Macro Monday Insight: December 8-12, 2025
RECAPPING LAST WEEK U.S. equity indices posted modest gains as investors’ expectations for an interest rate cut this month continued to rise. The Nasdaq Composite and Russell 2000 indices each rose nearly 1%, while the S&P500 added 0.3%. Sector performance was mixed, with gains in technology (+2.4%) and energy (+1.5%) offsetting pullbacks in utilities (-4.5%) and healthcare (-2.8%). Crude oil prices jumped 2.8% after OPEC agreed to leave output levels unchanged for the first quarter of 2026, but the move
Beginner's Guide to 401(k)s
What Is a 401(k)? A 401(k) is a retirement savings plan that provides tax advantages to savers. Named after a section of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code, the 401(k) is an employer-provided, defined contribution plan. The employer may match employee contributions; with some plans, the match is mandatory. There are two major types of 401(k)s: traditional and Roth. With a traditional 401(k), employee contributions are pretax, meaning they reduce taxable income, but withdrawals in retirement are taxed. Employee
Advantages of Defined Benefit Plan over Profit Sharing Plan and 401k
Advantages of Defined Benefit Plan over Profit Sharing Plan and 401k 1. Higher Contribution LimitsDefined Benefit Plans allow much larger annual contributions—often several times higher than Profit-Sharing or 401(k) plans.Contributions are based on the participant’s age, income, and desired retirement benefit, potentially exceeding $300,000+ per year for older, high-income earners.By contrast, 401(k) and Profit-Sharing Plans are capped at around $69,000 total (2024) including employer and employee
