One in four defined contribution (DC) plan advisers now say they are likely to recommend alternative investments within DC lineups, with another 10 percent reporting they are already doing so. The growing emphasis on alternative investments comes after the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL)’s August 2025 decision to reverse its previous stance on the suitability of alternatives within 401(k) and other workplace DC plans.
National advisers and those with $50 million or more in assets under management (AUM) demonstrate the strongest appetite for the asset class. Nearly half (44 percent) of national advisors and more than one-third (35 percent) of advisers managing more than $50 million in AUM reported that they are either already recommending alternatives or are extremely likely to do so in the future.
These are the latest findings from the 2025 Retirement Plan Advisor Trends, a Cogent Syndicated report from Escalent. The study is designed to help retirement plan
