Tuesday, March 31, 2026

Trump: Let Crypto, Private Equity Access Your 404(k)

Donald Trump has spent much of his second term using the U.S. presidency as a giant ATM for himself, his family, and his cronies. Now he's devised a way for the cryptocurrency and private equity industries to do the same"while further lining his own pockets and putting Americans' nest eggs at risk. The Trump administration on Monday announced plans to open 401(k) retirement plans to investments like crypto and private equity that are subject to far fewer safeguards than publicly traded assets like stocks and bonds. Critics warn the move threatens the retirement savings of millions of Americans while delivering a massive windfall for crypto and private equity moguls. The stakes are enormous: If Americans collectively shifted just 1 percent of their 401(k) assets into crypto and private equity, those industries would be flooded with more than $100 billion in new capital.

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"What you see here is a continuation of the Trump administration's fundamentally corrupted approach toward policy, which appears designed to benefit the financial backers of his campaign and his family investments," said Todd H. Baker, a senior fellow at the Richman Center for Business, Law and Public Policy at Columbia Business and Law Schools. "You have a major desire to boost the troubled crypto asset business, which is really a form of gambling unsupported by any productive economic activity."

Comments

"I went looking for trouble, and I found it."
Charles Ponzi

#1 | Posted by Doc_Sarvis at 2026-03-31 10:27 AM

This would have worked better as a rug pull a year ago, before the economy started collapsing.

I can't imagine anyone dumping their 401(K) into crypto in current market conditions. But I'm sure some people will.

#2 | Posted by snoofy at 2026-03-31 12:11 PM

Pump and Dump of the month?

#3 | Posted by Whatsleft at 2026-03-31 12:25 PM

As long as I have the option to opt in and my money is automatically invested in these instruments, I say go for it.

If someone is stupid enough to place their retirement funds in these investments, they deserve to have their a&& handed to them.

#4 | Posted by jpw at 2026-03-31 12:39 PM

Suboptimal idea for a population among which, as of a couple of years ago, nearly 70% of the adults believed in angels.

#5 | Posted by Doc_Sarvis at 2026-03-31 12:52 PM

"...a form of gambling unsupported by any productive economic activity."

My grand-nephew asked me what (Bitcoin) produced.

Bigger fools was my response.

#6 | Posted by Danforth at 2026-03-31 12:55 PM

If someone is stupid enough to place their retirement funds in these investments, they deserve to have their a&& handed to them.
#4 | Posted by jpw

Yeah that's a ------ way to provision a nation's financial footing for its retirees.

It's like the government ordering banks to leave handguns lying around the lobby, and then saying if anyone tries to rob the bank and gets shot by security guards, well it's their own dumb fault.

#7 | Posted by snoofy at 2026-03-31 01:10 PM

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