Americans' 401(k)s add up to around $10 trillion total—equivalent to about 10 percent of all publicly listed stocks and bonds in the U.S., and almost twice what the federal government spends in a year. It's no surprise, then, that every industry or special interest wants a piece of that juicy retirement money.
With aging populations and a heavier emphasis on saving for retirement in the U.S., getting access to largely passive pension money is the wet dream of every asset manager, financial adviser, or industry mergers and acquisitions consultant.
On August 7, President Donald Trump issued an executive order to allow "private equity, real estate, cryptocurrency and other alternative assets in 401(k)s," reported Bloomberg, making it easier for some 80 million Americans to hold nonstandard assets in their tax-deferred retirement plans.
