Indexed annuities Archives - Retirement Income Journal

Cross-Fire: NAIC and Fed Economists Release Same-Day Zingers

By Kerry Pechter Wed, Mar 26, 2025

On March 21, Federal Reserve economists published research warning about increases in high-risk lending by U.S. life insurers. On the same day, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners asked...

Published April 2025

Cannex puts 401(k) annuities to the test

By Kerry Pechter Sun, Feb 2, 2025

'Insurance companies should all be thinking carefully about this,” said Ramsey Smith, CEO of ALEXIncome, with respect to the nascent 401(k) annuity market. 'They need to understand that this...

Published February 2025

Middleware is Central to In-Plan Annuities

By Kerry Pechter Sat, Nov 2, 2024

Middleware is hub-and-spoke software that lets retirement plan recordkeepers and life insurers talk to each other. Steve McCoy of iJoin, a provider of managed account user interfaces, and Bill...

Published November 2024

What are ‘excess return’ indexes?

By Editorial Staff Wed, May 1, 2024

Like many FIA issuers, Ibexis Life uses 'excess return' indexes in its product. In the context of FIA indexes, 'excess return” doesn’t mean 'out-performance relative to a benchmark' or...

Published May 2024

This Year’s Legal Battles

By Kerry Pechter Mon, Mar 4, 2024

The life/annuity industry faces three big legal issues this year. All stem from, or are complicated by, the patchwork regulation of financial products in the US, our out-of-date pension...

Published March 2024

Why RIJ Obsesses over the ‘Bermuda Triangle’

By Kerry Pechter Thu, May 5, 2022

Private equity is no longer a sideshow in the annuity industry. Its involvement is now the main event. But we know too little about private equity’s growing role in...

Published May 5, 2022

Meet Laurence Black, Interpreter of Indexes

By Editorial Staff Thu, Feb 25, 2021

There's a confusing profusion of new indexes behind ETFs and annuities. Laurence Black of The Index Standard says he can make sense of them. Watch as Tamiko Toland of...

Published February 25, 2021

These Hedges (Probably) Won’t Clip You

By Kerry Pechter Thu, Jun 11, 2020

Listen to an actuary who put $50k into a five-year indexed variable annuity four years ago as an alternative to CDs. We explain how IVAs are priced, and we...

Published June 11, 2020

Athene to use artificial intelligence-driven indexes in FIAs

By Editorial Staff Thu, May 28, 2020

'AiPEX with Watson simulates a team of thousands of analysts and traders working around the clock,' according to a release this week.

Published May 28, 2020

RIJ Interview: Will Fuller of Lincoln Financial

By Kerry Pechter Thu, Jan 23, 2020

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...

Published January 23, 2020

Side-by-Side Comparison: A VA Minimum Accumulation Benefit Rider vs. an Index Annuity

By Editorial Staff Thu, Mar 21, 2019

Which of these two types of annuity contracts was able to offer the best principal protection and upside potential over a 10-year period? CANNEX tested them over 10,000 randomly...

Published March 21, 2019

New FIA bets on growth in aging-related industries (Duh!)

By Editorial Staff Fri, Sep 21, 2018

The Retirement Plus Multiplier Annuity issued by A-CAP insurers and distributor Saybrus Partners offer access to a Goldman-Sachs index that tracks healthcare and real estate companies that may benefit...

Published September 21, 2018

iPipeline announces annuity distribution partnership

By Editorial Staff Thu, Sep 13, 2018

Under the alliance, BCS Insurance Agency will offer fixed and indexed annuities through Four Seasons Financial Group using iPipeline's 'SimplyAnnuity' tool.

Published September 13, 2018

How Not to Sell an Indexed Annuity

By Kerry Pechter Thu, May 10, 2018

Five financial professionals commented on our April 5 story about my neighbor's encounter with an advisor who recommended an indexed annuity for lifetime income. She should 'run like hell,'...

Published May 10, 2018

Great-West to distribute its new indexed VA to RIAs on the RetireOne platform

By Editorial Staff Thu, Apr 19, 2018

RIAs hate annuities--unless they can exchange a client's existing contract for something cheaper and more suitable. Great-West sees opportunity there.

Published April 19, 2018

It’s Hot Around the ‘Collar’

By Kerry Pechter Thu, Mar 29, 2018

Nervous investors can get an indexed collar strategy from an annuity or an ETF. Great West Financial and Innovator Capital Management have new products in the category. Cap-and-buffer products,...

Published March 29, 2018

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