President Trump's August 7 executive order directs the Labor Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission to issue guidance allowing employers and plan sponsors to include various private assets in 401(k) plans and other defined contribution plans. The permitted assets could include private equity, hedge funds, private credit, real estate investment trusts (REITS), venture capital funds, and crypto-assets. The program discusses the potential risks posed by such alternative assets to investors in defined contribution plans.

Three experts in the field explain the President’s order and its potential impact: Art Wilmarth, professor emeritus of law at GW Law School, Hilary Allen, Professor of Law at the Washington College of Law at American University, and Amanda Fischer, Policy Director and Chief Operating Officer for Better Markets. Don Resnikoff participated as co-moderator.

Please note, the positions and opinions expressed by the speakers are strictly their own, and do not necessarily represent the views of their employers, nor those of the D.C. Bar, its Board of Governors or co-sponsoring Communities and organizations.