Boomers May Regret Payroll Tax Holiday: Op-Ed
If made permanent, a new Social Security ‘payroll tax holiday,’ reducing the ‘match’ employers pay from 6% to 4% of salary, will drop the solvency of the program 14...
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In 40 Years, U.S. Will Be Less Populous—and More Prosperous—Than Expected
A slower rate of population growth in 2010-2050, suggested by the recent census, implies a generally richer 2050, with higher per capita income growth and better opportunities at the...
Moral Hazard and the Roots of the Financial Crisis
Which caused the financial crisis? A minority report from the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission and a forthcoming book from economists at NYU try to explain.
Unmet Expectations
Here’s one observer's somewhat disappointed reaction to the special section on Retirement Income Planning in the December 2010 issue of the Journal of Financial Planning.
Sun Life’s New VA Riders Have New Risk Controls
Steve Deschenes, senior vice president and general manager for annuities at Sun Life Financial (U.S.), told RIJ, “This is not re-starting the variable annuity arms race. It’s a...
Do FIAs Need Income Riders?
A guaranteed income rider makes as much sense on an FIA as it does on a VA and should not be dismissed out of hand, says Garth Bernard, president...
Prices Rise, Benefits Shrink for America’s Most Popular VA
For the second time since the financial crisis, Prudential has reduced the richness of the living benefit riders on its popular Highest Daily series of variable annuities.
Who Is the Typical SPIA Buyer?
The average age at purchase for an immediate annuity is 73. The average immediate annuity premium was just over $107,000.
The Point Person for ‘Secure Retirement Strategies’
Mark N. Fortier, CFA, head of Product and Partner Strategy at AllianceBernstein, has led a team that spent much of the past three years building a multi-insurer platform to...
Four Firms Capture Half of VA Sales
At the same time, a dozen large insurance companies saw their VA sales drop by double-digit percentages from the second to the third quarter of 2010, according to Morningstar...
Decumulation Beat
Only advisors who are self-employed have the autonomy to use the fiduciary standard when working with clients.
Fees vs. Commissions in SPIA Sales
When a client incorporates an immediate annuity into a custom financial plan, we shouldn’t ask what revenue method is best for the advisor; we should ask what method is...
How to Expect the Unexpected (in a Retirement Income Plan)
If you incorporated the risk of expensive emergencies, the sustainable withdrawal rate would sink to 3%, writes Gordon B. Pye, Ph.D., in the current issue of the Journal of...
Vox Populi on the ‘Volcker Rule’
More than 1,400 Americans, including Paul Volcker himself (at left) commented on the proposed rule, which would ban risky 'proprietary' trading by banks. A smaller but more influential...
Don’t Let Your Politics Shoot You in the Financial Foot
If you intend to be rational about investing, separate politics from portfolio, writes fee-only advisor and author (and political news junkie) Russell Wild.
End the Bush Tax Cuts
If we're serious about reducing the deficit and sparing our grandchildren a legacy of debt, it would be irresponsible to do anything else.
A Quiet Transition at Jackson Life
The succession of Jackson National Life CEO Clark Manning by Mike Wells (at left), a 15-year veteran at the U.S. unit of Prudential plc and the incumbent COO,...
How the Tax Stalemate Might Play Out
President Obama has left open the possibility of capping the tax on dividend income at 20%, says tax pundit Andy Friedman, but that would cost the government an estimated...
A Case of Election Psychosis
“Doc, I can’t sleep. I stay up all night, trying to figure out who I should vote for,” said the Undecided Voter as he reclined on the leather longue...
