any product. Marquette reserves the right to modify its current investment strategies and techniques based on changing market dynamics or client needs.

Observations on Fidelity’s Bitcoin–401(k) Announcement

On April 26th, 2022, Fidelity Investments announced plans to offer bitcoin for 401(k) plans. For Fidelity, this plan is a natural next step. As shown in Exhibit 1, Fidelity began exploring digital assets in 2014. Soon after, bitcoin-centric custody solutions began to emerge, followed by a private fund and spot-based ETF. While Fidelity’s embrace of bitcoin could be seen simply as bandwagon hopping, the trend below suggests that bitcoin may be part of a broader long-term digital asset strategy.

In this edition of DC Perspectives, we cover the implications of Fidelity’s announcement for bitcoin and digital assets broadly, for the investment industry, and for defined contribution plan sponsors.

Read > Observations on Fidelity’s Bitcoin-401(k) Announcement

 

The opinions expressed herein are those of Marquette Associates, Inc. (“Marquette”), and are subject to change without notice. This material is not financial advice or an offer to purchase or sell any product. Marquette reserves the right to modify its current investment strategies and techniques based on changing market dynamics or client needs.

New Year, New Plan: Resolutions to Support Your Participants in 2022

As 2022 kicks off and resolutions for the new year are finalized, we have decided to compile a list of suggestions for defined contribution plan committees that can serve to support their participants as annual reviews and quarterly meetings begin.

In this newsletter, we review:

  • Automatic features in plan design including auto-enrollment default rates and auto-escalation cap rates
  • Participant communication campaigns
    ⋅ Online account set-up
    ⋅ Beneficiary elections
    ⋅ Participant rollovers

Read > New Year, New Plan: Resolutions to Support Your Participants in 2022

 

The opinions expressed herein are those of Marquette Associates, Inc. (“Marquette”), and are subject to change without notice. This material is not financial advice or an offer to purchase or sell any product. Marquette reserves the right to modify its current investment strategies and techniques based on changing market dynamics or client needs.

Don’t Forget About Those Old 401(k) Accounts!

According to a recent study conducted by Capitalize, $1.35 trillion worth of assets were held in forgotten 401(k) accounts as of May 31st, 2021. This figure is based on estimates of 24.3 million retirement accounts with an average balance of $55,400 per account. Based on this study, it is evident that millions of participants are missing out on additional retirement savings each year their old accounts are left behind with previous employer plans, since holding multiple accounts often leads to investors incurring higher fees. To that point, Capitalize estimates that an individual could experience up to $700,000 in foregone retirement savings as a result of forgotten 401(k) accounts. As 2021 draws to a close, plans sponsors should look to begin the new year by helping employees consolidate retirement accounts, which could lead to cost savings and the accumulation of plan assets, by utilizing the following tactics:

  • Confirm participant data, including email and mailing addresses, is up to date to ensure communications will be received
  • Collaborate with the relationship manager of your retirement plan recordkeeper to develop a targeted participant communication strategy (email, hard copy mail, or onsite visits) that highlights the benefits of consolidating retirement accounts from previous employers
  • Ensure communications clearly explain the process for rolling over outside retirement assets
    · Paperwork required to effectuate rollovers can be confusing to many participants, however, the majority of recordkeepers employ support teams available to assist individuals with transfers
    · The phone numbers and email addresses of these support teams should be clearly identified in communications to participants
  • To increase the chances of success when it comes to participant rollovers, communication campaigns should be continued throughout the entire year

Finally, technological developments and the reporting capabilities of retirement plan recordkeepers will allow plan sponsors to measure the effectiveness of these campaigns. By the end of 2022, sponsors should review results related to the number of rollovers completed, the amount of assets gained, and the extent to which employees were actively engaged with the topic during the year. This may help plans delineate future goals and better understand the most effective ways to communicate to participants.

If this is of interest to your plan, please contact your Marquette consultant for additional information.

Print PDF > Don’t Forget About Those Old 401(k) Accounts!

 

The opinions expressed herein are those of Marquette Associates, Inc. (“Marquette”), and are subject to change without notice. This material is not financial advice or an offer to purchase or sell any product. Marquette reserves the right to modify its current investment strategies and techniques based on changing market dynamics or client needs.

 

Defined Contribution Plan Legislative Update – 4Q 2021

This legislative update covers Congress’ continued negotiation of retirement legislation with the hope of finalizing Secure Act 2.0 early next year; as it stands, there are two legislative bills proposed by the House and Senate. We also review updates from the Department of Labor on a proposed rule entitled Prudence and Loyalty in Selecting Plan Investments and Exercising Shareholder Rights that would allow plan participants to consider environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors when selecting investments and exercising shareholder rights; recent cybersecurity guidance from the Department of Labor; an upcoming review and report by the Government Accountability Office for Congress on Target Date Funds; and 2022 contribution limits issued by the IRS.

Read > 4Q21 DC Legislative Update

 

The opinions expressed herein are those of Marquette Associates, Inc. (“Marquette”), and are subject to change without notice. This material is not financial advice or an offer to purchase or sell any product. Marquette reserves the right to modify its current investment strategies and techniques based on changing market dynamics or client needs.

Defined Contribution Plan Legislative Update – 2Q 2021

This legislative update covers the Secure Act 2.0, provides an update on the Department of Labor’s enforcement of its final rules on ESG investments and proxy voting by employee benefit plans, reviews best practices for investment committees coming out of the disruptions caused by COVID, and examines growth and integration of Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) as offerings in defined contribution plans.

Read > 2Q 2021 DC Legislative Update

 

The opinions expressed herein are those of Marquette Associates, Inc. (“Marquette”), and are subject to change without notice. This material is not financial advice or an offer to purchase or sell any product. Marquette reserves the right to modify its current investment strategies and techniques based on changing market dynamics or client needs.