SVIA Fall Forum 2026: Full Schedule

arrow_back View All Dates

9:15am EDT

Opening Remarks

Tuesday October 6, 2026 9:15am - 9:30am EDT

Grand Ballroom

Tuesday October 6, 2026 9:15am - 9:30am EDT
Grand Ballroom

General Session

9:30am EDT

Keynote: EBSA's Priorities for the Year Ahead

Tuesday October 6, 2026 9:30am - 10:00am EDT

Grand Ballroom

Join the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) Assistant Secretary Daniel Aronowitz, for a direct discussion on the Department of Labor’s strategic vision for strengthening retirement security. As market conditions and plan designs rapidly evolve, this session offers essential insights into how EBSA is shaping policy to balance participant protection with a well-functioning retirement system.

Speakers

Daniel Aronowitz

Assistant Secretary, Employee Benefits Security Administration, U.S. Department of Labor

Daniel Aronowitz leads the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) after being confirmed by the United States Senate and after receiving approval from the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee on a bipartisan basis. EBSA is charged with protecting the retirement... Read More →

Tuesday October 6, 2026 9:30am - 10:00am EDT
Grand Ballroom

General Session

10:00am EDT

Trends in Stable Value: What's Driving the Market

Tuesday October 6, 2026 10:00am - 10:30am EDT

Grand Ballroom

This panel examines the economic drivers, market conditions, and regulatory shifts shaping the current stable value landscape. This session will breakdown prevailing capital flows, crediting rate trends, underlying portfolio structures, and wrap capacity dynamics. Attendees will leave with a clear understanding of how stable value funds are positioned to deliver capital preservation, steady yield, and liquidity in an evolving interest rate environment.

Speakers

Maria Cimino

Maria currently leads the Stable Value In-force Product Management team at Prudential. In this role, she is responsible for maintaining one of the industry's largest wrap positions while supporting clients as their needs and challenges continue to evolve. Maria has been a member... Read More →

Jennifer Gilmore

Head of Stable Value Portfolio Management, Invesco

Jeff Graham

Relations Manager, MassMutual

Mr. Graham is Director, Institutional Sales, in the Institutional Solutions Group within MassMutual U.S. He is responsible for marketing MassMutual Stable Value products to institutional clients, negotiating contracts, investment guidelines and supporting our existing stable value... Read More →

Kallan Yee

Vice President, PIMCO

Kallan Yee is a vice president and stable value strategist on the defined contribution solutions team at PIMCO. Prior to joining PIMCO in 2025, Ms. Yee served as an account manager for State Street’s stable value wrap business. She has 16 years of investment and financial services... Read More →

Tuesday October 6, 2026 10:00am - 10:30am EDT
Grand Ballroom

General Session

11:00am EDT

Target Date: What the Latest Research Shows

Tuesday October 6, 2026 11:00am - 11:45am EDT

Grand Ballroom

Unpack the newest empirical research and data surrounding target date funds (TDFs), the dominant default investment vehicle in 401(k) plans. This presentation highlights recent glide path innovations, asset allocation trends, and participant usage patterns. Discover how asset managers and plan sponsors are adapting target date design to integrate inflation protection, retirement income features, and evolving demographic realities.

Speakers

Jason Kephart

Senior Principal, Morningstar

Brian Miller

Head of Multi-Asset Product Management, Vanguard

Eitan Gazit

Vice President, Retirement Strategies, Prudential

Eitan is the Vice President of Institutional Markets at Prudential and has been driving innovation in the institutional insurance space since 2016.
Initially focusing on pension risk transfer, he led major transactions through collaboration with plan sponsors and consultants. Eita... Read More →

Preet Prashar

Principal, Mercer

Preet Prashar is Director of Defined Contribution (DC) Intellectual Capital Teams at Mercer, based in Chicago. He has more than 20 years of industry experience and extensive experience with target date funds and stable value strategies. Preet advises DC clients on target date funds... Read More →

Tuesday October 6, 2026 11:00am - 11:45am EDT
Grand Ballroom

General Session

12:00pm EDT

Spending It Down: How Americans Think About Retirement Savings

Tuesday October 6, 2026 12:00pm - 1:00pm EDT

Colonnade

Join Planet Money Co-host, Nick Fountain, to explore how the transition from asset accumulation to decumulation remains one of the most complex challenges facing retirees today. This session explores participant behavior, psychological barriers, and preferences surrounding retirement income generation. Attendees will review key survey insights on how retirees approach spending, manage longevity risk, and evaluate in-plan retirement income options.

