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...
Research
Dividend futures signal long slowdown: U. of Chicago
'As of March 18, our forecast of annual growth in dividends is down 28% in the US and 25% in the EU, and our forecast of GDP growth is...
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.
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...
Investors pump money into bonds: Morningstar
Vanguard holds more than a fourth of all long-term assets, up from 10% in 2000, according to Morningstar's fund flows report for January, written by senior analyst Tony Thomas,...
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.
Why Does a Great Economy Need Financial Aid?
'Artificial interventions have allowed the stock market to remain detached from underlying profitability. This guarantees poor future outcomes for investors,' writes our guest columnist, a strategist for RIA Advisors...
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)....
Extreme Longevity? He Lives It
Nearing age 100, social scientist Jacob S. Siegel is still vigorously lecturing and writing. He spoke about the 'demography of retirement' at the triennial 'Living to 100 Symposium' in...
‘Top of Mind’ Wealth Management Platforms
Fidelity, Charles Schwab and Vanguard were the three firms most often named by investors without hints, according to Cerulli Associates. (Forty years of brand-building never hurts.)
Uncertainty at Both Ends of Retirement
'Ignoring retirement age uncertainty can potentially have a significant (negative) impact on potential retirement outcomes,' writes David Blanchett of Morningstar in an award-winning research paper.
Global aging named as world’s most powerful trend
Investors will access major trends--aging, climate change, artificial intelligence--through private markets more than public markets, a survey of institutional investors showed.
Most advisory firms not qualified to rely on their own research: Cerulli
The research firm identifies the internal resources that advisory firms need to be what Cerulli calls 'optimal non-users' of model portfolios.
Research Roundup
Recent research offers new insights into financial decision-making, the decision to work after retirement, and reveals surprising links between aging and interest rates, the rise of the service economy,...
Asset managers need to design ‘vehicle-agnostic’ products: Cerulli
'Mutual fund providers feel pressure to prioritize development and distribution of other vehicles over the mutual fund,' said a report from the Boston-based global consulting firm.
40% of life insurers’ bank loans below investment grade: AM Best
'The benefit of floating interest rates on bank loans, which somewhat protects insurers from rapidly rising interest rates, is further diminished in a continued low interest rate environment,' the...
Mr. President, Please Stop Tweeting!
'If, as appears, Fed policy is truly being influenced by pressure from Trump, then we will have reckless monetary policy combined with fiscal policy that is out of control,'...
What your Zip code reveals about your lifespan
A new report from ClubVita shows that life expectancy increased at a faster rate for more financially well-off retirees between 2001 and 2014.
‘The Specter of the Giant Three,’ and Other Gripping Yarns
Four recent research papers that we think will interest you are summarized here. Topics include the dominance of shareholder voting by Vanguard, BlackRock and SSgA, the limits of stock-picking...
Annuities Need More Positive ‘Positioning’
'Consumer sentiment about annuities also appears to fluctuate based on the prevailing market environment,' according to a new study from CANNEX and Greenwald & Associates.
