透视美国 401(k) 养老金投资策略的世纪跃迁

marsbitPublished on 2025-08-10Last updated on 2025-08-11

2025 年 8 月 7 日,美国总统唐纳德·特朗普签署了一项行政令,允许 401(k) 退休储蓄计划投资更多元化的资产,包括私募股权、房地产以及首次引入的加密资产。

这一政策就像字面上看到的那样,很好解读

  • 为加密市场提供「国家级别」背书,释放推动加密市场成熟的信号。
  • 养老金拓展多元化投资和回报,但引入了更高波动和风险。

在加密领域,这已经足以载入史册。

纵观 401(k) 的发展历程,其关键转折点是在大萧条时期通过养老金改革允许投资股票。尽管历史和经济背景各异,这一变化与当前引入加密资产的趋势有着诸多相似之处。

1/6 · 大萧条前的养老金体系

20 世纪初至 1920 年代,美国的养老金主要以固定收益计划(Defined Benefit Plan)为主,雇主承诺为员工提供退休后稳定的月度养老金。这种模式源于 19 世纪末的工业化进程,旨在吸引和留住劳动力。

这个阶段养老金资金的投资策略高度保守。当时的主流观念认为,养老金应追求安全性而非高收益,受「法律清单」(Legal List)法规限制,主要被限定在政府债券、优质公司债券和市政债券等低风险资产。

这种保守策略在经济繁荣期运行顺利,但也限制了潜在回报。

2/6 · 大萧条的冲击与养老金危机

1929 年 10 月的华尔街股灾标志着大萧条的开端,道琼斯指数从峰值下跌近 90%,引发全球经济崩溃。失业率飙升至 25%,无数企业破产。

虽然养老金基金当时极少投资股票,但危机仍通过间接渠道打击它们。许多雇主企业倒闭,无法履行养老金承诺,导致养老金支付中断或缩减。

这引发了公众对雇主和政府养老金管理能力的质疑,推动了联邦干预。1935 年,《社会保障法》(Social Security Act)出台,建立全国性养老金体系,但私营和公共养老金仍由地方主导。

监管者强调,养老金应避免股票等「赌博」资产。

......

转折开始:危机后经济复苏缓慢,债券收益率开始下降(部分因联邦税收扩张),这为后续变革埋下种子。此时收益率不足的情况逐渐显现,难以覆盖承诺的回报。

3/6 · 后大萧条时期的投资转向与争议

大萧条结束后,特别是二战期间和战后(1940s-1950s),养老金投资策略开始缓慢演变,从保守债券转向包括股票在内的权益资产。这一转变并非一帆风顺,而是伴随着激烈争议。

战后经济复苏,但市政债券市场停滞,收益率降至 1.2% 低点,无法满足养老金的担保回报。公共养老金面临「赤字支付」压力,纳税人负担加重。

同时,私人信托基金开始采用「谨慎人规则」(Prudent Man Rule),该规则源于 19 世纪的信托法,但 1940s 被重新诠释为只要整体「谨慎」,就允许其进行多元化投资以追求更高回报。这一规则最初适用于私人信托,但逐步开始影响公共养老金。

1950 年,纽约州率先部分采纳谨慎人规则,允许养老金投资高达 35% 的权益资产(如股票)。这标志着从「法律清单」向灵活投资的转变。其他州跟进,如北卡罗来纳州在 1957 年授权投资公司债券,并在 1961 年允许 10% 股票配置,到 1964 年增至 15%。

这一改变引发了较大争议,反对者(主要是精算师和工会)认为,股票投资重蹈 1929 年股灾覆辙,将退休资金置于市场波动风险中。媒体和政治家称其为「拿工人血汗钱赌博」,担心经济 downturn 时养老金崩盘。

为缓和争议,投资比例被严格限制(初始不超过 10-20%),并优先投资「蓝筹股」。后面的一段时间,受益于战后牛市,争议逐渐消失,证明了其回报潜力。

4/6 · 后续发展与制度化

到 1960 年,公共养老金非政府证券占比超 40%。纽约州市政债券持有率从 1955 年的 32.3% 降至 1966 年的 1.7%。这一转变减少了纳税人负担,但也使养老金更依赖市场。

1974 年《雇员退休收入保障法》(ERISA)出台,将谨慎投资者标准应用于公共养老金,尽管初期争议,股票投资最终被接受,但也暴露出一些问题,如 2008 年危机中养老金损失惨重,重燃类似辩论。

5/6 · 信号释放

当前 401(k) 引入加密资产与之前引入股票投资的争议高度相似,两者均涉及从保守投资向高风险资产的跃迁。显然加密资产目前的成熟度更低而波动性更高,这可视为一种更为激进的养老金改革,从这里也释放出一些信号。

加密资产的推广、监管、教育都将前进一个等级,以辅助人们对这类新兴资产的接纳程度、风险意识。

从市场层面来说,股票纳入养老金计划在美股的长牛态势中受益, 加密资产要复制这条路也必须走出稳定向上的市场。同时,由于 401(k) 资金相当于被锁定,

养老金买入加密资产相当于「囤币」,等于另外一个「加密资产战略储备」。

无论从哪个层面来解读,这对于 Crypto 都是巨大的利好。

以下为资料补充,专业人士可跳过

6/6 · 附 - 401(k) 的含义与具体运作机制

401(k) 是美国《国内税收法典》第 401(k) 条下的一种雇主赞助的退休储蓄计划,1978 年首次引入。它允许员工通过税前工资(或税后工资,视具体计划而定)存入个人退休账户,用于长期储蓄和投资。

401(k) 是一种「固定缴款计划」(Defined Contribution Plan),与传统的「固定收益计划」(Defined Benefit Plan)不同,其核心在于员工和雇主共同供款,投资收益或损失由员工个人承担。

6.1 供款

员工可以从每期工资中扣除一定比例作为 401(k) 供款,存入个人账户。雇主提供「匹配供款」,即根据员工供款的一定比例追加资金,匹配金额视雇主政策而定,非强制性。

6.2 投资

401(k) 不是单一基金,而是一个由员工控制的个人账户,资金可投资于雇主预设的「菜单」选项。常见包括:标普 500 指数基金、债券基金、混合配置基金等。2025 年行政令允许加入私募股权、房地产和加密资产。

员工需从菜单中选择投资组合,或接受默认选项。雇主只提供选项,不负责具体投资。

  • 收益归属:投资收益完全归员工所有,无需与雇主或他人分享。
  • 风险承担:若市场下跌,损失由员工自行承担,无兜底机制。

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