Aspen Institute to Host Capitol Hill Event Marking 10th Anniversary of Pension Protection Act

WASHINGTON, June 20, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Leaders in Congress will convene on Capitol Hill with business, research, and nonprofit experts for debate and dialogue on the future of federal retirement policy, and critical next steps to avert the retirement reckoning faced by millions of workers who aren't saving enough, or at all, for their golden years. Timed to the tenth anniversary of the Pension Protection Act (PPA), this forum, hosted by the Aspen Institute Financial Security Program, will highlight key accomplishments of the PPA related to private, defined contribution retirement plans, assess the impact of these provisions over the past decade, and explore what more needs to be done to build retirement savings for all American families.

The PPA touched on many aspects of retirement policy. For private savings, it authorized a series of streamlined tools – automatic enrollment, automatic escalation, and default investment choices – for the first time. As employers and financial services providers have put these provisions into practice, we have seen real progress in participation rates in firms that offer retirement plans and a shift in the allocation of assets towards more balanced investments. For employees at firms that do not offer plans, however, retirement security remains an elusive goal.

How can we apply the successes of the PPA to ensure that all families can take advantage of proven strategies? Over the course of the morning, we will explore answers to this critical question with insights and dialogue from some of the nation's leading thinkers and policymakers.

WHAT: Retirement Savings Goes Automatic:
Key Accomplishments of the Pension Protection Act and the Path Forward

WHO:

• Keynote remarks from:
  • The Honorable Joseph Crowley, U.S. Representative, New York, 14th District
    The Honorable Jared Polis, U.S. Representative, Colorado, 2nd District
    Edmund F. Murphy III, President, Empower Retirement
• Two distinguished panels, featuring:
  • Keith Ambachtsheer, Director Emeritus, International Centre for Pension Management, Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto 
  • Derek Dorn, Managing Director and Head of Regulatory Engagement and Policy, TIAA
  • The Honorable J. Mark Iwry, Senior Advisor to the Secretary and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Retirement and Health Policy, U.S. Department of the Treasury
  • John J. (Jamie) Kalamarides, Chairman & CEO, Prudential Bank & Trust and Senior Vice President, Prudential Retirement, The Prudential Insurance Company of America
  • Kilolo Kijakazi, Institute Fellow, The Urban Institute
  • Anne Lester, Head of Retirement Solutions for Global Investment Management Solutions, JP Morgan Asset Management
  • Lew Minsky, President and CEO, Defined Contribution Institutional Investment Association (DCIIA)
  • Diane Oakley, Executive Director, National Institute on Retirement Security (NIRS)
  • Jack VanDerhei, Research Director, Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI)

WHEN: Friday, June 24, 2016, 9:30 AM EDT – 1:30 PM EDT

WHERE: Kennedy Caucus Room (SR-325), Russell Senate Office Building
2 Constitution Avenue NE, Washington, DC 20002

EDITOR'S NOTE: Press and cameras are welcome at the event and a short Q&A will follow each panel. This event is open to the public, but we ask attendees to please register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/retirement-savings-goes-automatic-tickets-25727371260.

Join the conversation live via Twitter at @Aspen_FSP and @AspenInstitute, and with #PPAat10.

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SOURCE The Aspen Institute