Securities Regulation and Enforcement Series: Redefining Retirement: New Rules, New Opportunities

In this Season 3 episode, co-hosts A. Valerie Mirko, Partner at Armstrong Teasdale LLP and leader of the firm’s Securities Regulation and Litigation Practice, and William Nelson, Director of Public Policy and Associate General Counsel at the Investment Adviser Association, are joined by Kendra Isaacson, Partner at Mindset, for an in-depth discussion of major policy developments reshaping retirement savings. Kendra is a leading voice on retirement policy, bringing deep experience from her time as Pensions Policy Director for the Senate HELP Committee, at the Department of Labor, and in the private sector. During this episode, she breaks down the DOL’s proposal to expand use of alternative investments in certain retirement accounts, exploring the regulatory rationale, potential benefits, and compliance considerations. The conversation also covers broader efforts to expand access to retirement savings, including recently introduced federal legislation and the Administration’s newly announced IRA marketplace. Together, Valerie, William and Kendra examine how these initiatives could alter the retirement landscape for investors, advisers, and plan sponsors. This episode is a must-listen for securities lawyers, compliance professionals, regulators, and anyone navigating today’s rapidly evolving regulatory landscape. Recent Past Episodes of this Series: A New Enforcement Era and the Potential Coming Wave of SEC Rulemaking (https://creators.spotify.com/pod/prof...) (4/22/2026) ⁠Congress Puts the SROs Under the Microscope: SEC Oversight, Transparency, and Reform⁠ (https://creators.spotify.com/pod/prof...) (3/18/2026) ⁠⁠Congress Puts the SEC Under the Microscope: Accountability, Due Process, and Reform⁠⁠ (https://creators.spotify.com/pod/prof...) (2/11/2026) ⁠⁠⁠A Study in Contrasts: Innovation and Crypto versus the Crypto Fraud Landscape⁠⁠⁠ (https://creators.spotify.com/pod/prof...) (1/21/2026) ⁠⁠⁠⁠A Year of Change, Challenges, and What Comes Next⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://creators.spotify.com/pod/prof...) (12/17/2025) ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠When Washington Stops: What the 2025 Shutdown Means for the SEC and Congress Going Forward⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://creators.spotify.com/pod/prof...) (11/19/2025) ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The SEC’s New Direction: Enforcement and Governance in Focus⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (https://creators.spotify.com/pod/prof...) (10/22/25) Please note, the positions and opinions expressed by the speakers are strictly their own, and do not necessarily represent the views of their employers, nor those of the D.C. Bar, its Board of Governors or co-sponsoring Communities and organizations.