Mutual Satisfaction
What "story" helps you sell VAs? Mark Caner of Western & Southern describes his firm's contract as a safe, nimble, fuel-efficient vehicle for cruising through retirement.
Fixed annuity sales improve in 1Q 2011
"Though low by historical standards, fixed annuity rates were higher than in fourth quarter 2010," said Jeremy Alexander, president and CEO of Beacon Research.
Voters of all stripes want Wall Street swept clean
A poll sponsored by AARP and others found that 83% of Democrats, 73% of independents and 68% of Republicans favor a single federal agency dedicated to protecting consumers from...
In Search of a Safer Bet
Asset transfer programs and managed risk funds are playing a significant role in revitalizing the VA industry, and their benefits may ultimately reach the wider world of investing, writes...
Death rates vary by gender, ethnicity and location
Though widely feared, Alzheimer’s disease was officially blamed for only seven percent of deaths among the elderly in 2009, according to a data brief from the National Center for...
One in five 401(k) participants has no outside savings: Fidelity
But nearly one in 10 corporate defined contribution participants increased their contribution rate during the first quarter of 2011, the largest percentage to do so since Fidelity started tracking...
Wells Fargo leads banks in annuity sales
Ten large bank holding companies accounted for about $563 million or more than 64% of the $748.2 million in bank annuity income in the first quarter.
NYLife Targets VA Buyers with New DIA
The new multi-premium contract allows a person to build a personal pension with a series of contributions leading to lifetime income beginning at a pre-determined but flexible start date.
Austria urged to thwart early retirement
Though Austria’s statutory retirement ages are 65 for men and 60 for women, Austrian men retire at age 58.9 on average while women retire at age 57.5 on average.
Actuary to Congress: Raise SS retirement age
Even in 1940, however, men who reached age 65 had an average life expectancy of 12.7 years—meaning that half lived longer than that. (Albus Dumbledore was nearly 116 years...
Couples readier for retirement than singles: RAND
A 30% reduction in Social Security benefits would reduce the percentage of married people who are adequately prepared for retirement by 7.8 percentage points and the percentage of single...
Variable annuity filings: Jan-June 2011, from Beacon Research
Here's a hyper-linked list of variable annuity prospectuses filed with the SEC from January 1 to June 30, 2011. The list was provided by Chicago-based Beacon Research, host of...
The Journal Plays Gotcha! with EBRI
In a July 7 article, the Wall Street Journal reported that auto-enrollment in 401(k) plans has backfired, sticking some people at a lower contribution rate than they might have...
Summer Cliffhangers in the VA Soap Opera
Mr. McDonnell publishes Soleares Research, a website devoted to variable annuity industry news. Here's his take on the latest trends in VA contracts.
The Battle of the Sexes, Retirement Planning Division
The latest Fidelity poll of older married couples suggests that their pillow talk rarely includes retirement matters.
Are the asset allocation models used in 401(k) plans subject to DoL disclosure requirements?
Probably, says ERISA expert Fred Reish--but not if the model is managed by a 'discretionary fiduciary.'
GAO paints a broad view of America’s retirement challenge
A new report from the General Accounting Office shows, among other things, that delaying Social Security can be cheaper than taking it early and making up the difference with...
U.S. retirement assets hit $18 trillion again: ICI
The value of annuity assets held outside retirement plans was $1.637 trillion in 1Q 2011, its highest point since the third quarter of 2007, according to the ICI Retirement...
An Actuary’s View of the VA Market
Consulting actuary Tim Pfeifer, a self-professed fan of the guaranteed lifetime withdrawal benefit, spoke with RIJ about the evolving variable annuity market.
Lonelier at the Top
Prudential, MetLife and Jackson National, which have dominated sales since the VA industry's post-crisis shake-out, all added to their market share in the first quarter of 2011, according to...
