The SIFMA Podcast

In episode 07 of Market Snapshot, SIFMA President and CEO Kenneth E. Bentsen, Jr. and Director of Research Heidi Learner recap October's market developments before turning to a replay of the economic outlook panel from SIFMA's Annual Meeting. Moderated by CNBC's Steve Liesman, the discussion features Scott Anderson of BMO and Mark Zandi of Moody's Analytics exploring economic growth, inflation, Fed policy, AI investment and key market risks heading into 2027. 

In the inaugural episode of SIFMA's new six-part podcast series, The Resilient Markets Series, host Todd Klessman is joined by Debbie Guild of PNC Financial Services Group and Brian Peretti of Everstream Advisors to discuss the evolving operational resilience landscape and strategies for strengthening market-wide preparedness.

The conversation explores lessons from industry exercises and testing, third-party dependencies, reconnection frameworks, and the impact of AI, cyber threats and geopolitical risks. The speakers also share practical insights on industry collaboration, maintaining critical financial services during disruptions and building a more resilient financial ecosystem.

In episode 6 of the Market Snapshot, SIFMA President and CEO Kenneth E. Bentsen, Jr. and Director of Research Heidi Learner are joined by Tom Simons, Chief U.S. Economist at Jefferies, to discuss the outlook for Federal Reserve policy, evolving labor market dynamics, AI investment and productivity, and what these trends could mean for interest rates, economic growth and capital markets.

In Episode 05 of Market Snapshot, SIFMA President and CEO Kenneth E. Bentsen, Jr. and Director of Research Heidi Learner are joined by Mona Mahajan, Principal and Head of Investment Strategy and Asset Allocation at Edward Jones. They discuss the outlook for Federal Reserve policy, rising Treasury yields, AI investment and corporate issuance, equity market opportunities, and the key risks investors should watch in the months ahead. 

In Episode 04 of Market Snapshot, SIFMA President and CEO Kenneth E. Bentsen, Jr. and Head of Research Heidi Learner recap recent market developments before turning to a replay of SIFMA’s mid-year Economist Council briefing. Featuring Scott Anderson, Chief U.S. Economist and Managing Director at BMO and Co-Chair of the SIFMA Economist Council, the briefing explores economic growth, AI investment, inflation, labor markets, monetary policy, and the risks shaping the outlook.

In this episode of The SIFMA Podcast, SIFMA President and CEO Kenneth E. Bentsen Jr. is joined by Peter Ryan, Charles DeSimone, and Micah Smith to discuss the regulatory questions shaping the next phase of tokenized securities markets. 

In Episode 03 of Market Snapshot, SIFMA President and CEO Kenneth E. Bentsen, Jr. and Head of Research Heidi Learner are joined by Tom Porcelli, Chief Economist at Wells Fargo, to discuss the latest forces shaping markets. Against the backdrop of a surprise CPI release and Fed Chair Kevin Warsh’s first congressional testimony, the conversation explores the underlying strength of the labor market, inflation dynamics, the path for monetary policy, and what current Treasury yields suggest about growth, fiscal risk, and market expectations. Porcelli also discusses whether recent productivity gains are being driven more by reduced hours worked than by...

In this episode of The SIFMA Podcast, host Steve Byron is joined by Shawn Quant, Chief Information & Operations Officer at Piper Sandler and Chair of SIFMA’s Operations & Technology Board Subcommittee, and Deb Guarino, Managing Director at BNY Pershing and Chair of the SIFMA Operations & Technology Committee.

Recorded following the 2026 SIFMA Operations Conference & Exhibition, the conversation explores the technological, regulatory, and operational forces reshaping capital markets. Topics include the evolution of AI from experimentation to enterprise integration, the growing role of tokenization and digital assets, operational readiness for Treasury clearing and extended trading hours, cyber resilience, fraud pr...

In Episode 02 of Market Snapshot, SIFMA President and CEO Kenneth E. Bentsen, Jr. and Head of Research Heidi Learner are joined by Marc Giannoni, Chief U.S. Economist at Barclays, to discuss the evolving U.S. economic outlook. 

 The conversation explores the resilience of consumer spending, the outlook for growth and the labor market, persistent inflation pressures, and the Federal Reserve’s policy path. They also examine the outsized role AI-related investment is playing in supporting economic activity, the implications of slowing labor force growth, and the key risks that could shape markets in the months ahead—from g...

In this episode of The SIFMA Podcast, Saima Ahmed introduces two conversations from the 2026 SIFMA C&L Annual Seminar featuring SEC Chairman Paul Atkins with SIFMA President and CEO Ken Bentsen, and SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce with Morgan Stanley’s Eric Grossman. Together, the discussions examine regulatory clarity, modernization of legacy frameworks, SEC–CFTC coordination, digital assets, AI, enforcement priorities, and the path toward more coherent, technology-neutral oversight.

Your Host:

Featuring:

In this episode of the SIFMA Podcast, Ken Bentsen speaks with SIFMA’s Peter Ryan about the rapid evolution of digital assets, tokenized markets, and stablecoins. They discuss how regulatory clarity, institutional adoption, and emerging market infrastructure are accelerating the integration of tokenization across the capital markets ecosystem. 

