Rebecca Tadikonda, Executive Vice President, Strategy and Innovation, Athene, discusses the challenges individuals face saving for retirement, the importance of lifetime income, what savers say they want and need when managing their income once they retire, and how the industry is innovating with products designed to respond to these wants and needs.

Athene is a general supporter of the Center for Retirement Initiatives. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are the views of the guest and do not reflect any policy or position of the Center for Retirement Initiatives.

As state-facilitated retirement savings programs are poised to mark $2 billion in assets and 1 million funded saver accounts, new CRI research reveals significant gaps that remain in retirement plan access and the potential of state programs to reach and benefit millions of Americans.(Press Release, Report, and State-by-State Interactive Map). The report also examines the combined effect of direct program participation and induced new private retirement plan formation in three of the early program adopter states. Listen to the audio of the March 27, 2025 webinar to learn more about this updated analysis.

Kendra Isaacson, Principal, Mindset and Michael Kreps, Principal, Groom Law Groom offer their predictions about the focus and priorities of a new Congress and a new Administration shaping retirement policy in 2025.

Both Mindset and the Groom Law Group are general supporters of the Center for Retirement Initiatives. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are the views of the guests and do not reflect any policy or position of the Center for Retirement Initiatives.

Anne Lester is a well-known retirement expert and perhaps few are as well qualified as Anne to help us better understand how to save smart and retire happy—on own time and target. She shares some of the key lessons from her new book - Living Your Best Financial Life – Save Smart Now for the Future You Want.

Ken Dychtwald, PhD, is the founder and CEO of AgeWave, an acclaimed think tank and consultancy focused on the social and business implications and opportunities of global aging and rising longevity. His client list has included over half the Fortune 500 companies. During his career, Ken has addressed more than two million people worldwide in his speeches to corporate, association, social service, and government groups. His strikingly accurate predictions and innovative ideas are regularly featured in leading print and electronic media worldwide.

He shares some of the insightful and provocative ideas about the future of aging and what it means for how we live, save, and invest both in the US and globally. He also has agreed to allow us to post a few slides here to accompany this podcast to provide some helpful context for our discussion.

Jeri Savage, lead retirement strategist for MFS Investment Management, shares the findings of their recent 2023 Global Retirement Survey and 2023 DC Plan Sponsor Survey. These surveys provide some valuable insights into the confidence and knowledge of retirement plan participants, what they need and want from their plans, and how plan sponsors are responding. As Jeri notes, "there are a lot of positive takeaways: plan participation is up, deferral rates are up....and plan sponsors [are] thinking more holistically."

MFS is a general supporter of the Center for Retirement Initiatives. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are the views of the guests and do not reflect any policy or position of the Center for Retirement Initiatives.

David Walker, former Comptroller General of the United States, assesses the state of the nation's current fiscal and economic condition and discusses the consequences of the failure to act to address some of the biggest challenges we face today.

Surya Kolluri, Head of the TIAA Institute, shares some of the Institute's most recent research to help us understand how financial literacy, longevity literacy, and healthy aging affect retirement readiness.