D.C. Pension Geeks

American Retirement Association Brian Graff routinely argues that no one grows up wanting to be a D.C. Pension Geek—it just sorta happens.But Barb Marder actually DID want to be a D.C. Pension Geek at a relatively young age.The president and CEO of the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) joins Graff for a fascinating discussion about EBRI's mission, its role in the Washington policy debate, and why the current retirement system is constantly attacked.

“There’s a little bit going on here in [Washington] D.C.,” American Retirement Association CEO Brian Graff quipped at the outset of the latest episode of D.C. Pension Geeks. “We have a great guest to help us figure out what’s going on.”Indeed. Brad Campbell, former Assistant Labor Secretary for the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) and currently a Partner with legal powerhouse Faegre Drinker, joined Graff for a frank discussion of what’s ahead for retirement plans in the second Trump Administration, and where we are withy the fiduciary rule, ESG, litigation reform, alternative investments, and more.

Oh, what an election it was. It determined not only the presidency but control of both houses of Congress. Now that it’s settled, people rightly wonder what it means for retirement planning and saving policy.“It was kind of a big deal,” American Retirement Association CEO Brian Graff understatedly said. “And given the fact that it’s a big deal. We need a big deal to help us sort out what happened and what it means.”That “big deal” is none other than Preston Rutledge, former head of the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA). The Founder and Principal of Rutledge Policy Group joined Graff to discuss the fate of the fiduciary rule, Social Security’s future, and much, much more.

How long will we live in retirement? Will we be healthy? How long will we work? Will we have enough money? These are common, and heavy, questions we’d all like answered.Self-described “Pension Geek” Debra Whitman, EVP and Chief Public Policy Officer with the 30 million-member strong AARP, joins ARA CEO Brian Graff for a discussion of her new book, The Second Fifty: Answers to the 7 Big Questions of Midlife and Beyond.She describes all the things that need to happen to make it easier for people to age well in America and the AARP-supported policies and programs to make it happen.   

The 50th anniversary of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) is rapidly approaching, a law that “affects real people every day,” according to Michael Kreps, a principal with Groom Law and chair of its Retirement Services Group.Kreps, a former Senate HELP Committee retirement policy staffer, joins American Retirement Association (ARA) CEO Brian Graff to discuss recent Department of Labor (DOL) fiduciary setbacks, why it keeps happening, and the value of incremental change in regulatory policy.They also note the coming tax policy debate in light of the expiring Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) and what may or may not happen. It’s an important and timely conversation at a critical juncture for the retirement plan industry.

ERISA turns 50 on Labor Day. It’s older, wiser, and still looks great. What has been its most significant impact on the ability of America’s workers to save?Preston Rutledge joins American Retirement Association CEO Brian Graff for a comprehensive look back and ahead. Rutledge, founder and principal of Rutledge Policy Group, knows the subject well. Prior to founding Rutledge Policy Group, Preston was the Assistant Secretary of Labor for the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA led the US Delegation on private pension policy at the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in Paris, France, and led oversight of the Federal Thrift Savings Plan, the world’s largest defined contribution plan.

Former high-ranking Social Security Administration official and retirement policy gadfly Andrew Biggs joins American Retirement Association CEO Brian Graff for a frank discussion about the data fueling the 401(k) debate. Biggs, a frequent financial media critic of ‘retirement crisis’ sensationalism, explains the retirement readiness disconnect—and why we get it so wrong.

The bipartisan nature of retirement plan legislation is key to its success. American Benefits Council President Jim Klein, the “OG” of retirement plan policy, joins Brian Graff for an in-depth discussion of retirement saving, healthcare and how ERISA—which turns 50 this year—has impacted both.

Department of Labor Chief Operating Officer and senior staff member Tim Hauser joins American Retirement Association CEO Brian Graff for a comprehensive discussion of the myths, controversies and questions surrounding the final fiduciary rule, officially called the Retirement Security Rule.This frank and factual conversation between two fiduciary rule veterans tackles any questions or criticisms about the rule head-on.

Research and consulting giant Morningstar was cited over 40 times in the final fiduciary rule release, officially called the Retirement Security Rule. The reason was largely due to the data and information for which the company is known. Aron Szapiro, Head of Government Affairs with Morningstar, joins American Retirement Association CEO Brian Graff for a wide-ranging discussion about the rule and its future implications, as well as recent attacks on the country’s private retirement savings system. This is an episode not to miss. 

Defined contribution plans, and 401(k)s specifically, are increasingly under attack, criticized by think tanks and academics for perceived (yet easily refuted) flaws. What—and who—is behind the effort? Are the criticisms resonating and why are they happening now? Does the industry need to do a better job defending itself and are we effectively illustrating the 401(k)’s value proposition?Michael Davis, Head of Global Retirement Strategy for T. Rowe Price and a former Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Employee Benefits Security Administration, joins American Retirement Association CEO Brian Graff for a lively and informative discussion.

‘Retirement provocateur’ Kathleen Kennedy Townsend played an instrumental role in the debate over retirement issues, resulting in significant policy ideas. A founder of the Georgetown University Center for Retirement Initiatives, the 40-year political veteran and former Maryland Lieutenant Governor joins American Retirement Association CEO Brian Graff for a provocative discussion about making it easy to save, state auto IRAs, national retirement plan proposals, and why people just don’t want to talk about retirement.

