The U.S. stock market suffered its worst day in five years on Friday,
April 4, following President Donald Trump's announcement of sweeping
tariffs. The S&P 500, Nasdaq, and Dow Jones Industrial Average all
posted significant losses.
Despite the turbulence, financial experts continue to advise
retirement plan investors to “stay the course” rather than react
impulsively.
According to Alight Solutions, stock market volatility has already
driven a surge in retirement plan trading in early 2025. In the first
quarter alone, 0.77% of plan balances were traded—the highest rate since
Q3 of 2020. Trading was particularly elevated in March, exceeding the
activity seen in the entire fourth quarter of 2024. Despite increased activity, one Alight expert notes that less than 1% of participant assets were actually traded, indicating that most investors are sticking with their long-term strategies. Read more