A buffet of buffered ETFs for jittery investors
Allianz Life will compete in the structured ETF space against Innovator Capital Management, which invented this type of investment in 2018, First Trust, and New York Life Investments,...
Annuities
Athene to use artificial intelligence-driven indexes in FIAs
'AiPEX with Watson simulates a team of thousands of analysts and traders working around the clock,' according to a release this week.
A Primer for Annuity Newbies
Here, by popular demand, I offer a 10-minute tour of annuity products, using the same classification system that I used when writing Annuities for Dummies.
BlackRock Makes a Bundle (with Annuities)
BlackRock, the giant asset manager, is adding a lifetime income dimension to its LifePath target date funds by partnering with Brighthouse, Equitable and Voya on a service that will...
One bright spot in first quarter annuity sales
Whatever you call them, indexed variable annuities continue to experience a growth spurt. Jackson National led the industry with almost $5 billion in first-quarter annuity sales.
Prudential (finally) joins structured variable annuity race
Prudential offers FlexGuard, its first entry into the 10-year-old indexed VA market. The contract offers a new twist on the 'step rate' crediting strategy. Also this week, AIG added...
With BluePrint Income, AARP Ups its Ante on Annuity Sales
AARP's 38 million members can now buy income annuities and fixed-rate annuities on a platform powered by fintech firm Blueprint Income. Buyers get a complimentary annual 'retirement income check-up'...
A Marvel of Financial Engineering
Like a tough cut of beef that becomes fit for a king if you cook it for a long time at a low temperature, this new fixed indexed annuity...
New index options on Allianz Life indexed variable annuity offer high three-year caps
The three-year crediting rate limits are 75% and 80%, respectively, according to a May 4 product rate sheet on the Allianz Index Advantage product. The current rates expire June...
Look Homeward, Seeker of Liquidity
During a market crisis, a reverse mortgage home equity line of credit (ReLOC) can be a lifeline of ready cash for homeowners ages 62 and older. Don Graves of...
Fed easing clobbers fixed annuities
But sales of registered index-linked annuities (RILAs, aka 'structured variable annuities') posted a record high. RILAs offer more upside potential but less downside protection than fixed indexed annuities.
The ‘Fed Put’ Hurts Annuities—and Retirees
Low rates encourage excessive risk-taking. But the Fed keeps accommodating market sell-offs, which sets up a new round of boom and bust. Retirees (and the annuity issuers who serve...
Another Tough Decade for Annuities?
“With zero rates, I get a ‘shrinking iceberg’ feeling,” said Tim Paris, president of Ruark Consulting. He tracks annuity contract owner behavior and sees danger for life insurers at...
For annuities, 2019 was great. 2020 is TBD
Sales of annuities were stellar in calendar 2019--except in 4Q, as WinkIntel and Secure Retirement Institute report. With interest rates ultra-low and investor anxiety high, 2020 sales could go...
How Annuity Owners Behave in a Storm
A new report from actuaries at Ruark Consulting considers how factors like 'moneyness,' crediting rates, adverse selection, and the heightened vulnerability of seniors to COVID-19 might affect the way...
Observation Posts
Expert opinions on the crisis from Rob Arnott, David Babbel, A.M. Best, Zvi Bodie, Bill Borton, Francois Gadenne, Stan Haithcock, Per Linnemann, Sandy Mackenzie, Sheryl Moore, Steve Slifer, Eugene...
Shocks loom for U.S. life insurers, annuity issuers: A.M. Best
The ratings agency identified three big headwinds facing the life/annuity industry, but also identified some strengths.
IPO Signals Strategic Shift at Jackson National
Jackson's UK parent, Prudential plc, seeks an equity capital infusion--to fuel its diversified growth strategy and to mollify mega-shareholder Dan Loeb.
Turn 401(k)s into Bond Ladders
Franklin Templeton SVP Drew Carrington says his firm's Defined Maturity Funds, which work like bond ladders, could provide retirement income for 401(k) participants, and could be paired with qualified...
Bonuses enhance yield in Allianz Life’s new indexed annuity
Low interest rates send players in different niches of the retirement business in different directions toward different solutions for different types of customers. Here's how the leading FIA issuer...
