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...
Annuities
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...
At These Rates, Why Bother to Save?
Negative real interest rates have become a disincentive to personal savings, especially among lower-income Americans who will rely heavily on Social Security and Medicaid anyway, this team of economists...
Project LIMA Aims to Solve the Annuity Puzzle
Milliman, the actuarial consulting firm, envisions putting a multi-premium deferred income annuity inside a 401(k) managed account as a way to turn tax-deferred savings into lifetime income. It seeks...
Lifetime income withdrawals from FIAs up 39%: Ruark
'Lifetime income commencement increases sharply when policies are in the money, that is, when the benefit base exceeds the account value,' writes Tim Paris, CEO of Ruark Consulting.
NAIC approves revised “best interest” rule for annuities
The revisions clarify that all recommendations by agents and insurers must be in the best interest of the consumer.
Mike Bloomberg’s Retirement Security Plans
Bloomberg favors a public-option national workplace savings program, modeled on the federal Thrift Savings Plan. Its government match would be paid for with 'a reduction in the tax break...
Annuity sales reach 12-year high in 2019
Total fixed sales in 2019 were $139.8 billion, up 5% from 2018. That broke the previous record of $133.5 billion despite a weak fourth quarter when sales dropped 18%...
Brighthouse, Athene announce FIA innovations
Brighthouse Financial will be issuing its first fixed indexed annuity (FIA), which has a six-year term. Athene announced the availability of two new custom indices on its existing FIAs.
Industry-led ‘Retirement Income Institute’ to Launch
The Retirement Income Institute, which will fund new research and and white papers on 'protective lifetime income,' is the latest annuity education project from the financial industry-led Alliance for...
You’ll love New York Life’s Super Bowl Ad
In the 60-second spot, there’s a montage of people expressing philia (friendship), storge (familial love), eros (sexual love), and finally agape (charity, in the highest sense, or divine love).
Outlook brightens in Asia for private annuity sales: Cerulli
'The importance of annuities is expected to increase significantly, as many markets continue to encourage personal retirement savings,' said Ye Kangting, a Cerulli research analyst.
Ruark releases new mortality tables for VAs and FIAs
The Ruark tables reflect not only the effects of age and gender, but also differences by product type and contract duration, said Tim Paris, actuary and Ruark CEO (pictured)....
Lincoln Financial wraps income rider around CapGroup TDF
In a renewal of an old partnership, Lincoln Financial and Capital Group are collaborating on a variable annuity with an income rider and exposure to Capital Group target date...
AIG, AllianceBernstein offer index annuity with income rider
AllianceBernstein’s new “AB All Market Index” will be offered exclusively as an indexing choice in AIG’s Power Select Index Annuities. Alliance Bernstein created the multi-asset index for AIG; Market...
RIJ Interview: Will Fuller of Lincoln Financial
In the third in our series of interviews with annuity industry leaders, we talk with Lincoln Financial Group executive VP Will Fuller. He was recently honored as an 'Industry...