Academics are on the march, coming for the defined contribution retirement savings system with policy prescriptions that would fundamentally change employer-sponsored plans and what they’re designed to do. The system is failing; it only benefits the wealthy and doesn’t produce adequate retirement income, which is the chorus of commonly heard criticism.American Retirement Association CEO Brian Graff is joined by Peter Brady, a senior economist for retirement and investor research at the Investment Company Institute, to counter the claims. Brady brings the data to dispute the latest attacks and discuss what’s driving the attacks.  

Calling the latest iteration of the fiduciary rule “the third installment of a long running regulatory series,” American Retirement Association CEO Brian Graff went directly to the source, speaking with EBSA COO Tim Hauser about the Retirement Security Rule.The two fiduciary regulation ‘veterans’ sit down for a (very) comprehensive discussion the primary reasons EBSA thought it necessary to update the regulatory definition of investment advice and the goals and objectives in doing so.

Robert L. Johnson, founder of RLJ Companies and BET, joins ARA CEO Brian Graff for a fascinating discussion about auto-portability, financial wellness, closing the savings gap, and MUCH more.

How do you expand retirement plan coverage for workers at scale (close the coverage gap), leverage the behavioral benefits of payroll deduction, and not place an undue burden on employers? One solution is increasingly effective—state-facilitated plans.Retirement policy veteran John Scott, Project Director, Retirement Savings with The Pew Charitable Trusts, joins American Retirement Association CEO Brian Graff to discuss how the programs are performing, their impact and the surprising stats fueling their growth. 

“Our constituents are critically important to this country,” Investment Company Institute’s (ICI) Eric Pan tells Brian Graff in the latest episode of D.C. Pension Geeks. “They’re critically important not only to the economic success of the country, but they’re also critically important to the moral fiber of the country. They are the hardworking Americans trying to save for a better life.”Pan, ICI’s President and CEO, joins Graff for a frank discussion about the organization’s regulatory and legislative priorities, its unique and special relationship with the SEC, and how technology will change the investment industry.

Talk about a timely topic—the passage and adoption of state-facilitated retirement savings programs (usually auto-IRAs) continues, with the latest, Minnesota, happening in mid-May.It’s something that the Center for Retirement Initiatives (CRI) at Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy was designed specifically to help advocate for, according to Angela M. Antonelli, its executive director. Few are more informed, or involved, with the issue of state-based plans, and she joins American Retirement Association CEO Brian Graff on the latest episode of DC Pension Geeks.

Debt limits, ESG, presidential vetoes—how in the world did SECURE 2.0 pass in an overwhelmingly (and increasingly) partisan Washington? Where does retirement policy go from here, and what about that MAJOR retirement policy proposal that some members of Congress are considering right now—what are its prospects in the current Congress?Drew Crouch, Senior Tax and ERISA Counsel at Senate Finance Committee, joins American Retirement Association Brian Graff to answer these questions and more. It’s a fascinating discussion you won’t want to miss.

What is on the tax policy agenda for the Treasury Department, and what are its priorities? What about the technical correction in SECURE 2.0 needed for Roth catchup provisions?And, more basically, how is a regulation born—the process for developing a regulation and the relative roles of the Treasury versus the IRS, specifically,  and its chief counsel? You would be surprised how few people understand this.Thankfully, American Retirement Association CEO Brian Graff speaks with Carol Weiser, Benefits Tax Counsel for the Department of Treasury, to answer these questions and more.

Fiduciary tort terror Jerry Schlichter and top ERISA attorney Tom Clark join American Retirement Association CEO Brian Graff for an insightful discussion about retirement plan litigation, record-keeping data, and much more. Here is what Schlichter, Managing Partner with Schlichter Bogard and Denton, and Clark, COO of the Wagner Law Group, have to say.

Brian Graff continues his exclusive discussion with the Department of Labor’s Tim Hauser about what the Biden Administration rule really means for the retirement plan space.After putting its own stamp on the 2020 ESG rule issued by the Trump Administration, the Biden Administration found itself the target of lawsuits and legislation aimed at slowing ESG’s roll.With talk of Biden vetoing a bill meant to block the latest ESG rules implementation, we decided to go straight to the source. American Retirement Association CEO Brian Graff recently sat down with the Employee Benefits Security Administration’s Tim Hauser to explore the implications and implementation of this new rule. He cuts through the partisan hype to reveal the common sense thinking behind the latest action.

“What’s going on with ESG?” is a very big question. It might be easier to ask what isn’t happening with the controversial investment strategy (sector, philosophy, etc.). After putting its own stamp on the 2020 ESG rule issued by the Trump Administration, the Biden Administration found itself the target of lawsuits and legislation aimed at slowing ESG’s roll.With talk of Biden vetoing a bill meant to block the latest ESG rules implementation, we decided to go straight to the source. American Retirement Association CEO Brian Graff recently sat down with the Employee Benefits Security Administration’s Tim Hauser to explore the implications and implementation of this new rule. He cuts through the partisan hype to reveal the common sense thinking behind the latest action.

It’s hardly news about Washington’s political polarization, and many Americans at least say they want more bipartisanship in government. Who better to speak on retirement topics than Fichtner, Vice President and Chief Economist with the Bipartisan Policy Center?Jason J. Fichtner joins American Retirement Association CEO Brian Graff for a comprehensive discussion about 401(k)s, tax policy, Social Security benefits and confusion over the appropriate claiming age.

In the inaugural episode of the DC Pension Geeks podcast, American Retirement Association CEO Brian Graff sits down with Lisa Gomez, the Department of Labor's Assistant Secretary for the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA). In her first major interview since her confirmation, Gomez and Graff discuss her experience in the retirement plan industry, her priorities for her tenure, and yes—possible plans for a reintroduced fiduciary rule.