By now you may have heard that crypto and other alternative assets could be coming to 401(k)s.

And if you’re one of the millions of Americans who have a workplace retirement plan, you may have questions — and mixed emotions. The idea of putting your retirement savings into funds invested in digital assets like bitcoin — or purchasing stakes in private companies, buildings, or even an airport — may be both intriguing and unsettling.

Nothing is happening right away, or for certain. But here’s what you’ll want to consider if and when the mainstream options expand.

What’s Happened So Far

Today, most workplace retirement plans stick to offering the so-called “public markets” — publicly-traded stocks, ETFs, mutual funds, and bonds — because of regulatory restrictions, fiduciary concerns, and how easy they are to trade.

Last month, President Trump signed an executive order directing regulators to re-examine the rules for 401(k) plan sponsors and potentially minimize at least the regulatory barrier. The goal: to give retirement savers the same higher-growth (but also higher risk) options currently available to big institutional investors, public pension funds, and the ultra-wealthy.

These would include actively-managed funds that invest in digital assets like cryptocurrencies, as well as interests in private equity and debt, commercial and residential real estate, commodities, and infrastructure projects like airports or energy grids.

Any changes hinge on the outcome of these regulatory reviews and how the big retirement plan sponsors respond. (Some are already working on private investment offerings.)

But if these types of assets become available to you, you’ll need to decide whether they fit with your risk tolerance, timeline and strategy. Here are some of the most important considerations, according to financial advisors and analysts:

Pros

•  Potential for higher returns: Traditional stocks and bonds may not deliver enough growth for everyone’s retirement goals. These days there are fewer and fewer high-growth public companies to invest in, thanks to an abundance of private equity encouraging later-stage IPOs.

•  Diversification: Stocks and bonds don’t always hedge each other. Alternative assets often move independently of public markets and follow different timelines, spreading out risk.

•  Access: A more level playing field could help retirement savers keep pace with financial markets. Pension funds and VC firms have long used private equity to diversify and boost returns, but retail investors and 401(k) savers have largely been left out. (You need $5 million to invest in private equity at some brokerages, for example.)

Cons

•  Higher risk: Alternative assets are less regulated and often more volatile, which can expose investors to significant losses. Investors will have to weigh whether stability and long-term security are more important to them than the potential for higher returns.

•  More work: Higher risks means more due diligence. Private investments can be opaque, potentially making it difficult for you to understand and monitor on your own – and to evaluate good managers. (There may not be daily prices to check, for instance.)

•  Lower liquidity: Private equity can lock up your money for years – and there’s no market for quick exits.

•  Higher fees than traditional mutual funds: Private investments often come with higher management fees as well as performance-based fees.

So What?

The landscape for retirement savings may be shifting — and being prepared to make informed decisions is key. That starts with understanding your comfort level with risk and staying informed.

Related Reading

What Happens When Private Equity Meets 401(k)s? (Finance Centers at the Wharton School)

Schroders Study Finds Nearly Half of Retirement Plan Participants Would Invest in Private Markets (Schroders)

Don’t Buy Into This Easy Fix for Stock-Market Craziness (The Wall Street Journal via MSN)

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