D.C. Pension Geeks

Brian Graff

English Business Investing

Apple Podcasts Website RSS

Episodes 25

Avg. Duration 34m

Activity Sporadic

Since Feb 2023

Latest Episode Mar 2025

Publishing Details

Schedule

Monthly

Format

Episodic

Hosting

feeds.buzzsprout.com

About This Podcast

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.

Podcasting 2.0 Features

chapters transcript

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Recent Episodes

Barbara Marder - What's Happening in the Washington Retirement Policy Debate?

Mar 23, 2025 34m Transcript

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…

Brad Campbell - The Trump Administration’s Priorities for Retirement Plans

Feb 03, 2025 36m Transcript

“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…

Preston Rutledge - What the Election Means for Retirement Plan Policy

Dec 02, 2024 45m Transcript

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…

Debra Whitman - How to Make it Easier to ‘Age Well’ in America

Nov 05, 2024 34m Transcript

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”…

S1E21 Michael Kreps - Entire Tax Code ‘Up for Grabs'

Aug 12, 2024 39m Transcript

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…

S1E20 Preston Rutledge - ERISA’s Massive Impact on the Retirement Plan Space

Jul 22, 2024 45m Transcript

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…

S1E19 Andrew Biggs - Lies and Statistics—What the 401(k) Data Actually Says

Jul 15, 2024 1h 6m Transcript

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…

S1E18 James Klein - ERISA at 50! Where We Are, Where We’re Going

Jul 08, 2024 40m Transcript

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…

S1E17 Tim Hauser - The Final Fiduciary Rule’s Myths and Controversies

May 13, 2024 1h 38m Transcript

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…

S1E16 Aron Szapiro - The Data, Empirical Information Fueling the Final Fiduciary Rule

May 06, 2024 46m Transcript

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…

S1E15 Michael Davis - Rebutting Academia’s 401(k) Critics

Mar 15, 2024 32m Transcript

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…

S1E14 Kathleen Kennedy Townsend - A Lively Defined Contribution Debate

Feb 26, 2024 46m Transcript

‘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…

S1E13 Peter Brady - How to Counter the Latest Attacks on the 401(k) Savings System

Feb 20, 2024 38m Transcript

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…

S1E12 Tim Hauser - Navigating the Maze of Fiduciary Standards

Nov 09, 2023 1h 16m Transcript

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…

S1E11 Robert L. Johnson - Auto-Portability, Financial Wellness and Closing the Savings Gap

Oct 23, 2023 33m

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.

S1E10 John Scott - The Positive Impact of State-Based Auto-IRA Programs

Sep 12, 2023 28m

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…

S1E9 Eric Pan - The Politics of Financial Regulation

Jun 03, 2023 20m

“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…

S1E8 Angela M. Antonelli - Why State-Based IRAs Are a Perfect Private/Public Partnership

May 15, 2023 20m

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…

S1E7 Drew Crouch - Where Does Retirement Policy Go from Here?

Apr 14, 2023 26m

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…

S1E6 Carol Weiser - What Does Treasury Have on Tap for SECURE 2.0?

Apr 04, 2023 31m

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,…

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does D.C. Pension Geeks have?

D.C. Pension Geeks has published 25 episodes since February 2023, covering topics in Business, Investing.

Is D.C. Pension Geeks still active?

D.C. Pension Geeks is currently sporadic with new episodes monthly. Average episode length is 34m.