Annuities
The interest credited on the new OptiBlend option is based on the performance of the S&P 500 Daily Risk Control 5% Index.
MetLife launches QLAC as plan distribution option
Participants in plans with MetLife group annuity contracts can put 25% of their qualified savings (up to $125,000) into this new deferred income product, whose premium can be excluded...
FIAs on pace for record sales year: Wink
Allianz Life maintained its sales leadership position with a market share of 20.3%. American Equity Companies was again the second-ranked carrier, while Security Benefit Life, Great American Insurance Group,...
First quarter annuity sales rankings, from LIMRA
"Total annuity sales have been lower in the first quarter than the prior quarter eight out of the last nine years,” said Todd Giesing, senior business analyst at the...
Six Ways to Dress Up QLACs
RIJ spoke with annuity manufacturers and distributors about their strategies for selling qualified longevity annuity contracts, which are deferred income annuities for IRA money. The favorite, but not unanimous,...
Moshe Milevsky on Tontines
Moshe Milevsky's latest book, King William's Tontine, is reviewed here by University of Oklahoma law professor Jonathan B. Forman, himself a tontine expert. Milevsky and Forman think that tontines,...
FIA: Unofficial MVP of the LIMRA Conference
Fixed indexed annuities will “increase their dominant position in the individual U.S. annuity market” and “approach variable annuity sales levels over the next five years,” predicted actuary Tim...
AXA’s have-your-cake-and-eat-it-too approach to RMDs
AXA has developed RMD Wealth Guard, a guaranteed minimum death benefit designed to boost sales of its Retirement Cornerstone variable annuity among retirees who want to protect a chunk...
Are Annuity Buyers Smarter than Other People?
“The observed lack of annuitization does not necessarily mean that people are better off without annuities,” write retirement specialists Jeff Brown, Olivia Mitchell and others in a new research...
Pacific Life issues qualified longevity annuity
The insurer's press release positions the product mainly as a way for advisors to help their clients reduce annual taxes during retirement, instead of as insurance against running out...
Hueler’s Income Solutions now offers QLACs
Vanguard, Alliance Benefit Group, Beneplace and several large plan sponsors offer the Hueler platform to their plan participants.
AIG, BofA Merrill Lynch collaborate on index annuity option
Through a daily “non-discretionary process eliminates the impact that emotions may have on allocation decisions,” AIG said in a release, the contract moves money into cash when short-term...
Surge of fixed indexed annuity sales at independent broker-dealers in 2014
Industry-wide annuity sales reached $229.4 billion in 2014, a 3.8% increase from $220.9 billion in 2013 and an 8.2% increase from $212 billion in 2012.
Voya enters the structured variable annuity game
The product resembles other structured variable annuities in the marketplace, issued by MetLife, AXA, CUNA Mutual and Allianz Life. These products offer more upside potential than fixed indexed annuities...
Symetra launches two new fixed indexed annuities
Available in both annuities is the JPMorgan ETF Efficiente 5 Index, which generates returns by utilizing an array of exchange-traded funds and a cash index.
New living benefit rider from W&S has 7% (simple) 10-year roll-up
The rider has an aggressive roll-up that’s paid for with a substantial rider charge and the issuer’s right to raise the charge to 2% a year.
Rising sales of “medically underwritten” group annuities reported in UK
Four UK insurers offer medically underwritten group (“bulk”) annuities: Aviva, Just Retirement, Legal & General, and Partnership, with Partnership and Just Retirement doing the majority of business.
Prudential and MassMutual in Deal to De-Risk Kimberly-Clark Pension
“This is not necessarily a bad business to be bidding on, but it’s inherently risky, especially with the low rate environment," said Rob Haines of CreditSights.
A product that ‘no one likes’ sold over $235 billion in 2014
Americans contributed $12.4 billion to immediate or deferred income annuities in 2014, and $48.2 billion to indexed annuities, many of which had income riders, according to LIMRA. VA sales...
Bird? Plane? No, It’s a New MetLife VA Rider
With the new FlexChoice guaranteed lifetime withdrawal rider on its flagship variable annuities, MetLife is betting that it can provide Boomers with a competitive income vehicle that's light on...