D.C. Pension Geeks
Welcome to DC Pension Geeks, a conversation with top retirement-related policymakers and regulators in and around Washington. Hosted by Brian Graff, an attorney, accountant, former Capitol Hill staffer, and now CEO of the American Retirement Association, it’s an inside view of the ups and downs, ins and outs and sometimes surprising turns Washington takes on the road to ensuring a secure retirement for millions of hard-working Americans.
Episodes
25 episodes
Barbara Marder - What's Happening in the Washington Retirement Policy Debate?
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 pr...
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34:24
Brad Campbell - The Trump Administration’s Priorities for Retirement Plans
“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.”I...
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36:31
Preston Rutledge - What the Election Means for Retirement Plan Policy
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,”...
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45:01
Debra Whitman - How to Make it Easier to ‘Age Well’ in America
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 Po...
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34:59
Michael Kreps - Entire Tax Code ‘Up for Grabs'
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.
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Season 1
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Episode 21
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39:30
Preston Rutledge - ERISA’s Massive Impact on the Retirement Plan Space
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 com...
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Season 1
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Episode 20
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45:55
Andrew Biggs - Lies and Statistics—What the 401(k) Data Actually Says
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 finan...
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Season 1
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Episode 19
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1:06:35
James Klein - ERISA at 50! Where We Are, Where We’re Going
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...
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Season 1
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Episode 18
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40:52
Tim Hauser - The Final Fiduciary Rule’s Myths and Controversies
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, ...
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Season 1
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Episode 17
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1:38:53
Aron Szapiro - The Data, Empirical Information Fueling the Final Fiduciary Rule
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 know...
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Season 1
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Episode 16
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46:37
Michael Davis - Rebutting Academia’s 401(k) Critics
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 ...
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Season 1
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Episode 15
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32:31
Kathleen Kennedy Townsend - A Lively Defined Contribution Debate
‘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 po...
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Season 1
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Episode 14
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46:20
Peter Brady - How to Counter the Latest Attacks on the 401(k) Savings System
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 benefit...
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Season 1
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Episode 13
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38:14
Tim Hauser - Navigating the Maze of Fiduciary Standards
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 ...
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Season 1
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Episode 12
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1:16:41
Robert L. Johnson - Auto-Portability, Financial Wellness and Closing the Savings Gap
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.
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Season 1
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Episode 11
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33:31
John Scott - The Positive Impact of State-Based Auto-IRA Programs
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-facilitate...
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Season 1
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Episode 10
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28:08
Eric Pan - The Politics of Financial Regulation
“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 coun...
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Season 1
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Episode 9
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20:30
Angela M. Antonelli - Why State-Based IRAs Are a Perfect Private/Public Partnership
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
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Season 1
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Episode 8
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20:16
Drew Crouch - Where Does Retirement Policy Go from Here?
Debt limits, ESG, presidential vetoes—how in the world did
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Season 1
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Episode 7
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26:52
Carol Weiser - What Does Treasury Have on Tap for SECURE 2.0?
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...
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Season 1
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Episode 6
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31:31
Jerry Schlichter and Tom Clark Fiduciary Litigation Debate
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 Schli...
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Season 1
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Episode 5
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40:08
Tim Hauser Part 2 - Cutting Through The ESG Rule Controversy
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 T...
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Season 1
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Episode 4
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28:21
Tim Hauser Part 1 - The ESG Rule Controversy: Hype or Help?
“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 Admin...
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Season 1
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Episode 3
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34:51
Jason J. Fichtner, PhD - The Biggest Beltway ‘Hot Potato’
It’s hardly news about Washington’s political polarization, and many Americans at least say they want more bipartisanship ...
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Season 1
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Episode 2
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34:06
Lisa M. Gomez - Inaugural Episode
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 ...
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Season 1
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Episode 1
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25:07