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Cover Stories

At Your Service: Courting the Affluent Tennis Fan

by Kerry Pechter

At Your Service: Courting the Affluent Tennis Fan

Tue, Jun 07, 2011

Prudential Financial, Raymond James, ING, Fidelity Investments and E*Trade all advertised during the French Open final between Rafael Nadal (above) and Roger Federer on NBC TV last Sunday--all vying for the "elite demographic" that follows tennis.

Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Debt?

by Kerry Pechter

Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Debt?

Tue, May 31, 2011

Not Warren Mosler, bond trader, racecar dabbler, Senatorial candidate and recent author of “The Seven Deadly Innocent Frauds.”

How to End 'Annuicide'

by Kerry Pechter

How to End 'Annuicide'

Tue, May 24, 2011

Compensation-wise, income annuities can backfire for many advisors. An industry committee wants to solve the problem, but it’s not easy.

MassMutual Rediscovers the Immediate Annuity

by Kerry Pechter

MassMutual Rediscovers the Immediate Annuity

Tue, May 17, 2011

A few years ago, MassMutual mothballed Jerry Golden’s SPIA tool for advisors. Now, post-crisis, the company has re-embraced SPIAs, and sales are up.

The Decumulation Beat

Let's Not Panic Over the Deficit

Let's Not Panic Over the Deficit

“The current weak state of many economies argues against implementing budget cuts in the next couple of years,” says a new pamphlet from the Peterson Institute for International Economics.

News

Jackson National closes five equity funds to VA separate account investors

Wed, Jun 08, 2011

With a May 31 SEC filing, the company has apparently made good on its parent company's promise to de-risk the equity exposure of its top-selling variable annuity. The changes will take effect August 29.

Beams to help merge ING retirement units in advance of IPO

Beams to help merge ING retirement units in advance of IPO

Tue, Jun 07, 2011

Maliz Beams previously served as president and CEO of TIAA-CREF’s Individual and Institutional Services, where she founded the Wealth Management business and re-launched IRAs, Insurance Products and Private Asset Management.

Fed governor details rationale for higher capital standards for “SIFIs”

Sun, Jun 05, 2011

Regulations should limit the creation or growth of giant financial institutions unless the “benefits to society are clearly significant,” said Daniel Tarullo.

Putnam’s iPhone “app” puts point-of-purchase savings into 401(k)

Putnam’s iPhone “app” puts point-of-purchase savings into 401(k)

Tue, Jun 07, 2011

First, find a bargain. Then calculate its value 30 years from now. Then contribute to retirement plan.

Russell LifePoints TDFs Tops $1 billion AUM

Tue, Jun 07, 2011

The series’ 2055 fund, for instance, has a 10% bond allocation, while the In Retirement Fund maintains a 68% bond allocation throughout retirement.

In Italy, annuity demand correlates with wealth and education

In Italy, annuity demand correlates with wealth and education

Tue, Jun 07, 2011

Italians were asked: ‘Imagine you are 65-years old and will receive an inflation-adjusted pension of €1,000 a month. Would you give up that half of that pension in exchange for an immediate lump sum of €60,000? Of €80,000? Of €100,000?’

TIAA-CREF, CFDD create network of RIAs for participant services

Wed, Jun 08, 2011

The Advisor Network will provide participants with access to a pre-screened network of qualified investment advisors who provide participant-level advice at "an investment advisory fiduciary standard of care."