“You know, I have a friend who works at the crime lab at the police station. I could give him your toothbrush and he run a test on it. To see if you actually brushed your teeth or just ran your toothbrush under the faucet”
– Buck Russell (Uncle Buck)
Welcome to the January Edition of Ryan’s Retirement Ramblings – The monthly newsletter that will bring you the latest developments from the qualified plan space & provide updates for the retirement team at Wheeler Retirement Plans.
On A Personal Note…
We’ve heard the old adage that sports are a small world. I don’t care if its basketball, hockey, soccer or track; the “people” experience is what it’s all about. It’s a life of accumulating relationships, contacts and colleagues. Next to my family, it’s the greatest gift I’ve received throughout my lifetime. I had the privilege of sharing a bench with these two intense individuals this past summer in Slovakia for U18 World Challenge. Although we didn’t take home the top prize, I had a front row seat to watch Adela and Klara display their magic. The U18 Girls World Championships in Nova Scotia finished up about 10 days ago and these young ladies were a big reason the Czechs brought home the bronze. It was neat to see this picture pop up in a text from them. CONGRATS ladies!
OMB Poised to Review Proposed Rule on Paper Statements and E-disclosures
The regulatory follow-through on SECURE 2.0’s paper-statement mandate is now entering its next stage. The 2022 law includes provisions affecting how benefit statements must be delivered. In general, defined contribution (DC) plans will be required to furnish participants with at least one paper benefit statement each year, unless they affirmatively elect electronic delivery, for plan years beginning after December 31, 2025. An additional provision directs the Department of Labor (DOL) to update its electronic-delivery regulations so that participants and beneficiaries who first become eligible after that date receive a one-time paper notice before their required statements and related disclosures can be furnished electronically….
Savings Inertia: Moving Beyond the Default
New research has revealed some telling patterns in employee retirement plan contribution rates. According to PLANSPONSOR’s 2025 Participant Survey, nearly 4 in 10 participants said that – when choosing their rate – they simply stayed with the plan’s default setting.
What this means is that the default doesn’t always just start the retirement savings journey. For a significant portion of the workforce, it can end….
The $100 Billion Swing Era – Managing Headline Overload
If you think capitalization swings are getting wider and more frequent, you may be right. By the end of October 2025, there were 119 instances of individual U.S. stocks (mainly large technology firms) moving by more than $100 billion in market cap in a single day this year, according to the International Business Times. In 2024, there were only 42 such instances, and in 2020 there were fewer than 10. These dramatic single-day moves have captured headlines and contributed to a sense that markets are becoming more unpredictable….
Participant Corner
You Can Now Save More in Your 401(k). See Why That Matters
Most people don’t look forward to annual IRS announcements the same way they do the next season of their favorite Netflix show, but this one’s worth a look. Higher retirement plan contribution limits have been announced for 2026, and even a modest bump in your savings rate can make a big difference down the road….
Mr. C’s Movie (Show) Review
Two Brothers Drag Each Other Toward Darkness – Follow the Rabbit
Let’s get the comparisons to Ozark out of the way as they are inevitable—Bateman takes a break from the “Smartless” pod to dance with the devil…..AGAIN. He’s becoming a better criminal then I imagined. Quite the transformation (no pun intended) from Todd Howard in Teen Wolf II. But the similarities end at the surface.
- Ozark was a calculated spiral: cold, methodical
- Black Rabbit is a highway car crash: shouldn’t want to see the carnage but can’t take your eyes off of it.
I found myself sweating through the “8” episode mini-series as Vince (Jason Bateman) drags his family’s lives into the gutter. Vince returns to New York city looking for financial assistance from little brother Jake (Jude Law). Vince is a gambler, addict, dispondance parent that reappears just as the family restaurant, Black Rabbit, is the toast of the town. The inseparable brotherly bond is put to the test as every decision seems to send the two of them on a darker path. Going too much into the plot will ruin the descent into madness for those that decide to watch.
The performances were outstanding as the brothers spiral to maintain their footing in New York City nightlife. The Black Rabbit is a symbol New York’s modernism but at the sametime a haven for the deeds done in the shadows. It’s grimy and will leave you wanting to shower through the end credits of every episode. How deep do the roots of family go?
On a scale of: “Like It”, “Love It”, or “Gotta Have It”; the Black Rabbit is a Gotta Have It. I loved Ozark and its lack of morality. Well, if you are someone who tolerates total darkness in their characters be ready to go blind. The series is a curse on the Rabbit, the family and New York itself. Ozark felt like a slip on the ice compared to falling down the staircase and hitting every stair watching Black Rabbit.