First quarter annuity sales: Better for fixed than variable
Jackson National was again the top seller of variable annuities, Allianz Life the leader in indexed annuities and New York Life led fixed-annuity sales. But AIG issued the most...
Annuities
First Sign of Blood from DOL Fiduciary Rule
'The unexpected change regarding FIAs in the final DOL rule and the related Best Interest Contract Exemption has cast a cloud over our future growth rate,' said John Matovina,...
Integrity Life enhances popular Indextra indexed annuity
Launched Sept. 29, 2014, Indextra has garnered sales to date of more than $800 million, making it the most successful first-year product debut in W&S Financial Group Distributors history....
Symetra’s new indexed annuity offers rising lifetime payout rates
If a single person age 60 to 64 invested $100,000 in a Symetra Income Edge FIA contract, under the level option he or she would be eligible for a...
Record sales of indexed annuities brighten otherwise flat 2015
Fixed indexed annuity sales hit a new high of $16.1 billion in the fourth quarter of 2015, up 11.9% from $14.4 billion in the prior quarter and up...
Security Benefit offers floating-rate fixed deferred annuity
Contract owners receive a guaranteed base rate of interest that is set for the contract’s guarantee period, plus the 3-month ICE LIBOR USD Rate (subject to a cap), which...
With 14.5% market share, Allianz Life led FIA sellers in 2015
LIMRA Secure Retirement Institute and Wink Inc. offer differing views on the way indexed annuity sales will be affected by the impending DOL fiduciary rule.
Stan the Annuity Man Goes (Almost) Robo
Insurance super-agent Stan Haithcock, aka Stan the Annuity Man, says that his new cluster of annuity sales websites position him to become the first truly direct seller of fixed...
Indexed annuities post new sales records in 2015
Total annuity sales improved for the third consecutive quarter, driven by strong fixed annuity results. In fourth quarter, annuity sales were $61.4 billion, 5% higher than the prior year....
Bank annuity sales dip 2.5% in first three-quarters of 2015
Over two-thirds (68.4%) of BHCs with over $10 billion in assets earned third quarter year-to-date annuity commissions of $2.49 billion, constituting 94.8% of total annuity commissions reported.
The Principal offers “simpler” indexed annuity
At a time when other indexed annuity issuers are experimenting with custom indices, this product links its performance only to the S&P 500, according to the issuer.
Raymond James adjusts the bar for index annuities
Broker-dealer Raymond James said it will no longer approve the sale of FIA contracts that have "monthly average and monthly cap strategies that investors often misunderstood or rarely use."...
Removing ‘Lapse Risk’ from Variable Annuities
“Almost every major variable annuity writer has absorbed large write-downs on ‘policyholder behavior assumption updates,’” said a Munich Re executive. “So how do we take out that risk?”
Indexed Annuity Sales Reach New Highs: LIMRA
'VA sales make up 54% of the overall annuity business, down from 67% just in 2012. This decline in VA market share has certainly contributed to the growth...
MassMutual’s new VA offers exposure to alternatives
Besides MassMutual funds, contract owners can invest in BlackRock, Fidelity, Ivy and Oppenheimer funds.
LIMRA launches AnnuityCompass database (for members only)
AnnuityCompass will allow LIMRA members to “query data via a state-of-the-art online system” in order to “mine, filter, and analyze the data anytime from anywhere,” the LIMRA website said....
Voya adds volatility-controlled index to its FIAs
"The Point-to-Point Volatility Control Strategy tracks Deutsche Bank's proprietary CROCI (Cash Return on Capital Invested) US 5% Volatility Control Index," a Voya release said.
Kehrer Bielan releases bank annuity sales study for 2014
The ten largest third-party broker dealers, which support annuity and investment sales in 2,559 banks and credit unions, accounted for 38% of the total annuity premium sold through financial...
Will the ‘BIC’ Affect QLAC Sales?
We're talking about the DOL's proposed Best Interest Contract exemption and sales of Qualified Longevity Annuity Contracts. "Most firms will just pass on this uncertainty and risk," said Caleb...
New investment-focused variable annuity from Nationwide
Nationwide posted $2.76 billion in variable annuity sales in the first six months of this year, for a 4% market share. The Columbus, OH-based firm ranked eleventh in total...