In this episode of the SIFMA Podcast, Ken Bentsen speaks with SIFMA’s Peter Ryan live from SIFMA’s Operations Conference & Exhibition about the rapid evolution of digital assets, tokenized markets, and stablecoins. They discuss how regulatory clarity, institutional adoption, and emerging market infrastructure are accelerating the integration of tokenization across the capital markets ecosystem. 

A monthly podcast examining the forces shaping markets and the broader economy.

In the inaugural episode, SIFMA President and CEO Kenneth E. Bentsen, Jr. and Head of Research Heidi Learner are joined by Matthew Luzzetti, Chief U.S. Economist and Head of U.S. Economic Research at Deutsche Bank, to discuss the evolving macroeconomic backdrop, including inflation risks, oil prices, higher interest rates, fiscal pressures, AI, and the outlook for the U.S. economy.

In this episode of The SIFMA Podcast, Steve Byron speaks with Charles DeSimone, Ray Agoglia, and Elaine Li about the U.S. Treasury and Repo Clearing Done-Away Model Design Considerations report, published with EY in December 2025. 

In this episode of the SIFMA podcast, Steve Byron, Managing Director, Head of Technology, Operations, and BCP, is joined by Todd Klesman, Managing Director, Financial Services, Cyber, and Technology, and Andy Retrum of Protiviti to discuss the Quantum Dawn VIII After Action Report.

Their conversation explores key findings from the November 2025 exercise, including lessons from a polycrisis scenario, the role of public-private collaboration, and areas of focus for strengthening the financial sector’s operational resilience and cybersecurity.

In this episode of The SIFMA Podcast, Heidi Learner, Managing Director and Director of Research at SIFMA, speaks with Andrew Guillette, Vice President at Broadridge, about insights from Broadridge’s Investor Pulse — a data-driven resource built on real investor holdings and activity rather than surveys or sentiment. 

In this episode of The SIFMA Podcast, SIFMA President and CEO Kenneth E. Bentsen, Jr. reflects on the recent Member Briefing where he was joined by Scott Anderson, Ph.D., Chief US Economist and Managing Director at BMO and Co-Chair of the SIFMA Economist Roundtable, and Heidi Learner, Managing Director, Director of Research at SIFMA. Together, they unpack key takeaways from SIFMA’s 2025 End-Year Economic Survey. 

In this episode of the SIFMA Podcast, Kenneth E. Bentsen Jr., President and CEO of SIFMA, joins Charles DeSimone and Peter Ryan to discuss the critical importance of investor protections in markets for tokenized securities. 

In this new episode of The SIFMA Podcast, SIFMA COO Joe Seidel is joined by Lindsey Keljo, Head of SIFMA AMG, and Lisa Bleier, Head of Wealth Management, Retirement, and State Government Relations, to share key takeaways from the Private Markets Valuation Roundtable, including:

In this episode of The SIFMA Podcast, we share a replay from SIFMA’s Private Markets Valuation Roundtable. Panelists explore how private assets are allocated and evaluated in retirement and professionally managed accounts, the challenges of valuing private vs. public assets, and best practices for fiduciaries navigating these investments. 

In this episode of The SIFMA Podcast,  we share a replay from SIFMA’s Private Markets Valuation Roundtable. Panelists explore valuation principles, the guardrails already in place, and common misconceptions about valuing private assets — and discuss how greater transparency around valuation practices can help build confidence and address these misconceptions. 

In this episode of The SIFMA Podcast, we feature a replay of the remarks made from SEC Commissioner Mark T. Uyeda. 

In this episode of The SIFMA Podcast, SIFMA President and CEO Kenneth E. Bentsen, Jr. reflects on the recent Member Briefing where he was joined by Scott Anderson, Ph.D., Chief US Economist and Managing Director at BMO and Co-Chair of the SIFMA Economist Roundtable. Together, they unpack key takeaways from SIFMA’s 2025 Mid-Year Economic Survey, conducted following the June FOMC meeting. 

In this episode of The SIFMA Podcast, SIFMA's President and CEO speaks with Lisa Bleier, Head of Wealth Management, Retirement, and State Government Relations at SIFMA, and Jennifer Spoeri, Executive Director of NAPSA. Together, they unpack key takeaways from the recent World Elder Abuse Awareness Day webinar and discuss the broader efforts by both organizations to protect senior investors from financial exploitation. 

In this episode of The SIFMA Podcast, SIFMA President and CEO Kenneth E. Bentsen, Jr., is joined by colleague Joe Corcoran, Managing Director and Associate General Counsel, to discuss SIFMA’s recommendations to the Securities and Exchange Commission on how to reform the Consolidated Audit Trail, or the CAT.

Together, they discuss:

In the latest episode of The SIFMA Podcast, SIFMA President and CEO Kenneth E. Bentsen Jr. is joined by colleagues Peter Ryan and Charles DeSimone to unpack SIFMA's response to the SEC Crypto Task Force’s request for information on digital assets.

