Members of the U.S. House Committee on Financial Services sent a letter to Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Paul Atkins supporting Executive Order 14330, which would allow 401(k) investors to access alternative assets, and urging the SEC to take steps to implement it. The letter highlights the executive order’s policy that retirement savers should be able to access funds that include alternative assets when plan fiduciaries determine doing so provides an appropriate opportunity to enhance net risk-adjusted returns. It points to the order’s direction for the SEC to facilitate access for participant-directed defined contribution plans by revising applicable SEC regulations and guidance, including potentially considering accredited investor and qualified purchaser status, and calls for coordination with the Department of Labor. Lawmakers also ask the SEC to review bipartisan accredited investor legislation being advanced in the 119th Congress, arguing that such actions could expand access for the 90 million Americans they say are currently restricted from investing in alternative assets. The committee members request swift SEC assistance to the Secretary of Labor and timely revisions to SEC rules and guidance, without specifying a deadline.
U.S. Financial Services Committee 2025-09-22
U.S. House Committee on Financial Services urges the SEC to implement Executive Order 14330 expanding 401(k) access to alternative assets
The U.S. House Committee on Financial Services urged SEC Chairman Paul Atkins to implement Executive Order 14330, enabling 401(k) investors to access alternative assets. The letter emphasizes revising SEC regulations to facilitate this access and calls for coordination with the Department of Labor. Lawmakers also advocate for reviewing bipartisan accredited investor legislation to expand investment opportunities for Americans.