Labor Department Proposes 401(k) Rule for 90 Million Savers to Access Private Equity and Digital Assets
Updated
Updated · FinanceBuzz · Aug 12
Labor Department Proposes 401(k) Rule for 90 Million Savers to Access Private Equity and Digital Assets
2 articles · Updated · FinanceBuzz · Aug 12
Summary
March 30's proposal would give 401(k) fiduciaries a process-based safe harbor for evaluating funds that include private equity, real estate, infrastructure, commodities and digital-asset strategies.
Trump's August 2025 executive order set the effort in motion, arguing that more than 90 million workers in defined-contribution plans lack access to alternatives used by wealthy investors and pension funds.
No plan menus change yet: the rule is still in federal review, could be revised before finalization, and employers would still decide whether any alternative option belongs in their plans.
Younger workers with long time horizons may benefit more from diversification and potentially higher risk-adjusted returns, while older savers face bigger liquidity, valuation and fee risks as retirement nears.
If finalized, the rule would widen access rather than mandate it—traditional stock, bond, index and target-date funds would remain available, and workers would not be required to buy alternatives.