The new White House order directing regulators to expand access to alternative investments in 401(k) plans, like crypto or privately owned companies adds a new layer of risk to the retirement portfolios for ordinary investors that they may not fully understand, investment professionals say.
“This is brand new; none of it has been stress-tested yet” in a market shock or long-term selloff, said Christopher Bailey, director of retirement, at Cerulli Associates, an asset management research firm. “There are liquidity concerns, issues around fees, among others.”
While industry advocates and the Trump administration say investments in private equity, crypto or privately held companies like ChatGPT developer OpenAI or Elon Musk’s SpaceX hold the…