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...
Draft of Deficit Reduction Proposals Released
The deficit committee's modest proposal to reconsider all of the $1.1 trillion worth of annual "tax expenditures"--including the tax deferral benefit that underlies the retirement industry--worries Brian Graff, CEO...
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...
Global Fund Flows on Pace for $850B in 2010
In the U.S., Strategic Insight expects 2010 full-year flows to stock and bond funds to hit $400 billion, including ETFs and funds underlying VAs.
Dinosaur Cloning Will Precede Social Security Fix: Survey
. . . and 77% of Americans with children at home say their child is more likely to catch a foul ball in the seats at a baseball game...
Many Plan Sponsors Puzzled by TDFs
Just 34% of plan sponsors responding to a Janus/Asset International poll believe target date funds are the best QDIA for their plan, down from 57% last year.
Uncertainty Hurts More Than QE2 Helps, Finance Pros Say
Weak consumer demand, uncertainty about regulatory changes, unemployment, anti-business sentiment in Washington, uncertainty about tax policy, commodity price volatility and FOREX volatility, in that order, were cited as reasons...
Quote of the Week
"Gold is at a record only if you fail to adjust for inflation. And you should almost always adjust for inflation" -- Economics columnist David Leonhardt of The New...
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.
AIG’s Asset Sale and IPO Raise $36.7 Bn
The revenue from the transactions will help AIG pay back the Federal Reserve Bank of New York credit facility, which used taxpayer funds to bail out AIG during the...
Diversified Investment Advisors Introduces In-Plan Income Option
DIA, a DB and DC plan provider, is partnering with Vanguard and Transamerica Financial Life Insurance to offer plan participants a stand-alone living benefit on target-date funds.
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,...
Quote of the Week
"This isn't a choice between chocolate and vanilla, folks. It's all Rocky Road: a few marshmallows to get you excited before the election, but with a lot of nuts...
Money Mishaps Linked to Early Dementia
In a 2009 Fidelity survey, 84% of advisors said they thought they had clients with symptoms of dementia. Half said they were reluctant to broach the subject of dementia...
MetLife Posts Record U.S. Annuity Sales in 3Q 2010
MetLife saw record U.S. annuity sales of about $5 billion during the third quarter of this year, up 25% over the third quarter of 2009. The $5 billion included...
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...
Quote of the Week
"The president thinks that over $250,000 is wealthy and under $250,000 isn't wealthy. I know that you don't think of $250,000 as wealthy. You feel that $250,000 means you're...
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...
Almost Four in 10 U.S. Households Hit By ‘Great Recession’
U.S. households generally are “not optimistic about their economic futures," Rand analysts say.
Three Ways to Rein in the Runaway Deficit
Without changes in tax and spending rules, the national debt will rise from 62% of GDP now to more than 100% of GDP by the end of the decade,...
