The Internet was created in 1969. The first broadcast in high definition television was in 1996. The DVD was first released in 1998 and the Blu-Ray player made its debut in 2006. 401(k) plans made their debut in 1981. The index mutual fund made its debut in 1975. Sometimes it takes awhile for a new product or service to get greater acceptance in the marketplace. While index mutual funds could have always been an option for 401(k) plans since the mutual fund industry started to dominate the 401(k) asset business in the late 1980s, only recent changes in the market and the retirement plan industry have made them more attractive for plan sponsors and participants.