Gina Alsdorf and Carol McClarnon Quoted in InsuranceNewsNet: “Alternative Investments in 401(k)s: What Advisors Must Know”

Gina Alsdorf and Carol McClarnon were quoted in InsuranceNewsNet, in an article titled “Alternative Investments in 401(k)s: What Advisors Must Know.” The article discusses what financial professionals need to know about including alternative investments in clients’ retirement plans, regularly referencing a recent Carlton Fields webinar presented by Alsdorf, McClarnon, and Dean Conway.

The push to bring alternative investments into 401(k) plans “is quickly becoming the most dynamic and complicated topic in the financial services space,” said Alsdorf. “Over the last year, we’ve seen a meaningful shift in policy — most notably, the 2025 executive order focused on democratizing access to private markets. That’s a big idea because for decades, alternative assets in investments have largely been the domain of institutional investors, and now we’re asking the question: What happens when those same strategies start moving to participants and individual investors?”

Alsdorf said 401(k) plan fiduciaries have not included private investment options in the past because of worries around fiduciary duties and other potential issues with many private investments. McClarnon went on to discuss several potential complications with private investment options, including valuation, liquidity, complexity and transparency, and risk and volatility. “The question is, can our governance keep up with where the products are going?” McClarnon asked.

Read the article.

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