On January 13, 2026, the Department of Labor (the “DOL”) submitted to the White House Office of Management and Budget (“OMB”) proposed rules (the “Proposed Rules”) relating to the inclusion of alternative assets (such as digital assets, private equity, private credit and real estate) within 401(k) and other defined contribution plans (collectively, “DC Plans”).

As

SEC Commissioner Mark T. Uyeda recently gave remarks in which he argued that the target date funds that are typically included in many 401(k) and other defined contribution plans may be missing out on higher returns and increased diversification by not having any exposure to private market investments.

After highlighting the potential benefits that private

On August 7, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order entitled “Democratizing Access to Alternative Assets for 401(k) Investors” (the “Executive Order”), which directs the Department of Labor (the “DOL”) and the Securities Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) to relieve regulatory burdens and litigation risk that impede investments in alternative assets (including crypto, private

In late October 2024, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit ruled in Romano v. Hancock Life Insurance Company, F.4th 729 (11th Cir. 2024) that certain foreign tax credits that were generated as a result of 401(k) plan investments in separate accounts owned by John Hancock Life Insurance Company (“JHLIC”) were