President Donald Trump said 401(k) accounts and the broader stock market are "soaring," as his administration pushes ahead with new rules designed to widen retirement plans’ access to private-equity investments. Axios and other outlets report that officials are moving quickly to implement an executive order signed earlier in the week, marking the administration’s second attempt to ease restrictions after an initial effort in 2020. The Wall Street Journal adds that the White House hopes the latest initiative will have a greater impact on plan sponsors’ ability to include private assets in defined-contribution portfolios. Some commentators have criticized the move as an expansion of state-directed capitalism, arguing it could increase risk for savers while giving the federal government a larger role in capital allocation.