Macro Monday: October 20-24, 2025
RECAPPING LAST WEEK U.S. equity indices managed to hold onto weekly gains despite macroeconomic headwinds, including the ongoing government shutdown, trade tensions with China, and rising concerns about private credit and regional bank loans. The S&P500 and Nasdaq Composite indices gained around 2%, while the Russell 2000 ended higher by 2.4%, declining slightly from a new record high reached midweek. All sectors posted positive performance, but financials lagged despite strong earnings reports from the
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