Speakers

Nick Fountain

NPR, Planet Money

Tuesday October 6, 2026 12:00pm - 1:00pm EDT
Colonnade

General Session

1:15pm EDT

Views on Litigation from the Office of the Solicitor

Tuesday October 6, 2026 1:15pm - 1:45pm EDT

Grand Ballroom

Gain valuable perspectives directly from Senior Counselor Edward Wenger of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of the Solicitor on the latest legal trends impacting ERISA plans.This session will detail EBSA's key regulatory initiatives and enforcement priorities under its latest guiding principles, emphasizing fiduciary compliance and participant protections. Plan sponsors, service providers, and fiduciaries will gain practical clarity on navigating regulatory expectations and maintaining compliance across defined contribution plans.

Speakers

Edward Wenger

Office of the Solicitor, U.S. DOL

Ed Wenger is a senior counselor to the Solicitor of Labor, specializing in appellate practice and critical legal issues. He has successfully handled every stage of litigation, from the initial complaint-drafting stage all the way through United States Supreme Court review. His appellate... Read More →

Tuesday October 6, 2026 1:15pm - 1:45pm EDT
Grand Ballroom

General Session

1:45pm EDT

Economic Outlook: Rates, Inflation, and Growth Ahead

Tuesday October 6, 2026 1:45pm - 2:30pm EDT

Grand Ballroom

Join Sarah Hirsch of New York Life for a high-level analysis of the macroeconomic forces reshaping U.S. and global capital markets. Built around three core structural pillars—U.S. economic exceptionalism, AI-driven growth, and policy support—this session examines how interest rate trajectories, inflationary pressures, and broader economic conditions are directly impacting institutional portfolios and plan sponsor behavior. Attendees will gain the essential macroeconomic context needed to navigate market shifts and inform long-term retirement investing strategies.

Speakers

Sarah Hirsch

Global Market Strategist, New York Life Investment Management

Sarah Hirsch is a Global Market Strategist at New York Life Investment Management, where she is responsible for economic and market research, asset allocation perspectives, and thought leadership to empower investment decision-making.

With deep experience in both public policy a... Read More →

Tuesday October 6, 2026 1:45pm - 2:30pm EDT
Grand Ballroom

General Session

3:15pm EDT

The Plan Sponsor Perspective: What the Latest Survey Shows

Tuesday October 6, 2026 3:15pm - 3:45pm EDT

Grand Ballroom

Drawing from key findings in the MFS Global Retirement Survey, this session explores the gap between industry innovation and participant understanding. This session will examine how participants perceive TDF glidepaths, why confusion persists surrounding "to" versus "through" retirement strategies, and how plan sponsors can leverage modern TDF enhancements and active management to drive long-term savings accumulation and improve participant outcomes.

Speakers

Jonathan Barry

Senior Managing Director, MFS

Tuesday October 6, 2026 3:15pm - 3:45pm EDT
Grand Ballroom

General Session

3:45pm EDT

Stable Value in Retail Markets

Tuesday October 6, 2026 3:45pm - 4:30pm EDT

Grand Ballroom

While stable value has traditionally been anchored in ERISA-qualified defined contribution plans, interest in expanding its reach across retail channels continues to build. This session explores the opportunities, structural challenges, and regulatory nuances of offering stable value solutions to retail investors and IRAs.

Tuesday October 6, 2026 3:45pm - 4:30pm EDT
Grand Ballroom

General Session

9:15am EDT

9:30am EDT

10:00am EDT

11:00am EDT

12:00pm EDT

1:15pm EDT

1:45pm EDT

3:15pm EDT

3:45pm EDT

Get help with the event