Savers and retirees alike will be affected by the battle brewing between the Federal Reserve and a Republican-controlled Congress, which is considering potentially inflationary policies. Join TIAA’s Beverly Goodman as she moderates a timely conversation between Niladri ‘Neel’ Mukherjee, TIAA’s Wealth Management Chief Investment officer, and Chris Spence, TIAA’s Managing Director and Head of Federal Government Relations & Public Policy, as they discuss what’s ahead for 2026. Neel will explore what this dynamic may mean for retirement portfolios in 2026. Meanwhile, Chris, whose team has a finger on the pulse of D.C., will dive into what sponsors may expect from the new administration including the framework for the next big comprehensive retirement reform bill—a successor to 2022’s SECURE 2.0 Act.
Moderator
Beverly Goodman, Head of Retirement Insights and Strategic Content at TIAA
Beverly Goodman is Head of Retirement Insights at TIAA. She and her team create thought leadership and other content to help marketing and client-facing teams in Retirement Solutions and Wealth meet the needs of all our clients. Prior to joining TIAA in early 2022, she was Editorial Director at Barron's, overseeing investing, retirement, and wealth management coverage, as well as Editor in Chief of the Dow Jones Wealth & Asset Management Group, which developed multiplatform content for financial advisors. In addition to a long career in financial journalism, she’s held editorial roles at Fidelity Investments. Because she loathes free time, she also teaches yoga and is a Certified Financial Planner™ on a pro-bono basis.
About the Speakers
Niladri ‘Neel’ Mukherjee, Senior Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer for TIAA
Niladri ‘Neel’ Mukherjee is currently a Senior Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer for TIAA Wealth Management. He is responsible for managing all aspects of the investment process from investment strategy, due diligence, portfolio management, equites, and fixed income solutions. Previously, he served as a Managing Director and Head of Portfolio Strategy for the Chief Investment Office (CIO) within Bank of America supporting Merrill Lynch Wealth Management and the Private Bank. In this role, he was responsible for setting macro-economic, investment/ portfolio strategy and tactical asset allocation guidance for all wealth management lines of businesses, impacting roughly $2 trillion of assets under management. He was a voting member of the Investment Strategy Committee (ISC) and the Investment Oversight Committee; co- headed the working group that set equity strategy recommendations; and a leader within the Operating Committee for the Investment Solutions Group comprising all product/platform teams and CIO. Niladri’s responsibilities also included delivering top of the house investment guidance and market insights to clients, advisors and various specialist teams through regular thought-leadership reports, national calls and conferences and has appeared on media outlets such as CNBC, Bloomberg, and Yahoo Finance. He had previously held leadership positions such as Director of Portfolio Strategy for the Private Banking and Investment Management group, Merrill’s ultra-high net- worth business and Head Strategist for the Western Division. Prior to his 16-year tenure at Bank of America/Merrill, he was a portfolio manager for a long/short hedge fund and large cap mutual fund at Dover Management. He has also worked at KPMG LLP’s Financial Services group in New York and at New Delhi-based Infrastructure Professionals Enterprise, where he advised government agencies on issues related to urban infrastructure development, financial restructuring, and policy formulation. Niladri earned his M.B.A degree in Finance from New York University’s Stern School of Business and a B.S. degree in Physics from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi. He serves on the Advisory Board of the Stevens School of Business at Stevens Institute of Technology in New Jersey.
Chris Spence, Managing Director and Head of Federal Government Relations & Public Policy , TIAA
Chris’ 26-year career includes working as a financial consultant, policy advisor, and lobbyist. He leads TIAA’s Federal Government Relations & Public Policy team in developing and advocating for policy positions that promote financial security and improve retirement outcomes for TIAA’s clients and Americans more broadly. As a financial consultant, Chris helped clients determine their long-term financial goals, including achieving financially secure retirements. He took this frontline experience with clients to TIAA’s Government Relations team where he develops and executes on strategies that result in sensible action-oriented policy solutions. He advocates directly with federal policymakers on the importance of enhancing retirement security for all Americans and plays a key role in the enactment of comprehensive retirement reform legislation. He continues to collaborate with lawmakers and regulators to ensure they understand how policy proposals could impact Americans’ financial well-being, while keeping internal and external stakeholders apprised of developments in Washington, D.C. In addition to receiving his B.A. in Journalism from Rowan University, Chris holds three financial designations: the Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC), the Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU), and the Chartered Advisor for Senior Living (CASL). In his free time, Chris enjoys musical pursuits, improving his golf game, and spending time with his wife and three children.
Disclaimer: This material is for informational or educational purposes only and is not fiduciary investment advice, or a securities, investment strategy, or insurance product recommendation. This material does not consider an individual’s own objectives or circumstances which should be the basis of any investment decision. The views expressed in this material may change in response to changing economic and market conditions. Past performance is not indicative of future returns. Investment products may be subject to market and other risk factors. See the applicable product literature or visit TIAA.org for details. Investment, insurance and annuity products are not FDIC insured, are not bank guaranteed, are not deposits, are not insured by any federal government agency, are not a condition to any banking service or activity, and may lose value. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC, Member FINRA, distributes securities products. Annuity contracts and certificates are issued by Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America (TIAA) and College Retirement Equities Fund (CREF), New York, NY. Each is solely responsible for its own financial condition and contractual obligations.
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