Together, they discuss:

In this episode of The SIFMA Podcast, we recap key moments from SIFMA’s 2025 Anti-Money Laundering & Financial Crimes Conference, held in Washington, DC. SIFMA President and CEO Kenneth E. Bentsen, Jr., is joined by Saima Ahmed, SIFMA's Executive Vice President and General Counsel, and Bernard Canepa, Managing Director and Associate General Counsel at SIFMA, to discuss insights from the conference's moderated keynote sessions. Highlights include conversations with:

In this episode of The SIFMA Podcast, we recap highlights from SIFMA’s 2025 Operations Conference & Exhibition, held in Orlando, Florida. SIFMA President and CEO Kenneth E. Bentsen, Jr., is joined by Chief Operating Officer Joseph Seidel and Stephen Byron, Managing Director and Head of Technology, Operations, and Business Continuity. Together, they unpack insights from two standout sessions:

Tune in for expert perspectives on the evolving operations landscape and what it means for the industry going forward.

In recognition of Financial Literacy Month, SIFMA President and CEO Kenneth E. Bentsen, Jr. hosts a discussion with Lisa Hunt, Managing Director and Head of International Services at Charles Schwab, and Melanie Mortimer, President of the SIFMA Foundation.

In this episode of The SIFMA Podcast, they explore the critical role of the financial services industry in advancing financial education, the work being done by Charles Schwab and the SIFMA Foundation in supporting financial education, and the impact of their programs on communities across the country.

In this episode of The SIFMA Podcast, SIFMA Chief Operating Officer Joseph Seidel is joined by Dr. Guowei Zhang, Managing Director at SIFMA, to unpack the critical role of leverage ratios in the U.S. Treasury market – and why exempting them from leverage ratio calculations may be key to strengthening market resilience.

Together, they explore:

In this episode of The SIFMA Podcast, SIFMA President and CEO Kenneth E. Bentsen, Jr. sits down with SIFMA General Counsel Saima Ahmed to unpack key takeaways from the 2025 SIFMA Compliance & Legal Annual Seminar.

They discuss top regulatory priorities, evolving compliance expectations, and what’s on the horizon. With exclusive conversations live from the Seminar floor, this episode brings you firsthand insights from:

Tune in for expert perspectives on the fu...

In this episode of The SIFMA Podcast, SIFMA’s President and CEO, Kenneth E. Bentsen, Jr., sits down with Katie Kolchin, CFA to discuss the latest U.S. Equity Market Structure Compendium. This report summarizes market activity and themes in 2024, including: the AI boom, market concentration, higher-for-longer rates, earnings growth, and more. 

In this episode of The SIFMA Podcast, SIFMA’s President and CEO, Kenneth E. Bentsen, Jr., sits down with Katie Kolchin, CFA to discuss the themes and market metrics that are shaping the U.S. fixed income markets in 2025.

 In this episode of The SIFMA Podcast, SIFMA's Chief Operating Officer, Joseph Seidel, sits down with Robert Toomey, the head of SIFMA's capital markets group, William Thum, managing director in SIFMA’s Asset Management Group, and Stephen Byron, the head of SIFMA’s operations and technology group, to discuss the recent compliance extension from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for its Treasury Clearing rule and SIFMA's work on behalf of the industry to implement the mandate set out in the rule.  

Recently, SIFMA has met with our Board to set our 2025 priorities on behalf of our members and in support of our mission to promote effective and resilient capital markets. In this episode of The SIFMA Podcast, SIFMA's president and CEO, Ken Bentsen, and SIFMA's COO, Joseph Seidel, sit down to discuss SIFMA’s priorities for the year ahead. 

Who is subject to the SEC's rules? When do they go into effect? What are the margin implications? How will firms account for increased volumes? In this episode of The SIFMA Podcast, SIFMA's COO, Joseph Seidel, sits down with EY's Brendan Maher and SIFMA's Steve Byron, William Thum, and Rob Toomey to answer these questions and more. 

In this episode of The SIFMA Podcast, we highlight just some of the conversations that took place at SIFMA's Annual Meeting. Our discussions with industry leaders like BlackRock's Larry Fink and Edward Jones' Penny Pennington include top-of-mind issues including:

Podcast Host:

SIFMA Annual Featured Speakers:

In this episode of the SIFMA Podcast, Ken Bentsen, SIFMA's President and CEO, is joined by Katie Kolchin, SIFMA Managing Director and Head of Research, for a discussion around the recently updated SIFMA Insights Primer series.

This series of reports explains the inner workings of capital markets, breaking down important technical and regulatory nuances. Listen in as Ken and Katie dive into the Capital Markets Primer, which provides readers with a deeper look at markets and the role of financial institutions.

In this episode of the SIFMA Podcast, Ken Bentsen, SIFMA’s president, and CEO, sits down with Stephen Byron, Managing Director, Head of Technology, Operations, and Business Continuity, SIFMA to discuss the 5 key takeaways from SIFMA’s 2024 Operations and Technology Conference and what’s ahead in the operations space.